Whose Church Is It?Sample

Ministry Belongs to the People

The term “ministry” today typically refers to a career pursuit of preaching, teaching, worship leading, and other duties of religious professionals. The verb “minister” most often applies to the efforts of a pastor, teacher, singer, or musician. The New Testament, while it includes all of these, shows a much richer meaning. 

Ministry is God’s love reaching people through 

the infinite variety of gifts He has given to His children.

He gives every one of us the ability to do something well and the responsibility to do it. The Apostle Paul addressed these gifts and duties in his letter to the Romans. Then, he emphasized these truths again to the church at Corinth in his discourse on spiritual gifts. He uses a form of the same word for “serving” and “serve” (diakoneo) in both instances. These words derive from the noun diakonos, for “attendant” or “servant.” 

Ministry is any service which brings God’s love to bear on human needs. Whenever you receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, you enter the ministry. The Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 is a good example. Jesus connects with her in conversation, diverts her efforts to argue religion, and identifies her specific needs. She begins to understand when she refers to the prophesied Messiah or Christ, and Jesus replies, “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:26) She left her water pot and rushed into town to tell everyone she could. Many people from the town came and believed in Christ because of the woman’s testimony, and many more believed after hearing Him for themselves. She had been a believer only minutes, but she started telling others about Jesus. The moment you become a Christian, you can begin in the ministry. 

Indeed, you can grow and develop in ministry, and you should, but you do not have to wait to get started. The church is on the right track when the pastor and the people understand that we are all priests, we all can be filled with the Holy Spirit, and we all have ministry. All authority belongs to Jesus, but the ministry belongs to the church.

You may be thinking, “I don’t have any skills,” but that is not the issue. What others may do or whether someone else might do a given task better, has no bearing on God’s call for you to serve Him. 

It is a cliché but still true: The first ability many tasks require is avail-ability. Are you willing?