A Minister? Who, Me?
Ponder: What is your ministry?
Scripture: “. . . for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12 NKJV).
Are you a minister? Some might answer, “No! I’ve never preached even one sermon.” Ladies might protest, “Joe, you know the Bible doesn’t authorize women preachers!”
Preaching is, indeed, “the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4), but not all ministers are preachers. A minister is a servant. Service is a synonym for ministry. In that sense, every Christian is to be a minister.
Preachers, elders, and teachers today use the inspired words of the apostles and prophets “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). These men are not to do our work for us; rather, they are to equip is so that we can serve effectively.
What is your ministry? In other words, how are you involved in service to the church (and thus in service to God)? Some members of Christ’s body have the mistaken idea that when they have attended an hour-long meeting on Sunday, their service is completed for that week. We even call it a “church service.” But we ought not to stop serving when the assembly is dismissed.
Another popular, but mistaken, notion is that our ministry responsibilities are fulfilled by leading a prayer, preaching a sermon, leading songs, etc., during the assembly. These things are service, to be sure; but we must not restrict service to Sunday-at-the-church-house activities.
In Colossians 4:17, Paul exhorted Archippus: “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” Did Archippus visit the sick? Help the poor? Preach the word? We simply don’t know. Whatever his ministry was, Paul urged him to get with it! If Paul were writing to us in our local congregations, I wonder how many of us might receive a similar admonition. It’s a bit embarrassing to think about it!
We might be motivated to attend more regularly if we also found our post of service outside the assembly and fulfilled it. How can you use your time and abilities to God’s glory?
Be a minister!
Song: “Lord, Make Me A Servant”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we are privileged to be Your servants. Help us, we pray, to liven up, to find our place of ministry, and to serve effectively and faithfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Joe Slater (Justin, TX)
jaslater1954@gmail.com