IS HARDSHIP A MUST IN THE MINISTRY WORK? 2

"YOU therefore MUST ENDURE HARDSHIP AS A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST."
2 Timothy 2:3 (NKJV)

• Believers are to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).

• The devil is a defeated foe (Luke 10:18,19). Believers are not called to fight the devil to bring God's Will to fulfilment. We are to press home the victory that Christ has gotten for us (1 John 5:4).
• Jesus Christ has made an open show, a public spectacle, of the devil and his cohorts (Colossians 2:15);
• Thus, the church has the responsibility to declare and enforce the victory Christ has gotten for the whole mankind (Ephesians 3:8-10). And liberate those who are held captive through the wiles of the devil (Luke 4:18,19; Acts 26:15-18; Ephesians 6:11).
  (i) You pray and preach the Word to establish God's Kingdom on earth (Romans 4:14,15).
  (ii) You tell the devil and the assigned demons from the kingdom of darkness to take their hands off on whatever you are assigned to do by God (Mark 16:17; Acts 5:12).
  (iii) You break the hold of the devil on those whom you preach the gospel to (Acts 5:16; 19:11,12,19).
  (iv) You resist the devil, bind the demons, and tell them to move (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9).
• The devil and his cohorts would come in an attempt to hinder or stop the work you are assigned to do; but If you do know your right, the authority given to you—you tell them to move (Luke 10:19).
• You terrify and resist the powers assigned from the dark kingdom to work against your assignment (Zechariah 1:18-21).

• Enforcing the Will of God to be done is part of the hardship in the ministry leadership.

• Things you are assigned to do may not be done or be made a reality on the platter of gold. You may have to fight and resist the opposition, the devil and his cohorts, in prayer and fasting (Mark 9:25-29). There is no cheap success!
• Some who are agents of the devil, those who are loyal to him and are propagating his kingdom, may also come with open confrontations to hinder or stop whatever you are assigned to do (Acts 13:6-12; Nehemiah 6:1-9; Jeremiah 11:21-23; 28:1-17).
• You are a potential winner, the triumphant, however, you have to stand and resist the devil that would not want that which God has spoken to be a reality (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9).
• Everything has to be birthed through prayer (Galatians 4:19; Isaiah 66:8). A leader who is lazy in prayer may have casualties in his or her camp (Colossians 1:9).
• If you do not want to be a prey and the people under your leadership, then you have to pray. Because, most of the challenges are not physical, they are spiritually rooted.
• If the power behind a problem is not properly dealt with spiritually, there would not be total breakthrough or freedom (Zechariah 1:19; Ezra 4:1,4,7,21).
• If you are to prevail, you have to be strong in prayer and the Word.

• The hardness of the leadership work is about what you will need to do as your Responsibilities.

• Being a leader, you will need to stay more in the place of prayer than an average believer would (Ephesians 6:18).
• You will need to fast often, to undo the works of darkness (2 Corinthians 11:27; Acts 13:2,3; 14:23).
• You will need to devote your time to the study of God's Word (Acts 6:2,4).
• To whom much is given, much is required or expected; and most importantly, you may have to be chastised If you misses it (Luke 12:38; Hebrews 12:5,6).
• What an average believer would not be reprimanded or reproved for, God will do to a leader, reproved or reprimanded the leader when erred, because he or she is expected to know BETTER:
  "DEAR brothers...and WHEN WE TEACHERS of religion, WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER, DO WRONG, OUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE GREATER THAN IT WOULD BE FOR OTHERS" (James 3:1 the Living Bible).
• Also, part of the hardness and suffering of leadership is that a leader of the Ministry would be the target of the enemy, the devil (1 Corinthians 15:32; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:18).
  THE Scripture SAYS: "STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, and the SHEEP will be SCATTERED" (Mark 14:27).
• It is not only the leader that would be a target of the devil, his or her family are susceptible to the enemy's attacks also (1 Samuel 2:12).
• Whoever is called into the ministry work would definitely pass through something, hardship (2 Timothy 2:3).

• Types of sufferings or hardships.

• Some people who are called into the work of ministry may have challenges on basic needs of life at the onset of their work (1 Corinthians 4:11-13).
• Some their challenges might be on family issues (1 Samuel 8:1-5; Titus 1:6; 1 Timothy 3:4,5,12).
• Some may have problems on loyalty, it may be difficult for them to get people who will be faithful and committed to the work. They may not get those who are willing to stand with them and make sacrifices for the work (Acts 13:13; 2 Timothy 4:10,16).
• You will acquire experience based on what your assignment or ministry is all about (2 Timothy 3:10-12).
• Do not dodge whatever problem permitted by God to come your way, such is meant to build your spiritual muscles and stamina (2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Judges 3:1,2).
• Do not dodge any problem, in it is your Lifting (Romans 5:3,4; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

• The truth is, A leader would suffer to learn. Even Jesus learn obedience through what He SUFFERED:
"THOUGH HE WAS A SON [of God], YET HE LEARNED OBEDIENCE BY THE THINGS WHICH HE SUFFERED" (Hebrews 5:8 NKJV).

• Obeying God, doing His Will, may entail suffering. Doing God's Will may not always be with ease (Mark 14:38), and a measure of discomfort may have to be experienced (1 Corinthians 4:11-13).
• If you do not want to leave your comfort zone, It may be difficult for you to do God's Will (1 Corinthians 9:16,17).
• God's will move you out of your comfort zone (Acts 22:17,18,21).
  ARE you going to obey God or feed your flesh? (Romans 8:7,8)
• Although, the flesh might not want you to do God's Will, you have to deal with the flesh, mortify it, that you might prevail and do whatever God said to DO:
  13 FOR IF YOU LIVE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH YOU WILL DIE; BUT IF BY THE SPIRIT YOU PUT TO DEATH THE DEEDS OF THE BODY, YOU WILL LIVE.
  14 FOR as many as are LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, these are SONS OF GOD" (Romans 8:13,14 NKJV).

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!