"But you, be sober in all things, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." -2Tim4:5 NASB)
In our previous three discussions, I have focused mainly on us working on ourselves- discovering what it takes to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, to set ourselves apart from the world, to be pure and holy for His purposes. Today I'm going to switch gears a bit and challenge each one of you (if you haven't already) to step out of the box and get involved in ministry. I spoke on this topic at a fundraiser last year, and one of my main points was not only to get my audience to donate financially to the ministry I was representing, but to get involved DIRECTLY in one form or another. You see, our greatest calling by Jesus is to "go and make disciples", a verse most Christians know, but only some follow. I don't care what denomination you are from (we're all one Body, by the way), whether or not your church is very evangelistic or not, and if you've ever had any experience in doing any outreach. The fact of the matter is that we are ALL called to ministry, be it great or small.
"Freely you received, freely give." -Matt 10:8 (NASB)
I don't need to spell it out for you how desperately our world needs Jesus. Kids are literally dying each and every day, hope is being lost through a major campaign to push God out of our nation, and in so many cases, nothing is being done to help. It's one thing for us to pray for the lost and struggling (a must), and to preach it from the pulpit, but my challenge to you today is, what are you doing to advance God's Kingdom? Before I go any further, please do not think I am putting myself above any one, that I am implying that we all need to become Billy Graham's, or whatnot. All I am saying is that EVERY SINGLE member of the Body of Christ should be serving in one form or another. Our pastor spoke on this the other day and challenged the congregation to get involved, be it big or small. What does something like this look like? Well, God gave you a special talent (works) that only you can accomplish for his purposes. (Eph 2:10) Maybe you are a great singer, well why not try out for the choir? Or perhaps you can make a mean apple pie; hey, I don't know a single church in the world that would pass up some good home cooking! I'm sure a bake sale, position in the cafeteria, or food pantry ministry would love a "piece of your pie"! Whatever you know you are good at: greeting, ushering, working the cameras, evangelism, missions, etc... do it with all your heart. God gave us His absolute best, and expects the same in return.
My advice would be to begin to seek the Lord in this, especially if He has been tugging on your heart lately. Ask Him, "God, you have created me for Your purposes and to go into the field to reap the harvest. Lord, I am asking humbly, what is Your will for me today in ministry? My heart is open and faithful, God, and even though it may be a bit scary- I trust You completely." When we first came to Christ we gave our lives to Jesus because we couldn't do it ourselves. We trust God with our resources, our children, and everything else; so why wouldn't we seek Him with passion in fulfilling our God-given destiny?!? Start today. He will lead you faithfully, and as my friend says, "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called." In other words, if He brings you to a particular ministry, He will most definitely arm you for the work ahead. Now, go and serve your King!
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