0846 Answer the Call - Saved People, Serve People

SAVED PEOPLE, SERVE PEOPLE

Kathryn Kuhlman - 1907 Kathryn was born At 14 she met God in the church. At 17 she started travel with her sister to preach. She married the mister. First - tumor, second WWI veteran legally blind.

Gods calling is irrevocable (Rom.11:29) but we are expendable. (Esau, Esther, Judas, one talent)

“Your calling is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God.”

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” Ephesians 4:11-12

I. “I AM SAINT”

Many reject their calling to ministry because they have not accepted their calling as a saint. You can’t do a ministry if you don’t anchored your identity! I am NOT a saint because:

1. Traditional teaching. (Humility is thinking less instead of thinking less)

2. Past mistakes. (4 women in Matthew 1, “every saint has a past, every sinner has a future!”)

3. Labels of people. (Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Benjamin, Peter.)

4. Current temptations. (Being tempted with sin is not the same as falling in sin. Jesus was tempted to worship the devil.)

II. “I AM A MINISTER”

Minister is not preacher. Ministry is not a ladder you climb, it’s people you serve.

“Things don’t have to change the world to be important” - Steve Jobs “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

Why saints don’t minister?

1. Ministry is pastors job. Pastor to equip, saints to minister. Pastor only ministers in 85% of churches. Vision is my voice but structure is my hand. “Church will shrink to the size of care we deliver.” “98% of pastoral care is having someone who cares.” “Our goal is not to create a church where everybody knows everybody but where everybody is known”

2. Ministry burned me out. Motive determine motivation. Results, people, demons. Motive is to please God.

3. Ministry is hard. Ministry made your mind or your mind makes your ministry. Disciples got beaten - rejoiced…Example: Lana - it’s privilege or pressure. Story: Church by rail tracks vs Oskar Schindler (1200 saved; 8,5k left; Died 1974. Youngest 2013)

“You are either missionary or mission field”

Invite. Be in a group. Serve. Give.