Practical Wisdom for Ministry: Rules of Work and Rules of Engagement for Pastors, Associates, and Christian Workers

Copyright © 2013 by Adebayo Asogba.

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Rev. date: 05/29/2013

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Acknowledgements

1.   Thank God for Putting You into the Ministry

2.   Honor Your Senior Pastor and Leaders

3.   Have an Understanding of the Vision and the Mission of the House Where You Serve

4.   Never Exalt Yourself above Your Senior Man of God

5.   Flow in the Same Spirit and Anointing in the House

6.   Never Try to Outshine Your Senior Pastor/Leader

7.   Stay Fresh in the Word and the Anointing

8.   Stay Humble

9.   Apply the Law of the Extra Mile for Your Ministry, Pastor, and Members

10.   Avoid Having an Independent Spirit

11.   Be FAT (Faithful, Available, and Teachable)

12.   Don’t Preach Another Gospel

13.   Learn to Make Your Ministry Look Great

14.   Protect Your Ministry, Your Pastor, and Your Church with Your Words

15.   Reemphasize Every Truth Preached in the House

16.   Preach and Teach the Same Thing

17.   Know That People Are Your Business, Love People and Win Their Souls

18.   Don’t Play Games with Your Ministry

19.   Avoid Rebellion and Disloyalty

20.   Remember, You Are a Forerunner for Your Ministry

21.   Learn to Endure Hardness as a Good Soldier of Christ

22.   Have Mental Clarity of Your Message and Assignment

23.   Remember You Are Jesus’s Ass—His Honor is Your Honor

24.   Be Scripturally Partial

25.   Avoid the Absalomic Spirit

26.   Always Obey and Carry Out Divine Instructions of Your Senior Man of God or Leader

27.   Be Orderly, Maintain Order, and Keep Ranks

28.   Avoid Discouragement, Doubt, and Despair

29.   Never Be a Sauline Assistance

30.   Never Use the Pulpit to Settle Scores

31.   Read to Stay Ahead, Relevant, Effective, and Efficient

32.   Be a Good Salesman for Your Church

33.   Avoid the Sin of Familiarity

34.   Avoid the Nimrod Spirit

35.   Stay Pure and You Will Deliver with Great Power

36.   Control Yourself and Control Your Anger

37.   Avoid the Gehazi Spirit

38.   Read to Make Your Life and Ministry Better

39.   Learn How to Deal with Love and Hatred

40.   Attend Meetings and Trainings

41.   No Matter What, Never Attack Your Senior Man of God or Leader!

42.   Confront Your Leader Politely and in Love

43.   You Must Pray for Your Senior Pastor and His Ministry

44.   Preach with Passion and the Fire of the Holy Spirit

45.   Learn to Have Respect for Time

46.   Increase Your Worth to Have More Value

47.   Be Thankful in Everything

48.   Don’t Hunt Members for Favors

49.   Learn to Accept Criticism

50.   Develop a Godly Heart

51.   Practice Good Manners on the Phone

52.   Develop Your Ability for Word Craft and Mind What You Say and How You Say It

53.   Learn How to Relate

54.   Learn to Accept Change

55.   Honor and Treat Your Family as Your Number One Priority

56.   Develop Excellence in All You Do

57.   Don’t Go Back to Egypt

58.   Value Your Members and Do All in Your Power to Keep Them Together

59.   Don’t Fleece the Sheep If You Have Not Fed the Sheep

60.   Don’t Muddy the Waters

61.   Take Your Exit Quietly

62.   Always Be Enthusiastic

63.   Always Remember That God Knows Thy Work

INTRODUCTION

T his book is for those who have been called to serve in the ministry or those who intend to serve in the ministry as a pastor or Christian worker, be it an elder, deacon, choir member, protocol, Sunday school teacher, evangelist, prophet, apostle, or youth leader.

There are rules that make every organization and corporation great. These rules are the little bolts and nuts that make the wheel of an organization and ministry run smoothly and effectively for maximum production and productivity.

This book will teach you, as a Christian worker, pastors, assistant, associate, or Christian leader, how to be an effective support to your leaders in the ministry and not a pain or a clog in the wheel of the ministry where you serve. Follow these rules of work and engagement, and you will be a blessing in your ministry.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

B ehind every great project and works are wonderful people and team who haves helped and contributed to make every great work a reality.

This work is a tireless research and writing and studying and years of experiences in the ministry that has taken four years to complete.

All appreciation to God for the wisdom and inspiration to write this book.

My special thanks to my wife, Oluwayemisi, and my kids.

All members of Jesus House Antioch, Jesus House Vacaville, Jesus House Silicon—Valley, and all members of RCCGNA CA 2.

RULE 1

Thank God for Putting You into the Ministry

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, and counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

—1 Tim. 1:12

And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called of God, just as Aaron was.

—Heb. 5:4

E very successful ministry and ministration starts with this practical rule. Men who understood the act of true thanksgiving will actually do well in life and ministry, knowing fully well that they are not entitled to or qualified for this work, but rather, it is an honor to be chosen by God and their leaders and placed in the position of leadership and service in the ministry.

If you are going to do well, you must always thank God and appreciate him for counting you worthy and putting you in the ministry. Kindly realize this: your call and calling is not a right of yours; it is a privilege given to you by God and by your leadership. When you realize that this is a privilege rather than a right, you will be grateful and ever humble like Apostle Paul.

Consider this great apostle, Apostle Paul, telling his son Timothy that he thanks God for counting him worthy to put him in ministry.

Do you know that you and I are not worthy to be in ministry by all human standards? Do you know that if we are to be judged by our education, beauty, family pedigree, class in society, exposure, and wealth, you and I will never be qualified to be pastors, evangelists, apostles, bishops, ministers, elders, deacons/teachers, prophets/prophetesses, and workers in the vineyard? It is a privilege and honor to be chosen by God.

Many believers and Christian workers are missing this mark today because they thought it was their cleverness, sharpness, intelligence, and gifting’s that qualified them for ministry, not knowing that it was the mercy of the Lord that brought them thus far. You need to shout and praise the Lord for giving you the opportunity to be in the ministry and to serve in the ministry.

"Therefore, since we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint not" (2 Cor. 4:1).

Nobody understood the call into ministry like Apostle Paul did. Paul said it is an act of mercy for God to call mortal men like you and I. Men who are nothing but dust, not sand! If we were made of sand, it would have been good; it would mean we had some weight—but no! We are dust; it means we can easily be blown away by wind! You have no right to boast about your calling, position, anointing, services, and elections; it is all by grace, and therefore, you must always remember to thank God for counting you faithful to put you in ministry.

Men who have forgotten that they got to where they are today in life and ministry through God’s grace are those who are arrogant, cocky, and injurious to the faith of others. Such men do not last in ministry, in a position of power and influence; they are soon taken out, or their influence diminishes fast.

Remember that no man calls himself into the ministry. No man anoints himself into the ministry. No man ordains himself into the ministry. Every man is located and appointed, ordained and anointed by somebody through the recommendation of the Holy Spirit or another minister or member of the senior ministry. You must also remain grateful to such men.

It would be a sin for

Joshua not to be grateful to Moses,

Elisha not to be grateful to Elijah,

Samuel not to be grateful to Eli,

Ruth not to be grateful to Naomi,

David not to be grateful to Saul and Samuel,

Peter not to be grateful to Jesus,

the twelve disciples not to be grateful to Jesus,

Paul not to be grateful to Jesus and Ananias, and

Timothy not to be grateful to his grandmother Lois,

his mother Eunice, and Paul.

The same way it will be a sin for men like

Kenneth Copeland to disdain Oral Robert,

Jerry Savelle to despise Kenneth Copeland,

Pastor Enoch Adeboye to despise Pa Akindayomi,

or Pastor Ayo Oritejafor to despise late archbishop Benson Idahosa.

You must thank God for all the men he has used to bring you into the various graces of God in your life and for the various opportunities to serve in ministry.

Do you have men that God has used to impact your life? List them out and appreciate them, remember them, and say thank you to God for these men no matter the height you are in now in ministry.

‘A young man was discovered by a great man of God and was sent on a mission field to Guinea-Conakry. He could not break through the darkness there. He ran back to his spiritual father, who prayed for him again, and impacted the grace of God on him. He went back to the field, and the power of God broke out there, and a major revival took place there, and he committed the work to this young man to continue the task of the assignment on his behalf.

As this young man began to experience the power of God and success and growth in the work, another spirit entered into him, and he kicked against this man of God like Jeshurun.

But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; you grew fat, you grew thick, you are obese, then he forsook God who made him. And scornfully esteemed the rock of his salvation. (Deut. 32:15)

So this young man had soon forgotten that the grace and privileges of God in his life and the work he was doing were because of this great man of God. He cut himself off from this man of God, despised him, and treated him with dishonor, but it was not long enough before that grace began to dry up from him, and without this man of God cursing him, he died an untimely death in life.

The beginning of every great ministry, minister, Christian worker, pastor, apostle, and missionary is to have a great, thankful heart.

RULE 2

Honor Your Senior Pastor and Leaders

A son honored his father and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith, the Lord of hosts unto you.

—Mal. 1:6a-6b

I t takes honoring God and your leader for you to receive a spiritual blessing upon your work in the ministry. You see, honor is reciprocal! If you don’t honor your senior pastor and leader as a Christian worker, certain graces will not flow into you.

The Bible says this:

When the disciples of Jesus came to him, they said, Master, teach us how to pray. In other words, teach us how to receive heavenly blessing. Jesus replied and said to them, If you want the blessings of God from heaven to pour out on you, the first thing you must do is to honor the Father in heaven.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (Matt. 6:9)

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. (Rom. 13:7)

To dishonor your senior pastor or