Ephesians 4

“And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.  Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.” Ephesians 4:11-14 (HCSB)

God desires that we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of His Son, Jesus.  His will is that we would each grow into mature believers with a stature that would measure up to the fullness of the Messiah.  In short, it is time for us to move beyond being consumers of ministry and begin contributing to it.

When you heard the gospel (those who have heard and believed it), you probably learned that God has a wonderful plan for your life.  That is true.  A while back, Rick Warren sold a few books aimed at helping people discover their “purpose” in life.

God’s desire for every individual is that they enter into a saving relationship with Him.  Beyond that, He desires that each of us grow in faithful maturity.  To aid us in that endeavor, He has gifted us with the Holy Spirit, Who teaches us and reveals the truth of God’s Word and “impels” us with the desire from within to obey it.

When we choose Him, He chooses and gifts us individually to serve His “body,” the greater body of the Messiah.  Some believers He endows with the ability to start ministries.  Others may prophesy, evangelize, pastor, or teach.  The list continues…

So, in which way has He called you to minister?  No matter what your occupation is, your preoccupation should be to draw nearer to God and to be used to draw others near to Him.

We read the Bible with the intent to know and obey the Lord.  In doing so, we seek to become more faithful and mature.  And we understand that while there are many opinions and “versions” of the gospel, there is only one TRUE gospel.  Therefore, pray that the Lord would reveal His truth to you so that you could not only expose the lies within false teaching, but you would also lead others in the way of truth.