C3—Contribute
We believe everyone needs to CONTRIBUTE to God's kingdom
work together as a church of ministers for Christ.
It is natural that those who
CELEBRATE the love, grace and presence of God and CONNECT in a vital
relationship with God and one another should commit themselves to serve God.
God provides those who CELEBRATE and CONNECT with Him with an awesome
privilege, opportunity and responsibility.
10Each
one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11If
anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If
anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in
all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and
the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1
Peter 4:10-11 (NIV)
God has extended His
grace to us, but we are not just receivers of His grace. When we accept
Christ, we become administrators of the very grace we have received. According to Peter, who has the
privilege, opportunity and responsibility to administer
God’s grace ? "EACH ONE!" "Each
one" refers to all those that were a part of the churches to which he
was writing (1 Peter 1:1-2). Everyone
who accepts God's grace through Christ has the privilege, opportunity and
responsibility to minister (serve others).
Many
people who attend and belong to churches think that leaders alone have this
responsibility of administering God's grace. But Peter clarifies that EVERY
MEMBER IS A MINISTER of God's grace, NOT just the leaders. The leaders administer God's grace by
preparing God’s people to minister for Christ.
11It
was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be
evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to
prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may
be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in
the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole
measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians
4:11-13 (NIV)
We
place CONTRIBUTE on the right side to remind us that we are serving God when
we function as He has designed us.
It
also reminds us that our service is not only to God but to
and with one another. When we serve and minister
together, we build up Christ's church, create a unity in faith and knowledge
that leads us to mature and attain the fulfilling life that Christ wants to
give us.
Without
all three commitments, we are only one-third or two-thirds the person and
the church that we could be and that Christ wants. Without all three
commitments we limit the blessings, privilege and opportunities to have the
fullest life that Christ has promised to give.
To find out more about the Three Commitments,
call Butch Ringwald,
Discipleship Minister, at 815-673-1581.
|
