“MINISTERS” OF CHRIST
A. What IS a “minister’ in the New Testament? Is the preacher the only “minister”?
B. “Servant; one who gives; act of serving” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A. Civil Authorities (Romans 13:1-7) [READ] • “minister of God” (vs.4) “God’s ministers” (vs.6)
B. Jesus (Romans 15:8) “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers”. (Hebrews 8:1-2) “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the lord pitched, and not man.”
C. The Apostles (Acts 26:16) “But rise and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee”. (Romans 15:25) “But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. ”
D. ALL Christians (Colossians 3:23) “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Galatians 5:13) “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1
A. Physically (Matthew 25:44-46) “Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, insomuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
B. Spiritually (Romans 15:15-16) [READ] ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A. Christians (Romans 15:26-27) “For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtor they are. For if the gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. (Matthew 20:25-28) [READ] ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A. By putting people in remembrance of Christ’s doctrine (1 Timothy 4:6) “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained”. • Preachers & Teachers “minister” in the gospel publically, but all Christians can remind each other what the God has said in the Bible.
B. According to our Abilities (1 Peter 4:10-11) “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. • We do not have the spiritual “gifts” of the 1st century, but, we still have abilities to serve Christ and one another 2
C. As God has Authorized (1 Corinthians 4:6) “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another” (Colossians 3:17) “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A. A “Minister” is a servant
B. To “minister” is to serve
C. Therefore, when we serve someone, we become their “minister”
D. Let us all be ministers of Christ and to the world. 3 ADDENDUM: The word “Minister”
A. DEFINITIONS:
1. Deakoneo [G1247] Diakonos [G1249] Diakonia [G1248] To be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon.
a. to minister to one, render ministering offices to To attend to anything that might serve another's interests. To minister a thing to one, to serve one or by supplying any thing. TEXT: Matthew 4:11; 8:15; 20:26, 28; 22:13; 23:11; 25:44; 27:55 / Mark 1:13,31; 9:35; 10:43, 45; 15:25,41 / Luke 4:39; 8:3; 10:40; 12:37; 17:8; 17:8; 22:26, 27 / John 2:5,9: 12:2,26 / Acts 1:17,25,29; 6:1,2,4; 11:29; 12:25; 19:22; 20:24; 21:19 / Romans 11:13; 12:7; 13:4; 15:8,25; 16:1 / 1 Corinthians 3:5; 12:5; 16:15 / 2 Corinthians 3:3,6,7,8,9; 4:1; 5:18; 6:3,4; 8:4,19,20; 9:1,12,13; 11:8,15,23 / Galatians 2:17 / Ephesians 3:7; 4:12; 6:21 / Philippians 1:1 / Colossians 1:7,23,25; 4:7,17 / 1 Thessalonians 3:2 / 1 Timothy 1:12; 3:8,10,12,13; 4:6 / 2 Timothy 1:18; 4:5,11 / Philemon 1:13 / Hebrews 1:14; 6:10 / 1 Peter 1:12; 4:10 / Revelation 2:19
2. Huperetes [G5257] Hupereteo [G5256] A servant
a. an under rower, subordinate rower
b. any one who serves with hands: a servant --in the NT of the officers and attendants of magistrates as of the officer who executes penalties
c. any one who aids another in any work --an assistant TEXT: Matthew 5:25; 26:58 / Mark 14:54, 65 / Luke 1:2; 4:20 / John 7:32,45,46; 18:3,12,18,22,36; 19:6 / Acts 5:22, 26; 13:5,36; 20:34; 24:23; 26:16 / 1 Corinthians 4:1
3. Leitourgeo [G3008] Leitourgos [G3011] To serve the state at one's own cost
a. to assume an office which must be administered at one's own expense To do a service, perform a work
a. of priests and Levites who were busied with the sacred rites in the tabernacle or the temple
b. of Christians serving Christ, whether by prayer, or by instructing others concerning the way of salvation, or in some other way.
c. of those who aid others with their resources, and relieve their poverty TEXT: Acts 13:2 / Romans 13:6; 15:16,27 / Philippians 2:25 / Hebrews 1:7; 8:2; 10:11
4. Epichoregeo [G2023] To supply, furnish, present To be supplied, ministered to, assisted TEXT: 2 Corinthians 2:19; 9:10 / Galatians 3:5 / 2 Peter 1:11