Pete Briscoe opened up the main session at the RightNow Conference 2010, in Dallas, Texas.  Pete is the lead pastor of Bent Tree Fellowship in Dallas.

How do you evaluate a good trade?  A good trade is what you get is better than what you gave up.  A bad trade is getting something worse than what you gave up.

There was a trader in Scripture named Paul, who traded in a Rabbinic lifestyle for Christ.

Referencing Ephesians 3, here are

5 things Paul traded for

1. Christ (v. 1). Paul was Christocentric, because everything in his life revolved around Christ.  In fact, he even considered himself a prisoner of Christ.  And no matter what his circumstances were, he realized it was for Jesus.

It’s not a matter of trading things in for ministry.  It’s about trading them in for Christ.

Leadership is walking with Jesus and taking others along for the ride.

2. Paul traded law for grace (v. 2). God’s unmitigated love for us.  Pete shared the story of Jean Val Jean from Les Miserables, who was given grace and encouraged to be a trafficker of grace.  Later on in life, he rescued Cosette from the hands of miserable parents, and made her his own daughter.

Grace isn’t something that we simply see and enjoy…we are called to be traffickers of Grace.

3. The mystery (v. 3). Mystery is something that was once hidden.  But now it’s available to the whole Church.  This mystery referred to is Christ himself.  And the fact that Christ indwelling us.  Apart from Christ, we can do nothing.  But as we rest in Christ, He will bear fruit in us.

We’re called to be Christ-intoxicated people, traffickers of grace, and partakers of the mystery of Christ living in us.

4. The Church (v. 6 ). The Church isn’t perfect, but is a unique group of people.  And we take Christ to the world (making it unique).

Parachurch organizations work with, not against the church.

As imperfect as the Church is, never turn your back on her.

5. Ministry (v. 7-8). Paul became a minister of the Gospel because God has given him the gift of ministry.  Which means we shouldn’t compare our station in life to others.  And the one he’s got you in…that’s God’s gift to you.

There are seasons in ministry:

  • This rocks!
  • This works.
  • This sucks.

But whatever season, this text reminds us that ministry is a gift.  We need to be fully engaged in the gracious gift of ministry that God’s called us to.