This was the last paper that I had to write for school this year. It was a persuasive essay and I chose my topic to be Ministry Outside of the Church and Mission Field. I believe that every has a ministry wherever God has placed them. Since this was our last paper we didn't get our final grade back, which was fine by me as I had many problems writing this paper, with my computer crashing and loosing it, to not emailing it properly to myself. So me finishing this thing was a miracle and I know it is not the best I have done, but if you feel the like reading it please do.
Tingstrom 1
Michelle Tingstrom
Paul Knoch
Persuasive Essay
April 27,2014
Ministry Outside of The Church
“Your everyday work and mine must be included among the “all things” that we now claim for God's kingdom through Christ. And since our ordinary work belongs to God, we make the delightful discovery that we serve only one Master – our heavenly Employer.”(Peabody p.18). Everyone of us is in a Ministry weather it be Pastoral, cross-cultural Missionary, or working in what we like to call the “secular work field.” As believers and Christ-followers, we are to be furthering God's kingdom in all that we do, no matter what field of work we are in. “The New Testament draws no sacred/secular lines between Christians in full-time service and those in other types of work. It teaches that all Christians should serve God full time, even though differing vocations display such service in a variety of forms.”(Peabody p.18). God has called us all to help fulfill the Great Commission; He has blessed us all with different gifts, He has given us different callings in life and He has put different desires on our hearts. We were created in His image and He was the first keeper of this earth. We need to carry out what He started to keep the earth going.
We have been put on a mission by our commanding officer, Jesus Christ, and the mission is to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19 ESV Bible). This mission was first given
Tingstrom 2
to Jesus' eleven disciples. As they were told to go out and make disciples, we are to follow in suit and carry out the Great Commission as well. Paul talks about what it means to go and make disciples in 2 Timothy 2:2; “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”(ESV Bible). We must go out and preach the gospel to all the nations. This might mean being a preacher or a missionary, but it is not limited to these things. Not all are talented to carry out the Great Commission in those ways; some are to be farmers, clothing designers or even entrepreneurs. “Our primary object is to produce mature men and women whose ordinary station and positions in life can be transformed into platforms for ministry for maintaining this earth according to God's plan, for shedding God's light and love in an embittered world full of darkness and self love.” (Peabody p.134).
God has not made all people capable of doing all the same jobs in the world. He has blessed us with gifts that vary from one another. Paul talks about the different gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:4; “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord.” (ESV Bible). I would say that if we are blessed with different gifts, then God is calling us to different occupations in life. Not everyone is gifted to teach, be pastors, or to go out into the world and be cross-cultural missionaries. If God has given us different gifts, we should work and apply our gifts where we are going to best be used to bring glory to God. Paul also talks about how we are all in the same body of Christ with many parts: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12 ESV Bible). He goes on to say, “But as it is, God
Tingstrom 3
arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”(1 Corinthians 12:18-20 ESV Bible). We are all blessed with different gifts to carry out the Great Commission. In this we are able to reach out to all the people of the nations. As Christians called on the mission of preaching the gospel to non-Christians a place to start is where you have been called by God to work, whether it be a preacher or an entrepreneur. God has given us all different gifts and we need to use them as is pleasing to Him.
We have been called to minister others. “Ministering means taking care of the needs of others.” (May p.68). God has sent us all on a mission; the Great Commission is out mission. Now being on a mission you might think of missionaries in other countries spreading the gospel, but in fact one definition of missionary is “A person send on a mission. Mission means: it’s a specific task with which a person or group is charges (affecting, touching).” (May p.68). God’s calling for you may look different from your best friend’s calling, and that is okay because going back to our gifts, we all are blessed differently, excelling in certain areas of life. Larry Peabody says it so well: “Each of us must rely upon the holy Spirit in discerning God’s calling for us personally.” (Peabody p.28). Whether God wants you in full time gospel work or in ordinary work we are to obey Him and listen to His calling. “Engagement in gospel work is no indicator of the level of one’s commitment to Christ. God sets some apart for the work of the gospel, and He sets others apart to bear fruit in the ordinary vocations.” (Peabody p.28). It is okay to feel inadequate in the ministry God is calling you to as long as you are asking God to support you every step of the way. Don’t be afraid that God is just going to change his mind.
We have been called to minister others. “Ministering means taking care of the needs of others.” (May p.68). God has sent us all on a mission; the Great Commission is out mission. Now being on a mission you might think of missionaries in other countries spreading the gospel, but in fact one definition of missionary is “A person send on a mission. Mission means: it’s a specific task with which a person or group is charges (affecting, touching).” (May p.68). God’s calling for you may look different from your best friend’s calling, and that is okay because going back to our gifts, we all are blessed differently, excelling in certain areas of life. Larry Peabody says it so well: “Each of us must rely upon the holy Spirit in discerning God’s calling for us personally.” (Peabody p.28). Whether God wants you in full time gospel work or in ordinary work we are to obey Him and listen to His calling. “Engagement in gospel work is no indicator of the level of one’s commitment to Christ. God sets some apart for the work of the gospel, and He sets others apart to bear fruit in the ordinary vocations.” (Peabody p.28). It is okay to feel inadequate in the ministry God is calling you to as long as you are asking God to support you every step of the way. Don’t be afraid that God is just going to change his mind.
Tingstrom 4
God is not in the business of changing His mind. If He said it and has shown you a certain ministry to do, He believes you are able to do it. God would not say, ‘I have called you to be a preacher,’ or anything else in ministry and then say, Never mind. You’re not good enough. God knew exactly what He was doing when He called you. He knew all your failures, your weaknesses, your strengths, and your abilities. He sees beyond what we see in ourselves. First Samuel 16:7 (NLT) says, “The Lord does not look at things man looks at, man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. God sees the potential in us when no one else does. (May p.102).
I agree with Tracy May that God will not just up and change His mind about where He has called you, but it is possible that He will call you somewhere else in the future.`
Along with our gifts and calling, we all have desires on our heart. These desires will be given to you as said in Psalm 37:4; “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (ESV Bible). As we continue to submit to the Lord and let Him guide our path, He will give us the desires of our hearts. When we pray, we should ask the Lord to align the desires of our heart with His heart. If you are seeking God in all you do, your hearts desires should be what He has placed on your heart. “These desires you have and those talents that you were born with came from God, so surely he knows how to bring those desires you have into his purpose and calling on your life. Never underestimate the hand of God, who you were created for.” (May p.106). God does not want to make your life miserable. He never said that it would be easy, but if he has blessed you with talents and you have a desire to go to where your talents are going to be best used to bring glory to Him and His kingdom, then I believe that He will call you.
Tingstrom 5
So you are a farmer, a clothing designer, a construction worker, or even a cook. Fun fact, God was the first of all those works. He planted the first crop when He created the earth. He made the first piece of clothing to cover man in Genesis 3:21: “ And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”(ESV Bible). He designed the first boat for transporting and he was the first architect designing the Tabernacle. “These few examples make it clear that a large part of God's will for our lives centers about our daily work.” (Peabody p. 71).We are carrying out the work that God had started, contributing to the earth that He created.
God has blessed us with all different talents and gifts. He has put different desires on our hearts. He has called us to different work fields. We are uniquely created, all put on the earth to carry out one purpose, to carry out the Great Commission. “Remember, all ministries are unique in their own way. God created each one of us to be used differently with different personalities and with unique ways for the body of Christ.” (May p.105-106).
Works Cited
ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2010. Print.
May, Tracy. Ministry Surrounds Me. Mustang, OK: Tate, 2011. Print.
Peabody, Larry D. Secular Work Is Full-time Service. Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1974. Print.
