Text: 2 Timothy 2:3-5
Subject: Striving for Excellence
Introduction: In a book entitled “Six Steps to Excellence in Ministry”, the author, Kenneth Copeland says, “Excellence in ministry…Whatever price it takes, pay it. The dividends are out of this world!
Striving for Excellence
Striving defined: (1) To struggle in opposition or contention. (2) To devote effort or energy to. To fight for enhancement.
Excellence defined: (1) The state of possessing good qualities in an eminent degree. (2) A high degree or the highest degree of good qualities.
A summation of the subject would be: Striving for excellence is to devote energy and to fight to obtain the highest degree of good qualities.
Some synonyms for the word excellence are: Merit, virtue, perfection.
Just as the Lord has called us into Christian ministry and service, He also has called us to reach for perfection in our vocations. Matthew 5:48 commands us to “Be ye therefore perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Also, in Ephesians 4:1, the Apostle Paul says, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
On tonight, I will leave three points with you that will bless your ministry. I believe that God wants excellence from us in everything we do.
1. Strive for Excellence in your Faithfulness
a. The first step to excellence in ministry is faithfulness.
b. Rev. 2:10, Jesus is speaking through the Apostle John, and He says, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”
c. Luke 16:10-12 says,
(10) He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
(11) If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (riches), who will commit to your trust the true riches?
(12) And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?
d. We should be faithful to the things of God for 1 Corinthians 1:9 lets us know that, “God is faithful…”
e. If your church, ministry, your department, your auxiliary, if you want it to flourish, you must be faithful.
2. Strive for Excellence in your thoughts.
a. Ideas and thoughts are so precious.
b. I teach that “If God has given you an idea, He has also deposited within you everything necessary to bring the idea into fruition.
c. I do not believe that God wastes ideas.
d. I do not believe that God impregnates a leader with an idea, a vision, a concept, and there is no way in the world that that leader can not bring it into reality.
e. But most leaders are defeated because, when God gives us the idea, the vision, or the concept, we allow fear to grip our hearts and we defeat ourselves because we don’t think we can do it.
f. Truthfully, we can’t do it on our own, but according to:
(1) Phillipians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
(2) Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
g. Proverbs 23:7 lets us know that, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
h. You are not what you eat, the Bible says you are what you think.
i. Most pastors and church leaders defeat themselves because they do not strive for excellence in their thought life.
j. If you think you are… then you are…………………
(1) A failure a failure
(2) Poor, broke and disgusted poor, broke and digusted
(3) Your church will never grow your church will never grow
(4) No one wants to hear what you have to say (repeat)
k. But if you can change you thoughts and begin to think
(1) I am made in the image of God.
(2) I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
(3) If God called me He has qualified me.
(4) There are multitudes of people that not only need to hear what I am saying, but they want to hear what I am saying.
(5) Then you will not be afraid to step out into the unknown.
a. Have a pastor’s & leader’s conference.
b. Establish radio ministry.
c. Establish a television ministry.
d. Invest in a website.
e. Demand excellence from your people, because your thoughts are driven by excellence.
(6) When you have excellent thoughts you say excellent things for Matthew 12:34 says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
3. Strive for Excellence in your decisions. The main decision that you must make as a pastor or a church leader is to literally, “Strip away the Things of the World.”
a. The Bible teaches us in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
b. The songwriter popularized a true saying for me, when he said, “I have decided to follow, no turning back, no turning back.”
c. What are some of the things that excellent decision-making will make me strip off?
(1) Make and excellent decision to get out of the Sin Business
a. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
b. An excellent decision will make you stop referring to yourself as a “Sinner, saved by grace.” Because if you are new, you are not a sinner anymore.
(2) Make an excellent decision to stop being pessimistic.
a. “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all.”
b. “Good guys always finish last.”
c. “It’s a hard old way.”
d. “My church is not prospering because Jesus said only a few would find the way.”
(3) Make an excellent decision to turn things around and to become optimistic, and full of faith.
a. “The blessings of the Lord, it makes me rich and it adds no sorrow to me.”
b. “I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me.”
c. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burdens are light.”
d. God is drawing men and women from the North, South, East, and West.
(4) Make an excellent decision to stay focussed on your mission.
a. Do not stray for popularity.
b. Do not stray for a “skirt-tale”
c. Do not stray for money.
d. Money can get you a: But not a:
1. Building Church
2. House Home
3. Bed Rest
4. Food Appetite
5. Alarm clock Wake you up
6. Psychiatrist Your right mind
7. Shoes Make you walk
Striving for Excellence
(5) Make an excellent decision to:
a. Do away with Spiritual Junk Food
b. Do away with Spiritual Fast Food
c. Trust in the Lord
d. Wait on the Lord
e. Fight the good fight of faith
f. Hold on for a little while longer
g. Keep on praying
h. Keep on believing
i. Keep on striving
j. Keep on working
k. If I work, whatsoever is right Jesus will pay
l. Afterwhile, it will all be over.