The Work of Ministry – Fourth Commandment

The Work of Ministry

Exodus 20.8-10; Deuteronomy 5.12-14

“Remember the Sabbath day, observe it, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.”

Ephesians 4.12

…to equip the saints for the work of ministry…

We are all called to the work of ministry.

Probably a lot of Christians would say that the work of ministry is the pastor’s job. That’s why we pay him the big bucks. Of course, the pastor has his work to do in building up the Body of Christ. But so do all the members of the church. Paul says that pastors and teachers should be equipping the saints of God so that they can do the work of ministry to which God has called them. Each of us is a kind of missionary for Christ (Jn. 20.21). He has sent us into our own unique mission field – the roles, relationships, and responsibilities we engage every week – and has given us gifts to serve others in the work of ministry (1 Cor. 12.7-11). Ministry consists in being alert to the needs of others and doing whatever we can, in the Name of the Lord, to try to meet those needs. This includes the need to know the Lord Jesus Christ, the need for friendship, encouragement, counsel, help, or any of a zillion everyday needs. Most of us, if we’re honest, are fairly reluctant to take up the work of ministry. This is because we haven’t been equipped to recognize the ministry opportunities that crop up before us each week, or to take them on, like Jesus washing His disciples’ feet, in a way that furthers the grace and truth of God. Every day has its own work of ministry for us to perform. We need to be careful to get the equipping we need and to learn how to pay attention to what’s going on around us, so that we can – six days a week – make the most of every ministry opportunity that comes our way (Eph. 5.15-17).

Write me at nacurragh@aol.com and I’ll send you a brochure to help you identify both your Personal Mission Field and the ministry to which God is calling you.

—

“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.