Word Ministry by Dr. Peter Tan (Part 1)

Tonight and tomorrow night I am and will be attending Word Ministry by Dr. Peter Tan at GCC. Thanks to MS for inviting me through Facebook last night. Otherwise I would not have known Ps. Peter is in KK.

Phases and Seasons of Life in Ministry

It is a desire of the Father for us to bear fruit. Abiding in the vine is a process. He prunes the branches in order for us to bear fruit.

There are seasons in the physical world. There are also seasons in the spiritual world.

There is a season in everything. Every single thing in our life is based on season. We need to flow with the season so that we will flow in the work of the Holy Spirit.

A nation also goes through seasons.

The church in Jerusalem goes through seasons

Acts 1:5 Prayer in the Upper Room

120 appointed Matthias to replace Judas

Acts 2:1 The day of Pentecost came

Acts 2:14 Followed by preaching

Acts 2:38 Repent and be baptised

Act 2:41 3,000 were added

Acts 2:42 Teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer

Acts 3 Healing took place

Acts 4 Revival

Acts 5:12 Signs and wonders

The church never went backward. Always went forward.

Acts 5:15 Peter’s shadows fell on people

Acts 6 Widows to be fed. Appointed 70 deacons. Reached to the people in the synagogue.

Some seasons take time. Revival in Ephesus took 2 years.

The hardest place for the church growth is in between seasons.

Acts 6:1 multiplying ie. times two. 5,000 x 2 = 10,000

Arose complaint against the Hebrews by the modern Jews.

New season, something must change.

Acts 6:3 7 appointed. Moved to new phase.

How would you feel if you are one of the 7 appointed to feed widows? They were chosen by the people and laid hands by the apostles.

Acts 6:5 One of them was Stephen and another one was Philip

They moved into a new season. Before that they did not have any position. After their appointment, something happened.

Acts 6:8 An increase in different season, Stephen’s ministry exploded and he was later martyred.

What happened to the apostles? They were still doing what they had been doing.

God had launched Stephen out into a different dimension.

Acts 6:9 Opposition arose

Acts 6:12 Stephen was seized

Acts 7 Sermon by Stephen covered from patriarchs to Jesus Christ

Acts 7:54-55 Stephen saw the glory of God

Acts 6:15 Stephen’s face looked like an angel

After Stephen was martyred, the church entered a new season. Persecution began. A different season.

When we go through different seasons in ministry, we need to adapt to new season.

Acts 8:5 Philip proclaimed Christ. He became an evangelist.

If it is in you, it will result.

Acts 21:8-9 Evangelist produced prophetesses.

Important is when they started? All of us have our beginnings somewhere.

1. It is God who appoint the season.

God remains in control of seasons.

When Paul was converted, he wanted to preach. He went to Damascus, Arabia. No one heard of him anymore. Acts 11

When it is time to bring revival, it will come but there are seasons in between.

2. Be prepared when entering into a new season, and the end result is not what we expect.

Philip would not expect to become an evangelist. He has to be willing to do where he is planted.

Business is connections. Have to take the door God opens. The only way forward is go with the flow God has appointed, no matter how it will take.

Do not go backward.

Whatever God opens, fill it.

Acts 9, 26

Paul – Antioch – launch base of his ministry

David – Goliath killer

In between seasons:-

1. Feel like you are dry.

2. Pruning time, not increasing but decreasing. Chop off branches.

No matter what situation we are in, we need to stick to it. We will make it.