Paul said in verse 12 of 1 Timothy
chapter 1, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me,
for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. What is THE ministry. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank Christ. He is the Christ. He is God's
prophet. He is the Word of God. I love
that scripture in Hebrews 1.3, God has spoken by his son. Aren't you thankful God has spoken?
He has spoken by his son. Christ is God's prophet. He is the word of God. He is God's priest. God has provided
a priest to represent sinful men. Aren't you thankful for
his priesthood? He's God's king. Yet have I set
my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I thank Christ Jesus. He is Jesus. What a precious
name. Thou shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people. from their sins. I thank Christ
Jesus, our Lord. He's the Lord. He's the Lord of creation. He's
the creator. Don't you love thinking about Jesus Christ being the
actual creator that spake the world into existence? He's the
Lord of providence. That means he controls everything,
every event, everybody. He controls you, he controls
me. He is Lord, the first cause of
all things. And I love the way he says, I
thank Christ Jesus, our Lord. I love his Lordship. I love him
being my Lord. I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord. And look what he says next. Who
hath enabled me, strengthened me with his enabling
grace. He enabled me. Now this gives us some help,
I think, in trying to understand what is meant by this. Remember
when it says in Romans chapter four, Abraham was strong in faith. When we hear that word, we think
of the strength of Abraham's faith. But do you know the word
is not an adjective? It's a verb. Abraham was strengthened
in faith. He was enabled in faith. It's not something he did, it's
something God did to him and for him. Abraham was enabled
in faith. Now the only way I'm gonna have
anything spiritually is if he enables me, if he strengthens
me. And that's what Paul is talking
about when he says he hath enabled me. to be faithful. Now, I am
faithful, Paul says, and there's one reason why I'm faithful.
He enabled me to be faithful. And he treated me as if I'm the
one who is faithful. That's the way his grace works.
He gives you something, then he acts, he doesn't ever act,
but he, it's yours. I gave you this faithfulness,
now you're faithful. Now that's what he's saying.
For I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me for that
he counted me faithful. It's required in stewards that
a man be found, what? Faithful, faithful. That's all
that counts, faithfulness. A steward is someone who's responsible
for something that belongs to somebody else. If somebody is
gonna be the steward over your goods, what do you want from
them? Faithfulness. He enabled me, counting me faithful,
putting me into the ministry, ordaining me, appointing me into
the ministry. I did not put myself in the ministry. He put me in the ministry. And if you are a child of God,
He has put you in the ministry. If you're a child of God, you're
just as much in the ministry as I am. You know, that very
idea of clergy laity is an abomination. It's evil. All of God's people
are His clergy, his inheritance. There's no clergy and laity in
the kingdom of God. Some apparently more important
than others. That's foolishness and evil. That's the doctor of the Nicolaitans
that the Lord said he hated, above the people, different.
No, that's foolishness. Every believer is in the ministry. I've heard people talk about
full-time Christian service. Is it part-time? Of course not. When I hear language
like that, I'm full-time Christian service. I think of somebody
who gets a paycheck for being religious, a paid religionist. That is what is meant by that.
All of God's people are in full-time Christian service. Now the body
has many members. All the body's not a nose. All
the body's not a mouth. The whole body's not an ear.
There are many members in one body, and they don't all have
the same office, but they're all members. This is not a part-time
finger. It's always my finger. Never
even think of anything that foolish. clergy laity. Know all of God's
people are in the ministry. I dislike it when I hear preachers
say they talk about my ministry. I wince with that. It's, we're all in the ministry. And that's what Paul is speaking
of when he speaks of God put me in the ministry. And the ministry is a work. Paul
spoke of the work of the ministry in Ephesians chapter four, a
work we are to give ourselves to wholeheartedly. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to
do, Do it with all thy might. Now this concerns every believer
and if you're not a believer, I hope God will make you one
to where you're going to want to be in the ministry. God can it be faithful putting
me into the ministry. Now what is the ministry? When Peter spoke in Acts chapter
one about a replacement for Judas, you can remember that, he picked
out Matthias and what was the other guy's name? Well, he picked out two guys
and then he said to the Lord, show us which one you've chose.
Neither, he chose Paul. Paul was the one that took Judah's
place. But at any rate, Peter tried
to come up with a couple of men that he thought would take Judah's
place. And here's what he said. He said
concerning Judas, he was numbered with us and had obtained a part
of this ministry. What ministry? Well, It was described by Peter
as being a witness with us of his resurrection. Now here's the first statement
I want to make with regard to the ministry. It's what the Bible
says. The ministry has something to do with being a witness of
his resurrection. And if you are a believer, THIS
IS NOT SECOND-HAND INFORMATION. YOU ARE A WITNESS OF HIS RESURRECTION. NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU PHYSICALLY
SAW HIS RESURRECTION. AS A MATTER OF FACT, NO ONE SAW
WHEN HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD EXCEPT THE FATHER WHEN HE WAS
IN THE TOMB. THE FATHER IS THE ONLY ONE WHO WITNESSED THAT RESURRECTION. AND THERE WERE ONLY A number
of physical witnesses of his resurrection, but this is not
talking so much about a witness of the physical resurrection.
It's because you know, the resurrected Christ. Now that's speaking as
a witness, not of secondhand information. You know, the resurrected
Christ. Now, you believe God raised him
from the dead because you know him. That's why you believe God raised
him from the dead. You know him. You know who he is. It's not name dropping. You know who he is. He's the
resurrected Christ. That's how you know him. He made
himself known to you. You know Him as the risen Savior. You know He died. You know why
He died. The sins of God's elect became
His sin. And God's justice slew Him. You know He wasn't a victim.
You know he wasn't a martyr. He was a sin-bearing substitute
that put away sin. You know he was raised from the
dead. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, you
know he was raised from the dead. You know why he was raised from
the dead. He satisfied God. He put away the sins of everybody
he died for. Death couldn't hold him down.
You know the reason you know that? Because you know who He
is. Can He be dead and stay dead? No, He's the Son of Life. He
is risen. You know the risen Savior, and
you're speaking of one who is risen from the dead. And He is
your hope of salvation. He was delivered for our offenses.
He was raised for our justification. Your ministry is, He lives. I serve a risen Savior. He's
in the world today. I serve a risen Savior. And every
believer can give testimony, can bear testimony to this fact,
He lives. He lives. I'm testifying of that. He lives. He said, I am he that liveth
and was dead, and behold, I'm alive forevermore, amen, and
have the keys of hell and death. Now, this is the ministry. He lives. He lives. Oh, I love saying he lives. I'm
more sure of his life than my life. He lives. This ministry that every believer
has some part in is what Peter called in Acts chapter six, four,
the ministry of the word. the ministry of the Word. This is when Peter spoke of the
need of deacons so the apostles could give themselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the Word. Don't you love how Christ is
called the Word of God? Not words, Word. The only way you can know what's
going on in my mind right now is by the Word that I speak. But you can't know unless my
Word comes out. Christ is the Word of God. He's the expression of the mind
of God. God has spoken by his Son. He is the Word of God, the living
Word. Why did Paul say to Timothy,
preach the Word? Preach the Word, whatever God's
Word declares, the authoritative Word of God. Preach it. Somebody
says, do you expect me to believe the Bible's the Word of God?
Yes, I do. Oh, well, how can you prove it? No, I can't. I
don't feel any need to, it speaks for itself. I love the way they
said, with regard to the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, He
spake as one having authority. What he said recommended itself
as the very Word of God. And if you're a believer, you
know this is the Word of God. Somebody says, well, how could
God inspire men to write a book and
keep it without error? Well, he created the universe,
he can do that too, can't he? It's the ministry of the word. Turn with me to first Peter chapter
one. Verse 23, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible by the word of God. Now that is the word
from the word that reveals the word. That is the gospel message
from the written word of God that reveals the living word
of God. Those three things can never
be separated. Being born again of his own will,
remember that scripture of his own will, begat he us with the
word of truth. Being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth forever, for all flesh is as grass, and all the
glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass withers, the
flower thereof falls away, but the word of the Lord endures
forever, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached
unto you." This ministry, is the ministry
of the Word. Now, the ministry of every believer
has something to do with the ministry of the Word of God. A minister, a witness of his
resurrection, and a witness regarding the Word of God. Now, here's
the third thing that is so And this is all of us if we're believers.
We read in 2 Corinthians 3.8 of the ministration or the ministry
of the Spirit. The ministry of the Spirit. And that is talking about the
Spirit of God. God is one God in three distinct
persons. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. It's God the Holy Spirit who
empowers this ministry. This is the ministry of the Spirit. It's a supernatural ministry. If I'm born again, it's because
of the saving sovereign power of God the Holy Spirit. This
ministry is the ministry of God the Spirit. If I dig a ditch
for the glory of God, it's as I am empowered by the Holy Spirit. If I preach the gospel, it is
only as I am empowered by the Spirit of God. If I die as a
martyr for the cause of Christ, It is as I am empowered by the
spirit of God. If I believe the gospel, it's
as I am empowered by the spirit of God. If I'm content, if I'm
satisfied to be saved by Christ, where he gets all the glory,
it is as I am empowered by the spirit of God. This is the ministry
of the Holy Spirit. It's the result of being born
of the Spirit. The ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Now let me, this is from Acts chapter 20, verse 24. I'll quote
it, you can turn if you want, but Paul said in Acts chapter
20, verse 24, none of these things move me, Neither count I my life dear
to myself so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry
I've received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the
grace of God. Now this is every believer's
ministry, To testify, to bear personal witness, to solemnly
protest against anything that's contrary to this. To testify
the gospel, the good news of the grace of God. The ministry has something to
do with testifying of the gospel of the grace of God. Salvation
is by grace. Now, I really believe that if
I came to any person who claimed to be religious in Fayette County,
Kentucky, and said, do you believe that salvation is by grace? Their
reply would be, yes, of course I believe in salvation by grace. You go to your neighbors, your
religious neighbors, do you believe in salvation by grace? Yes, I
believe in salvation by grace. Instead, Grace is a good word,
it's a biblical word, but this might be a good way to approach
this. Do you believe that God elected
people before time began to be saved? Do you believe that Jesus Christ
represented the elect and accomplished their salvation? Do you believe
that when he was raised from the dead, they were raised with
him, accepted and completely saved? Do you believe God, the
Holy Spirit comes invincibly and gives them life in the new
birth? It's what Paul called in Romans
11, five, the election of grace. Then for good measure, go into
Romans chapter nine, verse 11, for the children being not yet
born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose
of God according to election might stand, not of works. But
of him that calleth it was said unto her, the elder shall serve
the younger. As it's written, Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated. Somebody called this morning
was listening to the TV program this morning. I thought this
was, I'm, I was glad for this call. They said, you made a mistake
when you were preaching this morning. And I, you know, she
said, you said in your message, Jacob, if I hated you were wrong.
He said, he saw, have I hated? I thought, well, they were listening.
I'm, I'm glad, you know, that, uh, um, but the point is somebody
says, no, I don't believe that. Well, you don't believe grace
then. You can call a cat a dog, but
it's still a cat. And you can call works grace,
but it still works. This is to testify the good news
of the grace, the saving grace of God. God's grace is not an
offer up to you to accept or reject. God's grace saves. We give testimony to this, the
good news of the grace of God, that grace that always saves. And that's what the ministry
is. It's my, and your testimony of the grace of God. Paul called this ministry in
2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 9, the ministration or the ministry
of righteousness. Now the ministry, when Paul talked
about being put into the ministry, it's called the ministry of righteousness. Now let me show you how this
is the experience of every believer. The Beatitudes. That's what a believer is. It's
not what a believer strives to be, it's what a believer is. Blessed are the poor in spirit. That describes every believer.
Blessed are they that mourn. That describes every believer,
mourning over their sins. Blessed are the meek. Meek before
God. Every believer is meek before
God. Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness. Now this is the righteousness
spoken of in the ministry of righteousness. What's the last
beatitude? Blessed are they that are persecuted
for righteousness sake. His righteousness. Now the ministry is the ministry
of righteousness. And David put it this way in
Psalm 71 verse 16, I've made mention of thy righteousness,
even thine only. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5
21, for he hath made him sin for us who knew no sin that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him. Now this is the ministry we're
talking about, the righteousness of God. Turn with me to Romans
chapter 10. This is such a fundamental passage
of scripture, and while you're turning there, Let me quote Paul
in Romans chapter one, I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it's
the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to
the Jew first and also to the Greek for therein in the gospel
is the righteousness of God. Revealed. Now, if you would ask
the average religious person, what's revealed in the gospel?
They'd say, well, the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy
of God. Who's gonna deny that that is
revealed in the gospel, but that's not what Paul said. He said it
reveals the righteousness of God. This is the ministry of
righteousness. Now, look here in Romans 10,
verse one. Brethren, heart's desire and prayer to God for
Israel is that they might be saved. He wanted these people
to be saved by God. They weren't, but it was his
heart's desire and prayer to God that they might be for I
bear them record. They have a zeal of God. They
were religious, very sincere, but not according to knowledge
for they being ignorant of God's righteousness. And this is perhaps one of the key words for me to
understand the gospel, God's righteousness. God's righteous
character. He can't sin. He can't tolerate
sin under any circumstance. God's righteous law. Now, you
have no understanding, I have no understanding of the Ten Commandments
if I believe I've kept one commandment one time. What about you? Have you kept
one commandment one time? Somebody says, yes, I have. You
have no understanding of the law, none. Paul said, for we
know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. What about God's righteousness
in my condemnation? If God sent me to hell, just
and holy is his name. Amen. You know, when somebody is convinced
of God's righteousness, they don't question the fairness of
God in electing some and passing by others. And they, all these,
how can God, when you're convinced of God's righteousness, you know
this, he'd be righteous in sending you to hell. But thank God for
the righteousness of God in salvation. I am saved by the righteousness
of God. His righteousness demands my
salvation because Jesus Christ is my righteousness before God. He put away my sin and gave me
his righteousness. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. This is the ministry of righteousness. The ministry is called by Paul
in 2 Corinthians 5.18, the ministry of reconciliation. The ministry of reconciliation. Isn't it beautiful when two people,
who are at odds with one another are reconciled. Man and woman, fighting in their
marriage, and all of a sudden they're reconciled. Two men at
odds with one another, and then they're reconciled. Now there
were differences. There were differences. I'm gonna give a faith hacker
statement. I heard this, I've always liked
this. There's always two sides to every piece of bologna. And
every time there's differences, and every time there's, it's
both people's fault. It's both people's fault. I don't
care when there's conflict between two human beings, there's fault
on both sides. But in this reconciliation, there's
not fault on both sides. It's all our fault. 100% our fault. And God does all the reconciling. We didn't do anything to bring
ourself into this state of reconciliation. He did it all. If when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his son. We were enemies, dead, and we
were reconciled by what he did. Oh, the ministry of reconciliation. Turn with me to Colossians chapter
one. There are two scriptures I want
to look at with regard to this. Colossians chapter one, this
is how complete this reconciliation is. Verse 20, and having made peace,
this is what the Lord did, he made peace. through the blood of His cross.
If anybody ever asks you, have you made your peace with God?
Say, no, Christ made my peace with God. Here we have it. Having
made peace through the blood of His cross by Him to reconcile
all things unto Himself. By Him, I say, whether they be
things in earth, were things in heaven, and you that were
before time, sometime means before time, alienated, and enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in
the body of his flesh through death to present you." Here's
how reconciled this is. Holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight. Now that's reconciled, isn't
it? That's reconciled. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
5. The ministry of reconciliation.
Verse 18. And all things are of God who
hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given
to us the ministry of Reconciliation. And here's what that is. God
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. How? Not
imputing their trespasses unto them. And he hath committed unto
us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for
Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ
did be ye reconciled to God for he hath made him to be sin for
us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him." Listen real carefully. God's reconciled to you. He's
not mad. You're accepted in the beloved. He's completely reconciled. If you're a believer, He sees
in you no sin. Right now. You be reconciled to Him. The
only way you'll be reconciled to Him is when you see He is
completely reconciled to you. You done by it? He sees you as
beautiful, as holy, as without sin, as perfect in Christ Jesus. Now that's everybody who he is.
That's all he died for. That's all who will believe.
But listen to me, quit being mad at God. Quit finding fault
with God. Quit questioning God. He's reconciled
to you. You be reconciled to him. And
if you see that he is reconciled to you through Christ, you will
be reconciled to him. It's the ministry of reconciliation. And finally, we read in 1 Corinthians
16, 15, of those who have addicted themselves to the ministry of
the saints. Now, what's an addiction? Well, when you're addicted, your addiction controls you. Everything you think is in light
of that addiction. It controls you. It consumes
you. It comes first. Well, here's
a good addiction. They've addicted themselves to
the ministry of the saints. Now ministry is being a servant. I love what the Lord said, he
that wants to be great among you, let him be your minister.
Let him be your servant. You see, it doesn't take great
gifts to be in the ministry, it just takes being a servant.
They've addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. Well, I'm not in on that one.
Well, you are if you're a believer. This is the ministry of every
believer. Now let's close by turning to
a passage in 2 Corinthians 4. Verse 1. Therefore seeing we. He's speaking of every believer
without exception. Therefore seeing we have this
ministry, the witness of the resurrection,
the ministry of the word, the ministry of the spirit, the ministry
of righteousness, the ministry of reconciliation, The ministry
of the saints. As we've received mercy, this
ministry is about receiving mercy, isn't it? We faint not. We don't lose heart. We don't
give up, but we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty.
What not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God
deceitfully. You know, that's the way most
people use the scriptures deceitfully. using the scriptures to maintain
their position. Pulling things out of context
to maintain their position. That's the deceitful, wicked
use of the scripture. But by manifestation of the truth,
commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
What commends us? The truth. But if our gospel
be hid, it's hid to them that are lost. in whom the God of
this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest
the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves, your servants for
Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure, this
ministry in earthen vessels, jars of clay,
that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's holy
and blessed name that by your grace, You would put everybody
in this room according to your will into the ministry. In Christ's name we pray, amen.