MBP 028: A Backpack Essential For Ministry – Supernatural Movement

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Ministry Backpack Podcast Episode 28 Show Notes:

Summary:  In today’s podcast, I talk about a “Backpack Essential” for Ministry: “Supernatural Movement.”

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Resources and Links Mentioned In This Episode:

2 Corinthians 6:6-7 
6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth,[a] by the power of God; through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, (CSB)

The essential that I want to talk about today is: Supernatural Movement (v.6, 7b)

Paul says that “We have proven ourselves”:

In the Holy Spirit; By the Holy Spirit (Or, our holiness of spirit) (v.6)
In the power of God; By the power of God (v.7b)

• This is one of those essentials that is truly unique to Christian leaders – It isn’t necessary for leading a business or scout troop or for coaching a ball team. But it is vitally important if you are serving in ministry as a Christian leader.
• Here is a sobering truth: Jesus said in John 15:5

John 15:5  
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (ESV)

John 15:5 
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. (CSB)

The problem is, I believe that many of us in ministry think that there’s actually quite a lot that we can do without Him!

Do you know that you can do many things in ministry without God, and it looks right and good on the outside, but is actually quite powerless?

• You can plan worship services.
• You can lead worship services.
• You can preach.
• You can plan a year’s worth of ministry.
• You can fill in the blanks of the latest outreach trend and build it into your calendar.
• You can run programs and host Bible studies.

But without God’s supernatural power – guiding, leading and prompting you – it will be empty.

Let me ask you this: If you can do it without Him, is it really ministry for Him and in His Name?

Honestly, the idea that we could do ministry without God should scare us silly. This is different from just “faking it” in ministry. When you’re faking it, you know it. When you’re trying to do ministry without God, however, you can slip into it without even thinking about it.

For authority as a Christian leader, there has to be more going on in your leadership than just how organized you are and how decisively you speak and act. There needs to be evidence of God’s power and Spirit on display in you and around you.

This is expressed in two ways: Without and Within

Power “Without” – On Display Around Us 

• God’s Spirit is at work around us.
• God’s Spirit is blessing what we are doing,
• “God sized” things are happening that we could not make happen on our own.

Power “Within” – On Display From Inside Us

• God’s Power working in us
• God has changed us,
• God is obviously with us,
• We have “the Glow,”
• Spiritual Gifting

Quick word about Spiritual gifts – Be careful about “Spiritual Gift Inventories” or Questionnaires. Spiritual gifts are not personality types.

• God supernaturally gifts/equips us to do what He calls us to do in ministry.
  (If you aren’t saved, you aren’t spiritually gifted.)
• There are so many times in Scripture when God calls someone to do something, and they are not qualified for the job in terms of their skills and abilities. – Until they are, because God calls them to do it.
• We get this backwards, so often. We look at the skills, experience and personality of a person when considering whether they are called to lead in ministry, but often in Scripture, God calls the least likely persons to do extraordinary things – because God wants to do something supernatural. He wants to make it clear who is really doing the heavy lifting.
• Think about Moses. God tells him to do something, and Moses begins to describe all of the earthly, natural reasons that he can’t do it. He stutters and stuff. Can’t speak, and on and on. He doesn’t get it. He doesn’t want Moses to do this because Moses is so great – He wants Moses to do this because God Himself is great, and wants to display His power and salvation to people.
• It’s the same for you and me. As Christian Leaders, we need to use tools, have good strategies, develop our skills, work hard and approach our ministries with excellence – but all of that needs to flow out of God’s power and Spirit overflowing throughout our ministries.

This applies whether you are the Pastor, a church staff member, a small group leader or volunteer ministry leader. The “rank” or level of leadership you are in doesn’t disqualify you from needing this essential in your ministry!

I want to encourage you to take a moment, or take an hour – and re-calibrate your ministry for this year. Are you tired? Are you drained? Are you wondering if you should even be in ministry after all?

Ask the God who called you into ministry to fill you with His Spirit and His Power, today. Determine to not add anything to the calendar, to not prepare for that message or teaching for Sunday, or anything else – until you know that God is in it and prompting it and you.

Our ministry doesn’t just need movement – it needs Supernatural movement.

We need to have God’s Holy Spirit and God’s power working in and around us. It sparks a fire in the people we are leading. It creates momentum, demonstrates that we’re leading something bigger than our own dreams and plans – and is an essential for ministry.

Join the conversation on this topic by commenting or leaving questions below. If you have a question that you’d like to have heard on the podcast, record your question, and upload it to Google Drive, Dropbox, Box or some other cloud based site and send the link to Hello@MinistryBackpack.com

Music Provided by “Artist Unknown” – https://artistunknown.bandcamp.com/ 
& “Rasputin1963”

Previous episodes in this series:

#004 – A Backpack Essential For Christian Leaders: A Higher Standard

#008 – A Backpack Essential For Christian Leaders: Resilience

#011 – A Backpack Essential For Christian Leaders: Purity

#014 – A Backpack Essential For Christian Leaders: Understanding

#018 – A Backpack Essential For Christian Leaders: Patience

#021 – A Backpack Essential For Christian Leaders: Kindness

#024 – A Backpack Essential For Christian Leaders: Sincere Love

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 Johnny Leckie is a Christ Follower, Husband to Leona, and Father to Matthew, Melissa & Michael. He is also a Church Planting Pastor, Musician, Artist, & Blogger. He’s a big fan of Coffee & Bacon and is currently planting a Church in Aurora, Colorado called Compass Church.  He is the founder of MinistryBackpack.com.