You've Got Potential and Permission

Years ago I came across an author and pastor from Colorado who had some innovative ideas about the work of the church. Long before churches became “purpose-driven” or mega-churches, Frank Tillapaugh was doing the amazing. His church had about 3000 people involved, but a sanctuary with about 300 seats. The church was made up of several groups under the banner of a single church. The books I read were called, The Church Unleashed; Getting God’s People Out Where the Needs Are and Unleashing Your Potential; Discovering Your God-Given Opportunities for Ministry. These are two life and ministry changing books.

Below are notes from Unleashing Your Potential, the fifth chapter: You’ve Got Potential and Permission. 

1. Opportunity plus faith.

   1. If our church was to sponsor to delinquent girls, There would the state license to contend with. A qualified staff with the right credentials, and highly committed volunteers. There is always the problem of money.

   2. We may not have anything but dreams to start with.

2. God will supply the resources.

   1. Not having resources makes us prime candidates to be used by God.

   2. Consider the disciples of Jesus.

       To:      Jesus, Woodcrafters Carpenter Shop, Nazareth, Palestine

       From:   Jordan Management Consultants, Jerusalem, Judah 35243

       Subject:   Staff Team Evaluation 

Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for management positions in your new organization. All of them have taken a battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant…  

It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept.  We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capacity. 

Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. James and John place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale. 

One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible.  We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other files are self-explanatory. We wish you success in your new venture…. 

Remember Paul’s instruction in - 1Cor 1:26; We are strongest when we are weak - 2Cor 12:10, Nehemiah would have made a poor choice, too. 

1. Crucial ingredients for ministry.

   1. Time: All the time we need. “So I set a time” - Neh 2:6. This is the most important resource. Stewardship of time because time is not our own. Christians do not even know how much we have. We live for eternity, but on temporal terms. But we have all the time we need to finish what the Lord has for us to do. Jesus completed His work - Jn 17:4. The investment of time: We must be more discriminating on how we use the time we are given. We must rethink the number of meetings we expect good church people to invest time in. No wonder so few people have any time left for investing in ministry.

   2. Authority: Nehemiah asked for authority - Neh 2:7. Jesus is our authority - Jn 15:5. We are ambassadors for Christ - 2Cor 5:20. We must move away from our fascination with titles and external credentials. Christians must not relinquish their own titles as ambassadors for any professional clergy.

   3. Materials: Time and authority have been entrusted to us, but not so with material resources. God wants to teach us lessons on total dependence on Him: not to foster worry, but faith. 

       

      God’s faithfulness. He will supply necessary materials, but we do not know how He will do it. A house for crisis pregnancy may cost $50,000. Christian couple with a spare bedroom to care for an unwed mother (Life Unlimited ministry) is priceless. 

       

      Our faithfulness. Be good stewards of what He has already given - Lk 16:10-11. The former determines if God will give us the latter. More Christians sell out their ministry potential by not being faithful with money than for any other reason.

       

2. The King has given us permission - Neh 2:8

2 November 2007