Again, the opinion today is that after one goes to college
and seminary, he is ordained and becomes a minister. Wrong! Our text
tells us how we become a minister: made . . . according to the gift of the
grace of God (Eph. 3:7). Whether
a preacher or laymen, whether in a pulpit or in a pew, we all are
ministers by God’s grace. How marvelous! Once again this glorious theme is in
view. Not only does grace save us, but it also makes us servants.
As we have seen, we certainly do not deserve salvation. But now we discover
that neither do we deserve to serve God. It is His grace, His unmerited favor
that enables us to serve Him, that makes us “able ministers” (II Cor. 3:6).
Service is a gift, a privilege we do not deserve. To serve the Lord brings a joy
we could never know otherwise. While we might enjoy our job and get a certain
satisfaction from our accomplishments, we wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much if
we didn't get a paycheck, right? But not so with service to God. Just the
privilege of serving a holy God is “payment” enough.
There is a mistaken idea today that it is our talents and
abilities that qualify us to minister. Many think that just because they can
speak well, teach, or sing, then that is what qualifies them to serve
the Lord. But that is a humanistic attitude based in self. On the contrary,
people who possess no “visible talents” are just as valuable to God as anyone
else. Why? Because it’s God’s grace that makes us ministers, not natural
abilities. If someone wants to serve God, God will give them the way to do so.
It is the gift of His grace.
May we say again, it is a privilege to serve the Lord. Many
Christians treat service as a chore, as a burden to be borne. Oh, but how
marvelous it is to know that God allows us to serve, to serve the living and
true God of the universe!
As I shared when this series began about a year and a half
ago, these expositions are based are based on my preaching through Ephesians on
consecutive Sunday mornings. After preaching the present message, I received a
note from a dear lady in our church who does many small office tasks for me in
her home that are a tremendous help to my ministry Referring to those tasks
the note read: “I trust you know it truly is a labor of love for my precious
Lord and my dear pastor. As you mentioned this morning, it is a privilege
to be a servant. It is a real blessing to me to know He is using me to help
further your ministry for Him, even though it seems to me my help is small and
insignificant. Of course, I realize it is by God’s grace that I have the desire
and that He has made me able. I praise Him for that.”
What pastor wouldn't appreciate a note like that? Yes, many
things we do might seem insignificant. In the grand scheme of the universe,
what possible significance can cutting the church lawn be? The significance is
that it is service to God. As Paul wrote the Corinthians, “Whether therefore ye
eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31).
Why? Because when you do something only for God’s glory, that is
service, that is true ministry.
To emphasize true ministry, we have “sign up sheets” at our
church for certain jobs that need to be done, such as lawn work, cleaning the
building, and so forth. Instead of lines for signing names, however, the sheet
has little tabs on the bottom that can be torn off and used as a reminder. This
helps to keep the whole thing anonymous.
After preaching this message, another of the ladies in our
church came up to me and said, “You know, Pastor, it really is a joy to serve
the Lord. As I was dusting the window sills the other day and just puttering
around, I found myself smiling as I realized that even this little thing was
service.”
I encourage you to serve the Lord in whatever manner He
empowers you to.
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