LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Effective Ministers Are Willing To Work Hard
Submitted to Dr. James Sulfridge
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 500
Discipleship Ministries
By
Anthony Bean
Effective Ministers Are Willing To Work Hard
“To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col.
1:29).
The word “labor” means to “work to exhaustion.” There is a holy labor that every Christian
must take part in. Paul pressed or labored “for others to reach perfection.” That was Christ’s
call on his life. Listen to how Paul described his ministry: “But by the grace of God I am what I
am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I,
but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).
Did he rely on grace? Certainly, it was this grace that enabled him to work hard. God has
given everybody grace, but the question is, “Do we use it?” Paul worked hard using the grace
that God had given him. Listen to Philippians 2:12–13: “Work out your salvation with fear and
trembling for it is God who works in you to will and do of his good pleasure.”
The goal of “salvation” is not only being saved, it is the completion of it, looking more and
more like Christ. Effective ministers work hard even as God works in them. Listen to this
commentary about the work ethic of great saints from the past:
Martin Luther worked so hard that many days, according to his biographers, he fell into
bed. Moody’s bedtime prayer on one occasion, as he rolled his bulk into bed, was, ‘Lord, I’m
tired! Amen.’ John Wesley rode sixty to seventy miles many days of his life and preached an
average of three sermons a day, whether he was riding or not.
Paul’s ministerial drive is a model for us all. We will never have an authentic, apostolic
ministry unless we are willing to work to the point of exhaustion.
R. C. Sproul is right: the ministry of the gospel is a glorious thing. But we do not have to be
an apostle or a reformer or a preacher to do it. Some years ago a woman in Africa became a
Christian. Being filled with gratitude, she decided to do something for Christ. She was blind,
uneducated, and seventy years of age. She came to her missionary with her French Bible and
asked her to underline John 3:16 in red ink. Mystified, the missionary watched her as she took
her Bible and sat in front of a boys’ school in the afternoon. When school dismissed, she would
call a boy or two and ask them if they knew French. When they proudly responded that they
did, she would say, ‘Please read the passage underlined in red.’ When they did, she would ask,
‘Do you know what this means?’ And she would tell them about Christ. The missionary says that
over the years twenty–four young men became pastors due to her work.4
We must be challenged by Paul’s apostolic labor and the labor of other effective ministers.
We must decide to work hard in serving God as well.
Application Question: What are some areas at which Christian ministers should work hard?
1. Ministers Should Work Hard In Studying And Teaching God’s Word.
Paul uses the same word for “labor to exhaustion” about the preaching of God’s Word in 1
Timothy 5:17. He says, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of
double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”
The word “work” means to “labor to exhaustion.” In this text, Paul makes the argument
that these elders should be paid because of their labor. However, we all should work hard in
the study and teaching of God’s Word. Again, Scripture says, “Do your best to present yourself
to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly
handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
2. Ministers Should Work Hard In Disciplining The Body.
“No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself
will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Cor. 9:27).
What does Paul mean when he says that he “beat” his body? What it means literally in
Greek is “to hit under the eye.”5 Paul figuratively gave his body a black eye to control it. One of
the things I was taught as an athlete was that we should control our body and make it do what
we want it to do.
An athlete says, “Body, wake up in the morning and we will run,” even though the body
says it wants to sleep. An athlete says, “Body, we are going to stop eating now because I need
to stay in shape.” An athlete even learns how to control his mind to think positive thoughts in
order to be successful. They are often trained to visualize being down or losing in a contest and
to also visualize winning all for the purpose of not giving up. They visualize hitting the winning
shot. They discipline their mind to be great.
Paul says that the rigors and disciplines of an athlete are needed to be a strong Christian.
Listen, many Christians are ineffective in their spiritual life because they have never learned
how to control their body and make it their slave. They don’t work hard at disciplining both
their body and their mind to honor and serve God.
3. Ministers Must Work Hard In Prayer.
“I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for
all who have not met me personally” (Col. 2:1).
When Paul said he struggled for the Colossians, he probably meant that he was struggling
in prayer for them. He had never met them personally as he was in prison in Rome (Col. 2:1). In
Colossians 1:9–14, he describes his prayers for this congregation whom he had never seen.
In the same way, we must struggle and labor in prayer for others to become mature in
Christ. Most Christians never push their prayer life. But it needs to be pushed. Christ made the
disciples pray for one hour, then another hour, then another hour (Matt. 26:38–45). He
challenged them to work hard in prayer. We must do the same to be effective ministers.
4. Ministers Must Work Hard At Everything They Do.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since
you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ
you are serving. (Col. 3:23–24).
Too many Christians compartmentalize their faith. These are spiritual acts of worship:
fasting, praying, and going to church. But work, family, eating, drinking, and hobbies are not
spiritual. In reality, everything is spiritual and can bring honor to God. Paul said, “So whether
you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).
Paul worked hard at all things in order to honor Christ. Does how you perform your regular,
daily tasks bring glory to God? Even these things can bring glory to God and can be a testimony
to those watching.
Application Question: In what way is God calling you to work hard to build yourself up and
ultimately Christ’s body?
Effective Ministers Rely On God’s Power
“To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col.
1:29).
One of the characteristics of effective ministers is that they rely on the power of God. This
would seem to be something that doesn’t need to be said; however, many ministers fail in this
area. It is very easy to be consumed with ministry and yet do it in our own power and many
times for our own glory.
Interpretation Question: How can ministers labor in Christ’s power in ministry? Why do so
many ministers lack power in their ministry?
1. Many Ministers Lack Power Because They Are No Longer Intimate With Christ.
Listen to what Christ said to the disciples in John 15:4–5:
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in
the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ‘I am the vine; you are the
branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can
do nothing.’
All true ministry and true power flows out of an intimate relationship with God. Like the
story of Mary and Martha, it is very easy for the disciple to focus entirely on ministry and forget
to stay at the Lord’s feet (Luke 10:38–42). Many Christians are like that: they are doing many
good things, but their many good things are keeping them from the best thing—sitting at Jesus’
feet.
All power comes from an intimate relationship with God, abiding in his Word and prayer. In
fact, one time the disciples tried to cast out a demon but could not, even though Christ had
given them power (cf. Luke 9:1). They asked Christ why and he said, “This kind can come out
only by prayer” (Mark 9:29b).
Had the disciples forgotten to pray in the midst of casting out this demon? Probably not. In
fact, after seeking to cast him out and failing, I have no doubt that they started asking God for
power and grace. It seems that they had lacked a living, abiding relationship with God through
prayer.
Earlier in Chapter 9, Christ had taken three disciples up on the mountain where he was
transfigured. Maybe, while Christ was on the mountain, the nine other disciples didn’t want to
wake up in the morning to do their devotions. No one pushed them to pray and be disciplined,
and therefore their lives lacked power. When it was time to conquer the devil, they could not.
Why? It was because they had not been tapping into the power of God through prayer.
Many Christians are like that. They walk around every day in their own power, lacking the
power and resources of God. This power comes through intimacy.
2. Many Ministers Lack Power Because They Have No Faith.
In the previous account of the disciples casting out the demon and failing, Christ said they
could not cast out the demon because they had not been in prayer. It seems from parallel
accounts there was more to their failure than this. Look at the reason Christ gave them in
Matthew 17:20:
Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be
impossible for you.
He said they could not cast the demon out because they had so little faith in God. When
they saw how badly demon-possessed the child was, they started to doubt God’s power to
deliver the boy. They probably started shaking in their boots.
In fact, their lack of faith was so bad Christ gave them a very harsh rebuke. He said, “O
unbelieving and perverse generation . . . how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up
with you? Bring the boy here to me” (Matt. 17:17). He said they were an unbelieving and
perverse generation. He seems to lump the disciples with all the unbelievers around them.
Many Christians are like that. They believe God for their salvation, which is the greatest gift
they could ever need, but they lack faith for their daily bread. They don’t trust God when tests
and trials come their way. In the trials they doubt God.
It is for this very reason that many Christians lack power. Faith is a channel for seeing God’s
grace work through us and in us. Consider what Scripture says about Christ’s hometown during
his ministry: “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (Matt.
13:58).
He didn’t do many miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith. How many
Christians don’t have God’s power working in them mightily simply because they don’t believe?
They are not believing God for any great work. They read the Bible about a God who split the
Red Sea, stopped the rain, multiplied bread, raised the dead, etc., and yet believe God for
nothing—at least nothing that uses his mighty power.
Are we believing in God to use our church to reach many lost people? Are we believing in
God to use us to stir a revival in our work place? What are we really believing God for?
With the church of Ephesus, it seems they were so powerless Paul had to pray for them to
even know there was power available. Look at how Paul prays:
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the
hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his
incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty
strength (Eph. 1:18–19).
I pray that your eyes may be enlightened to know the incomparable great power for us
who believe. Some churches seem to have no power. Nobody is being changed, nobody is
growing, and nobody is hungry for God. Paul says, “They need to see; they need to understand
that there is power available.” In Chapter 3, he prays for the power to be turned on in Ephesus:
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in
your inner being” (Eph. 3:16).
He prays for God to strengthen them with power through his Spirit. Too many Christians
are walking around being defeated by lust, being defeated by anxieties, and the Scripture says
power is already at work in them to conquer that situation. But, we need to appropriate this
power working in us. God provides the power—we just have to act on it. The reason many
Christians are not tapping into God’s power is lack of faith.
Application Question: How do we grow in our faith and appropriate God’s power?
Faith comes through hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). A lack of time in the Word
and believing what the Word of God says will severely limit your faith.
Faith comes through prayer. After hearing they must forgive someone seven times
seventy, the apostles prayed, “Lord increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). They knew they couldn’t
forgive unless God helped them. If you struggle with believing God and trusting God, then a
great prayer is to ask God to increase your faith.
Faith comes by being in and around the faith community. Proverbs 13:20 says, “He who
walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”
The wise trust God because that is the wisest thing a person can do (cf. Ps. 14:1). When you
hang around wise, godly people, your faith will increase as well.
Application Question: Do you feel that you often lack God’s power in your life and ministry?
How is God calling you to rely more on his power?
Conclusion
What are characteristics of effective ministers?
1. Effective ministers are willing to suffer for the church.
2. Effective ministers are servants of the church.
3. Effective ministers are faithful stewards of God’s Word.
4. Effective ministers have the goal of presenting everyone mature in Christ.
5. Effective ministers are willing to work hard.
6. Effective ministers rely on God’s power.
Application Question: Which characteristic is God challenging you to work on most in order
to be a more effective minister?
Notes
1 J. F. MacArthur Jr., MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Colossians. (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1992), 74.
2 W. MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. A. Farstad
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995).
3 Steve Brown, Jumping Hurdles, Hitting Glitches, Overcoming Setbacks. 164.
4 R. K. Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ. (Westchester, IL: Crossway
Books, 1989), 49.
5 J. F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 215.
