The essence of Kingdom service is for the propagation of God’s kingdom. Irrespective of the scope of our service we must be clear on the fact that we are expanding the kingdom based on God’s desire.
It is also for the supply of what is lacking in the faith and journey of the saints. Paul emphasized that he has come to supply what is lacking in the faith of the believers. He said that he is the helper of their faith. There are concepts of faith that a believer may not understand when it is taught but he may get it right when it is ministered as a song. Such a minister has occupied her place to help another believer gain understanding of what is being taught. Such that the believer is established in the truth.
Epaphras did this too when he prayed fervently that men may be established and complete in the will of God. Paul preached, Epaphras prayed. He prayed that men will stand perfect and complete in all of the will of God.
Pastor also mentioned that to be effective in Kingdom service, it is required that we ask God to show us our area of assignment in the Kingdom, Acts 9:9.
He said that it is not enough to have resources to carry out an assignment, it is best to know God’s will before you embark on any task for the kingdom’s sake.
1 Kings 17: 1-2
God gave instructions to Eljah each time on what he should do and where he should go.
Another thing we need to be mindful of in Kingdom service is LOOKING INWARD TO IDENTIFY GIFTING AND GRACE THAT THE LORD HAS PLACED ON YOUR INSIDE. The gift of a man is not sufficient to determine his calling but it will be useful in his calling. Ministry can’t be built around gifts but gifts are used in doing ministry.
In carrying out your assignment, a gift is required because what God is calling you into is bigger than your gift.
1 Samuel 16:17-18, 23.
Pastor emphasised that the gifts God gave us can help us deliver
He instructed us to Invest in the gift of God in our life. That we ensure to develop ourselves better in it. Go for training and go the extra mile.
David could play a good sound but the hand of God upon David and the spirit of God made it effective.
There is a sound and there is a spirit. You are responsible for the sound. You must strive to be better. You can’t do better if you don’t know better. God gave you gifts but he won’t develop it for you.
Next on the list is that WE LOOK OUTWARD. God has placed something on our inside for us to be able to be able to use it to do something on the outside. He gave us gifts and grace for us to be able to meet the needs of the saints in supplying what is lacking in the faith and in the journey of the believers. So we look inwards and we look outward.
WE LOOK OUTWARD TO SEE WHAT THE LORD WILL HAVE US DO. You are wired to meet and solve a particular need. Looking outward based on what is on your inside is very important. It shows you what you are called to do. There are levels of growth.
1 Samuel 17:22, 33-51
David showed up where the army of Saul had been harassed severally. One day the father sent him to get food for his elder ones and the giants came out and released the threats again and David heard it and was marvelled and said, “who is this? Is there not a reason why I am here?” He quickly saw a need. He said, ” who is this uncircumcised Philistine that defiles the army of God?” He quickly changed the narrative. He took the battle from the ground and took it up. He knew the battle was no longer Saul’s but God’s . Others saw a man with a sword, but David saw a man without weapons.
Uncircumcised means a man that is naked and helpless. Look out for what God has blessed you with that you can use to engage the devil and your generation. What one person is wired with is not the same as what another person is wired with. This makes the level of assignment and expression of the assignment to be different. You can only function based on what you have received from God.
Even if you are called to the same type of ministry with another person, the level of expression will still be different.
Pastor also stated that YOU CANNOT BE IN GOD’S SERVICE AND BE RECKLESS HAVING NO GODLY FEAR AND REVERENCE FOR GOD. A man without Godly fear should not venture into God’s service. What will make a man not to abuse privilege is reverence to God and godly fear. What will make a man not to allow fame to capture his heart and still work for God is godly fear.
What will make a man manipulate the saints and not merchandise the gospel is godly fear. What will make a man to walk in integrity and honour in the service of God is godly fear.
Acts 14: 11-13
Paul went somewhere to speak and people said, “these are the gods” and they wanted to sacrifice unto them. Paul ran away from their midst and tore his clothes and said, “we can’t take this worship.”
Acts 3:1-13
Peter and John went to the temple at the hour of prayer and the man at the beautiful gate got healed and the Bible says they were amazed and replied quickly that, “it’s not by our power or by our might that this man was healed.” They quickly turned the light away from themselves.
Ministry work will take a man from where he is coming from. The game starts to come in such respect. However, what will make him serve the Lord is his fear for God.
We must always check our love and fear thermometer for God. The way a man will last in the service of God is predicated on the matter of reverence. We have seen men disappear into thin air after entering into stardom. They lost their reverence for God. They stopped walking in the concept of reverence. They have come to a place that nobody is nothing to them again. They are no longer accountable to anyone. They have come to a place where they have lost the place. When God lifts a man He takes him off a circle. If a man now leaves all because he is above those circles due to the fact that they cannot match up with him, he is heading into disaster. At such a level people will relate to such a man based on his achievement. There are people that know where we are coming from. We need someone that will still call us by name. What will make a man stay is by accountability.
We should be on our duty post. We should have reverence. We must serve the Lord.
As a choir member, it is not to our heads of department but unto the Father. It is a reverence. If we do not understand this thing we cannot do ministry. If it is God, He is the lifter of men.
If it is God, what is little will become bigger in such a way that such a man will not remember where he is coming from.
Joseph as an example said, if he lies with his master’s wife it is wickedness to him.
David said there is something called weakness and there is something called wickedness. It is not unto fellow humans as we are going about serving God. It is God that is seeing all. It is important we understand this before entering into stardom.
It is important we are grounded in it before God leaves. It is godly fear and reverence.
God is the constant factor in our lives. We must come to such a place. Our faithfulness sometimes can be determined by response and inactions per time. If not we would lose our place. We are not serving God because we don’t want to go to hell but because we are constrained by love. We have come to that place. We are not afraid of hell. The greatest love will help us to serve God. We should come to that point that we rather die than compromise our faith. It must be like that till Jesus comes.
We would stay like that if that is what Jesus wants. At times we may not get it via our imaginations or thoughts and actions but we will not lose it. What will keep a man going is not men but having that committed and honest heart, saying, “Lord I will die believing your word. If you will not do anything for me again. I am okay with you.”
That is godly fear.
The next one is serving God effortlessly and passionately. These are the ways to serve God effectively where we will not get contaminated. This means we will have contact without contamination. We are in the world but we are not of the world.
Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
If we want to serve the Lord for long we must come to the point where we serve the Lord passionately and with reverence.
Hebrews 6:10-14 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
Romans 12:11: Not lagging in diligence, fervent in the spirit, serving the lord.
If you want to stay effective and serve the Lord for long you have to come to a place where you are serving reverently and passionately.
Heb 6:10-12: A way we can understand that you are showing love to his name is that you minister to the saint and you do ministry. In other words, it is talking about service. Do remember that our service is a response to his love. We are only responding to the love of the father.
Our service is not based on what we get from him but we know that he has loved us and his love, nothing can match it. It is a matchless love. So we are responding to that love.
Therefore the first attraction of our love is toward his name.
And we show the love in ministering to the saint and you do minister. And we desire that you don’t drop the ball and we will run with the same diligence.
Hebrews 6:12
And don’t get to a point where you are sluggish and you draw back but imitate the people that serve God wholeheartedly who through faith and patience inherit the promise. For you to be effective and to stay effective, you should remain at the cutting edge of your ministry, calling and service. You must come to a place where you reverently and passionately serve the Lord.
You should always be on fire, you should not drop. Keep the same diligence. What you are as a brother should be what you should be as a Pastor. Keep the same diligence wherever you are, and in whatever position you occupy.
Wherever you are let them understand that you can’t drop the ball, that is the same diligence. Serving the lord fervently. Don’t wait until you are heading a position in church. Keep the same diligence. Serving the lord, staying on fire for God. Situation or circumstances can make you want to drop the ball. Sometimes you’re overwhelmed, don’t drop the ball. Keep serving the Lord, Keep running, keep chasing after him, don’t get tired.
Economic reasons and pressure can make us want to drop the ball. Please don’t drop the ball.
In conclusion, it is interesting to know that God is not unjust to forget your labour of service. He is a good payer, he doesn’t owe any man.