Views: 91

When you look at a functioning church, one thing you would immediately realize is that it functions just like a company, except that the church does not declare profit. It has people undertaking all kinds of activities: pastors, ushers, cleaners, cashiers, administrators, accountants and many more. All these contribute to the running of the church, and by extension the spreading of the gospel.

To quote what someone said recently,

“Any activity you engage in, 
which helps in spreading 
the Gospel of Jesus the Christ,
 is ministry.”

Bible itself makes this very clear.

READ 1 Corinthians 12:4-19

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 

(1 Corinthians 12:4-19 NKJV)

I have dwelt on dealing with the call of believers in the past few days. We dealt with “Who Are the Called?”, “What Is The Call?” and “The Call – The Power, urgency and Resources.” At this point, it is important to clarify issues about the nature of the call to different people.

Please consider the text above, and note the use of “diversities of gifts”, “differences of ministries”, and “diversities of activities”: and the statement that they are from the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God.

This is the summary of everything that followed in the test above. It is the diversities of gifts that make the church a functioning organization. Therefore, those who clean and arrange the church are as important before God as the one who finally delivers the sermon; the ushers are as important before God as the singers who minister to the congregation; the ones who faithfully count the church money are as important as those who give the money. All these people, contribute to the smooth running of the church.

In Luke 8:1-3, we are told that apart from the twelve disciples, there were some women who were with Jesus; and provided for them. That was their ministry.

There are many ways we can serve in the house of God. A good way to see if your service is acceptable to God is to pass it through what I will call the “Roman 12:1 test”. Roman 12:1 says,

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1 NKJV)

This is the test:

1. Are you offering your body as a living sacrifice?
2. Is the service you are rendering your reasonable service?

In other words, have you given yourself fully to God; and thus giving Him the best of you?

If you tick these boxes, then you are also fulfilling your ministry.

The nature of the call varies from person to person, but the standard of the call is the same: living sacrifice with reasonable service.

MEMORY VERSE

“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
(Romans 12:1)

QUESTIONS

• How are you helping spread the Gospel of Jesus the Christ?

• Is that your most reasonable service to God ?

PRAYER TIP

Merciful Father, please guide us in 
giving ourselves as living sacrifices 
to You; manifested in our reasonable 
service to You.

URGENT CALL

By nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God. We ultimately face the wrath of God!

But God in His mercy and love gives us a chance to reverse this trend, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.

The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved. 

Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.

It is a very personal decision. No one can make that decision for you.

If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God!

Do you want to make that decision today?

Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer” for 
guidance if you want to make that decision.

God richly bless you.

SPECIAL GRATITUDE

Thank you for visiting the Testimony Devotional Website. 

We would not have gotten here without your prayers, goodwill and overall support. We are grateful, and humbled.

We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.

God richly bless you.

The Testimony Devotional website addresses are: