Sunday Leftovers (5/6/07)

Numerous factors in the culture of the church have led too many churches and too many people to believe and practice a theology that places the work of ministry on the shoulders of trained professionals and absolves untrained servants of ministry responsibilities. Yet the New Testament has a different view of ministry.

Ministry is the work of every believer.

That statement is supported by passages teaching about the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are given to every believer (e.g., Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4:7-13). And it is either directly stated or strongly implied throughout the rest of the Epistles.

For instance, when the NT writers use the term "brothers," they are affirming that what follows is for every believer in Christ, not merely the trained pastors. So when Paul urges his Thessalonian brethren to "admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone" (5:14) his words obviously are addressed to pastors. And they are also addressed to everyone else who is a believer in Christ — his brothers.

Ministry is the joyful and privileged work of every believer.

Kent Hughes points out a couple of truths related to God's use of "ordinary" people to accomplish His divine purposes:

"[God] can use a very small thing if it is committed to him. It has been said: 'God must delight in using ordinary people with ordinary gifts because he made so many of us!'"

"God chooses to use ordinary people to serve him! He chooses them so there will be no mistake where the power comes from and so human boasting will be excluded."

So be encouraged that God not only can use you in the work of ministry — but He has actually even designed you for His ministry.