How can you play your role in the church of God? You need to REALISE that God wants to use you because you are important to God and you can get usable before Him. One thing you also need to realize is that God works through individuals not organizations and God's best method is YOU!!! WHERE YOU ARE is very important and WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, be the best you can be.
Right now we look for God to manifest Himself to His children because He only manifests Himself in His children. Other people see the manifestation which the child of God does not, so let God work in you today and now. Let us now look at some of the members of the early church and the roles they played which immensely benefitted the body of Christ, such as:
a) PRISCILLA - a ministry principle of awareness of the believers' role in the church. - Acts 18
b) BARNABAS - a ministry of encouragement which earned him the name or title, "son of encouragement." He had an encouraging principle of consideration. - Acts 4 v 11 - 15
c) DORCAS - a service principle of dedication serving the body of Christ. - Acts 9v36-43
d) LYDIA -a ministry of hospitality and caring. This is a hospitality principle of generosity - Acts 16
e) ANANIAS - a devotion principle of Christ-likeness - Acts 9
f) CORNELIUS - a service of support to the work of God through prayer and giving to the church, God will hear and receive your prayers and your alms.
g) STEPHEN -a witness which is a principle of boldness. Acts 6 and 7
The church in ACTS was characterized by some values such as personality and priority in order, which were a composite profiles complete and comprehensive. There were definite levels of spiritual maturity discernible, and there are qualities every Christian should strive for. This church in Acts was powerful with believers of:
a) the Spirit- Acts 6
b) faith - Acts 6
c) dedication - Acts 8 v 1
d) selfless spirit such as Barnabas, Paul and Timothy - Acts 9 v 32, 15 v14
e) substance with a sense of identification with people of the old such as Nehemiah, Daniel and Moses.
f) Moral integrity - Acts 5 v 12
g) God who showed spirit of unity in the church - Acts 6 v 15
h) Vision, there were seers - Acts 12
Do not worry even if you are criticized for what you are doing because this is a spiritual warfare, and the devil knows it that if he leaves you unscathed or attacked, you may shake his kingdom. So the devil will attack you from two directions which are:
A) THE OUTSIDE - where he will sow false believers - Philippians 1, 2 Corinthians 11 v 12 - 15, Matthew 13 v 24 - 25
B) THE INSIDE - where he will lead the immature and weak into false doctrines so as to cause confusion and dissension - Acts 20 v 29 - 31, Philippians 2 v 1 - 4, 4 v 1 - 3, 2 Timothy 2 v 16 - 17
So you need to pray and study the WORD of God which is an abiding relationship with God. This will make you grow constantly in the Word of God, thereby making you pure and produce maturity. When you are mature then you will be free from self-interest and hence:
i) Set an example in giving glory to Christ with a single motive. 1 Corinthians 10 v 31, Philippians 3 v 14
i) Set an example in giving and sacrificial service to the church of God.
Giving does not meet God's needs at all but giving blesses the one who gives. - Acts 20 v 33 - 35, 2 Corinthians 9 v 6 - 7, Matthew 6 v 24, Luke 6 v 38. So rise up, take up your role and be counted.
Prayerful thought: Father, please give us the courage to take our roles in the church as those named above in the Bible.
Day 6
THE CHURCH - FAITH SHARING 1
Readings: Matthew 28 v 16 - 20, Mark 16 v 15, John 21 v 15-17, Acts 1 v 8b
Faith Sharing is a very important aspect of the spreading of the good news and for the growth and development of the church. The World Methodist Evangelism Institute has declared Faith-Sharing as a yardstick for the growth of Methodism in the world because the church was born in a MISSIONARY situation. The Church in John Wesley's day was in a mission situation and so is the church today.
If the World were a village of 1000 people, the village would be populated as follows; 300 Christians, 175 Muslims, 127 Hindus, 55 Buddhists, 43 Animists and 300 no Religion. Therefore the people called Methodists must be Faith Sharing congregations, a contagious community with inviting people. John Wesley upheld this Faith-Sharing as it is alluded in his greatest fear that:
"I do not fear that the people called Methodists shall ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. I only fear that they shall exist as a dead sect having the form of religion, but not the power thereof, and that undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast to the doctrine, disciplines and spirit with which they first set. (John Wesley 1786 at 83 years old at the time."
John Wesley is challenging us to hold fast to Doctrine, Spirit and Discipline. Faith-Sharing eases the difficulty in communicating the message and also allays the fear in us when we are increasingly unsure what the message is.
Faith Sharing addresses both issues of basics and essentials because it focuses and teaches our people just on that which is essential to reaching out as witnesses. The question now would be, WHY FAITH-SHARING? We are called up to share our faith because Faith-Sharing is God's idea of fulfilling the Great Commission and:
a) God's nature shown in creation is that of a SEEKING GOD.
b) God is a missionary God hence a SENDING God.
c) Christ is the key event in salvation, Faith-Sharing is needed by humanity because of:
i. the reality of human sin
ii. humanity which is unable to save itself
iii. the world that desperately needs Jesus Christ. My fellow believers, Faith Sharing like I said before, fulfils the Great Commission as shown in:
a) Mark - "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. "
b) Matthew - "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son and of the Holy Spirit.
c) Acts - "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
d) John - "Do you love me more than these? Feed my lambs, Tend my sheep and Feed my sheep.
Remember Christian faith is centred on Jesus, and that Christian faith has a particular object which is the essence of the gospel as Paul puts it in II Corinthians 4 v 1 - 7 that:
a) The knowledge of the glory of God is in the face of Jesus Christ.
b) The light shines in our hearts.
c) To let the light shine out of darkness and this means Christian witness. Christian faith is not faith in general but is personal and specific because it is centred in a living person and requires a personal commitment. Christian faith is Relational in that:
i) It makes possible a right relationship with God (Eph. 2 v 4 - 8)
ii) It makes a right relationship with others (Matt. 5 v 23 - 24)
iii) It makes a right relationship with the self (Rom. 5 v 1)
iv) It makes a right relationship with all of creation. (Colossians 1 v 19 - 20)
Indeed, Faith Sharing is a response of the total person which involves two dynamics, and these are Trust and Obedience. Are you ready to share your faith TODAY???
Prayerful thought: Lord I thank you for my spiritual father John Wesley your servant whom you raised amongst us and to teach us about Faith-Sharing. By practicing Faith-Sharing, your church the Methodist Church shall not be a dead sect but a Faith Sharing Church.