2 Timothy 2:20-26

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.  So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.  Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.  And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Excellence is something for which all ministers of the Gospel should strive.  There are many levels of effectiveness in ministry.  There are a variety of issues that determine that effectiveness.  Paul challenges Timothy to strive to be a “vessel for honorable use” so that he can be as effective as possible.  As with every area of work and life there are basically two factors that determine effectiveness: character and competency.  Our growth in personal discipline and our wisdom in dealing with other people are fundamental to productive ministry.      

STOP SINNING: Cleansing and fleeing are the two actions that we are to have towards sin.  The blessed truth that our sins have been forgiven and are hearts have been cleansed from all unrighteousness does not exempt us from the necessity of turning from our sin in repentance and abandoning that sin in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Holiness is the expected result of forgiveness.  In order for us to be useful in the work of the ministry we must learn to walk in purity and the practice of good works.  These things do not save us but they are the direct result of saving faith.  When we face temptation to sin, we cannot be passive.  We must run from that sin.  There are lusts of our hearts and areas of weakness that Satan will continually seek to expose.  God expects us to flee from theses sinful desires.

PURSUE PURITY: Effectiveness in ministry does not come by simply avoiding sin.  The key is to intentionally and proactively develop the Christlike character that is necessary for spiritual leadership.  We must run from sin but also run towards faith, love, and peace.  The call is for us to grow in holiness as part of a Christian community that is working together to that end.  Sanctification is a “team sport” that requires the concerted effort of the body of Christ around us.  Trusting God, loving others, and an inner peace that passes understanding do not come naturally to us.  We are not capable of building these qualities in our own lives apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.  Other believers are instruments in His hands that use the gifts He imparts to help us become more like Jesus. 

QUIT QUARRALING: Priorities go a long way in determining our effectiveness.  Satan is doing all he can to distract us from the godly priority of holiness.  Foolish and ignorant controversies are frequent means of distracting ministers from Christ’s priorities.  As long as we are fighting about secondary issues, we will not be able to focus on the primary issue of holiness.  We all have different tastes and preferences.  It is impossible to be effective while insisting that these personal desires be satisfied.  There are doctrines of Scripture that are difficult to understand completely.  God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are hard for us to reconcile in our minds.  When finite creatures seek to comprehend and explain the infinite Creator, we should expect some disconnects.  These things must not become the focus of our ministries, or we will spend all our time and energy debating with our brothers and sisters instead of reaching those who are lost.

TEACH TRUTH: Our words and our actions must be aligned.  We are called to stand up for and defend the truth, but we must do this in the spirit of kindness.  The ability to teach truth is fundamental to ministry, but the truth will always face resistance.  There will be consequences for standing up for the truth and we must be prepared to endure hardship with perseverance.  Those who oppose the truth must be corrected but not with anger or arrogance.  Christ calls us to minister with humility and gentleness.  When we are convinced that others are wrong; we should immediately recognize that it is only by the grace of God that we are not the ones in need of correction.  If others have come under the attacks of Satan and become trapped in some sin or false doctrine, it will do little good for us to wag our fingers and shake our heads in condemnation.  We must love them and seek to restore them with a humble heart.  Arrogant condemnation will only cause them to dig their heals in more deeply.  Humble exhortation is far more likely to bring about repentance and restoration.

APPLICATION: Diligently identify the sinful passions of our hearts and run from them in the power of the Spirit.  Seek constant grown in faith in Christ, love for others, and peace within.  Don’t be distracted from effective minister by majoring on minors.  Be prepared for opposition but confront it with gentleness and humility.