Discovering my ministry - S.H.A.P.E

Discovering my ministry

S.H.A.P.E

Introduction:

Our Purpose statement

To bring people to Jesus and membership in his family, develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church and life mission in the world, in order to magnify God’s name.

Our five purposes

o Magnify: We celebrate God’s presence in worship (temple courts)

o Maturity: We educate God’s people through discipleship

o Membership: We incorporate God’s family into our fellowship

o Mission: We communicate God’s Word through evangelism

o Ministry: We demonstrate God’s love through service

Acts 2:42–47 NIV

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

· My personal motto

o Love God

o Love Others

o Love to serve

· Purpose of the class

o So, I can discover my S.H.A.P.E.

Ephesians 4:11–12 NCV

11 And Christ gave gifts to people—he made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to have the work of caring for and teaching God’s people. 12 Christ gave those gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.

· Let us get a grasp on some terms

What is ministry?

a. The Greek word for ministry is the word "diakonos".

i. The word means deacon

ii. What’s a deacon?

iii. All can be deacons

b. "Ministry is using whatever God has given me to serve him and the needs of others."

2. There are three types of ministry

First we minister to the Lord

i. We do it through worship

ii. We're using what God has given us to serve Him

We minister to other believers

i. Acts 2:45

ii. It’s the principle

We also minister to unbelievers

Matthew 5:13 NLT

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

Matthew 5:14 NLT

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

What's the purpose of ministry?

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 NCV

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve. 6 And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do.

1 Corinthians 12:7 The Living Bible

7 The Holy Spirit displays God’s power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church.

c. The purpose of ministry is the building of the church. We are to help each other.

d. Don’t sit and soak

4. Why should I be interested in discovering my ministry?

I've been created for ministry.

Ephesians 2:10 NIV84

10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I've been saved for ministry.

2 Timothy 1:9 The Living Bible

9 It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began—to show his love and kindness to us through Christ.

ii. A non‑ serving Christian is a contradiction

I've been called into ministry.

Galatians 1:15 GNB

15 But God in his grace chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve him. And when he decided

Ephesians 4:1 NIV

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

iii. How many ministries do we have at Grace? – everybody!

I've been gifted for ministry

1 Peter 4:10 The Living Bible

10 God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.

I've been authorized for ministry

i. Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples."

2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

I'm commanded to minister.

Philippians 2:5 NLT

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Mark 10:45 NIV

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I'm to be prepared for ministry.

i. Ephesians 4:11-12 "God gave pastors and teachers to prepare God's people for works of ministry so that the Body of Christ may be built up."

ii. Scary verse for any pastor

The body of Christ needs my ministry.

1 Corinthians 12:27 LEB

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members of it individually,

I am accountable for ministry.

Romans 14:12 The Living Bible

12 Yes, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

ii. The parable of the talents.

I will be rewarded for ministry.

Colossians 3:23–24 NIV

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Matthew 25:23 NIV

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

iii. Serving leads to a happy life.

iv.

The procedure for discovering my ministry is in Romans 12:1-8

Step 1. I dedicate my body

Romans 12:1 NIV

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

ii. It’s why you are here.

iii. To be that living sacrifice

iv. You said, "Jesus Christ, I want to serve You.

Step 2. You eliminate competing distractions.

i. There are lots of distractions

ii. Many of these will keep from serving in a ministry

Romans 12:2 NIV

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

iv. After the act of dedication, comes the act of elimination.

v. In our modern world, we have lots of options

vi. If you put in the important things in life you're going to have to take something out that is less important.

Step 3. Evaluate my strengths.

Romans 12:3 (Phillips translation) "Don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith God has given to you."

ii. We must be honest with ourselves

iii. Everyone of us are a great mixture of some strengths and weaknesses.

iv. You have some things that you're very good at.

v. You have some things that you're lousy at.

vi. Humility is not denying your strengths.

vii. Humility is being honest about your weaknesses.

viii. It's OK to say, "I'm good with my hands."

ix. Some of you are good with people.

x. Some are not.

xi. God has made us different to fit us all together in the body of Christ

xii. We will evaluate your strengths.

Step 4. I cooperate with other believers.

Romans 12:4–5 GW

4 Our bodies have many parts, but these parts don’t all do the same thing. 5 In the same way, even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other.

ii. Make sense?

iii. There are four things these verses teach:

Every member is a minister in Christ's body.

Every member has a different function.

Every member's ministry is important.

Every member belongs to all the others.

1 Corinthians 12:21–23 NCV

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you!” 22 No! Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are really necessary. 23 And the parts of the body we think are less deserving are the parts to which we give the most honor. We give special respect to the parts we want to hide.

Step 5. I activate my gifts.

Romans 12:6–8 GW

6 God in his kindness gave each of us different gifts. If your gift is speaking God’s word, make sure what you say agrees with the Christian faith. 7 If your gift is serving, then devote yourself to serving. If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. 8 If it is encouraging others, devote yourself to giving encouragement. If it is sharing, be generous. If it is leadership, lead enthusiastically. If it is helping people in need, help them cheerfully.

ii. We will do this the next few weeks

My s.h.a.p.e. will determine my ministry.

What is my shape.

S - SPIRITUAL GIFTS

1 Corinthians 7:7 "Each man has his own gift from God, one has this gift, another has that."

i. So the first question we're going to look at is "What am I gifted to do?"

H – HEART

Revelation 17:17 "God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose."

Philippians 2:13 NLT

13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

iii. The question you want to ask here is, "What do I love to do?"

iv. Isn't it true there are some things you love to do and there's just some things you hate to do?

v. Where did you get that natural inclination?

1. God put it in you.

vi. So, it's a legitimate question to ask yourself, "What do I love to do?"

1. Why would God give you a ministry that He hasn't given you a heart for?

2. If you don’t have the heart for it…

A – ABILITIES

i. Natural talents, vocational skills.

ii. They're different from spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:6 GNB

6 There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service.

Exodus 35:35 (NCV) — 35 The Lord has given them the skill to do all kinds of work.

v. The third question to ask yourself is, What natural talent and skills do I have?

vi. Me I like technology

P – PERSONALITY

i. We're all very different.

ii. We've all got different personalities, different blends of temperament.

1 Corinthians 2:11 "No one can really know what anyone else is thinking or what he is really like, except that person himself."

iv. You know you. I may think I know you

v. Where does my personality best suit me to serve?

vi. Introverted? Don’t be a greeter

vii. When you have an area that you may be gifted to do and a heart to do, but you don't have personality to do, it puts enormous stress on your life.

E – EXPERIENCES

i. Your experiences help determine the direction you should be involved in ministry

1. What spiritual experiences have I had?

a. This means times with the Lord.

b. Things that bring you closer to the Lord

2. What painful experiences have I had?

a. Many people overlook this but it's very, very important.

b. Your painful experiences often determine your ministry.

c. "Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways." Proverbs 20:30.

2 Corinthians 1:4 "God helps us in our troubles, so we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God."

e. God often allows you to go through a painful experience and then heals you and comforts you in that experience so that He will give you the ministry of helping other people in that very same thing

f. God never wastes a painful experience.

g. Even the painful experiences we bring on ourselves through dumb decisions and mistakes God wants to use in ministry.

What educational experiences have I had?

Proverbs 4:13 "Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life; guard it well."

b. Maybe you have learned a skill

What ministry experiences have I had?

a. Maybe a lot maybe none

2 Corinthians 9:13 "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel."