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| What is Jesus Looking For? |
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10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward. As I ponder the abovementioned verse, there are three points that seem to emerge from Matthew’s statement that help us get a handle on Christ’s desire for you and me to reach out to people.
Looking for Someone to Reach Out
First, Jesus is looking for someone to simply reach out, to take that first step and offer that cup of cold water to someone. To understand who he is beckoning to take on this task, it may behoove us to look at who He is not looking for. He is not necessarily looking for the super saint, though he may use that person to do great things.
I praise God for the ministry of people like Tony Evans, Jack Hayford, Chuck Swindol, and Bishop Charles Blake. To be sure, each of these well known ministries has been truly a blessing to the body of Christ. However, the text says, “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water.” Sometimes we think that it is the high profile person who God really uses. The truth is, is that there are very few high profile people, therefore God uses a whole lot of us unknowns to accomplish His work.
Not only is God not looking for super saints, he is not necessarily looking for Bible scholars either. What I’ve discovered is that God will use the knowledge that you already have for His glory. You and I just need to be surrendered to Him. Luke reminds us that what God is looking for is surrendered vessels. Peter and John typify what I am saying. Luke states, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). They were simply surrendered vessels for the Master’s use.
Looking for Someone to Minister Second, Jesus is looking for someone to minister. Paul declared in Romans 15:25, “But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.” The word minister means “to be a servant, attendant, to serve, wait upon.” This is why the NIV uses the word service instead of ministry in the same verse because it highlights ministry’s true nature which is service to others.
Therefore, ministry is the selfless action of one person seeking to extend God’s love to another in a spirit of servant hood and humility. Jesus, then, is asking us to live a life of service to others. J I Packer is particularly insightful when he said, “When the New Testament speaks of ministering to the saints, it means not primarily preaching to them but devoting time, trouble, and substance to giving them all the practical help possible.”
To effectively minister requires that you and I be connected to the Savior and be wholly devoted to Him. Packer continues, “[We have been] bought to serve [the] master's needs, to be at his beck and call every moment, the slave's sole business is to do as he is told. Christian service therefore means, first and foremost, living out a slave relationship to one's Savior (1 Corinthians. 6:19-20). This takes place as the Holy Spirit creates “in us the kind of love toward our Savior that will overflow in imaginative sympathy and practical helpfulness towards his people. [Thus] the essence of Christian service is loyalty to the king expressing itself in care for his servants.
Looking For Someone to Reward Third, Jesus is looking for someone to reward. Jesus takes delight in blessing and rewarding his children. Everything we do for God, when done with the right motive, will be rewarded one day. Perhaps Thomas a Kempis expressed it best when he said,
Do not be worn out by the labors which you have undertaken for My sake, and do not let tribulations ever cast you down. Instead, let My promise strengthen and comfort you under every circumstance. I am well able to reward you above all measure and degree. You shall not toil here long nor always be oppressed with griefs. A time will come when all labor and trouble will cease. Labor faithfully in My vineyard; I will be thy recompense. Life everlasting is worth all these conflict, and greater than these. Are not all plentiful labors to be endured for the sake of life eternal? Lift your face therefore to heaven; behold I and all My saints with me--who in this world had great conflicts--are now comforted, now rejoicing, now secure, now at rest, and shall remain with Me everlastingly in the kingdom of My father.
May we endeavor to seek to minister for our Lord as we offer a cup of cold water to the hurting person who comes our way, simply because we are a disciple of Jesus.
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I want to minister in His name at any level, even without a reward! |
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MaKelly |
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November 10, 2007 at 8:14am |
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Pastor Tim this blog truly bless me
OUTSTANDING BLOG |
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| Excellent words in the expository style. If it isn't obvious, I really enjoy seeing folks pull the meat out of scripture, no matter how short the passage. THANKS again Pastor Tim! ~mike |
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| Thank you Pastor for this greatly needed blog! The insight that you have given will help a lot of people understand more of what JESUS wants, and not what we are looking for. In the past week we have seen blogs that seem to be going away from the task at hand. Some blogs I think were misunderstood, some written out of retaliation to other blogs, and some because people want to sound intelligent. This blog, I believe, will grip the heart of the reader if people take a good look at it with a mind and heart to learn. |
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Deb |
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November 10, 2007 at 4:10pm |
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| Very well written blog. Pastor Tim, I see in you that quality of ministering to people, just in the things that you write here, as I do with many others here on MyChurch. We are truly blessed to have you here. |
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Joey |
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November 10, 2007 at 10:24pm |
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| You ministered to me, Pastor Tim with your writing. God bless you. I cried out to Jesus. |
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| Thanks everyone for their comments. I have been traveling today so I apologize for not responding sooner. Thanks Joey, Deb, Lina, Kaith, Mike, MaKelly, Restore, Randy for your comments. You guys rock! |
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Well said..
That's the truth and nothin' but the truth, so help me God! |
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Denise |
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November 11, 2007 at 2:43pm |
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selfless This word stood out to me in your blog. Our ministry, even our lives must be selfless living a life that is selfless as a witness to others, and in so doing we can look forward to the fact that Everything we do for God, when done with the right motive, will be rewarded one day.
Thank you Pastor Tim, wonderful blog.
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Gene |
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November 13, 2007 at 8:01pm |
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| PT, Great insights. Very true. Isn't this also in the context of Jesus sending out the seventy and admonishing them in their duties? In the text just prior to this Jesus is stressing commitment and the price that may be demanded for discipleship. He comes back in the last sentences emphasizing the balance that is the reward offered for true discipleship. I read this sentence as the pinnacle of the entire chapter - Jesus testimony to the seriousness of discipleship and the rewards offered to those who persevere. Your exposition is right on! |
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Pastor Tim, thank you for reminding me that a minister is someone who just...serves.
The Lord is putting me in boot camp to get ready to go to India where they don't even have toilets.
Where the orphans have lice and the food is liable to make you sick from the water it's made in.
Oh Lord God send me! Pick me, pick me!!!! What's that? I'm NOT READY YET?
It's true.
I am to be "broken in" by working in an Christian aftercare program for 3 hours a day changing the diapers of one-year-olds for an undetermined length of time. God just provided our family this much needed "tailor-made" job today so I can continue homeschooling and teaching music at my church one day a week. It's been twelve years since my daughter was that age and I've forgotten all about it. On December first, Siani is opening a new Child Development Center for 154 disadvantaged Hindu kids....don't you think it will be easier for me to remember to pray about that while I'm cleaning up after a sick baby? This is a "stout", 54-yr. old, dignified violinist speaking. It's all about serving. And I need to learn this lesson far better.
I'll be giving a cup of cold water to the little ones in His name. Literally.
<:))))><
Connie |
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Conniesister, in your eyes, it may appear that you are doing something insignificant by doing a job in an Christian aftercare program. You are in the right place where God has placed you in the Body of Christ. If you do not this work in His body, then the Body of Christ will lack in that particular service which you are giving to God. Oneday, God will make you provide for greater needs in His body as you remain faithful to Him in this work.
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Victorius, I love your heart for the truth.
Denise, thank you for the kind words. I like what you said about selflessness being a witness to others. You are so right, Jesus came to serve rather than to be served and we should too. The selfless person will definitely shine in a selfish world.
Gene, I love the way you think brother.
Connie, you are always a great source of encouragement. I will be praying for your upcoming missionary endeavor.
Job, God indeed blesses us with more as we are faithful with what we currently have been given. |
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Joey |
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November 18, 2007 at 1:55am |
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| I came back to this again, tonight. |
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