I think I'm called to ministry?
Ministry Looks Like You • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsWhat does ministry really look like? There are a lot of misconceptions to what ministry is and we are going to spend some time reviewing that.
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Doing My Father’s Business
Doing My Father’s Business
49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
As we kick off our new series “Ministry Looks Like You”. I want to start with a simple question, what does ministry look like to you? So many have the idea that it is a profession where there are those who work in the church like a bank manager runs his local branch. Doing what we so stereo typically call bankers hours. Just going about the humdrum business of discussions and debts over theological ideas and whims of dogma.
Such a distorted view so many have of what God has called us too. I have even had it said to me; Oh that’s a great profession to go into Pierre. Like I just woke up one day and decided that I was going to be a Pastor. Ha!!!!
No that was never the plan. The plan was for God to use me in another capacity. But in the end, it was still an idea to connect the lost with Christ. So as we look at Jesus today I want us to see who you are called to be in of our Father as you go about doing ministry for Him.
The first thing that we notice about Jesus is that He points out that God, His Father, needs Him to handle His business. Too many times individuals want to do what they want to do first and put God on the back burner. When in reality as a child of God.
Your business is His business! He is your first line of business everyday.
As children of God we have a civil duty in the kingdom of God to share the gospel to this sin sick and broken world. It was a command given by Jesus to us as he laid claim to victory over death’s grip He informed us to go forth and share the good news! The world is dying, the world hurts, the world is sick and we have the cure, It’s called salvation in and through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore let us take a lesson from our Lord, In ministering to the world.
The first thing we see is that Jesus is serious about His Father’s business. What is His Father’s business. Restoration. He is in the business of restoration. He restores that which is broken.
What is broken? The world is, because of the fall of man and our sin nature, we need to address the issues at hand. Christ is our tool we use to help restore mankind back to God.
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
So that’s the first thing we see about Jesus and that we can take to heart, He does what I like to call an assessment of the situation. He goes in and takes a look and evaluates what needs to be done to achieve the Fathers goal.
When I work at Home Depot, I work in MillWorks and one of the things we have to do is we have to have an estimator come out and do a work up on the project. (Doors Windows etc…) In the process of doing this they take certain steps and then once they finish they’ll send all the information back to us at the store to be able to sit down with the home owner or property manager and then start the process of restoring or replacing the doors, windows etc… But that’s the thing, we have to do reconnaissance first. Gather information then create a plan of execution.
This is a task, it’s an assignment, it’s not you expecting clergy to do it, because they are the professionals! No it’s a mandate given to all believers in Christ Jesus!
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The second thing we notice is that Jesus is very focused and and very for real about what He is called to do. Listen too many are not serious in their walk with God. They get saved and then they say whoa, I’m glad I accepted Christ in to my heart, I’m glad I get to receive the eternal promise of life in paradise! Whoa wee! Thank You Jesus for SAVING ME!! Ha!! YES SIR! But mean while people are dying and going to hell every single day! In Rapid numbers. But this should not be so. Is everyone going to accept Christ as their personal savior? No! But a lot will and we have the privilege to be a part of that. Let me say that again we have the privilege.
8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
Listen Billy Graham said it best;
The evangelistic harvest is always urgent. The destiny of men and of nations is always being decided. Every generation is strategic. We are not responsible for the past generation, and we cannot bear the full responsibility for the next one; but we do have our generation. God will hold us responsible as to how well we fulfill our responsibilities to this age and take advantage of our opportunities.
Don’t talk about the second coming when you haven’t spent time sharing the first.
Jesus was strictly here for one mission and one mission only. To share the love of God to those who had never heard it before. If we live by the same value and priorities Jesus had, we will find evangelism and ministering naturally. It’s a life style and not a project.
1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
To Imitate means to reflect or resemble Paul is clear in stating look at me and see Jesus, I should look at you and see Jesus.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
Listen the new life is exciting when it comes to being in Christ! Think of all the golden opportunities you get everyday where ever you are to show Christ love to the world? The magic of it is! You doing even have to be a Pastor to do it. You can do it in a non threaten way and most people will listen to you quicker then to me. Once people find out I’m a Pastor I have to work harder trying to show them God’s love then you do. (Give an Example. 2 minutes max)
Listen at the end of the day the biggest obstacle to sharing the gospel is those who don’t.
How are you living your life in your day to days? Are you at work and you are sounding and looking just like your coworkers? Are you going out with your friends after work and out drinking them? Out smoking them? Out living a life that doesn’t reflect Christ in way more then them? Are they saying; What Church you go to? Do all of us that are really trying a favor... don’t answer that, don’t embarrass your Pastor, your God fearing family and mostly don’t embarrass Jesus!
I see it all the time, people who want the benefits of salvation but don’t want to live like Christ because they are still really sucked up into the world. Well, the bible has something to say about that.
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.
Listen don’t allow your foolish desires to discount your testimony
One of the best quotes I heard recently from Will Rogers said;
So live that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.
Which brings us to our 3rd and final point about how ministry looks like you, looking like Christ.
There will always be someone close to you, who will not understand why you are pursuing God’s business over your own. Look at what Jesus parents said to him in order to get the response they God.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
Here is the thing about Jesus Parents? As awesome as they were and wonderful examples for others to see, even they couldn’t completely understand what His true calling was. Can’t you see them loosing their minds? If Mary was a black mother he would’ve really got it! Boy I am going to! LOL! But the importance of the lesson here is that, Jesus never lost focus. He knew what the mission was and He stayed the course.
Listen know the mission and stay the course.
Even when satan was trying to derail Jesus from the mission at the temptation what did He do? He stayed the course. When satan tried to use Peter what did Jesus do? He stayed the course, when His brothers told Him to make sure he went to Jerusalem for the festival mocking Him, what did He do… He stayed the course! The devil will use any and everything around you to knock you off your feet and make you miss the purpose of your ministry as he does not want you to impact the world for Christ. You are his enemy and he will try all things to derail you from your ministry in which God has called you too.
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
What God things has God called you to my friend? Where are you at right now and where is God taking you too, to fulfill His purpose, for His kingdom. Remember He is in the business of restoration and reconciliation. He is in the plan of placing us all in our purpose to reach those who only you can reach. As a Pastor I am limited to how far my reach is and I know that, but through you we can reach the world for Christ Amen!
Let’s restore for our Father that which is broken, Amen!
Let’s Pray.