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Building Community 2. Introduction. Ministry is anything that you do for God. It can be the Pastor (Minister), but it is so much more.
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Introduction Ministry is anything that you do for God. It can be the Pastor (Minister), but it is so much more. It is the person that cuts the church’s grass, weeds the garden, tutors the neighbor’s child, encourages a shut in, feeds the homeless person at their door, or even the person who smiles at a stranger… In this sermon, ask yourself, “how has God designed me and what can I do?”
Introduction Everyone has a ministry. You have been designed by God with talents, desires, and abilities to fulfill that ministry. The Holy Spirit has given you Spiritual gift(s) and the church to complete the process. We live in a materialistic society, where it is all about possessing something. It is not enough to have gifts, talents, and a ministry. We need to use them to bring God glory. The questions we need to ask, is who gives one a ministry, and how do we carry out that service?
Introduction To answer these questions, we will look at three Old Testament examples that faced these same questions. King Saul King David and Absalom
King Saul 1 Samuel 9:15-17Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, 16“Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to me.” 17And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people.” Saul did not “choose” to be King. God appointed him to the position. He was serving
King Saul Saul had been out looking for his father’s lost donkeys (the family business). His servant encouraged him to seek out Samuel (a prophet of God) for help locating that which was lost. God instructed Samuel to anoint Saul King. Saul started off his ministry with the attitude of humility.
King Saul Saul’s ministry started out well. He attacked and removed many of the Philistine strongholds in Israel. With success came an unrealistic view of his own position (not ministry). When Samuel was delayed in offering a sacrifice before a battle, Saul took it upon himself to perform this function. This was prideful and sinful on Saul’s part and he lost the kingdom. Listen to what Samuel had to say…
King Saul 1 Samuel 13:13-14And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14“But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
King Saul Saul knows that he is going to lose the kingdom after Samuel's announcement. Saul feared man more than God. He disobeys God’s command to destroy Amalek. He brings back King Agag alive and saves the best sheep, oxen, and all that was good. As a result God rejects Saul as King.
King Saul 1 Samuel 15:22-23Then Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”
King Saul Saul knows that God has removed the kingdom from his family and himself. Yet he is unwilling to relinquish power. He will spend his remaining years fighting to retain his position, ministry, and power through the works of his flesh. As a result, he becomes like a madman attempting to destroy and kill anything that threatens his kingship.
King Saul The people God gave Saul to nurture and protect suffered under Saul’s futile attempts to protect his position and power. He murdered the priests that helped David (Chapter 22). In the end of Chapter 23, Saul is so intent on pursuing David, that he allows the Philistines to invade the country.
King Saul We should carefully evaluate ourselves here. It is not enough that God simply calls us to a ministry. We must DO what he calls us to and to do it the way He desires. Failure to Hear and Do can result in our ministry being given to another who will Listen to God and Do what He calls them to do! This is true for churches as well – remember the warnings given to the churches of Revelation
King Saul Ministry is more than just a position or even doing a work. It is about serving God and bringing glory to Christ in that work. Each of us come along , compliment, and complete each other to accomplish the work God gives us to do as a church. Every job is important to the work of the church.
King David David stands in contrast to Saul. He starts off much the same. He was small and just a shepherd boy when Samuel came to anoint one of the sons of Jesse. Samuel was warned by God that He chooses different than man. 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
King David Like Saul, David was chosen by God. 1 Samuel 16:12-13So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.
King David David chose to serve God. He chose to Hear and Do as God commanded. He was God’s Man, in God’s Plan, holding it with an Open Hand. David yielded himself to God. Who he was, was God’s business. It did not matter if he was leading the people as King, leading the army into battle, dancing in worship before God or fleeing for his life.
King David He did not strike at Saul when he had the chance. He trusted in God. He did not defend himself against his son Absalom. He knew that God had given him the kingship. That ministry and position was God’s to give and take as He pleased. David yielded to God to do as He pleased. Because David had a heart after God’s, he was able to lead the nation into righteousness.
King David This is not to say David’s life was perfect. He sinned with Bathsheba, and had several other major blunders. When David was confronted with his sin, it grieved him and he humbled himself before God and repented.
King David When we yield ourselves in service, we need to recognize we are not perfect. We need to be teachable, and when we “mess it up” to acknowledge it, learn from it, and to move forward. God uses ministry to develop us while we work in serving Him.
King David Think of the heart difference between Saul and David. Saul used his position to meet his own needs and to serve himself. “I am important, and I am the king, you should bow down and serve me”. David’s attitude was to use his position to serve God. To view his role as God’s representative and to get God’s work done. “You are important to God, therefore I will humble myself and serve you”. To be great in God’s kingdom is to be a servant!
Absalom Absalom was a Prince of Israel. He was David’s son and was a possible heir to the throne. Absalom, however was not content with his position and role given to him. He wanted the ministry that belonged to another. He wanted to be king.
Absalom He stood in the gate and turned the hearts of the people against God’s man and plan. He created a rebellion that drove his father off the throne. In the civil war that followed, Absalom lost his life trying to grasp that which was not his. The nation also was thrown into chaos.
Absalom There are many jobs that need to be done in this church. Some ministries such as pastor, teachers, and officers are public. Others are done quietly behind the scene but all are important and equally valuable to God. If you see something that needs to be done, check to make sure that someone else is not doing it. Maybe you can come alongside that person and help. The church is not like a corporation where it is a challenge to climb to the top.
Absalom The other danger is that we do not become so focused on the “outcome” of our ministry, that we run over people in the process. The ministry is about people and helping each one grow in their understanding and their walk with Christ.
Christ Our greatest example is our Lord Jesus Christ. He stepped into this world and accepted the role and position the Father had ordained for Him. He did not seek to use His role for Himself, but gave Himself to His ministry. He prayed, “Not my will, but Thine be done”. He yielded His life into the hands of the Father, and did all things for the glory of the Father.
What does this mean for us? We are all called to minister. We have been given talents and spiritual gifts. You have to make a choice. Will you be a Saul who chose not to fulfill the call of God? Will you be an Absalom who rejected God’s role to seek the place of another? Will you be a David, and seek to hear and do God’s call?
What does this mean for us? Are you willing to hold your ministry with an “open hand”. Trusting that God has given it to you, and when He is ready, may choose to give it to another. It is for us to be faithful as we work as a team. For we are all members of the Body of Christ. How will you serve?
