Church Leaders' Teaching and Training Manual: A Ministerial Aid for Training Church Workers

Bibliography

Section 1

PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS IN LIFE

1.1: SEVENTEEN PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS INMINISTRY

•A positive mental attitude

•Definitiveness of purpose is the starting point of life

•Achievements

•Going the extra mile

•Accurate thinking

•Self-discipline

•Having the Master's mind

•Applied faith

•A pleasing personality

•Personal initiative

•Enthusiasm

•Controlled attention

•Team work

•Learning from defeat

•Creative vision

•Budgeting time and money

•Maintaining sound physical and mental health

•Using the cosmic habit of force

Imprint these seventeen success principles in your ministry. Your attitude shapes your future. Research has shown that 98 out of every 100 persons who are dissatisfied with their world do not have a clear vision in their minds of the world they would like for themselves.

1.2: WHO IS A CHRISTIAN?

•In faith, he is a believer in Jesus Christ.(Jn.3:16, 18).

•In relationship, he is a child of God (Gal.3:26).

•In communion, he is a friend of God (Jn.15:15).

•In character, he is a saint (Rom.1:7).

•In conflict, he is a soldier (2 Tim.2:3-4).

•In the world, he is a pilgrim and stranger (1Peter.2:11)

•In expectation, he is an heir(Rom.8:17).

The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch (Acts 11:26).

1.3: THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

•The Christian life is an eternal life (Rom. 6:23)

•The Christian life is a faith life (I Peter 5:5-9)

•The Christian life is a life of service (Col. 3:16-17)

•The Christian life is a warring life (II Cor. 10:3-5)

•The Christian life is a work in progress (Josh. 1:8)

1.4: GOD'S WILLFOR YOU

•God's will is sovereign (Isaiah 46:9-11)

•God's will is immutable (Mal. 3:6)

•God's will is good, acceptable and perfect (Rom. 12:1-2)

•God's will can be known (Heb. 13:20-21)

•God's will for individuals (Col. 1:9-10, Jer. 29:11)

1.5: AS A MAN THINKS

•Think like a dynamic child of God. (Prov. 3:7)

•You are what you think (Rom. 12:3)

•You are a product of your thought

•When you change your thought, then you change your life

•Thinking makes the person (Isaiah 55:7-9)

•Whatever the mind can perceive, it can achieve (Prov.4:23).

•Keep your thought process active and be open to the voice of God.

•Think great thoughts because you are serving a great God

1.6: CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM

•The poor in Spirit (Mt. 12:3)

•The mourner (Mt. 5:4)

•The meek (Mt. 5:5)

•The hungry and thirsty (Mt. 5:6)

•The merciful (Mt. 5:7)

•The pure in heart (Mt. 5:8)

•The peace makers (Mt. 5:9)

•The persecuted (Mt. 5:10-12).

1.7:THE FOUR PHASES OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST

•The rapture of the church (I Thess. 4:13-18)

•The tribulation in the earth (Mt. 24:9-3)

•The Battle of Armageddon. (Rev. 16:13-16)

•Establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. (Joel 3:11-17)

1.8: CROWNS FOR CHRISTIANS

•The crown of life (James 1:12)

•The crown of rejoicing (I Thess. 2:19-20)

•The crown of righteousness (II Tim. 4:5-8)

•The crown of glory (I Peter 5:2-4)

•The crown imperishable (I Cor. 9:24-27)

Section 2

THE CHURCH WORKER

...And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah (2kings 3:11).

Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord (Isaiah 52:11).

Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully (Jer. 48:10)

2.1 WHO IS A CHURCH WORKER?

A church worker is the servant of the servant of God (2kings 3:11, Exod. 17:8-9, 24:13). He/she is a co-laborer together with the pastor in the church of God (2 Cor. 6:1). The work of God in the church cannot be done by the children of Satan; it takes those who are possessed by the Spirit of God to do the work of God profitably and successfully. This is because except the Lord works in a person he cannot work for God. Except the work of Grace is accomplished in a person's heart, he cannot be a servant in God's vineyard.

A church worker is like a vinedresser dressing God's vineyard. When God created Adam and Eve, He put them in the Garden of Eden to dress and keep it (Gen. 2:5). The garden could be spiritually termed as the church of God. A Christian church worker is a servant in the household of God, who must be obedient and fruitful, and who must not be lazy or slothful in his/her spiritual assignment in the church of God. (John. 5:17). When you are born again by giving your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you should take your commitment to Christ very seriously; you will then be able to follow Him by living a life of fellowship, holiness, study and service in His vineyard (Luke. 1:74-75; Heb. 10:26; Luke. 9:62).

2.2 THE EMERGENCE OF THE CHURCH WORKERS' MINISTRY

The first picture of a church worker began with the emergence of Lot in the ministry of father Abraham (Gen. 12:4). We also read of the problem which Abram encountered while trying to help Lot fulfil the vision of God for his (Lot) life. Father Abraham also had Eleazer as a faithful worker in his ministry during his life time (Gen. 15:2), 24f. In Exod. 18:13-26 we read about the advice given to Moses by Jethro, his father-in-law and the subsequent emergence of the seventy Sanhedrin as workers in the ministry of Moses in the church in the wilderness (Acts 7:38, Exod. 18:25-26), to reduce the burden of the work of God for the man of God (Moses). This pattern was followed by subsequent spiritual leaders in the Bible who raised and trained workers for the work of their ministries. Our Lord Jesus Christ elected twelve workers (Mk. 3:14-15) and then seventy other workers (Lk. 10:1,17). In Acts 6:3-5; the Bible instructed that, Look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business. Also in his address to Titus, Paul called Titus his true child in a common faith (Titus 1:4). Apostle Paul set forth as one of Timothy’s pastoral task, instructing him that: And the things thou has heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). Paul's admonition is that we commit our vision, conviction and ministry goals to faithful men. Faithful men end up being able men, and graduate to being proven men and leaders as required in I Tim 3: 10.

2.3 TYPOLOGIES OFCHURCH WORKERS IN THE BIBLE

•The seventy sanhedrin (Exodus. 18:25-26).

•Joshua the servant of Moses (Ex. 17:8-9, 24:13).

•Elisha the servant of Elijah (2king 3:11).

•Caleb one of the twelve spies sent by Moses (Num. 14:6,24). He directed the invasion of Judea and settled in Hebron (Joshua 1:15).

•David in the ministry of Saul (I Sam. 16:21-23).

•Timothy (2 Tim 2:2; Titus 1:4).

•Samuel as a worker in the ministry of Eli (I Sam. 1:24, 2:11,18).

•Joseph as a steward in Potiphar's home (Gen. 39, 1, 4).

•Onesimus (Philem. 10, 13, Col. 4:9).

•The twelve disciples in the ministry of Jesus (Mk. 3:14-15)

•The seventy disciples sent out, two by two, by Jesus Christ (Luke 10:1-20).

2.4 SOME BIBLICALE XAMPLES OF WORKER’S FAILURES

•Lot, a self-willed child of God who was not submissive to leadership and brought convenience to his service to God (Gen. 12: 4; 13: 5-10, 14: 8-16; Gen. 19).

•The ten spies who came with a majority report to Moses in the church in the wilderness.

•Gehazi, a worker in the ministry of Elisha(2 kings 5:20-27).

•Ananias and Sapphira in the Early Church (Acts 5: 1-3).

•Demas (2 Tim. 4: 10).

•Archibus (Col. 4:17).

•A chan (Joshua 7:1).

•Judas Iscariot (Lk. 22: 3-6).

•The builders of the tower of Babel: these people had a good plan but with a worldly and default motive. God saw them as rebels. (Gen. 11:6-8).

2.5 COMMITMEN TO FCHURCH WORKERS

Commitment means giving your whole loyalty to a particular course of action. It is doing your utmost in your calling with all diligence. It entails doing your work at the right time, at the right place, with the right frame of mind, willingly and without compulsion. It could also be said to be an act of responsibility in doing the work of God assigned to you regardless of the circumstances, situations and conditions in which you find yourself in the course of such duties. (Col. 3:17; I Cor. 9:17). Commitment could be illustrated in the following ways:

•Submission to a person, by identifying with the course of a person who has authority over you.

•Love for things which we have purposed to do, whether in our business, in things pertaining to our earthly endeavors, or things pertaining to our spiritual assignments.

•Zeal to do exploit in the Body of Christ by being prompt and reliable in all our Christian responsibilities.

Many Christians are lacking in the spirit of commitment because they cannot pay its price which entails perfect and unconditional love. God's love to the world is an unconditional one that made Him to give His only begotten Son to the world (John. 3:16). Jesus Himself also has this love for us (Rom. 5:8). The Bible says: This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers (I John. 3:16.). In the Old Testament, Abraham, the father of faith, yielded himself after he had been called by God to leave his father's kindred (Gen.12:1-4). This is an example of commitment to a divine injunction.

2.6 BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF COMMITTED PEOPLE

•Enoch (Gen. 5:12-24).

•Noah (Gen. 6:6-27).

•David (Psalm 69:9; 84:10).

•Daniel (Dan. 1:8; 6:10).

•The three Hebrew brothers; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3:12,16-18).

•Joshua (Ex.38: 11).

•Nehemiah. (Neh. 4:6).

In the New Testament, examples of people who exhibited the spirit of commitment during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ were; Peter, John, James, Mary Magdalene, etc. (Mt. 17:1, Mk. 5:37). In Acts 2:41-47, we have examples of people who received the gospel and were called Christians; how they devoted themselves to the Apostles teachings, fellowship, the breaking of bread and to prayer. What made these habits possible in their lives was that they loved the gospel of Christ which they had heard and received. It is only through love for the gospel of Christ that a person can be committed to God and to His work.

In the gospel of St. Luke, there was an account of a family called Zechariah, a very devoted family of God. Despite their domestic problem, God testified about their righteousness and their commitment to their service to Him (Lk. 1:5-15). Unless there is a zeal for Christ and His gospel, commitment to God will be a problem and one's service to God will be done with inconvenience, inconsistencies, inadequacies.

2.7 AREAS IN WHICH YOU CAN BE COMMITTED

We should be committed in the following areas:

•Giving our attention, talents, treasures and tune to the things of God like the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:30-37; Rom. 12:13). We should give to the needs of the Body of Christ; these may not necessarily be in terms of finance only by also making oneself available.

•Evangelism: The ministry of reconciliation has been given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what we should do in order to bring more people to the fold. (I Cor.9: 16; II Cor.5: 18; II Tim. 4:5).

•Prayer: Through prayer we bring God's will to be manifested in our lives and the needs of the saints are met. (Lk. 18:1)

•Teaching: Teaching is required in the area of church growth for edification, exhortation and comfort of the saints. (Acts.8: 30-31; Eph. 4:11-12).

•Helps: These are various services rendered in the household of God with the aid of the different gifts distributed by God among believers. Such Helps ministry include ushering, choir, intercession, care, counselling, welfare, administration (Acts 9:4).

2.8 REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMITMENT

•Being born again: Only a born again Spirit-filled person can conveniently be committed to God's work. This is because there is consistently a yearning in his spirit to work for God.

•Living a surrendered life: A life dependent upon the dictates of the word of God. There is need to be fully dependent on the Holy Spirit for enablement to do God's work effectively. (John.15:5). The Bible says, It is not by power but by my Spirit says the Lord of Host. (Zech. 4:65)

•Having a set goal: Setting of goals is highly recommended for effective commitment and for a person to be a great achiever in life and ministry.

•Willingness to work hard: The work of the kingdom is not for slothful people, so there is the need to be diligent. Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.

•Given to prayer: Prayer has its place in everything we do. Prayer could bring desired strength and enablement for us to be fully committed to God and His work (Luke 18:1).

•Discipline: Commitment to God and His work needs discipline and determination on the part of the individual. When you are disciplined, you can move forward in your service to God (Neh.4: 7-9; II Tim.2: 3-4).

It should be noted that, it is not your involvement in many departments in the church that matters but your commitment and sincerity of purpose to God's work. God has a place for you in His vineyard, why don't you discover where you belong and be duly committed?

2.9 THE DANGER OFEQUATINGA ZEAL TO A COMMITMENT TO CHRIST

Being zealous is different from being committed. Having a zeal for the things of God is different from being committed to the things of God. Zeal for the things of God is what is common among most church workers of today and that is why the spirit of rebellion to spiritual leaders is a common occurrence in the church of today. Such people won't mind causing a dispute in the church anytime they have a divergent view with their spiritual leaders.

Case History 1: Apostle Paul

It was zeal that Paul had for the things of God when he commissioned the stoning of Stephen to death (Acts 7: 58; 8:1) and went further to organize a trip to Damascus to bring those of the new way in bounds to Jerusalem (Acts 9:9, 1-3). But when Paul got convicted and converted to Christ, and became committed to the things of God, the Bible says in Acts 9:20 that, And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. Paul went further to say about himself in Gal. 1:16-18 that, ...immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood… I went into Arabia and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter....

Case History 2: -John Mark

John Mark; then as a youth, was only zealous for the Lord at the time when he accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their First Missionary Journey, when his complaining attitude caused a very serious contention among them. Later Paul was of the view that John Mark should not accompany them on their Second Missionary Journey, but Barnabas, his uncle and mentor, thought otherwise, and they parted ways because of this in Acts 15:36-41. But when the youthful John Mark got convicted and committed to Christ, it was this same Paul that wrote about John Mark in 2 Tim 4:1 that, Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee for he is profitable to me for the ministry and in Colosians 4:10 he also wrote that, Aristorcus my fellow prisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas (touching whom ye received commandment) if he come unto you, receive him.

Case History 3: -Apostle Peter

... and Peter followed afar off (Lk 22:54b; Mark 14:54a).

It was zeal for Christ that was at work in the life of Peter from the time when Peter caught his draught of fish during his first contact with Christ (Lk. 5: 1-5), till when he confessed that Jesus was the Son of God (Mt. 16:16), and when he thought he could defend Jesus Christ by cutting the ear of Marcus who came to arrest Jesus (Mt. 26:51-54), and up till the time when he denied that he never knew Christ by swearing when confronted by an ordinary house maid (Lk. 22:5562). We see real commitment to God's work in the life of Peter in the Book of Acts of the Apostles. (Acts. 1:15-26, 2:14-40, Acts 3:12-26, Acts 4:19). Zeal is what Satan usually uses to confuse some ministers of God when they are electing church members for spiritual assignments in the church of God.

2.10 HOW TO DEVELOP A COMMITMENT ATTITUDE IN CHURCH WORKERS

The Christian worker as a joint-heir together with his spiritual father needs four essential steps to fulfil God's purpose for his life in the ministry where he is serving. The four sequential steps are:

Discovery usually comes as a result of information made available to Harvest of Opportunities us about the miserable condition of a sinful life outside Christ. This brings about a dawn of guilt and conviction culminating in an earnest desire for Christ. This conviction brings about confession, conversion and commitment to Christ.

But certain foundational problems in a new convert's life have to be dealt with immediately after conviction and conversion to Christ, if he wants to make a success of his profession to Christ. This has to do with his Adamic nature of self-will, anti-submissiveness, stubbornness, convenience, giving of excuses, selective obedience, inordinate, ambition, deliberate disobedience, deliberate sins, dawn of guilt, etc. As a church worker, when God calls a person, He calls him first to follow Him, and then to learn from Him. We are never to stop learning. The ministry is a long road of continuous education. There must also be a period of preparation for the demands of our new assignment and position in Christ. Apostle Paul, after his conversion said, I conferred not with flesh and blood but went into Arabia and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I want up to Jerusalem to see Peter… (Gal. 1:16-18). Paul used three years to learn of the demands of the new way, though immediately after his conviction and conversion, the Bible says, And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues(not one synagogue) that He is the Son of God (Acts 9:20).

As church workers, our period of preparation for greatness in the Lord should be one of self-examination, conviction, consecration and determination like Daniel (Dan. 1:8) and like Paul (Gal. 1:16-18). It should be a period to have a right focus and right motives; a period to learn to be submissive, and to be yielded to biblical teachings by imbibing a teachable spirit, and to learn to be prompt concerning spiritual things like David (I Sam. 17:16-26). If David had not been prompt in executing the assignment given to him by his father, he would not have been privileged to hear the boasting of Goliath when he was cursing the God of Israel, and he would have missed the opportunity of confronting him, which was the stepping stone to his lifting in life and ministry.

2.11 ESSENTIAL QUALITIES REQUIRED FOR COMMITMENT

Four main qualities required for true commitment are: surrenderedness, yieldedness, brokenness, and promptness; all these have their stronghold in the spirit of self-denial. It takes the spirit of self-denial to see a better ministry nowadays, a ministry where souls are saved, where Christians mature and become soul winners, where more saints are made. whose lives inspire others to saintly living. Great ministries have turned into great theatres for show business because men of God would not deny themselves.

Some of those who exhibited the spirit of self-denial in the Bible were Daniel (Daniel 1:8), Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego (Dan. 3:1618). Moses also forsook the temporary pleasure of sin in Pharaoh's house (Heb. 11:25, 27) and opted to suffer with his Hebrew colleagues. Apostle Paul says in 2 Tim. 4:9, All men forsook me. Our Lord also denied Himself of the pleasure of companionship with His Father when He came to the world to die for our sins. Certain people who could not exhibit the spirit of self-denial in the Bible are Demas (2 Tim. 4:10), Judas, Lot, Esau, Samson, Ananias and Saphirah, etc. They all missed out of God's program for their lives.

2.12 THE NEED TO BE COMMITTED TO GOD'S WORK

In the Book of Hebrews chapter 6 verse 10 we were told that, For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed towards His name, in what you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.Also, Jesus while speaking to the multitude in John 6:27 said, Labor not for the meat which perisheth but for that which endureth unto everlasting life. Jesus demands that we do quality work for the Father, which shall endure at the time of reckoning because our works as believers shall be tested with fire. It is important therefore to be rightly motivated in our service to God.As Jesus had always charged His disciples to work, so He is charging us today and He expects us to perform even better because we have the Holy Spirit to help us.

2.13 WHYYOU SHOULD BE COMMITTED TO GOD’S WORK

Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34). When we give our lives to Christ, it is required of us to be committed to Him. This can be done if we are involved in rendering service to Him. The reasons are:

•God Commanded It

In Mark 16:15, Jesus commanded His disciples to go and preach the word in all the earth. So does God charge us today to do His work and make full proof of our ministry (II Tim.4: 5b). As members of the body of Christ, none of us is exempted from