MAKING A CONTRIBUTION

You were made to make a contribution, not just to consume! 

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

God made you to make a difference.  And what matters is not how long you live, but how you live. What matters is not the duration of your life, but what you do with the life you have. We’re all meant to give something back.  We’re all meant to make a contribution.  The Bible says we’re created to serve.

Now the Bible has a word for this, it’s called “MINISTRY”.  This is a misunderstood word.  When I say the word “minister” most people think of priest or pastor.  But the Bible says every believer is a minister.  Now, not every believer is a pastor, but every believer is a minister.  Ministry simply means using my gifts, abilities, personality, to help someone else in the name of God.  Any time you use your talents, your abilities, your background, your experiences to help someone else, you know what that’s called?  Ministering.  And you know what you are?  You’re a minister. 

In the Bible the word “service” and “ministry” are the same word.    So all of us are called to ministry.  So you say “I’m not called to ministry”.  Oh yes you are!  If you are called to salvation, you are called to serve. Any time you use your talent to help someone else, you are ministering.  You are serving.   

Now the good news is that God not only created us for service, He gave us a model in Jesus. You were created to be like Jesus Christ, and what did Christ do while He was here on earth?  He served.  Notice this next verse. Jesus said, "Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28 (TLB)

Note the following, because it is very important.  Your ministry is determined by who you are in your gifts, heart, ability, personality and experiences.  You want to know what God wants you to do with your life?  Look at your heart, abilities, personality, experiences and spiritual gifts.

One day Napoleon pointed at a map of China and he said, “There lies a sleeping giant.  If it ever wakes up it will shake the world.” I can’t tell you the number of times I have looked out over the church and said “There is a sleeping giant.  If everyone who attended Church, served; what kind of enormous spiritual explosion, would take over our church and community?”

Serving God is far more important than your career, it’s far more important than your hobbies, it’s even more important than everything else you can think of because they aren’t going to last. However, your service to God will last eternally.  You were put here on earth to practice serving.

Read: John 13:1-9 & Matthew 20:25-28

WALK IN THE SPIRIT

To walk in the Spirit is a growth experience.

The early church leaders depended upon the Holy Spirit to lead and direct them. This can and should be the same experience for all mature Christians. Jesus had foretold that when He returned to heaven; He would send the Holy Spirit in order to guide us and help us to understand the present and future.

The normal Christian life is a life that is led by the Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:14 & Galatians 5:18).  He is to be as an inner compass, directing us in the way of Jesus!  He is the Spirit of truth and as such He becomes a reliable and trustworthy guide.

All of life is a journey.  In the Christian journey we are not left to our own.  We are given a helper and counsellor.  The Holy Spirit will lead us, show us and teach all that is needed for our journey.  In essence, the Christian is to “walk in the Spirit”.  Galatians 5:25 (NKJV) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

How then do we walk in the Spirit?

1.  Be constantly yielded to the Holy Spirit.  Just as our cell phones need to be turned on in order to receive communication; we too need to be on so to speak, in order to receive the prompts from the Holy Spirit.  It may be something we are to say or it may be something we are to do.  Our minds need to be open to hear and we then must follow through obediently.

The Holy Spirit often communicates to our heart with a word of conviction or assurance.  When He’s moving us away from harm we often experience a heaviness, anxiety, apprehension or uneasiness in our spirits.  When He’s moving us towards blessing, we often experience a deep inner peace, an eagerness to what God will do or just delight.

2.  Follow the Spirit’s leading.  We are more likely to hear the Spirit if we are listening for Him.  We are more likely to see the Spirit’s direction if we are looking for it.  After we have heard or seen; we must believe and follow through by acting upon what we have received.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.  He is our helper.  Trust Him and the more you do; the more you will.  It’s a growing relationship.

Read: John 16:5-15 & Acts 2:1-4

KNOWING GOD

You’ll find what you are looking for when you come to know God.

God has placed deep within the human heart a longing to know Him.  We may not be aware of it or even acknowledge it but it is there.  It may manifest itself as feelings of dissatisfaction, dejection, isolation or unfulfillment.  A famous quote from Augustine the early Christian theologian and philosopher said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."

When we come to really know Him; any empty feelings in life will be filled. God is what we need because He made us that way.

In order to really know God:

1.  Come to Him as you are.  Without pretence or keeping anything back confess your sins and accept your need of the Saviour Jesus Christ.  This is the beginning of a most wonderful journey you could take.

2.  Understand your need of dependence upon Him.  Countless examples from scripture tell of people whose only hope was to trust in the Lord for help and deliverance from their dilemmas.  We must trust Him for every thing in life and for the life to come!

3.  Make God’s business your business.  Do whatever it takes to understand the things that concern God and make those things your concern.

4.  Grasp His Word.  Read the Bible.  Study the Bible. Meditate on it.  Practice it.  Depend on the Holy Spirit to teach you.  John 14:26 (NKJV) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

5.  Follow Jesus.  Look to Him and follow His example and leading in your life.  Give Him full control over all you are, everything you have and in all you do.

Ephesians 3:16-18 (NLT) I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.