Personal Ministry

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked
him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah,
nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but
there stands One among you whom you do not know.
John 1:24-26

Personal Ministry should be one of the most important ministries at any church. It
amazing what a church can do as a whole. When people work together and join their resources,
great things can happen. But there is also an amazing work to be done as an individual. What you
do outside of church just as a Christian can be a great benefit not just for those you’ll reach but
also for yourself.

The problem of course is that people can get jealous or judgmental in what you do for
God. There are those people who like to control everything and everyone around them and so the
personal ministry of others can be a real problem for them.

That is what was going on with the Pharisees here. They loved to be in control and be the
boss. They were the ones who could say whether you were a sinner or not. They wanted to
control Israel so when John shows up and brings such authority it clearly bothered them. They
didn’t like it and so they’d try and stop it. This can happen in our churches as well. We must
realize that God not only speaks to the church but also to the individual. We all have a personal
ministry from God.

Another issue that can arise from personal ministry is not feeling worthy. The Pharisees
first questioned John’s authority by asking if he was the Christ, Elijah or the Prophet. When he
says no, they reject him completely. How could God ever chose a simpleton who lives in the
desert? Again, they would try and shut down John.

Sometimes we too feel like we are not worthy to have a ministry. We don’t see talent or
skill. We don’t see opportunity or authority in ourselves. That is a mistake. We are all worthy to
be used by God because Jesus makes us so. Whatever we may lack, God can cover or grow in us.

We have to be like John who accepted his personal ministry. We have to also be like John
in not allowing others to shut us down. If God is truly speaking and guiding you, then keeping
going forward. Of course make sure that you are doing God’s will and not being tricked by the
Devil. God’s ministry will always be biblical, unifying and bring people closer to God.

God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto