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The Jesus Model of Ministry: Delegation

The Jesus Model of Ministry: Delegation

There have been many great ministry models throughout the years, men and women of God whom he has used in incredible ways. But the best ministry model we have is Jesus.

There are 10 important characteristics we must develop in order to follow the Jesus Model for Ministry, and in the last few weeks we’ve talked about these four:

  • AnchorIdentification: We must know who we are.
  • Motivation: We must clarify why we are in ministry.
  • Dedication: We must keep our lives pure.
  • Concentration: We must focus on what is important.

This week I want to discuss the fifth characteristic—Delegation: We must involve other people in our ministry.

God has called you into ministry, but he hasn’t called you to do it alone. In fact, Lone Ranger ministers burn out. They don’t last. So don’t try to do it all yourself. Jesus didn’t. Mark 3:14 says, Then he chose twelve of them to be His apostles, so that they could be with him. He also wanted to send them out to preach” (CEV).

When you think of people who have burn out in ministry, it often starts with feeling that it all depends on them. During the first few years of Saddleback, I used to believe if I let go of my ministry, everything would fly away. Yet Jesus, who was perfect, enlisted and trained 12 people to help with his ministry. That shows we need relationships and community in ministry. You can’t make it in ministry without other people.

Jesus wasn’t the only person in the Bible who always had people with him. Paul did too. Take a look at 2 Timothy 4:10-13. Notice all the names mentioned in that passage. They’re ministry associates of Paul. He never ministered alone.

Why don’t we like to delegate?

Perfectionism: We think, No one can do it like I can. Remember, Jesus could have done it a lot better than those to whom He delegated; yet he still delegated.

Insecurity: We think, What if they do it better than me? We need to rejoice with those who can get the job done. As I’ve said before, it’s not about you.

Saddleback outgrew me a long time ago. If I tried to do everything, the church would have stopped growing at about 300. Your ministry needs to outgrow you. You must be willing to give your ministry away. D. L. Moody said, “I’d rather put 10 people to work than do the work of 10 people.”

That’s good advice for anyone in ministry.

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