Christ Church Bromley

Incredibly, at least to me, today (2nd October 2008) marks the 25th anniversary of my ordination to full-time ministry as a pastor-teacher in the Church of England. The preacher at the ordination on 2nd October 1983 preached on 2 Corinthians 4 . Verse 5 has remained one of the key verses I have taken with me through my ministry: "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake".

There is no greater privilege on earth given to a person than to proclaim the truth about Jesus. To be set apart for that task adds extra responsibility to that privilege that belongs to every Christian who is called to confess Christ Jesus as Lord with their mouth as well as in their lives.

It is, however, despite the small sacrifices, and the spiritual battle it brings with it, the most wonderful ministry to have been given. What can be better than to speak of such a Lord as this 'who loved me and gave Himself for me' (Galatians 2:20 ).

2 Corinthians 4:7 goes on to talk about our human frailty, describing gospel ministers as those who have 'this treasure in jars of clay'. Paul writes this as an encouragement! It encourages us because our frailty reveals God's power as the gospel spreads despite our frailties and the spiritual battles we face.

I'm preparing this week to speak on Sunday evening at The Bible Talks on Luke 17:7-10 . We're finding these chapters of Luke (16-17) - which are rarely preached on as far as I can find - very challenging indeed. This short parable (told unlike the others in these chapters to warn the apostles not the Pharisees) reminds us that we are only ever to think of ourselves as 'unworthy servants' who have only done their duty to their master.

The temptation to become a Pharisee concerned with outward appearance seen by those around us, rather than the heart that is seen by the Lord alone, is the sin that lurks at evry Christian's door. It turns Christianity into a man-centred religion denying God the honour that is His due, and it distorts the gospel of grace. In fact it stops us participating in the mission of Jesus to seek and save the lost, as it did the Pharisees. Many are the ways evangelical churches today find to comfort themselves and resist the call to reach the lost.

We find Jesus' word hard. We don't like thinking of ourselves as unworthy servants, unless we want others to feel sorry for us (another form of self-centredness). Actually, to see ourselves like that is to see the truth of 2 Corinthians 4:1 , that we have 'this ministry by the mercy of God'. It is to know the reality of grace in our own thinking and experience. Lose that and we lose the message. We must never forget that we 'once were lost but now am found', unworthy servants given the best, yet toughest, job in the world.

One veteran minister often says 'the first forty years are the hardest!' Ah well, only fifteen more to go! May the Lord give this cracking clay jar and unworthy servant, the strength to carry on each day!