The Great and Large Work of Ministry
Nehemiah 4:19b: "...The work is great and large..."
If you’re like I am, sometimes I say to myself, “Who am I among so many?” Even Jesus taught that the harvest is plenteous, but that the laborers are few. He taught us to pray that the Lord would send forth laborers into His harvest. Even as Nehemiah had a great and large work on his hand, so also do we the church of the 21st century.
Question: How do you see the work the Lord has you in? Do you see it as small or great? Let’s just be honest; we call it as we see it! May I suggest that there are ministries which never grow because the people have little or no vision for the work? Do not think that just because you have a small congregation, this means that your work is small. Sometimes it seems that we are making only a small difference when we compare the results to the size of the task at hand. Sometimes we feel like we’re making so little progress that we lose momentum due to discouragement along the way.
I need to say something; in the natural, what is bigger is not always better, and what is better is not always bigger! Furthermore, in the Kingdom of God, there are no big I’s and little You’s. Never measure the success of your ministry only by the results which are visible to you; if you do this, you will often get discouraged. Rather, measure your success by the opportunities you have responded to in order that you might sow the seed of the Word of God!
God said that His Word would not return void unto Him, but that it would accomplish that which He sent it to accomplish! We sow, and others water, but God gives the increase. Therefore, whether your ministry is well known or virtually unheard of in most parts of the world, if you are sowing God’s Word, then your work is great and large! I used to say of my church, “I pastor a small work.” Not anymore! What matters most is not the number of people sitting on the pews, but whether or not the Word of God is being spread abroad.
I wonder how many of you can join with me tonight in thanking God for the opportunity He has given us of participating in this great and large work which we call ministry? What a privilege and honor it is to be a part of something bigger than any of us combined! Let us therefore continue to be as diligent to 10 as we would to 10,000, understanding that the work is great and large, no matter the size!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
If you’re like I am, sometimes I say to myself, “Who am I among so many?” Even Jesus taught that the harvest is plenteous, but that the laborers are few. He taught us to pray that the Lord would send forth laborers into His harvest. Even as Nehemiah had a great and large work on his hand, so also do we the church of the 21st century.
Question: How do you see the work the Lord has you in? Do you see it as small or great? Let’s just be honest; we call it as we see it! May I suggest that there are ministries which never grow because the people have little or no vision for the work? Do not think that just because you have a small congregation, this means that your work is small. Sometimes it seems that we are making only a small difference when we compare the results to the size of the task at hand. Sometimes we feel like we’re making so little progress that we lose momentum due to discouragement along the way.
I need to say something; in the natural, what is bigger is not always better, and what is better is not always bigger! Furthermore, in the Kingdom of God, there are no big I’s and little You’s. Never measure the success of your ministry only by the results which are visible to you; if you do this, you will often get discouraged. Rather, measure your success by the opportunities you have responded to in order that you might sow the seed of the Word of God!
God said that His Word would not return void unto Him, but that it would accomplish that which He sent it to accomplish! We sow, and others water, but God gives the increase. Therefore, whether your ministry is well known or virtually unheard of in most parts of the world, if you are sowing God’s Word, then your work is great and large! I used to say of my church, “I pastor a small work.” Not anymore! What matters most is not the number of people sitting on the pews, but whether or not the Word of God is being spread abroad.
I wonder how many of you can join with me tonight in thanking God for the opportunity He has given us of participating in this great and large work which we call ministry? What a privilege and honor it is to be a part of something bigger than any of us combined! Let us therefore continue to be as diligent to 10 as we would to 10,000, understanding that the work is great and large, no matter the size!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill