MOTIVATION FOR MINISTRY: THE LOVE OF CHRIST (Part 2)

In my previous blog I addressed the first motivation for Youth Ministry which is Jesus receiving to himself the reward for the suffering he went through, which is the salvation of you and me. 

It is sometimes hard to maintain motivation in Ministry. What do we keep doing this for? After we realize that we are doing ministry to possibly obtain for Jesus the "rewards for his suffering" then we look forward to how to maintain that motivation. I dare pose that question because many times I have lacked motivation. When the Elders seem to be against you, a Pastor doesn't understand the loud music you use, or a parent complains about the how long a missionary service project went, or the dread of every youth pastor when your teens start attending the cool youth ministry service down the road. What keeps us going to not give up in Youth Ministry?

One of the most difficult times in ministry for me was to see young men and women that I had poured my life into and discipled for years walk away from the Lord. One evening I had just left youth group and was going home. On the way home I had to get gas. I stopped by one of the 24 hr gas stations and noticed a young man that I had poured years of ministry into. He approached another customer and asked him to buy him some alcohol. After the person bought the alcohol for this young man he walked across the street to a group of guys who were obviously smoking up. I knew from other kids that this young man had walked away from God and even to this day is full on in that world. It made me so sad. I am sure you have had that moment where you were so saddened to hear what happened to one of your students who you poured so much into. It is hardest for me to keep my motivation up in those moments. In these moments the Love of Christ has to be or compelling motivation. 

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is found in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 which describe us as ambassadors and that our motivation should be The Love of Christ! His love compels us...

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:14-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

1. The Students We Serve Need Jesus THEY Need Love & Message of Reconciliation That We Have to Give.

I was a youth pastor for quite a long time in the San Francisco Bay Area. I worked and lived in Oakland. I often would take kids home into East Oakland neighborhoods. I myself lived in a pretty rough neighborhood, but some of the kids I would take home lived in scary places. I remember one time feeling such a sadness that kids in 7th grade had to live in such a scary place. I remember feeling such a sense of, "wow, how is this kid going to experience the love of Christ?" I knew that he would never experience the love of Christ if our ministry did not bring that into his life. That became my motivation for this one kid. We cannot just let terrible circumstances for some kids build for us our motivation. We have to be inwardly so motivated and compelled that every kid in our ministries is in eternal need of the love of Christ and we are ambassadors of that love and message of reconciliation! You can't take every kid home with you like I wanted to do those nights, but you can be an ambassador of the love of Christ. 

I had a student for several years who had Autism. He was an awesome kid. Our ministry somehow had built such a loving atmosphere that we were able to love and serve many students with disabilities. This young man was exceptinol he didn’t not have a filter for his mouth wich was awesome. One evening he came into youth group with a full order of chili cheese nachos. I was like, “Thank you for bringing those buddy." reaching out to take one. He said "NOT APPLICABLE" as he pulled them away from my reach. He did this type of stuff all the time. He was so funny. We loved him! One day his mother called me and just wanted to thank me for loving and accepting him. She said that he came home from school everyday crying, but never wanted to ever miss youth group. She described in sad details how he was picked on and bullied everyday. I was so touched that a group of kids could love and accept a young man with no filter and express the love of Christ to him. One time in the middle of a deep and serious discussion, he asked, "I don't mean to be gross or anything, but does too much masturbation cause cancer in your testicles?" If it had been my youth group when I was growing up we would have all been on the floor laughing. Our group took it with such grace. Because these kids had created a safe place no-one even laughed out loud. We were able to handle it with love and grace and this young man felt heard, and loved. I am sure someone was messing with him at school and told him this. Through the love of Christ and motivation to love each other we were able to build something where this young man with Autism and no filter was loved and accepted. It was awesome to witness. 

I was a youth pastor right out of college at a young church plant. during that time I started a fall retreat called the "Fall Brawl" it still lasts nearly 20 years later. I returned to this church recently to present our ministry in Germany I reconnected with the church administrator. He had been in my youth ministry many years earlier. It was so great to reconnect. He and his wife invited us out to lunch after the service. He told me a story about how during the Fall Brawl one year I came into the room late at night and was talking about him with another youth worker. I thought he was asleep but he wasn't and he said he overheard out our conversation. I was thinking, "OH NO! What did I say?" I was thinking it was going to be terrible that I was making fun of him or something. I could not for the life of me remember what I had said. He said I was expressing concern at how things were going in his life with difficult family situation, and my hopes that he would grow to love Christ, and that God would touch his life despite all the hurt he was going through. He expressed to me with tears in his eyes how much that had touched him. He was so touched that I would care so much about him. He said it transformed his life. He is now in ministry as that churches administrator. I could not believe it. But when the love of Christ compels you you will build loving attitudes and habits. I do not remember it, but all I can say is that I was speaking about someone out of the compelling love of Christ that had been built into my life. Funny enough, that same retreat nearly 20 years later, a silly idea that I had called "Fall Brawl" is still the main attraction at this church every year! The love of Christ is compelling and what you are building will last beyond you if it is built on the love of Christ!

2. As leaders WE ourselves need Jesus and the Love he gives

When we seek to love and invest in teenagers, we will be the recipients of the things we are working toward now for all eternity. I was invested in an incredible way by my own youth pastor. I can say with a high degree of confidence that Chuck was compelled by the love of Christ! Chuck died about a year ago of cancer. I was ministering at a youth retreat during the time that he was placed in hospice and died during that time. I wrote a letter to him that I want to share. 

Dear Chuck,

I wanted to write to you as soon as I heard that you were placed in hospice care. Right now as I'm writing this letter I am preaching at a Christian school's retreat here in Germany near Stuttgart. I write this to tell you practically what your investment has produced. Through your influence and pouring Christ into me you have multiplied that in the nations. When you said yes to being youth pastor at our church, and said yes to me when I asked you if you would disciple me, you decided to make an investment for the kingdom. And that investment even further than you could have imagined. 

I can't begin to describe what you mean to me. I don't know how to put it into words, but I'll try by describing to you the two most recent encounters we've had with you and Amy. The one encounter is when our car broke down on the freeway and you came to pick us up and we stayed with you overnight. I tell you that story because I remember that so vividly how you had discipled me and it was a perfect example of your input into the difficult and hard moments of my life (i.e. Broken down car and broke newlyweds) And how you encouraged us to lean on the goodness of God in the hardest times. Through deep deep pain and through heavy tears I cannot begin to thank you for that investment. We were made ready for our most difficult journeys together as a couple because of your example and leaning on the goodness of God in the hardest of times. Your life and your testimony were such a strong encouragement in that time when you picked us up, and so early in our marriage. You and Amy encouraged us through a difficult time with our car breaking down and that's a perfect example of your testimony in our lives. 

The second time I want to remind you about is when Simone and I came down to visit your church and present our ministry. This encounter reminded me that we are partners in kingdom work. It was so good to hear you preach and again to be ministered to by your love for the Lord, your heart for people, and your heart for his church. Then we had some lunch together and again you showed us how you are humbly leaning on the grace of Christ. You said that day you really knew and had experienced what the scripture meant when Paul wrote "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain." I can't begin to tell you what that little bit of time meant to Simone and I. I felt like I was sitting at one of the apostles feet just listening to the wisdom and grace that came from every word. 

Your lifelong encouragement and discipleship have been an integral part of my life, ministry, and walk with Christ. I just preached today that Jesus is the bread of life, and anyone who continually comes to him and continually believes in him will always be satisfied! You exemplify that. You will and have always sought to be satisfied in Christ. You are a giant in the faith for me, and I will always be grateful for your influence in my life. 

I wanted to share this verse with you so that you know that the Lord is rejoicing over you, and he is quieting you with his love, and exulting over you with loud singing. 
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17‬

And this last verse is who Jesus is. He is our hope our resurrection and our life...
“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"”
‭‭John‬ ‭11:25-26‬

I will close with this as a final encouragement. This last year Caleb our 4 year old boy had pneumonia. It was real bad. He was as sick as I had ever seen him. However, He recovered wonderfully. The next day I asked him how he was doing. He said, "daddy I'm doing better. I'm not dying anymore!" So funny, but then I thought that's it, that's it! That's what we have in Christ. In Christ we are not dying anymore! Christ has overcome death! This body will surely die, but Christ has defeated death, hell, and the grave and we will not taste it because he has tasted fully for us. He is the resurrection and the life, and we believe it!!!

I am sure you are familiar with Dietrich Bonhoeffer the famous German theologian who was hanged by the nazis. He wrote in a letter the day before he was hanged “This is the end–for me, the beginning of life.” Bonhoeffer "knew whom he had believed and was persuaded that he was able to keep that which he committed unto him against that day." My dearest big brother in Christ if this is the time that Christ is calling you home, then it is for you the beginning of life. I am only very sad that I cannot see you one more time. However I am not sad for you because you are not dying anymore! And I will see you soon! I love you! 

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
‭‭Jude‬ ‭1:24-25‬

Your son in the faith,
Richard Moore
Acts 20:24

This sort of love compels us and it is our great motivation to lead students to the know and experience the great love of Christ. I hope you are compelled to love Christ, love students, and stay in ministry. We do this because Jesus is worth more than anything...

Motivation for Ministry: The Reward of His Suffering (Part 1)

What is our motivation for ministry? That is sometimes hard to pin down as youth ministers. We find motivation from many sources. One of my motivations in ministry had been for a long time the investment that my youth pastors made in my life. Being youth Pastors like them motivated me for a long time. I wanted to be the same type of youth pastor that these guys were to me. But I have seen that over the years being a cool youth pastor is not a proper motivation.

I came across a story recently about the Moravians. It was the early 1700’s in Germany when Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians at Herrnhut were compelled to reach slaves living and working on the islands of the West Indies. John Leonhard Dober, and David Nitschmann were brethren from Herrnhut. In 1732 they both decided to set out from Germany to these reach these slaves in the West Indies. Their plan was to sell themselves into slavery and travel by slave ship, and work there among the slaves, to have the chance to preach the gospel to those living and and suffering under slavery there. And so the story goes as they were leaving on the ship to travel to the West Indies, thinking that they may never see their family and friends again, it is said that one of them from the boat shouted these words back to their family and friends on shore…

“May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering.” 

These men stayed on that island for two years. And after two years returned to Germany. The Moravian missionaries of Herrnhut continued to send missionaries to the West Indies. The Moravians baptized throughout the West Indies some 13,000 people before any other missionaries ever arrived there. This is an amazing story of a few men who believed in the power of the gospel to save people. and acted radically on that gospel. I want to focus on the thing that they said to their loved ones

“May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward for His suffering."

What is the reward of His suffering? It's us. It's those we minister too. It is all people who have ever, or will ever believe in Christ. This will transform our ministries when we view youth who come to our clubs, our youth groups, our Sunday Schools, our outreach events, or whatever our ministry is involved in not just as attendees, or another kid, but a possible "reward for the suffering of Christ." This kid that annoys me, that smelly teenager, that wild kid, the rebel, the kid with autism, or cerebral palsy, or the quiet kid in the corner, could possibly be a "reward" unto Christ! This will drive and motivate us to present our service to God as a pleasing sacrifice. Everything will change for us when we are not just creating an AWESOME youth ministry program, but seeking to present Christ with the reward for His suffering! Those students in your groups who might one day trust and come to know Christ, they are the possible reward for Christ, they may well one day be His offspring! Lets look at a passage in Isaiah 53:2-11

“For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:2-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Why was it the Lord's good plan to crush His son? So that he would see His offspring: us, those who would trust in Christ, we are the reward unto Him for the suffering that He endured. That kid who annoys us, the details of pulling off another lock in, or preparing for your next youth service. Let your motivation be presenting Jesus with the reward for His suffering. You will never lack motivation in ministry ever again.

Let’s rededicate ourselves to this great call, seeking to win kids to Christ. We work daily in a profession where young people can find Christ That's AMAZING! You are His reward, they are His reward. Let’s think this way as we move forward and minister to to young people. Matt Papa below explains the great Mission that the Moravians took on and gives us motivation to reach people for the reward that Christ will receive. Check it out! Blessings as you serve Christ by reading youth!