A Relationship with God
July 6, 2024Principles of Doctrines – Judgements
July 6, 2024
One day on the streets of Europe I met a young man hanging out with his friends.
When he finally listened to what I was saying to him he looked surprised at the simplicity of the Gospel when he finally realized what I was saying. He read the tract that I gave him and he looked at me and said with surprise. “I already know this.” I smiled at him and said… “Did you know that you are supposed to do something when you learned this? Like if I were to hand you 50 euro cash right now you would have to reach out and take it. What God did for you was a free gift but you have to accept it.”
He looked at me for a second with surprise and then looked back at the tract again and said in genuine surprise. “Everyone knows this… but no one knows this.”
You see when the Gospel becomes common in the world and people see it as just another religion it takes someone bringing the reality and simplicity of the Gospel to people in a personal way to get through the wall that people put up when you talk to them about what they consider to be just another religion.
That is when it takes God sending people like you and me – Believers bringing relationship with a living loving God into those conversations and it confounds them, and confuses them because they are often expecting a list of rules, condemnation or conditions to Salvation.
When you show up and talk about a real relationship with God, about hearing the voice of God in a real and personal way – because we have a personal God – He cares about every person – It confuses them – and it helps break down those walls that people often put up when you even mention anything about God.
For me it is the most amazing part of being a Christian, and that is going out with others and talking to people about the reality of Jesus and how He can change their lives. The first obstacle I always faced when going out to the streets was convincing other believers to go out with me. Not for my sake, or for the company, but for their sake to realize that it is easy to be a minister of the Gospel to everyone that God puts in their path. Every Christian has this ministry, and once you do it – it is addictive. When you step out to tell someone about Christ and you see their face light up as the truth of the Gospel sinks in and they make Jesus their Lord and Saviour, it is like a drug. They feel great and you feel great, cause God is great – and you helped facilitate them getting to know Him
Unfortunately the people called to go out into the highways and the byways, don’t always know that they are called to go out and do the work of the ministry. I am not talking about any place in particular but often times they think that the leaders of the church should be the ones that are solely responsible to go out and do the work of the ministry. Or better yet, just pray that people will be somehow drawn in to go to church where they are so that they don’t even have to invite people to come.
You have a ministry. I know I may be preaching to the choir, you are at this great church with great ministry and teaching all the time – but this is the mindset of a lot of Christians in the world.
The Ministry of the Believer
Eph 4:12 KJV – For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:12 AMPLIFIED His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),
The job as a minister of the Gospel is to equip others – Believers – to reach even more people.
The majority of the everyday Christians you meet don’t realize that each and every one of them has a mission and calling that apply to all of them.
I don’t know about you but in the past I was taught and told that it’s okay to leave the work to the few in leadership or the few that feel like they are called into fulltime ministry to do the work.
That seems to be what the scripture leading up to that verse says right?
Eph 4:11 KJV And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 KJV – For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The bible says that there are offices in the New Testament church that defines the role of the leadership in the church. Few people in the modern church realize that just being a Christian is a mission and a calling in of itself. – You got saved – Great! Now here is the next step… There is more to the Christian life than just salvation.
These ministry gifts (Eph 4:11) are to equip the saints, and then the saints are to do the work of the ministry. The Amplified Bible translates this verse as “His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church).”
It is a mistake to place the burden of ministry solely on what we call “the clergy.” Ministers are to minister the Word to the saints, but the saints are to go out and reach the lost and carry the bulk of the ministry within the church. / Hands up if you’re a Saint.
Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are simply leaders who equip saints so that they can be successful in the ministries God has given them.
We need to be perfected, we need to be trained to the work of the ministry.
The Greek word that was translated “perfecting” here is “KAT-AR-TIS-MOS,” and it means “a fitting or preparing fully” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). It does not denote the absence of all flaws but rather means that we as Saints, as Believers need Another definition of perfecting is – ( complete furnishing, equipping ) That is what this word perfecting means.
Your role as a believer…
Getting saved is just the beginning. You see when God gave us the free gift of Salvation; He gave us more than just a get out of hell free card. He gave us numerous other gifts that came with the package – like Righteousness, Healing, Peace, Joy and so much more. It is a good enough deal that you would want to tell others about it… And Jesus asked us to go and do this as our mission as believers that follow Him.
Let me show you what I saw a long time ago that got me out of that mindset of just leaving it to a few, or expecting leadership alone to do it, or expecting sinners to come to church on their own.
Let me ask you a few questions just to see if you know the answers…
Did you know that at one point before Jesus even went to the cross that he sent out his followers to go town to town in the region and preach, teach, heal the sick and cast out devils?
How many disciples did Jesus have? It is not a trick question.
Jesus had 12 that he called his disciples and that he closely taught and spent time with more than others.
Jesus had followers also…
How many followers did Jesus have?
If we put the number to the amount of people that actually did what he asked in meeting together in the upper room on the day of Pentecost we can see the number of people was about 120.
Jesus sent out his disciples to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. We all seem to know that verse of scripture when it comes to thinking about who is supposed to do the work of the ministry, the disciples right?
Matthew 10:1
King James Version (KJV)
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Luke 9:1-2
King James Version (KJV)
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Your possibly thinking, that is great and all but that was the disciples of Christ, we tend to think they were special and set apart and different from the average believer even in those days… Well let us look at…
Luke 10:1-2
King James Version (KJV)
1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
Jumping down to verse 9 –
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
You have a ministry as a believer. Wherever you are you bring the light of God with you. The same message that the disciples and the followers of Jesus took to the people in their day before He even went to the cross, is available for you to bring to the people where you are in your every day lives.
When He sent them out they didn’t have one other item that we have today. Salvation. They went out preaching the Kingdom of God, Healing, and casting out devils. We get to do that and tell people about the free gift of Salvation.
Matt 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matt 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
After the cross – Jesus left them with what is called the Great Commission…
Matt 11:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Matt 11:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Matt 11:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Matt 11:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Matt 11:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Matt 11:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
One of the outworking’s of your ministry that you have been called to do is telling others about Christ, praying for the sick, casting out demons. But there is another aspect to the ministry of every believer.
The body of Christ – ministry in the church. Let us look at that scripture in Ephesians one more time.
Eph 4:12 KJV – For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:12 AMPLIFIED His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),
Eph 4:12 has another aspect to it that believers need to do as part of their ministry as well.
Ministering to one another.
The bible talks about Christians needing fellowship, encouragement, prayer and support from their fellow believers.
The Bible describes the believers in Rome as being “one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5).
It describes every Christian in Corinth as being essentially connected to each other—“the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body…the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’” (1 Corinthians 12:14-15, 21).
We know that in the Church at Antioch the believers in that church were the very first to be called Christians. They had such a mix of people, classes, races, rich and poor, Jew and Greek, Romans and others that went to the church that the city came up with the name to be derogatory towards them… cause they could not think of anything else to call this body of believers – cause they all worked, prayed, acted as one body.
Almost 250 times in the New Testament Christians are called “brother,” “sister,” or “brethren.” These Christians were from different cultures, backgrounds, and races. In a single church fellowship there would be men and women; poor and rich; slaves and masters; Jews, Greeks, and Romans. Yet they were “brothers,” “sisters,” and “brethren.”
It didn’t matter what their status was in this world because they were related to each other in Jesus Christ: “you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28).
Christians associate with and are committed to each other simply because they are Christians! That’s what Christians do because that’s who they are—a body and a family.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Proverbs 27:17
King James Version (KJV)
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
As much as we need to go out and win the lost, we also need to come in and win each other. We need fellow believers for the support and the family and the genuine love that comes from being a fellow believer. In a lost and dying world we need the fellowship and support and encouragement so that we can go back out there and touch others and impact lives and become effectual ministers of the Gospel wherever we go.
