Friday, April 11, 2008

Re-commissioning

At In the Clearing Bob offers more good advice:
We are called to be ministers of grace and reconciliation, carriers of the Good News to a hurting and sin-corrupted world. That commission is laid on us whether we are sick or well, poor or rich, etc. Our circumstances change, but our commission remains.

And note this: we carry out this commission in a battle-zone! Maybe the toil and trouble of the week has caused us to forget our high calling, and maybe we have at times set it aside in favor of other things (as did Demas). On Sunday, when the called ones come back together for encouragement and equipping, it's so that they might return to the battle with renewed hope.

So Preacher, remind me of who I am in Christ. Re-commission me each week. If you are preaching to believers, you are speaking to people whom God has made "competent to be ministers of a new covenant . . ." [2 Cor 3.6] What a powerful statement that is. Whatever competence we have comes from God, of course, but if it comes from God, it's nothing to sneeze at! Yet, in my experience, we often do not realize our competence as ministers. We need to be reminded. We need to be taught. We need to know who we are in Christ!
Amen. I'll do my best, Bob. And through God's grace, I'll do better than my best.

4 Comments:

Blogger Bob Spencer said...

I'm always blessed to show up in Transforming Sermons. Thanks so much, Milton!

10:27 AM, April 11, 2008  
Blogger Milton Stanley said...

You're welcome, Bob. Thanks for being one of my best preaching teachers ever. Peace.

1:37 PM, April 11, 2008  
Blogger Vicki said...

It's a high calling alright, but nothing too hard for the Holy Spirit to do through you. I so appreciate your heart for the Lord, Milton.

And the Gaines home appreciates the Stanleys' prayers, too.

11:04 AM, April 12, 2008  
Blogger Milton Stanley said...

Thank you, Vicki. We'll keep praying. Peace.

6:06 PM, April 12, 2008  

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