True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own. —Nikos Kazantzakis
How do you know if you’re called to ministry?
We don’t have to read very far into the Gospels to observe Jesus calling each of His disciples with a face-to-face invitation, “Come, follow Me.” This happens over and over again because that’s how God did it; that’s how He invited people into His plan.
But what about today? Now that Jesus is ascended back to heaven and He’s not physically here anymore, what current method does God use to invite people into His redemptive plan?
To answer that important question, we need to first embrace the truth of this most important statement:
If Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever…
And Jesus indwells me at the moment of conversion…
And if I surrender to Him, He’ll express Himself through me…
Then Jesus will invite people into ministry through me today, in the same way, He invited people into ministry then.
How does God invite people into ministry today?
Jesus invites people through people.
Theologically and practically, Jesus is still here through the indwelling Spirit in us and through His body, the Church. So, like everything else He does, He invites people through His people.
We see examples of this throughout the book of Acts, but I want to show you just one. In Acts 6, the church was exploding, and the needs of the people were greater than the apostles’ ability to serve. So the Twelve gathered their congregation together to have a ministry conversation.
“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them … ” (Acts 6:3)
And so the many chose the seven and presented these men to the apostles, who then laid hands upon them and prayed. Do you see what happened here? People invited people into ministry.
Jesus, take me back through conversations in my life and show me the invitations I’ve been extended. I want to be sensitive to the invitations Your Spirit desires to speak through me. Amen.
Learn more from Pete’s teaching series on Luke, What Will Jesus Do?