Ministry, what a strange term. Check out some of Googles definitions:
- Ministry is an industrial metal band of the 1980s, 1990s and onward. (Not my Favorite one)
- the duties and services of a minister (Well …. duh!!)
- A Government department that deals with all functions under a particular portfolio assigned to a Minister. Its administrative head is the Permanent Secretary, who is responsible to the Minister. (A little too wordy)
- Gospel-inspired activity (generally referring to an individual rather than a group), with an emphasis on the attitude and approach brought to it. (Getting Warmer)
And my Favorite: “Service,” that is, the responsibility and work that God commits to believers in Christ, each according to the special capacity that God gives for instructing and helping others. Service for Christ is not to be done out of a desire to achieve merit or on the basis of a legalistic obligation. It is to be done out of love and gratitude to God for what he has done for us in Christ (Romans 12:1; John 21:15,16; II Corinthians 4:1-6).”
What is ministry in your church? How do you minister to others? How do you teach ministry to others? All these questions (and so many more……..) are constantly rattling in my head. Look at the graphics above and ask yourself which one best illustrates your personal Ministry. Hopefully we are not sleeping, yet when I look around I often times see the desperate need for a wakeup call in my life and the lives of those around me.
Well as has been said on one of the most watched TV shows of our century “WAKE UP, JEFF” (just wiggling). For real though it is time to do ministry right. Ministry is “Service” and my Lord defined service as ‘Sacrifice”. I want my motto to be that of David’s that I refuse to give my Lord that which cost me nothing <blue paraphrase>, and I seek to give Him my all because I cost Him everything. If the church no longer desires to be about the Father’s business then take down the dove (or your particular signage) and start selling other people’s stuff on EBay. Ladies and Gents this is not a drill and we don’t have any time to be playing around, the Harvest is ready and the Lord is seeking workers (not foreman) for the fields.
