Friday, August 3, 2018
Professional ministry
Matthew 4:18,19
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
When we are called by God there are two things important things that are fundamental. The first important thing is who we are called to be, our identity, the second thing is what we are called to do, our purpose. I like to refer to this as saved to be and saved to do.
First, we are saved to be. In John 1:12 we read that those who have received Jesus and believe in His name have been given “the right to become children of God.” That’s the becoming part. Redemption, reconciliation, relationship with God, a new identity.
When Jesus met the first disciples, fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, he challenged them to follow Him. By being with Him they were going to take on a new identity. But He immediately also invited them to do something, to work, to become fishers of men.
The apostle Paul writing to the church at Ephesus established that we aren’t just saved by grace to gain a new identity through our relationship with Jesus, but that, on account of this relationship there are things that we must do. These activities or ministries that we must do were established for us even before we were saved. That is our purpose in Jesus.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
The work that God expects of us in this natural, physical realm. But God also expects of us that we work in the spiritual realm, “to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,” Ephesians 3:10.
God has given us gifts and talents that are to be used in the Kingdom, each one of us is called to be a minister of His grace to each other and to a lost world. However, what has been the tendency increasingly is that the work of the ministry, both to the household of faith and to the world, is left to paid ministers.
There was a time when most preachers preached because they were called by God, because “the love of Christ compels us” 2 Corinthians 5:14, these days, however, few are preaching the gospel without being paid. And again, there was a time when most of our musicians and singers were part of a voluntary force singing and playing for the love of God. Now, almost all musicians and singer are only available if they are on the payroll.
We must clarify here that there is a place for those who make a living by the gospel to be paid and to be paid properly. But many churches now can only keep talent as long as they could pay a competitive price for it.
The challenge that this presents is that everyone else, who is not on the payroll, sits around to watch the paid ministers and musicians perform their duties, display their gifts, and entertain the rest of us. Ministry is for professionals.
Small churches are often left struggling as ministers, the gifted and the talented, move away to greener pastures in ministry. Big churches are overflowing with ministers who get to preach once per year, worship leaders who get to sing a few times a year and so on. These people are however willing to wait around where the pay is good.
Our concern today though is not for the ministers who are waiting around for their lucrative opportunities, rather the concern is for the rest of us who are not doing any work of ministry at all. Those who are sitting around to watch the professionals.
The New Testament teaching is that every one of us in the Kingdom has been given gifts for our different ministry roles and we are expected to play those roles for the church to be complete. “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.
This is supported by the teaching in the letter to the Ephesians that the work of the leadership is to prepare all members for ministry. “He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry.” Ephesians 4:11,12.
Further, that we are dependent upon that which we each bring to the ministry, “the whole body, [is] joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:16.
There are too many Christians whose only participation in ministry is to show up on Sunday morning to the service, watch and listen to the professional ministers and then leave until next time. We have professionalised ministry while God personalises the call.
Ministry should be done professionally but not all ministry is professional ministry.
Think on these things:
- What has God called you to do in the Kingdom?
- Have you identified your spiritual gifts and are you seeking opportunities to use them?
- How does your church help members to identify their spiritual gifts and match them with leaders and ministry opportunities?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would each have our call and gifts clarified and find our place in ministry to contribute to the work of the Kingdom.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex
