Where is my ministry opportunity?

Hello...

This week, I spoke with a brother in the Lord who complained of a "lack of opportunity" at his local congregation. He feels that God has called him to a particular calling, but feels discriminated against by his local Church leadership. I told him that I would pray for him. As I reflected on his words, I realized that I have met many "strong believers" that hold similar complaints. They feel a "high calling" from God to minister -- yet feel shut out by their local Church.

I explained to my friend that a "calling" from God to minister does not need the approval of a local Church board. You don't need to feel "called" to win the lost -- when you were already commissioned by God at the end of the Gospels.

Where can you minister?

Does your town have a jail or prison?
Does your town have a homeless shelter?
Does your town have a nursing home?
Does your town have a drug rehab?
Does your town have a hospital?
Does your town have a public park with a free speech zone?
Does your town have hurting people?
Does your town have homeless people?
Does your town have hungry people?
Do you have neighbors?
Do you have relatives?
Do you have coworkers?
Do you have classmates?
Do you know hurting strangers?
Have you ever told postman about the Lord?
Have you ever told your grocery cashier about God?
Have you ever told your teacher or professor about your relationship with God?
Have you ever told your policemen about Christ?
Have you ever written a letter to the editor of your local paper?
Have you ever posted a "poster-tract" in your laundry mat, college, or grocery bulletin board?

This list could go on and on.

There are many opportunities to minister. While they aren't all "official positions" -- they are just as important in the eyes of God. Who knows of the impact that just one such opportunity can have? A few years ago, I led a young man to the Lord. He, in turn, led a friend to the Lord. His friend led his girlfriend to the Lord. His girlfriend led her friends to the Lord. This spiritual progression continues to this day as she moved to college. Only God knows about the effect that a true convert will have on the lives of others.

God help us to stop complaining about our "ministries" -- and start spending time and effort in ministering to the hurting and needful people in our own towns! They are our responsibilities! God obviously has entrusted this responsibility and investment to us. Will we show a return on this investment?

:-)

Praise God for your honesty and wisdom into this..."Serve God where you are!" Why should He give us bigger things if we arenot faithful in the little things that He gives us? Why should He give us a land flowing with milk and honey if we murmur and complain in the wilderness?
Thanks again for your post brother...I'm not saying anything to offend anybody; however, His children must put their trust in the Father, keeping their eyes on Jesus, and not coveting the ministries of others which is sin! Let us be faithful where God puts us, as Joseph was in prison, etc....Father knows best...His thoughts and ways are above ours...Oh, the sin of unbelief!!! If we bless and encourage those who are already in the ministries we would like to be in one day, then maybe we could learn something. I've met so many religious folk that have the head-knowledge, but substantially lack the "heart-knowledge"...Let us wash each other's feet...many verses in the Scriptures where it says someting like, "it is better to be humbled and exhalted by another, than to exhalt yourself and be humbled in the midst of the congregation."
I love the King James version of Philippians 2:3-8: "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [b]But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,[/b] and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." With the early church having an attitude like that, no wonder God blessed them and they went out doing great things for the kingdom of God! Believers must flee carnality...how deceitful to think one is ready for a big ministry when they are not even faithful to prayer or small groups...Just my 2 cents brother...Your post just baited me due to many memories of seeing similiar problems I guess.
God bless you,
I enjoy your posts whenever I come across them...always feel blessed,
richie

I explained to my friend that a "calling" from God to minister does not need the approval of a local Church board. You don't need to feel "called" to win the lost -- when you were already commissioned by God at the end of the Gospels.

Indeed, ministry chances are everywhere, if one would simply lift up their eyes to the hills and see. I think this is where many in the Church are lacking revelation considering the headship of Jesus Christ. Because many don't understand that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church, they sit around and wait for those over them in the Lord to give them some official time in some official program to do some official ministry. Unless somebody gives them a swift kick in the pants and says "do this" then they won't go and do anything. We really need a revelation of Christ in this regard: as head of the Church.

The root cause is as usual the dual problem of ignorance coupled with false teaching on this topic. What is a minister? What is ministry, anyway? It was never meant to be a term that led to people being taken advantage of, or fleeced financially. It simply denotes an attitude of heart, thst provokes one to action that is pleasing to GOD. This accomplished by doing a good old-fashioned term that has become anathema to us modern "religious church folk",
S-E-R-V-I-C-E.

Luke 22:24-27
24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

Philippians 2:1-8

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

An encouraging word brother. :-)

A few years ago, I led a young man to the Lord. He, in turn, led a friend to the Lord. His friend led his girlfriend to the Lord. His girlfriend led her friends to the Lord. This spiritual progression continues to this day as she moved to college. Only God knows about the effect that a true convert will have on the lives of others.

Reading this reminded me so much of this powerfull little testimony...

Just One Person: George Street

[b]Description:[/b] What can "just one person" do? Listen to this incredible true story of how God worked in a little place called George Street... (Worth the listen—only 9 minutes.)

'Our children too shall serve him, for they shall hear from us about the wonders of the Lord; generations yet unborn shall hear of all the miracles he did for us.' Psalm 22:30-31(Living Bible)

EDIT: Sunday, March 25, 2007

***Please Read***

I was just over at the website for Living Waters and they had a notice that they had taken down this message due to being made aware of factual errors it contained. So then [b]I would strongly urge those who may want to listen to it to keep that in mind[/b]. Unfortunately I do not know what the errors may be but I wanted to inform you all of that. As much as I have appreciated the testimony, if I knew it contained errors I would not have recommended it to you. I appologise.

I had first heard this testimony from their website. Since I do not know what the errors may be, I have also removed the url link from this post and have only left the title to maintain the integrity/history of the thread.

Sincerely,

Christopher Joel Dandrow

Awesome!!!
my dad has preached the Gospel for over 40 years now. and growing up we traveled the country having tent revivals and open air meetings all over the place!

when my dad first began preaching he was praying and he tells the story this way...

"I felt called of God to preach. I had a passion for the lost to hear the Good news of the Gospel, but had no churches to preach in. So one day I went behind the old barn by the house and knelt down on a make-shift altar from a bale of hay and told God that I wanted to obey him and preach but had no where to preach. then God spoke to my spirit and said; everyday you walk by the general store, the county Jail, the courthouse....and God told me to preach the Gospel to everyone, everywhere not just to church folk who came to church each week."

that's the way my dad told the story. I was not born yet when that took place but as a child I saw the effects of that day. my dad ministered on skid row for years. he preached in missions, on the streets, in city parks, and many years in tent revivals across the country as well. He has an old black Bible that his mother bought him when he first got saved and it is stained with blood where a man punched him in the mouth for preaching on the streets of Pittsburg, Pa. and he tells of the time he was preaching in Chicago to whinos' in a mission and a man who had been a successful business man and family man had lost everything and ended up drunk and on the streets. he got saved and worked with my dad after being saved for a year or so. then years later they met again and he had his family back and was pastoring a very successful church in Illinois.
there are, of course, many other stories he tells....God is Awesome, isn't he?
but first...he had to obey the call of God to preach the Gospel to every creature.

he always made a point to work with local churches while traveling as well so that when people recieved the Lord they would be directed to a home church to be taught and discipled in the things of God!

I've known evangelist who spend a lifetime going from church to church and preach to the same group of people year after year and I always find myself thinking that the New-Testament preachers took thier message to the world not only the church....it seems that is where the Gospel needs to be preached....to them who are lost. I know there is a work in the church for teaching, preaching, and exortation....but let us not think that all the preaching in the church will ever take the place of preaching the Gospel to the lost....on there turf.
"Take it to the streets!"