Making a Personal Commitment to Ministry
Committing to Follow in Christ’s Footsteps 1. Hearing the Savior’s call Christ asked Peter 3 times “Do you love Me? Feed my
lambs,” Only the service of love is of
value in God’s sight. Christ is asking each one of us “Do you love
me?” He asks us “Feed my sheep.” So many people in the world need our care
and kindness. It is a work that is not easy, but worth it because working for
people is the most fulfilling type of work, and it will bring us joy to have
those we have worked for with us in heaven, it will be a treasure for eternity.
2. Growing
up into Christ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain
of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it
produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who
hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12: 24-25 Christ taught us to learn self-sacrificing
love: A new commandment I give to you, that
you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. Jn 13:34 Christ’s New
Commandment – it is different from “Love God supremely” and “Love your
neighbor” because those were not new- Jesus quoted them from the old testament
and said they were like a summary of the old testament, in a way. Let’s look at
the verse; "One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law ?" And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' (Deuteronomy 6:5) "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' (Leviticus 19:18) "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:35-40 What was different
about this new one?? It is to love as He loved us. His love is more than loving others as we
love our selves, it is loving sacrificially,
or giving ones lives for others. In the Christian
life we go through a maturity process.
1) First we fear and love God, 2) then we learn to do service to others
as an expression of our faith, and finally 3) we become more and more filled
with Christ love until we are willing to serve others because of a heart full
of love, even to the point that we are willing to make sacrifices. It is like Christ
fulfilled (Matthew 5:17), or finished
the law in this way- by putting the penacle on this pyramid (new covenant goal
is to have law written in our hearts, to become like Christ- to become mature
in our faith!). Just as it says in
Romans 10:4, Christ is the “end” or “telos” of the law- that means goal. This is the highest state of
maturity we may reach, when we come to love others in the way that Christ loved
them. This process is
seen also in the old and new testaments.
In the old testament the people were just barely out of 3.
Following in Christ’s footsteps "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also ; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:24. Some hardship, difficulty, brings in us the
transformation into Christ’s image. The Road to Emmaus experience; HAVE YOU HAD IT? – (Luke 24:13-35)
Having your heart burn within you, becoming inspired with the kind of holy
excitement from knowing Christ? That’s
what made them run all the way back to 4. Changing
the World Upper
Room Experience- Christ’s disciples after the Holy Spirit came on them,
after that they “turned the world upside down,” really spread the gospel to the
whole world in their generation Paul, Peter, and others who evangelized the
world. Catching the vision of the apostles- desire to finish the end time
work.
”The Heartbeat of our We listened to this song
over and over on the way to the airport when I was going on a mission trip to
Honduras with a group of enthusiastic young people. There’s nothing like the joy of serving the
Lord and knowing he is with you. Circle prayer, inviting Christ to be among you
and allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire you. But it doesn’t take
a group. Even just one person can change
the world. Jesus proved that, he was
only one person and faced constant opposition in his work. Think about your own life- What can you do for
God, with God? Ask yourself… … How can I make
this world a better place? I invite you to make a commitment, pray in your heart and ask God to help you make a difference in this world. Through seeking to bless others we ourselves will receive the greatest blessing and benefit. While others spend their lives chasing glitter and glory but end up empty and in despair, we can always have a deep sense of satisfaction and joy in living connected to God and serving man. May God be with you! Ellen White Quotes;
(For this study, read also: Ministry of Healing Chapter 40)
When we follow Jesus it will help us
to grow and mature spiritually, becoming like him. The
reason many people do
not grow up in Christ is because they do not go on to do the work for souls.
Inspiration for Health Ministry, by LEM
Following After the Lamb
What, then, is the example that we are to set to the world? We are to do the same work that the great Medical Missionary undertook in our behalf. We are to follow the path of self-sacrifice trodden by Christ. {MM 20.3}
Follow the Master
God's servants who are doing genuine medical missionary work have a most solemn, sacred responsibility resting upon them to keep in view Christ's life of unselfish service. They should turn their eyes from everything else, and look unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of their faith. He is the Source of all light, the Fountain of all heaven's blessings. To every medical missionary worker I am instructed to say, Follow your Leader. His is the way, the truth, the light, the life. He is the One whose example we as true medical missionaries must follow. {MM 21.4}
In this age of diseased piety and perverted principle, those who are converted in life and practice will reveal a healthy and influential spirituality. Those who have a knowledge of the truth as it is revealed in God's word must now come to the front. My brethren, God requires this of you. Every jot of your influence is now to be used on the right side. All are now to learn how to stand in defense of truth that is worthy of acceptance. Those who are endeavoring to live the Christ life must call things by the right name, and stand in defense of the truth as it is in Jesus. {MM 22.1}