During my ministry in PCEA Ngaini Parish in Nyeri County as a youth worker that lasted for two years, I learned many things through a ministry training course (MTC) and Utumishi course from Iserve Africa and in Practical Ministry (in placement). My work entailed youth discipleship and organizing various youth activities in the parish. I documented some of the lessons I gained during that time and pray that God would use those lessons to edify His people.
1. God is sovereign in everything
Matthew 10:29, "...are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your father's care."
Sovereignty of God means that God is the only supreme Authority and all things are under His control. God has the absolute right to do all things according to His good pleasure. Nothing in my life has happened or will happen outside of God's sovereign will. I was born out of His sovereign will, went to primary, secondary, and university, and went to Ngaini all in his sovereign will. Even what is happening to me now is because God is allowing it to happen. Nothing falls to the ground outside of His perfect and absolute will. Everything that is happening on this earth, including bad things like sickness, accidents, etc., is because God has allowed them to happen. Everything that will happen in the future is because God wants it to happen. Understanding this has helped me to find comfort in God’s sovereign will. I will not die because of sickness, accident, or any other disaster, but I will die because my father wants me home. Anything happening in my life is serving God's will and purpose. For this reason, I can only trust in him, who is sovereign.
2. The Gospel
1 Corinthians 15:3-4, "For what I received, I passed on to you of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures."
According to the scriptures, Jesus died for our sins. Note: He died for our sins, not diseases or poverty. He suffered because of our transgressions/iniquities (see Isaiah 53:5). The gospel, according to Mathew, indicates the same fact, Matthew 1:21. He (Jesus) will save us from our sins but not from poverty or sickness. Because of our sins, we were separated from God, and we deserve God's wrath (Ephesians 2:3). Jesus is the solution to this great problem. That is why He suffered and died. That is why Paul gave the gospel priority (1 Corinthians 15:3). He did not pass on his ideas or traditions to the Corinthians. He preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus Christ's work on the cross could reconcile us (sinful men) back to God (Colossians 1:21-22). Indeed, this is the gospel of grace that every human needs.
3. The Gospel is the way in and the way on.
Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."
Paul says in Galatians 2:16 that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. Hence, salvation is received through faith in Christ Jesus. All are justified (declared innocent/righteous) before God through faith in Christ Jesus. The big word for this is justification. Therefore, for us to be justified before God, we must have faith in Jesus Christ. I used to think that I did not need Jesus Christ to come into salvation. Then, I also thought that salvation was achieved through my good works (performance). Finally, I thought that after becoming a Christian, God accepted me through my good works, but Paul in Galatians 2:20 notes that justification is a present reality. He says I have been crucified with Christ (which is present perfect tense), and he continues to say, "… This life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God." So, God does not see Paul and his good works, but he sees Jesus Christ in Paul. We are declared righteous by God if we believe in His son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins but not our works. The truth is we fall short of God's glory daily and have never obeyed God perfectly as Jesus did, and for this reason, we are sinners in dire need of the righteousness of Christ Jesus daily. We became righteous by faith in Jesus Christ (way in), and we are righteous now before God through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 1:17 says that the righteous will live by faith from first to last. I have learned that I need the gospel daily. I need to have faith in Jesus Christ because this is the only way I am declared righteous.
4. Scriptures are sufficient and authoritative
a. Sufficiency of the scriptures
2 Timothy 3:15, "... Holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."
One of the greatest struggles I have had in ministry is appreciating this truth. I often found myself trying to quickly fix people to believe what I am preaching to them. I tried to use persuasive words, human wisdom, and crafty ways to force people to believe the gospel message. May the Lord forgive me. I learned that the Holy Scriptures (the Word spoken by God) are enough to make people believe, save them from their sins, and change their ways. Scriptures are powerful enough to save. I do not have to use my methods/ systems to rebuke, correct people, and train them in righteousness. The Bible (God's word) is able to do that. If a brother/sister is sinning, he/she should be pointed to the scriptures to make him/ her stop sinning. For a member of the fellowship to love God passionately, they should be pointed to the scriptures. For people to grow in holiness and faithful servanthood, they should be pointed to the scriptures. That's why Paul urges Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 to preach the Word in season and out of season. That's why I am convinced that any church that's not Word-centered is lost. Pastors and Church leaders should teach the Word as it is. The Word should be the priority for every Church because this is the only way members will grow in holiness, find satisfaction, and rest in Jesus Christ. Only the Word will give them eternal hope.
b. Authority of the scriptures
Hebrews 1:1-2, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times, and in various ways but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son..."
The Word of God is the ultimate Authority. No authority is above it. The Word of God is God himself, and it is about Jesus Christ (John 1:1). Hebrews says in the past, God spoke to our ancestors (people in the Old Testament) through prophets and other ways, but in these last days (the period between Christ's first and second coming) he has spoken to us by His Son and His Son is the Word. If I want to know what God is saying, I need to open my Bible.
If I want to know the will of God for my life, I need to read my Bible because God has spoken, and he is speaking in the Bible. These truths have helped me to reliably study the Bible to hear what God is saying because that is the ultimate way he has spoken to us. I will trust and stay under the Lordship of the scriptures alone, for it is the ultimate Authority (No authority is above it). I agree with the person who said, "If it is not in the Bible, God has not spoken it." God has spoken in the scriptures. Period!
In the end
Dear brothers and sisters, our sovereign Lord, even in the midst of our uncertainty, is always working in the background, especially for His people. Ministry, like our daily life, presents many challenges, but if you learn to trust in His sovereign power established in His Word, you shall persevere whatever comes your way. Let us always look to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is presented to us through the words of the Scriptures, for there we shall find our only anchor and hope. Amen.
