Personal Martyrdom is Essential for Multiplying Ministry
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” John 12:24 (KJV)
Do you remember when our public schools were resolute in teaching our children what we referred to as the 3 R’s? Basically the three R’s are a reference to the bedrock of a basic, skills-oriented education program focusing on reading, writing and arithmetic. I respectfully submit to you that our schools have been seduced to supplant the 3 R’s with secular social constructs like: promotion of promiscuous sexual orientations, transgenderism, racial politics, anti-capitalist ideology, self-entitlement, indifference and intolerance of a biblical worldview as opposed to the ABC’S of learning. For our edification this week, I would like you to give consideration to the third R arithmetic aka math. As an elementary student, I remember my mathematical progression from adding and subtraction to the multiplication table.
One of my favorite supplements for multiplication instruction was on Saturday mornings in the middle of Saturday morning cartoons. Do you remember Schoolhouse Rock’s jingle 3 is the Magic Number? It had a cool musical tune that taught the multiples of the number three. Are you aware that this animated instruction referenced the Trinity while also reminding us that when a biological man and biological woman made a baby it equaled three? God’s design for reproduction of the human race is made biologically viable by male and female sexual intimacy. So a simple jingle from Schoolhouse Rock touched on theology, biology and math! Imagine that? I encourage you to check it out.
Personally speaking, three also happens to be my favorite number. However, most important is its spiritual significance as well as its prevalence and position in Scripture. Let’s transition from the nostalgia to the necessity. From the title of this blog entry, I submit to you that there must be death of self (subtraction) in order to multiply servants and service to the Savior (addition or multiplication).
In John 12:23–24 our Lord solemnly states a serious truth: “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone”! What a Holy homology (similarity)! Just like a tomato seed will never become a tomato plant unless it dies and is buried, likewise the death and burial of our Master, Jesus Christ, was necessary for His glorification and resurrection!
Note the conclusion of this passage: “but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (the multiplication of servants for ministry). Again I advance the position that personal martyrdom is essential for multiplying ministry! Remember the Master mandates that we model His actions!
“Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:22-23 (KJV)
When we die to our selfish needs we can see the needs of others. When we put to death pride and personal positions or passions that promote our polluted pleasures we will be spiritually and physically productive in people’s lives (ministry).
Are you deliberate in laying down your life so that the Lord is lifted up thereby placing you in a position to be a laborer for the Lord and lift up others? If there is no dying, there is no need for trying!
For the Glory of God,
PBKSR