Everybody is Called to Something
When we hear the phrase “ministry” we often think of those who hold positions as part of a church or ministry staff. The truth of the matter, however, is that a believer in a secular position is as much in the ministry as any member of a church or ministry staff. Regardless of one’s vocation, everybody is called to do something for God and that “something” is called “ministry.”
First and foremost, all of us are called to the ministry of reconciliation and that type of ministry can be done anywhere at any time – the grocery store, work, school, the list goes on and on. The moment we are born again, we are qualified and called of God to tell others that they have been reconciled unto God through Jesus. We don’t have to go to Bible School to learn how to tell someone the good news that God loves them and that He made a way to bring them back into fellowship with Him.
Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (AMP), “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor). So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].”
Secondly, once we’re born again, God’s plan is to set us in a local church where all of us are called to serve as a functioning part of the local church body. 1 Corinthians 12:18-27 tells us that: “…God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” Just as the Church (the Body of Christ) is made up of many members, so is the local church. And like the Body of Christ, every member of the local church is set there by God and needs to fulfill his or her specific role or the body won’t function properly. Consider your own physical body; if you have ever dislocated a joint or had something get out of alignment in your back or neck, you probably found it difficult to function. The same is true w ith the local church body. When we’re not fulfilling our specific roles, we’re like the joint or the vertebrae that gets out of place, and we make it difficult for the body to function as it should.
What is our specific function in the local church body? We find the answer to this as we continue in 1 Corinthians 12:28, “… God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” We see from this verse of scripture that only some are called to be apostles, prophets, and teachers (pastors), but all of us are called to the ministry of helps, which simply means to assist or offer relief. Who are we offering assistance and relief to? The pastor. The pastor couldn’t possibly fulfill all of the roles necessary for a local church to function and more importantly, God didn’t design the local church to function that way. Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us that the pastor’s role is to perfect the saints. The word used for “perfecting” in the original text simply means a broken bone that is to be reset. In other words, it is the pastor’s job to minister the Word of God to the body so that those who have been broken by the things life throws at them can be reset and prepared to serve in the ministry of helps.
In Exodus we find a wonderful representation of the importance of those in the ministry of helps. Jethro had warned Moses (the leader of the children of Israel and the one the Bible refers to as the pastor in the wilderness) that, if he didn’t appoint others to do some of the work, he would wear himself out, and if he was worn out, the people would be worn out. As the children of Israel battled the Amelekites (Exodus 17:8-13), Moses heeded the warning and brought alongside Aaron and Hur to stand with him on top of the hill overlooking the battle. There, he was to hold the rod of God in His hand, which is a representation of his authority and the Word. As long as he held the rod up, the children of Israel were winning the battle, but when his arms grew heavy and he began to let them down, the children of Israel would begin to lose. Noticing that Moses couldn’t bear the weight on his own, Hur (a representation of the Ministry of Helps and overwhelming strength) and Aaron (a representation of those in full time ministry) held up the arms of Moses so that the battle would be won. They’re assistance and relief made victory possible. If Aaron or Hur had become prideful and lost sight of their responsibility to help Moses, lives would have been lost.
The example of Aaron and Hur also shows us that there is no room for pride in the ministry of helps. The moment it becomes about you and how you think things should be done, or the position you think you should hold, you have forgotten that ministry is about others. That mentality and attitude is destructive in ministry and will hurt people. Remember, it is God who sets us in the body as He pleases and we’re there to serve for His purposes, not our own agendas. That is what the ministry of helps is all about – serving and holding someone’s arms up so they can do what God has called them to do. Everyone is helping someone and, as a result, great things are accomplished for the Kingdom of God. Even if no one else ever acknowledges your efforts, God sees your heart and your service for Him and He’ll see to it that you share in the rewards because you helped bring those things to pass when you fulfilled your role in the body.
Imagine the lives we could touch, and the impact the local church could have, if all of us were obedient and committed to what God has called us to do. If all of us did our part in the ministry of reconciliation, there wouldn’t be enough churches to hold all of the people. If all of us did our part in the ministry of helps, the local church could do so much more and speed the return of the Lord.
In Matthew 20:16 Jesus said, “…many are called, few are chosen.” “Called” is another way of saying invited. That’s God’s part - He invites us. The “chosen” part has something to do with us. We have to do something, and it starts with the ministry of reconciliation and the ministry of helps. Will you accept His invitation?