SUNDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER, 2019.

TOPIC: GREATER WORKS
TEXT : John 14:12, Acts 10:38, Matt 10:42

The helps ministry is a very vital ministry that should not be trivialized, even though it is
not categorized among the five-fold ministry. It is indeed a ministry the other ones
cannot meaningfully do without and not be impaired, if rightly defined and properly
placed. The departments and activities which readily fall into helps include: ushering,
choir, prayer warriors and welfare. We may also include a number of other
workers/volunteers in the house of God, like sanitation, security and even press and
news media, in the Helps ministry.

When Jesus came, His entire life and ministry centred on helping humanity and
redeeming mankind. He went about helping people all the way, doing good. The Bible
summarized His entire ministry in one verse in the book of Acts of the Apostles.

"How God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who
went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was
with him." (Acts 10:38)

Having finished His ministry, Jesus gave the disciples a charge and a promise regarding
heavens' expectation concerning them. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth
on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father." Plainly, it is every believer He charges and expects to do
more, not only those in the five-fold ministry. Everyone, including all that we have said,
can be categorized as being in the Helps ministry.

Scope of Helps Ministry
In spreading, promoting and sustaining the gospel, the importance of the helps ministry
cannot be overemphasized. Jesus described the scope of His all-encompassing ministry
Himself right at the beginning of His ministerial activities in Nazareth

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to
the poor, He hath sent Me to preach deliverance to the captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised.; to preach the acceptable year of
the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19)

We see from this declaration that His mission is essentially about help to mankind. He has come to be His brother's keeper, to reconcile man with God. The entire five-fold ministry is therefore not devoid of helps.

Believers and ministers of the gospel must
necessarily be their brothers' keeper, doing good or rendering help to their neighbours
and particularly fellow believers.

What is Helps?
Helps is listed in 1 Corinthians 12:28 as one of the ministry gifts. The Scripture is
explicit

"And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, the gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of
tongues."(1 Corinthians 12:28)

This is a list of ministries in the body of Christ which are expected to be in operation in the local Church. The helps ministry is to serve in a supportive role to other ministries
for effectiveness and for the smooth running of the church. Helps in this place is from a
Greek word which is equivalent to, 'relief, 'succour' or to participate in English, and is
thus a ministry that is concerned with giving relief and or support to others or
participating in the support of other ministries. It is to render assistance or help to others, to strengthen or energize them or to lift up their hands like Aaron and Hur did for Moses on the mountain praying for victory in a war. (Exodus 17:9-13)

You function in ministry of helps when you help or assist another person to cover certain gaps or to do what he could not do himself. This ministry serves to free the other ministry gifts to function effectively in their respective areas.

Greater works with Helps
Without doubt, Jesus Christ expects us to do greater works with helps, and this is a
ministry that should involve everyone. How do we go about this? It is by doing far more
and going the extra mile in our support of the work of ministry, especially in the area of
CRWS, Prayer, Ushering and deep, anointed Praise and Worship to provide the needed
spiritual and social atmosphere for the ministry of the word with miracles, signs and
wonders for increased soul winning and the growth of the church in preparation for the
return of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Recap the Areas of Suggested improvement and greater works already itemized on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday Ministration.