Monday, October 8, 2007

A Place To Serve

Remember the first time you jumped off a diving board? How scared you were. How nervous. Am I going to like this? Will it be fun? You stood on the end and wondered if you would die if you took the plunge. But eventually if you were like me you jumped in and it was awesome. You spent the rest of the day, just jumping in.

You know what?
I believe ministering in the church for the first time, is kind of like that first diving board experience. Until you jump in and serve, you just don’t know how great it can be. You don’t know if you will like it. You don’t know if it is really safe. You hope it is fun and enjoyable but it might be miserable, but you never really know till you jump in.

- You were created for ministry:
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. NIV

- You were saved for ministry:
2 Tim 1:9
It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began…TLB

- You were chosen for ministry:
1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. NIV

- You were gifted for ministry
1 Peter 4:10
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. NIV

- You were commanded to minister
Matthew 20:26-28
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." NIV

- The purpose of church is to prepare you for ministry
Ephesians 4:11-12
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up NIV

I just wanted to share these thoughts with you. You all are awesome!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am working on jumping in. I really am.

Anonymous said...

So true Kev...It is funny how once we brave it out and do it we want to continue to serve more and continue to stretch ourselves because we find out our potential and that we really make a difference!

Anonymous said...

try!!

Anonymous said...

Good words, Kevin! What really gripped my heart today was the verse that says, "for the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve". What an incredible example Jesus is for us! My prayer is that we become true servants for His glory!!