USED IN CAPTIVITY

If you are a minister in the Body of Christ, your main objective is to reach people, especially if you are a pastor or an evangelist. Oftentimes, however, a minister will understand their message and will work diligently; nevertheless, year after year their ministry never seems to grow.

There are typical mindsets that will hinder a ministry from prospering spiritually, even though the minister may have the Word and a commission from God. This is an example of a spiritual principle we must understand: being used in your captivity. One reason this principle may operate is because of a minister’s negative character. A minister’s character can put his ministry in captivity.

Acts 10:13-24

13And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

16This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

17Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,

18And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.

19While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

20Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

21Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

22And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.

23Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

24And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and he had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

God shows Peter the vision and as the events concerning Cornelius are taking place, Peter begins to understand the vision. He perceives that he is now being given permission to enter a Gentile’s house; which heretofore had been unlawful for a Jew to do. Anytime God sets a word before you, and it is understood, you will be judged by that word. It is better that you not know something, than to know it and not obey it. The moment you hear and understand a word from God, it is documented in heaven. If you obey the vision He has given you or the command He has put in your spirit, you are able to be used by God. You will continue to be led by the Spirit, if you stay true to the command or the vision.

However, you can be chosen by God to work the ministry that has been given to you, and get to a point in which you put your ministry in captivity; meaning it will not move.

Hear what Cornelius said to Peter:

Acts 10:33

Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

Cornelius obeys the vision that was given to him by God. He sends to Joppa for Peter. When Peter arrives, Cornelius is waiting to hear the word he believes God had commanded Peter to tell them.

Acts 10:34

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

According to the above scripture, Peter understood the vision, even after having only been in the Kingdom of God for a short time. However, years later, after Paul enters the Kingdom, there is a controversy concerning the Gentiles. Peter was the first to receive the vision; but now he finds himself on the wrong side of the controversy; agreeing with the Jews concerning the salvation of the Gentiles. (Refer to Galatians 2.)

Peter and Paul preached to the Gentiles and ate with them; however, when they returned to Jerusalem and were in the company of Jewish leaders, Peter separated himself from the Gentiles. Paul then rebuked Peter in front of the general assembly because he had been the first to receive what God was doing concerning the salvation of the Gentiles. This is why Peter’s ministry was confined; he put his ministry in captivity. He was the first to preach to the Gentiles; however, Paul was given the Gentile ministry and wrote to the Gentile churches. Peter only authored two epistles; Paul authored fourteen. Peter would not obey what he perceived, even though he understood what God was doing; thereby jeopardizing his ministry.

At salvation, we were brought into the Kingdom by the preaching of the truth. The scripture says, if a person or an angel from heaven preaches any other gospel, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:8-9).

There are those who want to blame leadership for their inability to proceed in ministry. However, no one can stop God from using you. Those who are in leadership are not the power of your ministry; God is. God is the one who must work with a minister; if his ministry is to move. There are those who will never reach their potential because they are in dead works that cannot groom them to become ministers. They may qualify by man’s standard, but not by God’s. Without God working with them, they have to strive to try and build a ministry.

Another example of how a person’s ministry is put in captivity is "wrong thinking" that results in ministerial pride. A pastor may think he is belittled because he has a new work and the congregation is small. Although, he may be teaching in every service, ministering in every discipleship session and doing everything the growth path instructs him to do; he does not believe the size of his congregation is equal to the effort he has expended. He may allow ministerial pride to cause him to become discouraged; even though he is doing everything God is telling him to do. If we as ministers are not careful in this stage of our development, we will get off course and walk outside the boundaries of the faith.

If there is a true apostle in place who has a reputation of building churches under the power of the Holy Ghost, pastors who are influenced by that apostle should watch and do what that apostle does; having patience and fervor. They should listen to the counsel of their elders and obey that counsel; then and only then will they reap the fruit of their labor.

It behooves us not to be dismayed when we see other works grow rapidly. They may start out small and in six months have 600 or more members in their congregation. The question is how many of those members are walking in the Spirit? We are not called to build a community of people; we are called to build sons of God. This may take longer, because we are to work together with God to build each individual. Jesus had eighty-two followers and preached one message that left Him with twelve. He did not seek to build a reputation for Himself; but for the Father. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me (St. John 17:6). God gave Jesus twelve disciples. He duplicated Himself in them by discipling them into the mind of God. You are made a minister by ministering to the people whom God gives you.

Acts 10:44-45

44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Peter preached the first message that was preached after he and the others were filled with the Holy Ghost in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost. They all came out drunk in the Spirit; proclaiming God in another tongue. Those who looked upon them perceived in their own minds that they were drunk with wine. Peter then proclaimed this as that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh (Acts 2:17). "All" meant the Jews as well as the Gentiles. Peter was preaching under the unction of the Holy Ghost; however, he did not perceive what he was saying at the time.

When Peter preached to the Gentiles, the Holy Ghost fell on them while he was speaking. Peter’s heart was not given over to Gentiles receiving the Spirit; and therefore he was not able to lay hands or call them to the altar.

Acts 11:1-3

1And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

2And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,

3Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.

Listen to the mindset of the other apostles and church leaders; condemning Peter because he ate with the Gentiles. They were not concerned with the fact that the people were filled with the Holy Ghost, instead they thought as the scribes and Pharisees did when Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath day.

Acts 11:12-19

12And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:

13And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;

14Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

15And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

16Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

17Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

18When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

19Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

Although the other apostles understood that salvation was also given to the Gentiles, they still preached only to the Jews. Peter was not the only one who had a problem with Gentiles; they all did. This placed much of their ministry in captivity. You never read about great exploits happening with these apostles. However, somewhere during their walk with God, this negative mindset was broken; and they came into agreement with God, because they made it to heaven. They are the pillars of the twelve gates to the city of New Jerusalem.

If you cannot proceed in ministry, it is nobody’s fault but your own. It is either your mindset or something you are not providing God. Those negative mindsets have to be destroyed in order to move in ministry. If these apostles who were with Jesus for three and one half years had to deal with their mindsets, we must deal with ours. We have to think with the mind of Christ; the only mind that is sanctioned by God. You won’t go as far as you could because God will not work with negative mindsets. Perhaps, if you do anything, you will be used as He used the donkey and the rooster; you were just there; and you were a vessel to be used. However, if the mindset is never destroyed, you will be a castaway.