Thursday, January 11, 2018
It is possible that some of you resolved yourselves to serve the Lord more actively this year, particularly as it relates to church involvement. If that is the case with you, I suppose that, in most cases, you will first need to consult with your pastor. Please keep in mind that the “calling” comes from God and not a man. If it is indeed a genuine calling of God, no one can keep you from it, not even your pastor. Nevertheless, most pastors can easily identify those who are legitimate candidates for service in the church from those who are not. Perhaps you will better picture what I mean by a biblical event recorded in the 17th Chapter of Luke.
In it, Jesus heard ten lepers cry out to Him for mercy. Verse 14 reads: And when He saw them, He said unto them “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. As you can see, though it was Christ who healed the lepers, the priests, for society’s sake, were the ones who officially declared them “clean.” Simply put, it is the same for those who feel led of God to serve in the church. When they approach the pastor to inform him of their desire, in most cases he already knows, among other things, about their faithful attendance at church services and functions, or lack thereof, their giving or tithing history, and their interactions with other members. If they have already proven themselves in these and other areas, any good pastor will make a sincere effort to find them a place. After all, having folks like these serve will benefit them as well as the church.
The truth is that if you have already proven yourself to be faithful in attendance and giving, and have a good reputation and testimony in your church, it would be a shame if you do not get more involved in ministry, assuming other valid factors don’t keep you from doing so. Please keep this in mind as well: Church ministry is not limited to preaching, teaching, singing, or playing a musical instrument. If I understand 1 Corinthians 12 correctly, the “helps” and “governments” mentioned in verse 28, refers to those whom God has given a special gift or ability to help in the administrative work of the church as well as those who “help” in any capacity. To say it more simply, these are the folks who “get things done” in the church. They too have a calling of God upon their lives, and are just as needed, if not more so, than those with the more visible positions. The bottom line: Any church member who loves the Lord, as well as people, has a place in it’s ministry. More than likely, you are in this group. I trust you will be encouraged to get involved if you aren’t already.
God’s word for today: (Philippians 3:13-14) “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
