Free...free...free...

FREE…FREE…FREE…

OK Hyderbadis’ (Yours truly included) have something to be proud about, for their “Son of the soil” namely Sathya Nadella was recently elevated to one of the most enviable posts in the World…CEO of what else…Microsoft. Does Microsoft need an introduction…the fact that some of you are reading this piece using one of the Microsoft products says something about this Multinational giant in the Corporate World.

Hmmm…his annual pay package…a staggering 112 Crore Rupees (in Indian currency)!!! More than the annual Defence budget of Island country of Mauritius!!! Considering the unquantifiable pressures which come visiting along with the responsibilities of being a CEO of such a high-profile company …our Cricket-loving Sathya would doubtless be fully deserving of such a handsome compensation.

That brings us to an equally staggering command to every Christian from his incomparable Master “Freely ye have received, freely give.”-Matt 10:8. Boy, now what are the areas’ of Christian life and ministry, where FREE SERVICE is expected of a Christian? Here goes…

INVITATION

“What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.” – I Cor 9:18

Raise your hands, those who were saved from the deadly clutches of sin by our Saviour Jesus Christ for a fee. Now no hands would go up, for all of us got our indescribable gift Jesus (2 Cor 9:15) into our lives and along with Him the priceless Salvation free, by just inviting Him into our lives with perhaps at best folded hands and bent knees. When we repented, just as He promised the Kingdom of God which was very near us (Matt 4:17) came into our hearts. So much so, from that moment frozen in our personal and Heaven’s history “Righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit” flooded our hearts (Romans 14:17). So what is our response…rather what ought to be our response to this free gift of salvation…share the Good News with everyone we meet what we have experienced ourselves, so that those of them who never had a foretaste of Heaven right here on Earth, would enjoy the same by inviting Jesus into their hearts. Hey, Jesus did not want all of His followers to be preachers but WITNESSES.

Yes, there is a responsibility placed on those who receive the Gospel (I Cor 9:14) of “taking good care of those who brought them the Good News” but those who are in the God-given Ministry (read evangelism) of inviting people into God’s Kingdom, ought to go about their Divinely-ordained task without expecting anything in return in conformity with Apostle Paul’s (read Scriptural) stand on this subject.

INSTRUCTION

Where the Evangelist’s work ends of winning a soul for the Kingdom, the Pastor’s work begins of nurturing the “new born” in God’s Kingdom. Unlike an evangelist, who is moved by the Lord’s Spirit from town to town, a Pastor’s call is to be at one place patiently “taking care of and feeding the Lord’s flock” with God’s Word (Acts 20:28).

When Peter responded to our Lord’s question “Peter, do you love me” three times with words emanating from the depths of his heart “Lord, I love you”, the Master’s response on all three occasions was “Feed my flock” (John 21:15-17). Peter’s love for the Lord was to get reflected in equal measure in his care for the people, the Lord “had purchased by shedding His own blood”. No wonder, Peter after many years of serving the Lord wrote these words to younger pastors. Kindly note the word Elder is synonymous with Pastor...

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—NOT FOR WHAT YOU WILL GET OUT OF IT, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. “ –I Peter 5:2

Now what is responsibility of the “Flock” in turn to their exemplary full-time Pastors who lead the flock through life and lip in the “spiritual ecosphere”, we know as the Church? Pastors who have not pursued any secular profession and in 9 times out of ten, may have swapped a lucrative secular one for a serious responsibility in the spiritual realm in full obedience to the Great Shepherd’s call? Let the Scripture take over…

Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.-Gal 6:6