Are we equipped to serve?

Ephesians 4:11-12, “¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up”

Have you ever tried to share Jesus with someone and just felt like you were first not worthy to do it and secondly not equipped about how to do it. Well I can only say welcome to the church today. The fact is on average only 5% of Christians ever share their faith. That is over their life time. So if you have 100 people in attendance on Sunday morning only 5 of them have ever shared their faith that counts your pastor and staff in that hundred. Part of that is caused by a lack of education about what we are to do after we except Christ the other factor comes from our separation from the world. The idea that I am saved and that is all we are called to do is wrong. Once you except Christ you are a new creation and you also have a new job and that is sharing the Good News with others.

            I have taken to writing these devotionals in a hope that you all can benefit from all the schooling and equipping I have to go through to follow God’s calling on my life. We must try to obtain understanding of God’s plan and how we all fit into it. We need to look at what gifts God has given us and learn how to apply them in our daily lives and when God presents opportunities. 1 Corinthians 12:4-8, “⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. ⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” We all have different gifts but are in one body and all those gifts are to be used to glorify God and to edify the church. Edify is another term for build up or to teach we are called to be equipped for the work God has for each one of us. And he has made provisions with in the church to do just that but once we begin training we must apply what we learn or it is useless.

Just a side not as I close Dr. David Wheeler is one of the professors I have at Liberty he was sharing a story in one of the books I am reading about his church’s desire to go out and play softball. This resounded with me as we close the softball season but are looking at a bowling team this year. When they came to him about it he loved the idea but he required that they play in the beer league instead of the church league. His staff had some problems at first but as senior pastor; he one with the argument if Jesus played softball where would he play. He would not be sitting at the ball park with those that were saved but out reaching the lost were they were. He shared they won the season over all but more importantly three families from one of the other teams excepted Christ and are active in that church today. It reminded me that if we never go where the lost people are; we will never be able to reach them. You may not realize how many people around you are lost take time today to pray that God show you those around you and begin praying for their salvation and that God would begin a work in their hearts. Love you all and praying for you every moment.