MAKE FULL PROOF OF THY MINISTRY

2 Timothy 4:1-5 KJV,
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
To get a better understanding of this term ministry, it consist of Ministers (those who attend the spiritual needs of others, not all professional, but all called.) We must understand 1st that we are all called by God for a purpose. That purpose is not just to be saved satisfied and sit back until He calls us to heaven.
Ephesians 4:11-13 New Living Translation ®,
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
To better understand what is involved for us personally as ministers of this gospel. 1st of all we must be involved with God and the church. We cannot leave all the workings of the church to others. We cannot leave the reaching of lost souls and the teaching new converts to others, we each have our own calling and our personal ministry.
Colossians 4:17 New Living Translation ®,
17 And say to Archippus, "Be sure to carry out the
ministry the Lord gave you."
1 Timothy 1:12-14 New Living Translation ®,
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,
13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.
14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 4:5 KJV,
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Peter talking to the saints as ministers of the gospel, 2 Peter 1:8-11 New Living Translation ®,
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.
11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I am a believer that we are all called into the ministry of evangelism, reaching the lost at any cost. Therefore I am of the belief that we are all called into the work of God to fill this roll of evangelist.
Jesus told His disciples, Matthew 28:19-20 KJV,
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Jesus said to His disciples, Mark 16:15 KJV,
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Acts 1:8 KJV,Jesus said to His disciples
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
To better understand what I am talking about let us look at the life of Philip, in the New Testament. First, when we find his name in the Bible he is listed with the seven we have all called – DEACON’s. Secondly we find Phillip listed as an EVANGELIST.
Acts 21:8 KJV,
8 And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
Philip is living at Caesera. Paul and several delegates are commissioned to take an offering from the Gentile churches to the poor saints at Jerusalem.
Acts 20:4 KJV,
4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
They stop at Caesera and enter into the house of – “Philip the Evangelist.”
Acts 6:1-6 New Living Translation ®,
1 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.
2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, "We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.
3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.
4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word."
5 Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).
6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
These honorable men were chosen and ordained by the apostles. Traditionally, these seven men have been called “deacons,” though the word “deacon” is not found in the Book of Acts.
Though we know nothing beyond the names of the other five, Stephen and Philip not only performed their ministry of mercy with the poor, but they also spearheaded aggressive evangelism. Stephen though was stoned to death Acts 7:59 while teaching about Jesus, with Saul who later became Paul standing by in consent of this evil deed.
Philip is the only one by name referred to in the New Testament as an evangelist. (Acts 21:8) We know that Stephen was doing the work of an evangelist when he was stoned and died.
The word “evangelist” is used in two other passages: Ephesians 4:11 – “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.”
II Timothy 4:5 KJV,
“But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
PHILIP – (the evangelist) (Acts 8:5) went down to the City of Samaria. The Samaritans were a combination and mixture of northern Jews and Assyrian heathen (mixed). They despised the Jews and didn’t even want to deal with them.
It is hard for anyone to fulfill their calling by sitting in a local church doing nothing. There are so many saints who have been called by God, trying to evangelize their COMMUNITY, FAMILY AND FRIENDS just by sitting on church pews? Eventually, you will have to put the “Go” in your evangelistic call. Go to your family, neighbors, friends, co-workers, whosoever will.
Philip – “preached Christ unto them.”
The object of Philip’s preaching: to preach Jesus Christ one must preach His birth, ministry, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, exaltation, power and return. And we must also preach the things concerning the Kingdom of God. Our preaching, teaching and witnessing will bring Conviction resulting in Repentance, Baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.
PHILIP THE EVANGELIST – Acts 8:26-40 (one-on-one evangelism) Ethiopian Eunuch, who was the Treasurer for Queen Candace. He had made a journey of over 1200 miles. He was reading Isaiah 53 (Do you understand what you are reading…How can I without someone to guide me…)
Old manuscript states...“They both went down into the water and when the Ethiopian Eunuch came up out of the water he was speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave him utterance and when he turned to speak to Phillip he had been harpazo…taken out of that place.”
PHILIPS consistency – preached Jesus to the one eunuch. PHILIP the evangelist preached everywhere he went.
Acts 8:40 KJV,
40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
PHILIP the evangelist was now the host: Proving we cannot get bitter over anything that takes place, we have to minister and be unified with any minister God calls. This is twenty years after Acts 8, Where Stephen Phillips friend had been stoned for preaching about Jesus with the one who is now the Apostle Paul consenting to Stephens death.
Acts 21:8-10 (a) KJV,
8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
10 And as we tarried there many days,
What moving dialogues they must have had as the reminisced. Paul had stood by, consenting approval of the stoning of Phillips dear friend, Stephen. It seems that Philip was able to conquer any and all ill feelings toward Paul, holding no bitterness or hatred. He understood that God had called and chosen Saul of Tarsus and chose him to be an Apostle. (Paul was one who had lived during the time of Jesus and had heard Him teach, APOSTLE)
PHILIP the evangelist was the father of four girls who were preachers of the Word. (Prophesy)
Acts 21:9 KJV,
9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
If we get bitter, harbor bad feelings of hatred we could end up losing our children, making ship wreck of our ministry.
Ephesians 4:11-16 New Living Translation ®,
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Ephesians 4:17-32 New Living Translation ®,
Living as Children of Light, ministers of truth, evangelist…
17 With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.
18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.
19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn't what you learned about Christ.
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him,
22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.
26 And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
29 Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Beginning text…2 Timothy 4:5 KJV,
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.