Matthew 4:23-25 Mark 1:35-39 Luke 4:42-44

http://biblehub.com/parallelgospels/The_First_Tour_of_Galilee_with_the_Four_Fishermen.htm

There were characteristics that marked the ministry of Jesus.  These are patterns that we see repeatedly as we study the ministry of Jesus while He was on the earth.  While there are certain aspects of Christ’s ministry on earth that we have not ability or need to emulate; these characteristics are consistent with what we should be practicing in our own lives.  Today’s texts describe three distinct activities as well as places that marked the ministry of Jesus.  These practices and places have direct correlations in our lives too.  The effectiveness of our ministries will be determined by our dedication to these three areas.

PRAYING TO THE FATHER IN SECLUSION: There are no commands in Scripture that require that our times of prayer and Bible study should be in the morning.  We are commanded to pray and study God’s Word but there are no specific requirements as to a time of day that we should schedule these.  However, the example of Jesus on several occasions shows Him arising in the early morning hours in order to spend time with God.  There are other mentions of Him praying at night.  The most important thing is not when we pray but that we pray.  If we are going to be effective in our relationship with God and our ministries, prayer must be our regular practice and discipline.  It is easy for activities to dominate our lives and crowd out our times with God.  We must not allow that to happen.  It is vital to our spiritual well-being, our relationship with God and the productivity of our service that we spend time in secluded places focused on prayer.  Jesus dedicated time to prayer because it was important to both Him and the Father.  If Jesus needed this time alone with God; than we most certainly do as well.  We must find places and times where we can be alone with God and pray.

PREACHING THE GOSPEL IN SYNAGOGUES: Eventually the disciples were able to find Jesus.  They were more focused on the crowds that were gathering as the news of Jesus spread throughout the region.  People were flocking to see and hear Jesus.  He could have just stayed in one place and allow the people to come to Him.  Instead, He traveled from place to place and consistently went to the synagogues in order to preach the Gospel.  The ministry of Christ was marked by preaching.  We have the good news of the Gospel of Jesus and that news must be spread to other people.  The message of the Gospel transforms the lives and eternal destinies of people.  Our example and life style are important but they are no substitute for the preaching of God’s Word.  Character gives credence and authority to what we teach but we still must teach.  Jesus went to where people gathered and He taught them the truth of God’s Word.  The Synagogues were places of worship that were dedicated to the reading and comprehension of Scripture.  Our churches today should be marked by these disciplines.  Certainly we ought to teach God’s Word in a variety of settings but it is important that we teach publicly so that our message is transparent and can be evaluated by others.  God has given us the gift of speech and He intends that we use this gift to tell others about Him.

PROVIDING FOR PEOPLE IN STREETS: Jesus had a huge ministry of healing the sick and setting captives free from the powers of Satan.  Disease and daemon possession were common in the days of Jesus and He did not ignore these issues.  He had the supernatural ability to heal people and exercise authority over daemons.  He continues to have the power to do those things today and He can even use people to accomplish those miracles as He chooses but this is one area where we experience limitations that Jesus did not.  However, the principle of providing for the needs of people is absolutely a valuable and necessary aspect of ministries today.  Jesus spent time in the streets of the towns in which He ministered.  He rubbed shoulders with people, had compassion on them and took actions to provide for their needs.  This type of ministry can be all consuming if we allow it to do so.  There are always so many needs all around us and our resources for meeting those needs are limited.  It is important to find and maintain a balance between preaching and providing.  Both are absolutely vital and they should both mark our ministries just as they marked the ministry of Jesus.


APPLICATION: We must set time aside to get alone with God and pray without distractions and interruptions.  The Gospel and the Word of God must always be on our lips and we need to proclaim them faithfully.  Our hearts should be filled with compassion for the needs of the people around us and that compassion should be reflected in our actions, time and giving.

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