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The Concept of Ministry

 

By Elder Gerald DeForest Tyler

 

     There are several very important “musts” found in the Holy Bible, but for the express purpose of this specific column, I want to raise and expound upon just two of them as they relate to “The Concept of Ministry.” The first one is found in Saint John 3:6-7, and reads thusly, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye ‘must’ be born again.” The second is found in Saint Mark 13:10. And it reads as follows, “And the gospel ‘must’ first be published (i.e., taught and preached) among all nations.” We also find in Saint Matthew 28:19-20, what’s oftentimes referred to as the Great Commission when the Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

 

     In the above three passages, these were actually the words of Jesus spoken to a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a Jewish ruler; and to his own disciples and followers. The essence of the first passage concerned Nicodemus and where his soul would ultimately spend eternity. Jesus assured him that he needed to be born again spiritually in order to be saved. There is absolutely no other way to inherit eternal life other than being spiritually born again. Jesus told him “Ye ‘must’ be born again!” I believe it was Jesus’ genuine intent for all “true believers” (i.e., Christians) to be ministers and/or evangelists in the sense of telling and sharing with others concerning their own personal born again experiences. Eternal salvation or eternal security in Christ Jesus is just that important my friends! The entire world’s human population needs to be reached with the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that task is not limited solely to those we typically refer to as clergymen, preachers, ministers, evangelists, and so on.

 

     It is most certainly an important and monumental undertaking that needs to be carried out by all of God’s clergymen, preachers, ministers and evangelists as it were. But it doesn’t stop there with just them. While all Christians are not clergymen or preachers, per se, we are all ministers and evangelists in the sense that we’re all messengers of Christ whether we wear clergy collars and robes or not. God has saved all of us for Christ’s sake, and we’re to tell of our own personal experiences and encounters with Jesus in order to help spread the truth of the saving gospel to lost people everywhere. Therefore, don’t leave the spreading and sharing of the gospel merely to preachers alone. As the Holy Spirit leads, “you” minister and evangelize as well for the all-important purpose of reaching and saving lost souls for the glory of God; for he’s not willing that any should perish, but that all would repent and be saved. “The Concept of Ministry” then, means that all saved people should be partakers and participants in it. So my hope and prayer for you is that you will let God use you in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ!

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Elder Gerald DeForest Tyler is an ordained minister with years of senior pastoral experience.

 

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