Finding your purpose in ministry

Introduction: How many of you know what your purpose in ministry is? Nothing something you good at your purpose. Many of are good at many things but that doesn’t mean that that’s our purpose. If you know your purpose are you operating in it? On your job is it just a job or is there a purpose to what you do on your job. I found out several years ago as I sat at the kitchen table reading my daily devotional. God revealed to me that I had been called to preach. I was shocked, I was confused I really didn’t know what to do. Do I tell people? Do I wait on others to confirm it? Do I call my pastor, do I tell my wife....I had no idea. But the one thing that I did know was i now had direction and a purpose now and I was about to pursue it with everything that I had. I did tell my wife and I called my pastor he tole me that I had to get some schooling. Within a week I was enrolled in school and off it went. I wanted to be the best I could be, not for me but what God has trusted me with.

Paul walks us through our journey this week to not only help us find out what our purpose is but how to operate in it. We talked about last week getting our house in order now with that coming together it’s time to find the direction that this course is about to take.

Movement# The revelation vs. 1-2

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

In life we deal with prejudice, segregation, hurts, pains rage between people. There is rage in our hearts towards our wives, husbands, children family. We are divided in our homes, jobs, even in our churches.

With all that is going on Paul like many of us found his purpose!

He understood there would be a cost to bare for his selection. (Spiritual warfare was to begin).

Paul said he was a prisoner, not in our system but in God’s system. (He had been in jail 2 years yet he was still serving in his purpose which was to preach).

Remember often the calling requires you to suffer for the sake of others.

He has a responsibility to minister to God’s people.

Illustration: Paul realized there is a testimony that is attached to the persecution that he was going through. When you realize that God has a purpose for you, you can face anything that comes against you. His testimony was more powerful that anything because he used it to empower others. How many can take their roughest patches in life and encourage others?

Movement#2 The affects of the call. Vs.7-13

7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Paul embraced his call because he had accepted Christ.

The power of God became evident to him....he needed no persuasion Paul flew to it.

Paul like many of us don’t fill worthy of the call that we have on our lives and it becomes a burden. Paul instead embraced it.

Like many of us he knew he had made mistakes in his life but the touch of God was enough to transform him.

Paul’s message was simple, “No more divisions!” We are at the same table. We receive the same blessings.

But through salvation Paul became a servant, it was no more about him but the God he served. What a responsibility given to someone with a past.

The affects of the touch of God was there was no looking back....only the journey to the unknown.

Application: As Christians we are all called to serve, whether it is to preach, teach console our greatest glory is giving back to God.

Illustration:

Movement#3 Give God everything

13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

Don’t let your serving of God lead you to lose heart and give up what you have been called to do.

You gonna suffer in many ways because of the call just stay the course.

Don’t throw a pity party for my because I’m doing the work God called me to do.

The suffering that we are going through is not for us but for those around us.

What you are going through is for God’s glory.

Closing: