Jesus Driven Ministry

by Fernando, Ajith

• ISBN13: 9781581344455
• ISBN10: 1581344457
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Good News Pub

Summary

In spite of good intentions, too many Christian workers today bum out, suffer egregious moral lapses, or just get discouraged and quit. What are the secrets of long-term ministry?

Ajith Fernando believes that much ministry failure results from neglect of the basics of the faith. "Perhaps the greatest need in the training of leaders today is to provide guidelines to help them live as biblical men and women, " asserts the author. He identifies the foundational elements -- relating with the people to whom one ministers, retreating from busyness to prayer, being affirmed and empowered by God, discipling, and gaining strength from God's Word -- that allow Christian workers to be both effective and joyful in their callings.

The author supports his teaching with Scripture and stories from his ministry. This book challenges God's people and provides the resources to cultivate a fruitful, longtime ministry.

Author Biography

Ajith Fernando has been the Director of Youth for Christ (YFC) in Sri Lanka since 1976 and, with his wife Nelun, has been active in the leadership and life of a local church for more than 20 years. In addition to his YFC responsibilities, he supervises its drug rehab ministry, is on the translation team of a new Sinhala language Bible, and preaches worldwide. He also has a regular ministry among pastors and Christian workers in Sri Lanka, which includes counseling and conducting seminars for pastors

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	11	(2)
Introduction	13	(4)
Identifying with People	17	(12)
The Biblical Evidence
Challenges from the Postmodern Mood
Some Examples of Frustration-Producing Identification
Empowered by the Spirit	29	(18)
Power for Jesus' Ministry
Baptism with the Holy Spirit
Fullness as a Quality of Life
The Immediacy of the Spirit
The Fullness as Anointing for Service
Prayer and Anointing
Affirmed by God	47	(14)
God's Acts of Affirmation
The Witness of the Spirit
What We Can Do
Serving Without the Sense of God's Acceptance
Servanthood Results from Acceptance
Retreating from Activity	61	(12)
Leaving Busy Activity to Be Alone
Benefits of Retreats
Brief Retreats
Fasting
Affirming the Will of God	73	(16)
The Value of Testing
God's Will over Our Rights
God's Will over Uncrucified Desires
God's Will over Wrong Paths to Success
Saturated in the Word	89	(18)
The Word as Our Authority for Life and Ministry
Strength and Security from the Word
The Word Qualifies Us for Effective Ministry
The Scriptures as a Source of Delight
Spending Time in the Word
Books That Teach the Scriptures
Helping Our People Lose Their Fear of the Bible
Facing Wild Animals	107	(8)
What Are These Wild Animals and Angels Doing?
Extreme Situations and God's Ministry
God's Ministry to Our Lives
Bearing Good News	115	(16)
The Long-Anticipated Gospel
The Compulsion of Truth
Compulsion and the Postmodern Mood
The Gospel of the Kingdom
The Minister's Authority
Growing in a Team	131	(22)
Team Ministry in the New Testament
When We Do Not Choose Our Team Members
The Value of Team Ministry
No Theology of Groaning
New Testament Teams: Life in the Raw
Accountability for the Christian Worker
Discipling Younger Leaders	153	(18)
Jesus Revealed God
Jesus Was a Steward
Jesus Prayed for His Disciples
Jesus Was Glorified Through Them
Launching Disciples into Ministry	171	(18)
Jesus Protected the Disciples and Prepared Them to Be Without Him
Jesus Communicated His Joy to Them
Jesus Exposed the Disciples to the Hatred of the World
Jesus Sent the Disciples into the World
Jesus Died to Make the Disciples Holy
Ministering to the Sick and Demon-Possessed	189	(20)
Casting Out Demons and Ministry in the Miraculous
Healing the Physically Sick
What If You Don't Have These Gifts?
Visiting Homes	209	(16)
Jesus' Ministry in Homes
Being Where the Lost Are
Evangelistic Home Visits
Pastoral Home Visits
Visiting as an Expression of Servanthood
Pronouncing Blessing on People
Not a Popular Ministry
Praying	225	(18)
The Secret Place of Prayer
A Basic Feature of the Ministerial Lifestyle
Prayers at Important Times in Jesus' Ministry
Prayers on the Run
The Content: Thanksgiving, Supplication, and Intercession
The Disciples Saw Him Praying
Prayer as a Preventative to Burnout
Notes	243	(8)
Index	251