What is Ministry?

What is Ministry?

There is much talk about what may qualify as ministry and what success in ministry is.  Is it a big Church or large Bible Study class?  Is it something with a big budget and a lot of people that is doing great things.  Well, honestly all of that can be good ministry.  And, so can the small Church that is making disciples and reaching the neighborhood around it without many people or much budget at all.

The fact is, ministry is about people.  Jesus’ ministry revolved around people.  Paul’s mission was all about bringing people to Jesus.  It wasn’t about building a Church.  It was about building The Church.  That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with building a large Church.  I work at one.  But, the reason it is large is because the ministry is about people. 

Each month we have dinner for new-comers and there is a particular Deacon who always helps because he loves people.  After our latest Foundations Dinner this Deacon sent me an email wanting to be sure he had all the names of the people correct because he wanted to be able to greet them when he saw them at Church.  He does that all the time…because people are important.  This isn’t a one-time occurrence with him either.  I think he may be the one person in our Church that knows everyone’s name.  Why?  Ministry is about people.

As we serve week in and week out, let’s not just do a job.  Let’s remember that the reason for the task at hand is because people are important and ministry is about people.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Christmas is fast approaching and you, no doubt, have been thinking about all the things you want to get for those that mean the most to you.  We all like to receive gifts.  But, as we grow older, we realize that it is actually more fulfilling to give them.  Wouldn’t it be great if there was a gift you could receive that would allow you to give gifts to others?

We know from Ephesians 4 that God has given us gifts.  1 Corinthians 12 goes into more detail about the gifts and their purpose.  God gives each of His children gifts according to the grace He pours out upon each one.  The purpose of the gifts, however, is not for the one receiving it.  The gift allows the child of God to become a tool in God’s hands for the benefit of others.  But, I am blessed by being a tool in His hands, which in turn makes the gift beneficial to me.  God’s gifts allow me to not only receive the gift, but to give it to others.  Then, to top it all off, the exercising of the gift brings glory to God, which is my gift back to Him.  Only God could give a gift like that.

What’s your gift(s)?  Are you allowing God to cultivate that gift in you so that He can use you in it?  Don’t miss our 2-part sermon series on Spiritual Gifts and how to put them to use in the Church on December 27 and January 3 at 9:30 AM and 10:58 AM both days at Hibernia Baptist Church.

www.hiberniabaptist.org

Why do we serve?

What is serving all about?

That’s a difficult question.  Below are three answers.  I believe each is correct.  You might ask how that can be.  Well, God is not limited to the laws established in this world.  With Him there can be multiple answers to the same question that are equally correct.  Its because He’s God.  Read further and see if you agree.

Serving is about God.  We serve because He has gifted and called us to serve.  He has equipped us to be His hands and feet to the world and to the body for His glory.  It is for His glory that we serve.  Anything we do in His service should ultimately be so that He will be glorified.  Think about it…there a lot of people doing a lot of good things in this world that look a lot like what we do in the Church.  They meet needs when life gets tough or when disaster strikes.  But, they don’t do it for God’s glory.  What sets our service apart from theirs is the glory of God.  Serving is about God.

Serving is about the Church.  1 Corinthians 12:7 tells us that spiritual gifts are for the common good.  We serve in obedience to God for the benefit of the body of Christ, His Church.  Sometimes we forget what a big deal that is.  In Acts 2 we see how God brought many to faith as they witnessed the Christians serving one another and proclaiming the Gospel.  Serving one another is a form of preaching the Gospel.  Serving is about the Church.

Serving is about us.  Wait!  How can serving be about me if I’m the one performing the service?  Serving is about the servant because it is about discipleship.  Just like exercise makes the body stronger, serving makes the spirit stronger.  If I am to be a follower of Christ, I must not only know about Him from Scripture, but also take action based on what I learn and what I see in His life.  If there’s one thing a Christian should be selfish about it is to strive to hear “Well done good and faithful servant” on that day we stand before our King.  Serving is about us.

Only with God can each of these be true.  But that’s just how great He is!

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