Called To Minister Series

MAXIMISING YOUR MINISTRY

Part one …. CALLED TO MINISTER

Series Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

It is God’s desire today for each Christian to use his or her God given gifts and abilities. The scriptures are clear - God has given to each of his children unique ministries and it is OUR responsibility to ….. maximize our calling !

There are many Christians who want God to use them, but others who are content in their passive position and anxious at the prospect of being ‘involved’ in the life and ministry of the body of Christ.

In this series my aim is to help both these groups of people. To enthuse and encourage those hungry to find their place and ministry and move forward in that, and those who need reminding of the calling on their lives and inspired to stand up and step out.

It is the will of God that you and I be a living, functioning member of His body, the Church.

Romans 12:3-8 …… We start today by looking at the fact that we are all …..

I believe this can be a really exciting revelation, that God has called YOU to serve Him !

 Understanding our calling

Ephesians 4:1-6 ….. “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received”

God has called YOU ! …. Don’t limit this concept of calling to those who occupy positions of responsibility in the body of Christ. It is vital we are reminded that salvation is a ‘calling’. That is ….. God placed his hand on our lives, drew us to himself, placed his Spirit in our hearts and now is the claimant of our lives and affections.

Salvation was not a choice but a response. A response to God’s call to come to him. Listen to Apostle Paul as he describes how he became a child of God and as a result found a NEW PURPOSE for his life …… Galatians 1:13-24

We have been …..Called to Christ - Galatians 1:15,16

Called to purpose - Galatians 1:16

Called to fruitfulness - Galatians 1:23,24

 Your 2nd most important decision

The most important decision anyone can ever make is to receive Christ as saviour. The second is to discover God’s will for your life and DO IT !

We are not talking about those who leave home, occupation etc to serve God, though some here will hear God ask them for that, but the call on all of us to play our part in God’s plans.

So many Christians drift along from one year to the next, never exercising their gifts and ministries, never seeking to discover their unique God-given calling.

It is perceived that the minister does the ministry. And this is true but one important fact remains ….. WE ARE ALL MINISTERS ! ……. WITH A MINISTRY TO FULLFILL !

But what ministry have we been called to ?

- We are called to minister to the Father

It is the chief aim of man to worship God and enjoy him for ever. As someone has said

“We are called to an eternal preoccupation with God”

I don’t know what you consider the primary purpose of your life now ……. We have been called to ‘serve God’.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We are the people of God …. Why because …. We have received mercy.

Revelation 1:6 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.

You may not consider that you have a ‘ministry’, or any gifts or talents that God can use.

But this truth is the starting blocks of any ministry. Understanding that we have ALL been called to know him, love him, worship him and serve him is the very foundation of being used by him.

Examples ….. Moses at the burning bush ……. Isaiah vision of God’s temple ……. Paul’s revelation on the Damascus road. What is common in these ? ….. They each encountered the magnitude of God that radically changed their perspectives.

The primary goal of our lives is to worship God . Too much of our worship is self-centered

Worship is ministry to God in gratitude, love and awe. Ministry begins at the throne ! Until you’ve visited the throne and seen the King you’ll never be overwhelmed with the longing to serve him.