ONTARIO, Calif. — Among the more than 110 students recognized at a graduation ceremony at Gateway Seminary’s Ontario campus was the seminary’s 11,000th graduate, Rony E. Morales Cumatz. Cumatz was part of the inaugural class of graduates receiving certificates in church planting through a Spanish program offered in partnership with the North American Mission Board. This year, Gateway graduates additionally walked at regional commencement ceremonies in Phoenix, Denver, Vancouver and Fremont; in June students will walk at a ceremony in Hong Kong.
During the May 2 ceremony, Gateway President Adam Groza spoke to graduates from 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.
“It is true, and we often say that God is at work in us,” Groza said. “It is also true that God is at work for us, but in our text Paul reminds us of the equally important truth that God is at work with us.”
Groza reminded graduates that even if they find themselves working as the lone pastor of a church or as an isolated missionary, they are co-laborers with Christ.
“Paul is reminding believers that the same God who reconciled you to Himself on the cross, who gave you the ministry of reconciliation, is the same God who is at work with you as you serve his beloved bride, the church,” he said.
The passage also describes how God works with people, Groza said.
“God empowers us by His Spirit, He leads us by his word, he transforms us by His love, and He protects us by His righteousness.”
Groza’s second point was a scriptural warning against taking the gospel in vain as a minister.
“The word vain is commonly translated as empty,” he said.
“Paul is warning us against having an empty ministry; a gospel-less ministry, a Word-less ministry, or a prayerless ministry is an empty ministry and a powerless ministry.”
Instead, ministers are to “to preach the Word, to point people to Jesus and His finished work on the cross, and to proclaim Jesus on every page of Scripture,” Groza said.
Groza shared Paul’s final warning — that ministers can expect and must withstand troubles, mistreatment and hard work.
“God is with you, God empowers you, and God has equipped you to endure every hardship in ministry.”
Groza told graduates endurance comes from “moral purity, knowledge, patience and kindness, these and other fruits of the Spirit” granted by God.
“We endure by having Christlike character and by humble confidence in God’s Word.”
Groza concluded his charge by describing one of the mysteries of the life of a minister: it is characterized by both sorrow and rejoicing.
“The paradox of ministry on one hand is there are joys and blessings and victories,” he said.
“But on the other hand, there are struggles and there is hurt and there is pain in ministry. It’s not one or the other, it’s both.”
