EYES WIDE OPEN

YOUR CALL TO MINISTRY: THRIVING AND SURVIVING IN IT

SEVEN EYE OPENING TIPS

2 Kings 6:16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than

on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!”

The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw

that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

1. Be extra careful with the following

people:

1. Person who talks to you first.

2. Person who never has anything bad to say about you.

3. Person who never has anything good to say about you.

2. Preaching about sin produces sinners.

Preaching about Christ produces Christians.

The first word, from the first sermon from Jesus was…

"Of all professed Christians, Seventh-day Adventists should be foremost in uplifting CHRIST

before the world.“

Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p.156

"There need to be far more lessons in the ministry of the Word of true conversion than of the arguments of the doctrines. For it is far easier and more natural for the heart that is

not under the control of the Spirit of Christ to choose doctrinal subjects rather than the

practical. There are many Christ-less discourses given no more acceptable to God than was the offering of Cain. They are not in

harmony with God."{VSS - The Voice in Speech and Song pg 342.3}

3. Remember the people in the “hyphen”.

2nd Generation are “exiles in their own country. Choice is between a church from their country of origin where they don’t understand the language and an anglo church

where they feel outnumbered and out of place” Samuel Rodriguez

4. Preaching without a call, is wasting your

time.

Be less concerned about your reputation if nobody

responds, than the people in church that day that

need to make a decision.

What has helped me:

1.Preaching with points.

2.Preaching expositive sermons.

3.Preaching in series.

5. Mind the margins.

The greatest damage to ministry from a margin-less life, is heart

shrinkage. You start resenting/avoiding/dismissing the people you are supposed to

be helping.

6. Invest intentionally in

relationships that grow you.

You need three people*A mentor you can learn from.

*A friend you can lean on.

*A student that can learn from you.

7. If you don’t want to be attacked, ask

God not to bless you.

Haters don’t

set agendas.

Don’t waste time defending yourself.

Your friends don’t care and neither do your

enemies.

If God is for me, those who are against me, are wasting their

time.