While some promote a place, a legacy to that place or ministry, the Holy Spirit Paul promotes a Person, The LORD Jesus and points to the Lord. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” – {John 16:13-14}. The Spirit of God’s ministry is to make much of Jesus Christ. To lead us and leave us with Him. On the day of Pentecost, Peter  filled, controlled by the Holy Spirit preached… Christ! He pointed to… Christ.

  1. Paul’s MESSAGE, “we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as LORD, ourselves your servants for Jesus sake.”- {2 Cor 4:5}. His message was Jesus Christ. He attributed his power to Christ. “Not that we are sufficient in and of ourselves,  consider anything as sufficient within ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” –{2 Cor 3:6}. Paul wrote, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”- {1 Cor 2:2}.
  2. Paul’s AMBITION was, “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” – {2 Cor 5:8-10}. Paul’s Goal approximately thirty years after Jesus Christ converted him was not missions, church planting as his primary goal. No…,
  3. Paul’s MASTER PASSION is made known to us from prison where he writes, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; “- {Phil 3:10}. And from His master passion to know Him better came forth the desire and pursuit of what He desired. But it was not the master passion. Christ Himself was. If you or I replace Jesus Christ with anything or anyone other than Him, it is idolatry and will never express love to Him, glorify Him, or satisfy our souls. For we were made for HIM.”  “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”-{Col 1:16}.
  4. Paul’s BOAST – “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”- {Gal 6:14}.
  5. Paul’s LIFE- “for me to LIVE is Christ and to die is gain.” – {Phil 1:21}
  6. Paul’s GOAL in Ministry.  – “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.  For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”- {Col 1:28-29}. “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—“-{Gal 4:19}
  7. Paul’s MOTIVATION for Trusting, was the love of Jesus Christ for him. He never got over that. Paul was Christ, intoxicated, he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”– {Galatians 2:20}. The Love of Christ motivated him to trust HIM and TESTIFY to Him.
  8. Paul’s MOTIVATION for Testifying , was THE Love of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection-  “ For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;  and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”-{2 Corinthians 5:13-15}.

Paul wrote to the believers in Colossee, “ We proclaim Him…”- {Col 1:28}.

Paul’s ambition, goal, boast, motivation to trust and testify was not a place, an institution, but a Person- the LORD Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit Jesus said, came to “Glorify Me.” The Spirit of God makes much about Jesus Christ, His Person, His fame. What is your ambition in life? What is your goal? What is it that you want others to know about you in what you chose to identify and boast in?

What is it you are living, pursuing, which shows what the true valuation, estimation of what life means to you? What is it you labor in life that others might be? Who or what do you trust in? What is your message?

Some boast in chariots and horses, the Old Testament writer penned, for them that was where there significance and strength and security lay. For Paul, his significance and security, satisfaction was found in a  Person, the LORD Jesus Christ

In ministry, your ministry, do people hear you speak more of a place, “a work,” or do they hear much of Jesus Christ. The difference? The Holy Spirit came to Glorify Jesus Christ, not a place, but a Person. Paul shows us ministry pointed to a Person, the LORD Jesus. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived or allow anything or anyone displace the glory of Jesus Christ

The Risen, Reigning Christ, commends the church from Heaven for their labor and then He adds this, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”- {Rev 2:4}.

Laboring for Jesus may not be the same as loving Jesus. You can love Him as you labor, but you can also labor without loving Him!

Make much of Him