Here’s my email for the week to leaders at Crestview from Paul Tripp’s book, Dangerous Calling:
Today, we’re back in Tripp’s Dangerous Calling book thinking about Chapter 7, War Zones. In introducing this idea, Tripp writes, “It took God employing pastoral hardship to get me to embrace the inescapable reality that everything I did in ministry was done in allegiance to and in pursuit of either the kingdom of self or the kingdom of God. This truth is best exegeted for us in Matthew 6:19-34 (Please grab your Bible and read the passage). I’m convinced that this passage is an elaborate unpacking of the thoughts, desires and actions of the kingdom of self. Notice the turn in the passage in v.33, where Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God.” The word “But” tells us this verse is the transition point of the passage. Everything before it explains the operation of the other kingdom, the kingdom of self. This makes the passage a very helpful lens on the struggle between the two kingdoms that somehow, some way, battle in the heart of everyone in ministry.”
Tripp then unpacks 4 ministry treasure principles that are helpful in seeking to examine the motivations of our heart in ministry:
1) You will be treasure oriented in your ministry.
2) Your ministry treasures will command the allegiance of your heart.
3) What captures the allegiance of your heart will shape your ministry actions, reactions and responses.
4) Your functional treasures are always attached to either the kingdom of self or the kingdom of God.
Today, will you ask God to shine the light on your service and ministry so that you may seek out whether you are serving the kingdom of self or God? And, remember to run to God as your refuge.
