What a joy it is the serve the Lord! My favorite day of the week is Sunday, and this particular Sunday proved to be no exception to that rule. During the Sunday school hour we combined adult Bible classes in order to hear the testimony of State Representative Sam Rohrer. Sam is making a bid to be the governor of Pennsylvania, and it was our privilege to host this fine Christian man in our services.

What a remarkable testimony he shared, and what a passion for our state he articulated! I know that I will be praying for God to bless him and his campaign for our Commonwealth’s highest office. For more information about his record and vision, please visit www.samrohrer.org for yourself.

Sunday night’s service focused primarily on ministry involvement. In a job fair type format, we highlighted the many ministries of our church. Each ministry set up its own display and presented its needs for workers. From what I saw, the night was a smashing success with numerous new members embarking down exciting paths of ministry in the local church.

To set the tone for the evening, I preached a simple message entitled, “Ministry Mindedness” from Ephesians 6:5-8. I suggested four components of the life of one who is genuinely ministry minded. A ministry-minded person is (1) servant-minded. We learned that servant-minded people are they who understand the value of serving. Did not Jesus testify that the servant is the greatest of all? (Matthew 23:11) Our society tends denigrate servanthood, relegating it to “entry level” status. Jesus elevated servanthood and underscored that elevation by becoming the quintessential servant Himself. But serving–if it is to be truly serving–is voluntary. From a heart of love a person decides to serve God and others. Such voluntarism requires the submission of the will and the filling of the spirit (see the larger context in Eph. 5:18-22). Paul declared that he had made himself a servant to all men (1 Corinthians 9:19). May our lives humbly mirror his.

A ministry minded person is also (2) submissive-minded. He understands the true meaning of obedience to an authority and renders that obedience with the right attitude. In fact, the word obedience in Ephesians 6:5 means “to hearken, as a porter would open a door.” Those who are submissive-minded respect those who have been placed in positional authority over them. They do not speak of them critically or seek to undermine their God-given status, whether that be at home, church, work, or government. They also possess a readiness to obey. Theirs is not a reluctant and half-hearted obedience. It is promptly, completely, and pleasantly accomplished.

Along with these first two characteristics, ministry-minded people are (3) sober-minded. With fear and trembling they serve their God-appointed authorities. Too often our approach to ministry is cavalier and flippant. We must constantly culture an awareness of the sobriety of our task. To Titus (Titus 2:1-12) Paul stressed the need for every age group in the church to rekindle this attitude of sobriety toward the Lord and His work. Are you aware of just how important your service to God is? Not only must we be aware, we must be accountable. In Philippians 2:12 Paul instructs us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. The bottom line is that we will all be serious about serving God some day, either now or at the Judgment Seat of Christ. How much better it is for us to be serious about our service to God and others now, so that we can approach that Judgment Day with confidence instead of fear? (I John 4:16-18)

Lastly, ministry minded people are (4) single-minded. They’re not seeking the attention of the boss or the favor of the people. No, with an undivided heart they are striving to maintain a Christ-focus. When one truly does what he does for the Lord Himself, there exists no danger of being overlooked, feeling under-appreciated, or growing discouraged. After all, I’m doing this for Jesus and He sees it all! Such intense focus will give the single-minded person confidence–confidence that He sees, He knows, and He rewards in His time.

So, ask yourself: “Am I truly ministry minded?”

admin Sunday Review Sam Rohrer, sermon, Sunday Review