The Measure of your Gift

We have ministered much concerning apostolic order here at Bible Teachers International. However, the Lord is instructing me not to assume all understand the order that is in place. This Leadership Summit is a good place to go through the structure of the ministry in detail. Now those of you who are reading this material and may not be members of this particular ministry, the principles and structures presented here are eternal truths and reflect a manifestation of the church of scripture.

Another reason this discussion is of such vital importance is that we are instructed to go to the entire world and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. As we go to the world, the Lord expects us to reap a harvest. Organized structure and authorities must be in place if we are going to be successful at putting new converts on a growth path to maturity. The nature and purpose of all ministries should be the same. We are all partakers of the divine nature of God. Therefore, we all should have the same passion for souls as that of our Lord.

Finally, we should all be led by the Spirit of God who is the author of all true ministries. Therefore, there will be some basic principles and structures that will or should be the same in all New Testament Churches. After all, our only example of church and ministry is found within the pages of the New Covenant. At the end of this chapter is an organizational chart that will be more specific as to the organizational structure. However, for this discussion, I want to talk about the installation of all ministerial positions and offices mentioned in scripture.

Discerning Your Measure

The government of God is a global government. It is distinguished only by the measures given to each group of apostolic gifts. At the beginning of the preaching of the gospel, the apostles stayed either in or close to Jerusalem. Eventually, they moved their headquarters to Antioch, which was only about 60 miles away. Nevertheless, their ministry was confined to those in Judea or to the Jews. But then came Paul whom God had chosen to go to the Gentiles. He, along with those he trained, proceeded to establish churches throughout Europe and Asia. Paul’s measure eventually extended to Rome. When Paul first started, the Holy Ghost was the only giver of directions. We can really learn some things by looking into Paul’s calling.

Acts 26:19-20

19. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

20. But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Ministry is a Gift

• The gift is not given as a reward for anything you have done. It is given based on what God knows He can do in and through you. God has set members in the Body as it has pleased Him (1 Corinthians 12:18).

• The gift abides in its own anointing.

• The gift has only one ambition and that is to perform the works of God for God’s glory.

Your measure is determined and given to you by God. Your measure is your sphere of influence and the people in it.

2 Corinthians 10:13-16

13. But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

God determines our territorial spheres of influence. He is the one to open or close the doors of potential ministry.

14. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:

Paul rehearses the fact that he and his troops preached out the Corinthian church. They are the product of his labor. Therefore, he has the right to instruct and install those things pertaining to God and godliness.

15. Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,

16. To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.

The apostle is optimistic that when the Corinthians really come to maturity in the faith, they will begin to preach the gospel in the regions beyond them. This sending forth will enlarge or increase the apostle and those who serve with him.

The Lord said to me personally and from the mouths of various prophets, “I will send you to the nations and you will speak My Word. I will place you before dignitaries and heads of state. I will give you a great mouthpiece to speak my Word. I will send you to my church to bring them out of ignorance.” Well, let us see.

• So far, I have established works in six nations. These churches are established in this order and continue to receive the influence of the apostolic mantle. I have also learned that there are others who receive our material and have installed these teachings in their churches.

• I preached at the United Nations before dignitaries and heads of state. I have sat down with Prime Ministers and ministered. The new Mary Banks Global Training Center will reach every nation on the planet.

• I have ministered on TBN whose measure extended my measure to 93 million Christian homes in over a hundred countries. It is safe to say the words concerning my measure, came from the Lord. The vision is your life’s work. It is what you will do for the Kingdom of God.

Obey the vision for your life. Paul testified that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but straightway began to work the ministry of reconciliation in Damascus first and then Jerusalem and so on. You must have the same heart. Do not allow uncertainty and fear to discourage you. Follow your leader. They watch for your soul.

You must get busy doing that which is in your power to do, even if you don’t quite know for certain your calling in ministry. Know assuredly, God calls every man according to his several abilities. He knows what He has enabled you to do.

In most cases, saints are performing a work without a label, which tells me it could be the label itself that some fear.

Your heart is the place where ministry begins. Your heart may have a desire to work the works of God but fear, pride and only God knows what else can overshadow that desire and cause you to draw back and even forfeit the privilege to glorify God in servitude.

If you start in one area and move to another, that is not failure. That is the leading of the Spirit. Sometimes in our zeal, we have placed and/or allowed saints to work in areas they were really not effective. Sometimes this was due to a lack of maturity or character. However, some have sincerely worked in offices where they did not have the anointing. Others have declared themselves ministers when they were not. In either case, we should be happy when the Holy Spirit corrects the matter and correctly places us, as determined by God. This is not the time to sit around laying indictments on leadership or under-shepherds. We must get moving and encourage ourselves in the strength of the Lord.

You Can Corrupt Your Measure

Here is where we would normally speak of sin. But I think we all know the servant of the Lord must be an example of holiness. However, I want to speak of those things in your personality if you will, that one would not readily consider being sin but are just as damaging to ministry as fornication or adultery.

It is easy to use the pastorate to explain these principles because the pastor has to deal with so many different types of people and situations. However, these principles are the same for all who would be preachers and teachers in the Body of Christ. Remember, your measure is your territorial sphere of influence and the people in it. The church usually has a senior pastor and maybe some associate or assistant pastors. However, the main focus of the congregation is on the senior pastor. He or she sets the spirit, tone or atmosphere that others are to work or worship in. If the pastor is contentious, judgmental, or over-authoritative, then the atmosphere will be filled with the exhalation of that pastor. All will be affected by it and intimidated as well. That is not good, because intimidation in the congregation destroys reality. The saints will be fearful of speaking their true heart in any conversation that might get back to the pastor. Thus the church will run on and on in pseudo-Christianity. It is easy to evaluate such and determine that the pastor needs to repent and walk after the Spirit. This is true.

But what about a pastor who has a problem expressing love and affection? It might not be that the pastor does not love the people of God; it might simply be that he or she has a problem expressing that love. This did not just become a factor in the life of that pastor. Usually, they have had a problem in this area all their life. We often say that a pastor must have a shepherd’s heart. Well, a shepherd loves the sheep and the sheep know and depend on him because of his love. The people of God are the same.

Most join a church based on their assessment of the leader. They want to be able to confide in a leader they feel really loves them and will always have their best interest at heart. In order for members of a congregation to experience this kind of confidence, the pastor must be vulnerable, touchable and affectionate. When this is the case, the saints will even be able to endure chastening if needed, because they know that pastor really loves them. We often accredit the shepherd’s heart to the pastor, but Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and He is in all of us. We all have a shepherd’s heart, but some of us simply do not allow it to consume our personality.

Leaders should not alienate their affections from the congregation. It makes them cold, and seemingly unfeeling. They will also appear to be apathetic and indifferent. (Notice I said appear to be.) It is not always the heart of a leader to be distanced from the people of God, but if expressing love is a problem, then it must be addressed head-on. You cannot cover this disposition with dutifulness, organizational skills, or even preaching and teaching for that matter. The Word may be good, sure, and true. However, saints are like sheep. They want to be told and not just taught.

Believe me, there is a difference, teaching and preaching will come across as purely academic unless the sermon becomes a message that the leader is eager to deliver with the joy of the good news and the compassion to speak to their hearts and not just their ears. Your delivery defines your relationship with your congregation for the congregation. They will judge your emotions for them by the way they experience you in the word you preach or teach. Their hearts are saying, “You are the leader. You know things I do not know. You have experienced things in God I have not experienced yet. Take me there because you love me and want me to go with you. Don’t just stand there and point the way. Embrace my plight and embrace me. Give me a sense of spiritual security. After all, you are the watchman for my soul.” Listen to the hearts of your people. Hearken to their need to know and feel that you really want them to get to heaven.

Practice Vulnerability

Vulnerability does not mean one has to stand before people and tell all their dirty secrets and sins. This is not expedient. We should not go fishing for the sins God has done away with in the name of ministry. There are ways to confess past failure without all the gory details or the reliving of it. This happens when the actual telling of a thing is so involved, that the sentiments that were there in the past are now being lived in the present. This is not good, because just as you have begun to relive that sin, this time you are not alone. Some members of the congregation are sharing the same sentiments. Now for the rest of your message, you are going to either leave them in your past, captivated by the sin you committed, or you will severely struggle to get them back and focused on the spiritual principle the story was purposed to illustrate.

To be vulnerable is to be defenseless, open, exposed, and susceptible.

Let your defenses down. You are a new creature with nothing to defend. Stop trying to protect you, your image, your time, your space, and your way. Ministry is full of days with many sacrifices. You must give up your precious space, time or way. Maybe you fear your image is not safe and it just might be damaged in these settings of vulnerability. What you are attempting to do is control what people see and think of you. You are building a wall around yourself and now your messages are delivered “outside” of you. You are also protecting yourself against the Word of God when you operate in defensiveness.

When you minister, very little of your own ministry affects you. Your edifying might come in your private study time or when you sit and listen to someone else preach. But it can never come during your times of ministry. In seeking to protect yourself from the people of God and not show them any weaknesses, you have also protected yourself against the Word of God that proceeds out of your own mouth. Your spiritual growth is slow and will suffer severely if another minister who is more matured than you does not come along to preach or teach. The people also grow at a very slow pace because they are suffering from the same thing. They do not really have a leader or someone to spiritually travel with them. Their leader is preaching from a fortified bunker, protected from them and anything the Word might throw to pierce that armor.

Come out of your bunkers. Destroy the pride that embodies all we have discussed. Open your hearts up to the people of God. Be susceptible to the word you preach. Embrace those you minister to, whether it is your congregation or someone else’s. For the time of ministering, you are the leader who must take them by the hand and convince them to follow you deep inside the principles of God.