3), and sometimes in a general way, as in the case of the prophets' calling to the people, "Hear the word of the Lord!". OpenBible.info As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: For you were called to freedom, brothers. There is no ideal place to serve God, except the place in which he sets you down. And as a result of that, all kinds of things happened. The need for servants of the Lord is very great, but the need alone does not constitute the call. Note: It was no great work that was at first required of Elisha; commonplace duties still constituted his discipline. Get him, he said, hes useful. He writes to Philemon about his runaway slave Onesimus, and he says, Hey, Onesimus is big time. Some of us, our vision doesnt go beyond the end of our nose. Jesus, in Matthew 4, in calling the disciples who were working along the shores of Galilee, says to them in the midst of their preoccupations and their normal routine and day, he says, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.[2] In other words, Follow me, Ive got a job for you to do; there is something in which I desire for you to be involved.. Paul says, They refreshed my spirit.[14] In other words, these guys were important in his ministry. The end is the evangelization of the world. II Kings 3:11, last part. He accepted the challenges and the oppositions. And whether were called to serve in the capacity of an elder or an evangelist or a pastor-teacher, or whether were called to a whole variety of forms of service within the body of Christ, we are all called to service. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. II Kings 2:5, 6. Bible > Library. 3. Utilize your word-study tools to examine the meaning of the following words. 1. Reprinted by permission. There was a problem in Corinth; indeed, there were a whole host of problems in Corinth, and one of them was that they were stuck on personalities. (2 Cor. The fact that he was only concerned that the plants grew. How did the prophetic call come to Elisha? Bible Verses about Calling NIV Compare You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruitfruit that will lastand so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. Most of us will live our lives without anybody knowing very much about us beyond our immediate circle of influence. I was commending dads. A. In this they err. Thinking of leaving your home cause your marriage isnt ideal? And millions and millions of dollars are currently being generated to try and make this a nicer place for us all to bring up our children and our grandchildren. I [want] you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.[25] In other words, Phoebe was vital. Its Gods work, he uses a variety of people, and theres no ideal place. B. How was Elishas faith tested while traveling with Elijah? He is spoken of as pouring water on the hands of Elijah, his master. So he says, [Heres the deal:] I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.[13] And then he gives us these threestatements. And a lady whose life was consumed with reading palms began to read her Bible, and she closed her shop. Explain the difference between the true prophets and the self-appointed ones. How do these insights enhance your personal understanding of the gifts of God and your responsibility to serve Him? By faithfulness in little things, Elisha was preparing for weightier trusts. And did you walk up and down and go, I planted these. Does your wife walk up and down and go, Yeah, but thats irrelevant; I watered these? And Demetrius and his boys call a meeting to say, If we dont shut this guy up, our whole business thing is going to go right down the Swanee Riveror whatever river, you know, was around. Have you ever had that kind of encounter? As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collectors booth; and He *said to him, Follow Me! And he got up and followed Him. That is one of the great debilitating factors in involvement in Christian ministry. 25 Best Bible Verses About Serving Others - Encouraging Scriptures Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!Psalm 3:8. Used by permission. (See Eph. All ministry is the Lords work: God assigns the tasks and uniquely gifts a variety of individuals to work together to fulfill His plan for His glory. Likewise, we are called to humbly serve others. And theyd begun to gather themselves in little groups around different elements of the pastoral team that was ministering there. Of a quiet and gentle spirit, he was nevertheless energetic and steadfast. The concept of gift is communicated utilizing two different Greek words. 12:3 and Eph. 6 Valuable Lessons from the Life of Samuel - Topical Studies Acts chapter 14, he comes out of Iconium with people coming flying at his heels, verse 5: a plot amongst the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to ill treat them and to stone them.[30], Well, were going to hit Lystra and Derbe. So they go to Lystra and Derbe. John 15:16 obedience prayer fruitfulness The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. This is my life, this is my livelihood. They may even say, This is my calling. And in that sense, they express accurately the New Testaments perspective on ministry. All Rights Reserved. How did the divine call come to the prophets of God? Where suddenly along the journey you sang a hymn like that: O Master, let me walk with TheeIn lowly paths of service free.Help me the slow of heart to moveBy some [poor], winning word of love;Teach me the lowly feet to stay,And guide them in the [narrow] way.[26]. She ministered to so many over the years, encouraged so many to keep moving forward. [And] the life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And as you take those verses there and look at them, the principle is this: Henamely, Jesusgave his life for me, that he in turn might take my life from meI have been crucified with Christthat he then may live his life through meservice. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. They want the church to be at least five hundred members, they want it to be a white-collar church, they want it to be a multiple-staff church, they want it be a church in which they can have this, this, this, this, and this, and this, and this, and bye, bye, bye, and blah, blah, blah, and PS: I would be very happy to come and serve along with you, if you realize how brilliant it would be for you to invite me to be a member of your pastoral team.. November 24, 2020 Matthew 20:20-28 As believers, we seldom call ourselves "servants of Christ," but that is exactly what the Lord tells us to be. List the insights you learn from the related scriptural cross-references. If I understand that I have been called not simply to sit, not simply to absorb, not simply to learn, but Ive been called to grow and to go, to fish and to feed, then where am I in this equation this morning? The Corinthians were the product of the work of the Lord through Gods servant. People love that kind of religion. Calvin says the key to usefulness in the kingdom of God begins with self-forgetfulness. 3. We wont know, but we can tell what they did. Notice this, in verse 5: God gave the ministry. There are some Jewish exorcists that are described in verses 13 and 14; he has to deal with them. If you turn back to chapter 9 and look at it, his description of these people to whom he writes is as follows: the final sentence of verse [1], he says to them, Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? The very existence of the church in Corinth was due to the fact that the apostle was doing the Lords work. 6 Lessons from Samuel's Life. What additional insights do you gain from any of the cross-references on gifts in the Optional Studies for Personal Enrichment? You go through this list: there are twenty-four names, two complete families. There are occult practices in verses 17, 18, and 19, and you have this big fantastic bonfire that takes place when, in discovering the truth that hes proclaiming, they begin to burn their scrolls. In our studies yesterday with our eldersin Christian doctrine, in Bruce Milnes book[33]we were noticing the fact that Jesus Christ, when he takes hold of us, lays his hand on all of our lives. 5 Old Testament Heroes Who Answered God's Call Some did amazing feats, others simply obeyed the Lord September 16th, 2014 Maria Wolf. Open His gift and experience the transcending joy of sharing His gifts with one another! The body of Christ is a peculiar place for producing one-man bands. What additional thoughts do you gain from 2 Cor. And if you turn back another few chapters to chapter 3, you turn to probably the classic statement of this truth that is given to us in this first letter to Corinth. And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations., Inspiration Of The Holy Spirit, Purpose Of. What one insight or lesson do you hope to remember from your study of the gifts of God and your call to service? Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve Yahweh. Were happy with us four, no more, shut the door. Were happy with a Bible study group, rub each others backs, and turn ourselves into great fathers, so we can all sit around and commend ourselves for being great dads for the rest of our lives, while the world outside wonders, Who in the world is this Jesus of Nazareth person? You say, Oh, he did the sermon, he was knocking dads. No, no, that was last week! And you say, Yeah, but if I hadnt planted them, you couldnt water them. And she says, Yeah, but if I didnt water them, theyd shrivel up, and so it goes on. permission. So if you lived in Ephesus and you were a religious person, guess what? It wont be the same for all of us. Its a reminder to us that even good guys make mistakes. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God suppliesin order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:10 ESV / 113 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And what is Paul? The question is in the neuter; its not in the masculine. But when he gets to the end of the book of Romans, he starts off, I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. Listen Queue I remember driving from the airport, and I remember that wind blowing off those chimneys there on the freeway., But you know what? This was the foundation stone of my call to be a missionary. 25 Powerful Call to worship scriptures to start a worship service Well, if I wasnt here, Id be there. See that he has nothing to fear while he[s] with you, [because] he is carrying on the work of the Lord. Thats the issue. What Does the Bible Say About Called To Serve God? Timothy, the young rising lieutenant in his forcehe says, I cant wait for Timothy to get to you, and heres how I want you to treat Timothy.[16] A great variety of peoplethe Fortunatuses and the Stephanases and the Achaicuses and the Apolloses and the Timothys. He was not irrelevant, nor was he preeminent. Verse Concepts. B. If his preoccupation was that they would like his planting more than Apolloss watering, he wouldnt have been urging Apollos to go back and do some more watering, because he would be fearful of the impact of what would take place when somebody else began to get a little bit of the focus and the profile. He learned to serve; and in learning this, he learned also how to instruct and lead. 1. Bible Study Guides - Called for Service - Steps to Life Note: The prophetic call came to Elisha while, with his fathers servants, he was plowing in the field. When we serve with a spirit of detachment, we will walk among our brothers and sisters, even among those who have been ungrateful and hateful, with joy and a smile. And what about the little silversmiths, under the prosperous control of Demetriusverse 24? Now, Paul was in no question that it was the Lords work. If God Is Behind Something, He'll Make It Happen. They told me it was very cool in the mornings, got to the optimum temperature around midday, cooled off in the evenings. We are to get out of the box and serve others with love and compassion. Note: The piety and influence of his [Timothys] home life was not of a cheap order, but pure, sensible, and uncorrupted by false sentiments. Note: None can know what may be Gods purpose in His discipline; but all may be certain that faithfulness in little things is the evidence of fitness for greater responsibilities. What is Apollos? SUNDAY HOMILY: The Call to Selfless Service - Catholic Online Now, when Paul viewed the Corinthians themselves, he actually saw them in relationship to the Lords work. For me, that kind of crisis, crossroads encounter in my life redirected the whole span of my future. What can you learn about the danger of competition and comparison from these verses? The lessons that the prophet of God had given them on former visits, he now repeated. Theyre gonna be given on the basis of faithfulness. He Came to Serve Christ set the ultimate example of service and sacrifice when he condescended to us and submitted to death on our behalf. And furthermore, he said, the same is true of Apollos. 12:1227) What is Pauls overriding concern that was also a concern of Jesus? Were also going to look at these three characters in verse 17: Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus. Site Map. The demonstration of the Spirits power is so strong that the impact begins to be felt right from the very central element of the city of Ephesus. Related Topics: Spiritual Life, Curriculum, Mrs. Vickie Kraft, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, served as Minister to Women at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas for over 13 years. There isnt. The Call to Service. So the ministry to which were all called and in which were all involved, then, is the Lords ministry, the Lords service, the Lords work. Pressing. Alright, let me summarize them as three statements. 2. The Scriptures speak of many kinds of callings. And I thank you that youre not putting me in the job because of my personality. Write it here and meditate on it. 6 Bible verses about Call To Service 2. He knew the territorialism within the church. If so, how did you discover your gifting? November 6, 2011, unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations What should we learn from Elishas willingness to perform menial duties? I dont care if Im known or unknown, I dont care if people think I should be doing something else. Paganism, idolatry and the occult, demonism, superstition, sexual vice, racism, and religious bigotry. We live in a world that is preoccupied with who. Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth I.THE CALL. Even so, God's grand plan for the salvation of the world prevailed. He talks about maybe staying, about going, about how he doesnt want to come for a little while, he wants to come for a longer while, and so on. THE CALL TO SERVICE. In other words, what happens is, the palm readers get converted, bring all their claptrap out, and burn it. THE CALL. And any distinction between those who are full-time servants and those who are lay servantsfrom the word laos in Greek, from which we get lay ministrythe distinction is not a distinction of value; it is always a distinction of function.