19th Jun 26 | 04:39
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03 Acts 01 12-26 NUMBERED WITH THE ELEVEN 09 Acts 01 17 Fulfilling the ministry for our generation
📖 Acts 01:12-26
09 – 13Jul2022 – *Fulfilling the ministry for our generation* - _Acts 01:12-26_ - NUMBERED WITH THE ELEVEN - Bible reading: _I Peter 2:9-10_
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You have a ministry for us. Your desire is that none of us should miss the ministry that You have wonderfully designed for us. Lord, we pray that in our foolishness and disobedience, we should not lose out on Your ministry for us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
_Acts 1:17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry._
Peter explains to the others that Judas had a part in the ministry and apostleship of the Lord. The tragedy of the life of Judas was that he chose to destroy himself when he could have repented, returned and been restored to the ministry and apostleship that was designed for him by the Lord.
This is the lesson that we must learn from Judas. Sadly, the Israelites too committed the same mistake. They refused to learn the lessons that the Lord was teaching them through their journey in the desert, for the Lord was preparing them for the ministry of being a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to God.
Apostle Paul then applies this to us that these things happened to them so that we will be admonished. We must not miss out on the ministry that God has planned for us.
*_I Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come._*
The will of God, for David, was for him to serve his own generation.
*_Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;_*
We have a ministry from God for our time and for our generation. We have been birthed in a particular setting, in a particular milieu, in a particular generation, because it is there that we fulfil our ministry.
If we, foolishly, run away from our places, where we have been birthed and *chose to live elsewhere for our own comforts*, then it is clear, that we have not given priority to the ministry that the Lord has designed for us.
Let us never confuse activities with the ministry of God for us. We can very easily fill our lives with Christian activity but we may be far removed from the ministry that the Lord had intended for us.
As the church, the Lord has a purpose for us. This is an overview of the ministry of the church.
_I Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (10) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy._
This is the common ministry of the church. We are here on earth, just like the Jews, to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation to God. We are to be those who proclaim the praises of God to a world that is hurting by being enemies of God.
When all of us in the church are clear about our common agenda and we strive to move forward to fulfil our ministry as His church, we will draw closer to one another. We will set aside our differences since our common ministry becomes our focus.
The task for us as the church is clear. Christ has done the work on the cross by which man, who was dead, can now be made alive and come to fullness of life in Christ.
*_Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross._*
This is the ministry of reconciliation that has been entrusted to the church.
*_II Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,_*
We are here to bring people to faith in Jesus. None of us must miss out on the ministry that has been entrusted to the church. If we do so, we are reiterating that we have learnt nothing from the tragedy of Judas. *Judas missed out on his ministry and apostleship and so are many of us*.
The ministry of God also includes the edification of the body of Christ.
We, therefore, have a bi-directional ministry. We are reconciling people to God and we are also edifying the body of Christ. Both of these activities happen simultaneously.
*_Ephesians 4:11-13 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;_*
When we stand before the Lord, on the day of judgement, what account will we give of ourselves? *Have we fulfilled the ministry designed for us by God?*
The Lord is gracious and He is willing to pardon and restore the years for us that the locusts have eaten. Even after knowing the goodness of God, if we still remain adamant and continue in our deliberate ways to fulfil our own agenda in life, then that day of the Lord, will be a dread.
```Let us, without delay, be aligned to His plans for us.```
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