Becoming effective ministers for Christ involves surrendering to God, relying on the Holy Spirit, living out our faith authentically, committing to prayer, utilizing our spiritual gifts, and building genuine relationships.
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Bible Speaks with your host, Elgin Carelock. The Bible Speaks is a daily podcast dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, rightly dividing the Word of truth and learning how to apply it to our daily lives.
[00:00:55] You may contact Elgin at the address given at the end of the broadcast, and now here's Elgin. Brothers and sisters, I welcome you in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus the Christ,
[00:01:09] to another edition of Words of Inspiration. Today I have a question. What does it mean to be a minister? When we look at the modern church, we think about ordinations and classes to become ordained,
[00:01:27] but is that what was originally intended? The term minister comes from the Greek word Dioconos, which means servant or attendant. This highlights that ministry is fundamentally about serving others. So today we're going to have a conversation titled
[00:01:51] We are all called to minister. Our spiritual inspiration comes from Hebrews chapter 6, verse 10 and reading from the complete Jewish Bible it reads, For God is not so unfair as to forget your work and to love you show for Him in your past service
[00:02:14] to His people and in your present service too. When you think about the disciples that we are most familiar with, only Paul had a background in the study of the Word and as the Pharisee.
[00:02:32] The others were chosen by Jesus because of uniqueness of their personalities or a divine calling only known to Jesus, but either way they went on to do great things for King the Expansion. Jesus expects us as believers to be ministers of the gospel. This expectation is detailed in
[00:02:55] several key scriptures in a new testament where Jesus and His apostles commission and encourage all followers of Christ to share good news and live out their faith in ways that draw others to God. So I'd like to share a few with you. Matthew 28 verses 18 through 20 reading from the
[00:03:18] new international version reads, then Jesus came to them and said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
[00:03:40] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I surely am with you always to the very end of the age. Second Corinthians 5 verses 18 through 20 reading from the new living
[00:03:57] translation reads, and all of this is a gift from God who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him for God was in Christ,
[00:04:16] reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ ambassadors. God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, come back to God. And finally, He fiends four
[00:04:43] verses 11 through 12 reading from the new international version reads, so Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip His people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up. Now before you start telling me
[00:05:07] what you are in our not, understand that every believer is called to share the gospel through their words and actions. This can be done in everyday conversations, community involvement and intentional
[00:05:21] outreach. You don't have to be in a pool pit or teaching a sunny school class to minister to others about the goodness of God. In my case, the way my wife led me to rededicating my life to Christ
[00:05:37] was to take advantage of the fact I have always been a person who liked to learn. The pastor where she attended church was a very well-educated intellectual that answered the call to lead God's people. While I knew I would resonate with His teaching style,
[00:05:56] but not from the pulpit first. She invited me to a Bible study because it was very informal and we could ask direct questions. One of the reasons I stopped going to church when I was younger
[00:06:10] is because no one would answer my questions and told me I was going to hell if I just simply didn't believe in the word. To make a long story short, the Bible study was great
[00:06:21] and she invited me to come to Sunday school because there were deacons and other teachers that I could go even deeper with. After a few months they asked me to teach a Sunday school class
[00:06:34] and I was petrified. I had never stood in front of anyone in a teaching capacity, but I trusted God and did it. And here I sit 26 years later as a teacher, podcaster, and public speaking minister for Christ. Even if you are shy, you can be an effective
[00:06:56] minister for Christ by utilizing your unique gifts and finding ways to share the gospel that align with your personality. Whether through writing, prayer, acts of service, hospitality or personal conversations, you can make a significant impact for the kingdom of God.
[00:07:18] Fileaman 1 verse 6 reading from the complete Jewish Bible reads, I pray that the fellowship based on your commitment will produce full understanding of every good thing that is ours in union with the Messiah. When you serve others by sharing the word,
[00:07:40] you may bring a deeper understanding that causes them to draw closer to Jesus and thereby reap a greater harvest in their lives in the lives of all they encounter. So brothers and sisters becoming an effective minister for Christ,
[00:07:56] involves surrendering to God, relying on the Holy Spirit, living out our faith authentically, committing to prayer, utilizing our spiritual gifts and building genuine relationships. When we allow God to use us, He works through our weaknesses and strengths to reach others with
[00:08:20] His love and truth. This partnership with God not only transforms the lives of those we minister to, but also deepens our own faith and dependence on Him. By embracing this calling, we fulfill our purpose and contribute to the advancement of God's kingdom on earth.
[00:08:42] I thank you for spending time with me on today and I look forward to our conversation on tomorrow until then, God bless. The Bible speaks is sponsored by C squared reality and new
[00:09:02] gen construction group to help spread the gospel to the corners of the earth. If anything you've heard, pour it into your life, please share it with someone. You can find the Bible speaks on Spotify,
[00:09:19] Amazon music, Deezer and many more. Follow us on YouTube at the Bible Speaks Online. You may contact Elgin at PO Box 5582, O'Chalafora 34478, or by email at thebiblespeaksonline at gmail.com