The Foundation of Ministryنموونە

CALLED TO SERVE

INTRODUCTION

God did not only call us to receive the gift of salvation, to sanctify us, and to make us His disciples. He also called us to serve. Where could we serve? The church is not the only place where we could serve. We could also serve in our family, workplace (marketplace), school, etc. Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” Let this become the thing we hold on to regardless of where we serve, the people we serve, and the kind of ministry entrusted to us.

Some of us might ask why we must serve the Lord. Isn't He the Almighty God? God is indeed able to do anything because He is Almighty.

DISCUSSION

From the beginning, God did not create man to serve Him but to be His partner (co-worker) in managing His creations. (Gen. 1:26, 2:15). This partnership was broken when humans fell into sin (Gen. 3). This relationship is later restored through the Lord Jesus. God wants all of us to be His partners.

As God’s co-workers, we are equipped with gifts and talents to do the works.

A. According to 1 Cor. 12:8-11, there are nine spiritual/special gifts: word of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, healing, miracle, prophecy, discernment of spirits, different kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

B. According to Romans 12:6-8, there are seven general gifts: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy.

C. According to Ephesians 4:11, there are five gifts of ministry: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

D. Talents such as singing, music, multimedia, dance, drawing, writing, interpreter, designer, administration, etc.

Brothers and sisters, we cannot choose our gifts and talents because God decides them. He gives each of us a certain talent and gift in His sovereignty and grace. Some of us might only have one, two, or five talents.

Notice that God specifically wants us to use those gifts and talents to serve. God also asks us to multiply it to build the body of Christ or His church and to be a blessing in other places such as the marketplace, school, and our community. If we do not develop those talents, the talents could be taken from us and given to others who are more responsible than us (verse 30).

Today we are going to discuss two things:

1. Why are there many Christians who have not been involved in a ministry?

One of the reasons why most people do not want to serve is "busyness." The other reason is "fear." They are afraid to be bound to something; they are afraid that they cannot serve, and they are also afraid to pay the price.

Lord Jesus has redeemed our lives with His expensive blood; shouldn't we have an attitude of gratitude to repay His kindness by serving Him?

Brothers and sisters, the ministry is a form of our thanksgiving to God. Ministry is God's calling upon our lives. As His redeemed people, we are not supposed to delay the call of God. Every little thing we do is precious in God’s eyes as long as we do them with our hearts.

There is a quote that says, "We do not choose our calling; we are called to that calling. God is the One who calls us and not the other way around.”

The calling to serve is a special calling. If we read the Bible, we would find out how God called someone with a special calling for a special assignment. Some examples include Abraham, Jonah, Moses, the 12 disciples, Mary, Apostle Paul, etc. We might not be called like those prophets or apostles, but being a witness could be considered our response to the call.

2. Why do we have to respond to God’s calling?

·Because we are God’s partners (Ephesians 2:10).

·We are responsible for the gifts and talents that God has given us (Matt. 25).

· We could be a blessing to other people, families, churches, and nations.

·We glorify God's name through our ministry.

CLOSING

Let us not miss the reward God has provided for all of us who serve Him, as written in the parable found in Matthew 20:1-15. God is the One who assigns the reward; our part is to do the ministry entrusted to us faithfully.

And one day, we shall meet God, and He is going to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Mat. 25:23).