Ministry

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Today we are dealing with one of the greatest opportunities for the building up of the church and the building of relationships to people who need to be reconciled to God and to each other. MINISTRY.

By way of introduction, let me give you a brief history of God's dealings with man and man's responses.

God created man and man sinned causing trouble in the world. To curb the sinfulness and wickedness of man God chose a people through whom He would reveal Himself to the world. To these people He gave a religion - rules and regulations, sacrifices and rituals for life and service to Him. To administer this religion He gave the priesthood to the tribe of Levi. Hence, there came to be an understanding that only certain ones were allowed to do spiritual works. Then came Jesus. He did it all. And He sent His Spirit to live in His people so that they could serve Him. And He made us all into priests.  Listen to Peter...

1 Peter 2:4-5 (NIV)

 [4] As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— [5] you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

So, we are all ministers before God. We all pray directly to God and we all offer spiritual sacrifices. Not blood sacrifices, but spiritual sacrifices. To understand this, let's think about something Jesus said about sacrifice. Now, first let's talk about Jesus sacrifice.  He died on a cross to pay for our sins. That was His sacrifice. This cannot be repeated by anyone else. Read Romans on this. One sacrifice by Jesus was good for all time for all people. No one can pay for their own or anyone else's sins. Now let's look at that passage where Jesus calls us to live a sacrificial life.

Luke 9:22-24 (NIV)

[22] And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

[23] Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. [24] For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 

What this passage says to me is that I must choose to lay down my life daily in service to others if I am to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I must choose daily to be a priest who offers spiritual sacrifices - ministry - so that I fulfill the challenge of Jesus for my life.

There is no clergy \ laity distinction in the Scriptures. 

Our understanding of ministry is found in Ephesians and in the teaching of Jesus, as well as throughout the Scriptures. For today, we will primarily look at Mark's Gospel and Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

First Ephesians...

Ephesians 4:7-16 (NIV)

[7] But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. (a reference to all the gifts for all the people) [8] This is why it* says: 

“When he ascended on high, 

he led captives in his train 

and gave gifts to men.”*

 [9]  (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions*? [10] He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) [11] It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, [12] to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

 [14] Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. [16] From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The five-fold ministry gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers have one purpose - preparing God's people for works of service. The Greek word is diakonia and Vine's Expository Dictionary defines it as ...

service, ministering, esp. of those who execute the commands of others

So, here is the definition for ministry that we have come up with to help us flesh it out...

Ministry is serving people and building relationships that help reconcile them to God and one another.

And now Mark...

Mark 10:32-45 (NIV)

 [32] They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. [33] “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, [34] who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

 [35] Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

 [36] “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

 [37] They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

 [38] “You don't know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

 [39] “We can,” they answered. 

 Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, [40] but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

 [41] When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. [42] Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. [43] Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, (diakonos) [44] and whoever wants to be first must be slave (doulos - bondservant) of all. [45] For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, (diakonos) but to serve, (diakonos) and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We serve in the church by using our spiritual gifts. Training in these gifts is primarily accomplished in Small Churches.  In SC people get an opportunity to observe others using their spiritual gifts and then practice doing the same. 

Example:  you see somebody speaking a word to someone that impacts that person in a profound way. 

Let's think about the various ways we can serve others in the church and in the world today. 

INPUT FROM EVERYONE HERE...

You serve someone at work by praying for them or speaking a word of encouragement to them.

You serve in your neighborhood by befriending your neighbors.

You serve in your community by getting involved with the fire department or coaching kids teams.

We serve as ambassadors by conducting ourselves like kings kids.

ALL for the purpose of building relationships  with people so that you can witness to them.

Works of service - Jesus came not to be served but to serve and give his life... Can we do any less? We must take up the cross and lay down our lives for others. Picture a world like this.

Now, let's send some of our ministers out today. Katie and Taylor are going to camp... 

PRAY