I know that God calls me to preach (into the ministry), but am I truly preaching (ministering)? And if so, where? What am I doing with what God called me to do? Why do I ask these types of questions?
What is the purpose of my preaching, or what is the purpose of my ministry? The answer is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why am I, or why are we to share the Gospel of Christ?
We do it so that the lost souls of the world that are wandering around in the darkness of sin might be able to see the light of Christ in the saved.
Where Is My Pulpit?
Let me start with a story that might help explain my initial question. I felt the Lord calling me to preach 30 years ago. It was not until another five years or so had passed that I started to preach.
I preached whenever and wherever the opportunity presented itself, which was not often. I had taught Sunday school, led the song service, and had a radio ministry.
I was a Navy reservist at the time, and then 9/11 hit. It was not long after that I was called to active duty. For the next few years, I was stationed in North Carolina on multiple occasions.
While we were in North Carolina on the last mobilization, the church we were attending appointed me as an associate pastor then as an interim pastor. Soon after I was discharged from active duty, we ended up going back home.
One year later, I was mobilized and stationed overseas for a year. After being demobilized from active duty, it was not long until I was picked up for full time active-duty service and we moved out of state.
Regretfully, I left the ministry and service of the Lord during the last 12 years of my military service. You could say that I just ran from God. That is what you call backsliding.
When it came time for me to officially retire from the military in 2019, I began to seek the Lord once more. I jokingly prayed that if the Lord wanted me back home, I would go full-time into the ministry.
And where did we end up? Back home. We found a local church to attend, which had a pastor, so I was not needed in that aspect. With my military training and education, I tried to find work as a medical administrator, but I was unable to find employment in that field.
So, I took a part-time job at a local community college, but it did not feel right. I tried to convince myself that it would work but it did not, and so I left.
Then the COVID crisis hit. With the health pandemic in force, I wondered how I could get God’s Word out if I am not allowed to preach anywhere.
The Lord opened a door. I was reading an online Christian magazine article and felt led to inquire how the authors were able to write for them.
I have a few books of sermons from other preachers and wondered if it was possible to put my sermons into a book like those preachers have done. But the thought of the cost to publish a book on my own plagued me.
An editor from the online Christian magazine that I had written to contacted me and asked me to send in a sermon. I was instructed on the format that they required, so I sent one.
Surprisingly, I was hired. It is not enough of an income to live on, which I do not need due to my military retirement and VA benefits, but that was not the purpose. I just wanted to be able to give out what the Lord was giving to me.
As far as putting my sermons in a book were concerned, I found a self-publishing company online, and started putting my sermons into book format (e-book, paperback, hardcover).
A few have sold, but not as many as I had hoped for. The royalties from the books are small but it has been a way to get God’s Word out. I have given more books away than what has been purchased online. But again, it is not about the money.
But now let us look at our Scripture for today. Turn, if you will, in your Bibles to the book of Matthew.
1. Jesus Preaches in Galilee
Jesus was a healer, a preacher, and a teacher. The three main facets of His ministry were as follows: Jesus’ concern for comprehension can be seen in His teaching. His preaching demonstrates His concern for commitment.
And His healing shows us His concern for completeness. His healing miracles proved the veracity of His teachings and His preaching. This demonstrates that He truly was of God (Matthew 4:23).
2. The Most Important Parts of Jesus’ Ministry
The “gospel of the kingdom” was that the long-awaited and promised Savior had arrived. His acts of healing demonstrated the truth of His teaching (Matthew 9:35-38).
Jesus needs workers who are adept at resolving issues. We can provide comfort to others and demonstrate to them how God and other Christians have helped us with our concerns in how we live (2 Corinthians 1:3-7).
3. The Holy Spirit’s Guidance and Personal Preparation
Paul is telling us that he had faith in the Holy Spirit’s guidance and assistance rather than in his sharp intellect or speaking skills.
Paul did not deny the significance of preparatory study for preaching. He was well-versed in the scriptures. Preaching that is effective must combine the Holy Spirit’s work with diligent preparation.
Paul, a brilliant scholar, could have enthralled his audience with thoughtful arguments and persuasive speech. Instead, he used the Holy Spirit to direct his words and spread the straightforward message of Jesus Christ.
We should follow Paul’s lead and keep our message simple when we share the gospel with others. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, what we say can bring glory to Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
4. The Presentation Is Less Important Than a Ministry’s Content
Paul was not instructing the believers in Corinth to disregard the pursuit of knowledge. He was advising them that worldly wisdom is not wisdom at all if it prevents them from pursuing God.
Even though it may appear foolish to the outside world, thinking and assessing in the ways of the Lord are far more important (1 Corinthians 1:27).
The Corinthians were scrutinizing their teachers and leaders with so-called worldly wisdom. They valued the message’s presentation more than its content because of their pride.
While Paul was a brilliant thinker, he was not an impressive speaker (“though I be rude in speech”). Despite the effectiveness of his ministry (Acts 17), he was not educated in the Greek oratory and speech-making schools like many of the false teachers.
Some thought that Paul’s belief in presenting the gospel in a straightforward manner (1 Corinthians 1:17) demonstrated simplemindedness. As a result, the false teachers frequently used his speaking performance as a weapon against him.
5. The Content Is Far More Important Than the Presentation
It is of far greater value to give a presentation that is clear, simple, and helps people understand the gospel.
So, back to the initial question: where is the right place to share the gospel?
First, it is not my pulpit nor your pulpit, for that matter, for it belongs to the Lord. Second, it is not my church, nor is it your church, for it is the Lord’s church, and we are just a part of it.
When we look at Jesus’ earthly ministry and the ministry of the apostles, were they always settled in one location or church? What does our Scripture say? “And Jesus went about all Galilee.” ALL! That tells me that He went here, that He went there, and then He went over there.
And where did the disciples go? Where did Jesus tell them to go? (Mark 16:15) But if no one listens or no one accepts you, can you go elsewhere? (Matthew 28:16-20).
We have many members, but we are of one body (1 Corinthians 12:12). We all have gifts and talents (Acts 9:36-42). We are to use them effectively and to complement one another (Romans 12:4-10). No one is more important than another.
We have all heard the phrase, “When God closes the door, look for a window.” Closed doors may not always be bad, and opened windows may not always be good. It is not always a sign that God has opened a door or a window for us when obstacles are removed.
It may be that God keeps us in the room with the door closed for a reason. And we may not be able to find an open window until we get over something or repent of some wrongdoing.
We should humbly seek contentment where we are. We may be where God wants us for a reason and for a season.
We should look at removing any pride and discouragement from our hearts and be thankful that God is using us for His purpose and His glory with whatever task lies in front of us.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Red Goldwing
