The contrast could not be greater. Paul said, "Let no one boast in men" (1 Cor 3:21), because it is only "God who causes the growth" (1 Cor 3:7). But today's ministry is often platform-centered and program-bound. Jesus sent out the disciples "like sheep among wolves," but today this "weak" approach is replaced with powerful techniques emphasizing attraction. The result is that ministry/mission thought and praxis are subverted in a way that makes the ordinary individual believer wonder if and how they are to be involved in God's wonderful work. For Jesus, ministry was close and personal. He ate with friends, helped the hurting, and spoke the truth in love to any who would listen. Jesus embodied proclamation and ministry by depending on people (local resources), by being approachable and comprehensible (local tongues), and by spiritual gifts (the power of God). As weak and vulnerable as Jesus finds us, so does he desire to use us. Explore in this book the thought and practice of ministry and mission from the God-ordained and God-honoring perspective of vulnerable weakness.
