Called to be a Servant Witness Who do YOU say that I am? and Simon Peter declares You are the Christ, the son of the living God! Matthew 16:13-19 The oldest statement of faith is that Jesus is Lord. Jesus honors Peter for his confession by giving him the keys to the kingdom and reminds His followers not to be like the Gentile leaders who love to lord it over others. Jesus does not want that for those He calls - Jesus says that if you want to be first you must be willing to be servant of all. Some believe that Peter was given the keys to start a great movement. But in Jesus’ day the one who held the keys was the one that could unlock the only door that was locked in the house. The store room was the only room that was locked and the only one that had the key was the servant of the household - his job was to unlock the storeroom and provide the needed supplies for the household. Jesus calls people to ministry not so that they can lord it over others as some seem to think - Jesus was making Peter the servant witness of the house of faith whose job it was to unlock the storeroom and provide what was needed for ministry in a dark and hurting world - thus the church was born as a hospital and not a country club for members only. I was called to be a servant witness at 19 - I felt God’s call to be in ministry - I was given keys to unlock and provide the tools for ministry for those who wanted to follow Jesus. I believe that the called are to unlock - release - equip and empower followers of Jesus in their varied tasks of ministry to a dark and hurting world all for the glory of God. The problem is that the established church and her leaders have taken it upon themselves to keep the keys and keep the ministry for themselves rather than unlocking, empowering, and equipping followers of Jesus who are called to a ministry in a dark and hurting world. That’s why God is equipping and calling folks like Joyce Meyer to do what the church and clergy have failed to do - the days of a country club church are dying. The established church has become bishop-dominated and bishop-focused who are more concerned with reports and meetings than with those living in a dark and hurting world. These same self serving churches and bishops monopolized the tools to be used in ministry to a dark and hurting world. They want folks to think their roll is to attend and watch the performance as well as pay the bills. They want an audience not a group of followers who desire to follow Jesus and do the work of the church Jesus established. God is the all seeing audience - the called are the performers in ministry to go about as light and as salt to transformation the world. How blessed we are as followers of Jesus to use the keys we’ve been given to unlock the tools to equip the whole household of faith to be salt and light in a dark and hurting world all for God‘s glory. The established church with it’s over educated bishops have become inward-focused to the point of even locking the lost out rather than becoming outward-focused and using the gifts of the Spirit to transform the world. God is birthing a new church and letting the established country club church die. This new church is outward-focused - thats why it will prevail - it is outward-focused with servant witnesses who use their keys to free and equip followers of Jesus for ministry in a dark and hurting world all for the glory of God. Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom to unlock the tools needed to equip Jesus followers in ministry to a dark and hurting world. As a servant witness how will I use those keys? Will I unlock doors, help followers to be light and salt to others, equip others to walk in love, lead and send out followers to engage a dark and hurting world? I am called to be a servant witness for the glory of God - that’s why Jesus gave Peter those keys to pass on to others like myself who are called to be servant witnesses. Let us pray: Lord increase my wisdom and understanding of Your Word that I may be a servant witness in all - transform my heart to do Your will and to walk in Your love. May I be filled with a superabundance of Your joy - of Your peace and of Your love for my calling so I can unlock the doors of what is needed so others can be light and salt to a dark and hurting world for Your kingdom. This I pray in the Name of Jesus - the One who forgave me and loves me and did so from the Cross. Amen.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 11:00:34 +0000
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