Involved in Ministry - Matthew 23 - 25:46

The First Baptist Church of Heber Springs has a new ‘funny book’ just published that lists the names of the active membership and provides the addresses, phone number and a ‘picture’ of each member. If there was 100% attendance on any given Sunday Morning, how many ministers [both active and retired] do you think would be present? If our pastor would ask for a show of hands of all ministers present, how many do you think would raise their hands? Would you be one of those indicating a positive response? Do you consider yourself to be a minister in the church that Christ established while he was here on earth?

By experience as a father of two children and a public school teacher and administrator of thousands of children of other parents I can, and do, here by attest that one of, and may be the first and easiest lessons that children learn, is how to find excuses for their mistakes. They learn how to make excuses before they learn how to read and they improve in this skill faster than any subject they enroll in throughout school life. By the time they reach the age of accountability, they are able to convince their parents some other person is responsible for all of their problems. At any age, unbelievers are even able to convince themselves that they have a good excuse for the commission of both the sin of omission and commission.

Here is your challenge regarding your responsibility as a minister of Christ for Christ. You must read the entire scripture that forms the foundation and structure of today’s lesson—Matthew chapters 23, 24 and 25. They are all in red letters that surely will remind you of his blood that Jesus shed for the sin of all people who will believe in him.

Regarding those above who did not raise their hand—some may not know that they should be involved in Christ’s ministry. Others may know—but just do not want to be involved and they think they have a good reason; however, what they really have is a poor excuse. The sad truth lies in the fact that some do not know—or do not believe—that the results of their final judgment regarding the truth…sincerity…and genuineness of their Christianity will be determined by the extent they are involved in his ministry.

I think that we need to take a moment to look at the overall picture of where we are today. Because of the timing, everything that Christ says grows more important—for these are some of the last teachings that were meant primarily for his disciples first and then all of his followers. His entry into Jerusalem was last Sunday, one week before his crucifixion. This must have been the longest week of His life. What he said, and did in this last week has got to be the most important message in word and action that he gave us to ponder. When he entered the city he went directly to the temple where he found disgrace and dishonor being shown because the Jews had turned the holy temple into a market-place. His anger reached the highest point of his entire ministry—and he used a whip and drove them out of the temple. We must never forget that our ‘church building’ is a proto-type of the Jewish temple and it is never to be used as a commercial building.

The time is near the end of His earthly ministry. The city of Jerusalem is crowded with Jewish worshipers, who have come to observe the Passover, and He and His disciples were in the temple complex [21:23], that was crowded with observers. Jesus knew that the Pharisees and Sadducees were there listening to his every word—looking for something that they could use to bring charges against him [22:15]. This seems like an appropriate time for me to remind you that the Roman Government was in power and they were not interested in getting involved with the religious differences between the established Jewish leadership and the teachings of the Messiah. The Jewish leadership realized this and shifted their charges toward the fact that Jesus claimed to be God on earth, who was interested in the overthrow of the Roman Government. Jesus realized that these false acquisitions would ultimately lead to his destruction and this made it imperative that he convince his followers that they had to be ready to take responsibility for the continuation of his ministry on earth.

Jesus uses the entire twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew to teach us that the future of his church depends upon Christian people and therefore they must be involved in Jesus’ ministry in order for his total plan to work successfully. You will find his examples in the parables he gave us in this chapter.

The first example comes in the story of the ten bridesmaids. All were invited to take part in his total plan of salvation exemplified in a wedding. Five of them took the invitation seriously and prepared their lamps with the necessary oil to keep them lit and working as long as they were needed. The second five did not take seriously their need to prepare to be a part of the wedding and when their lamps burned out there was no provision for them to refuel and still be a part of the celebration. Herein lies a very simple example of a very small and simple ministry. Before the wedding they should have given a few minutes of their time to pour the oil in their lamps. We observe the Lord’s Supper frequently as a solemn celebration of the death of our Savior, in our remembrance of his sacrifice for us. Someone has to obtain the wine [juice] and pour it into glasses before the observance can take place—and that is a necessary ministry. Likewise, the preparation of the unleavened bread is ministry—and for sure the serving process is a ministry. Failure to adequately prepare or properly serve at the Lord’s Supper is similar to the failure of the bridesmaids who neglected to prepare for the wedding.

It is well to note here that the Bridegroom’s wedding was delayed…some extra time went by and this required more oil than was expected. The Bridegroom represented Christ and The Church will be His bride. Christ has already delayed his return to the earth longer than many think he should…but for sure he will come when least expected, and our preparation should be such as is necessary for one day or a thousand years.

The next example of ministry was explained in the parable of the man that was going on a journey and entrusted his wealth to his three servants. To the first he gave five talents of money, to the next he gave two talents and to the third man he entrusted one talent. Note: The man going on a journey represents Christ who was going to ascend back into heaven—and the three men represented three church members. The first has many talents…he can preach, sing, pray, play instruments, and witness, and while his master was gone—he used his time and talents and won five sinners to Christ. The second could only pray and witness—he used his time and talents and successfully won two new converts. The third member of the church was limited in talents and decided to use this as an excuse to just attend the services and Sunday school when it was convenient for him. He was not rewarded, because he could have done more—and he probably wound up praying that God would return unto him the joy of his salvation. Which one of these men represents you?—or which do you represent?

The heart of this lesson today comes without any doubts or need for interpretation in the 31st verse of chapter 25. In order for you to be fully convinced that you are expected to minister, it is imperative that you read this passage. When and where is this setting and what happens? One day soon, and very soon, Christ [The Son of Man] will return to earth in all his glory; He will be seated on his throne and all of his angels will be with him. All nations from Siberia to South Africa…from the north to the South Pole, regardless of whom they say is their god’ will be assembled before Him. Just as a shepherd separates the goats from his sheep—Christ will divide the people, putting the goats on his left and the sheep on his right side. There is no question about it…the sheep represent all who have accepted Jesus as their savior…and the goats will be made up of all people who have served the other gods.

Then the King [Son of Man, Jesus] will speak specifically to the sheep on his right hand, and he will invite them to come unto him because they are the blessed by his father [Jehovah God]. He will invite them to take [receive, occupy, enter in] their inheritance—which is the Kingdom prepared for them since the creation of the world. Then He explains why or how they have inherited the Kingdom. NOTE SPECIFICS.

Christ is speaking…it is in red letters. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.” The righteous [sheep, Christians] will then ask when and how did they do these things. “The king will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” I now ask you: is there any thing listed here that you could not do as your ministry responsibility? Maybe there are some, but I dare say that every one of us could find at least one of these that we could have, can do, or should do. For example; the stranger represents a non-church going person with no church body interested to minister to him. All of us could invite him to come in to our church; there is no doubt that some one out there is spiritually hungry, and if invited to our church he will be fed on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The sad side of this explanation of the differences between the sheep and the goats culminates in the last two verses of this chapter. We are still at the same gathering of all nations. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, turns now to his left hand and speaks to the goats. He gives them the same list of needs that he had during their lifetime and then told them that they did not minister to any of his needs. They also wanted to know when this happened and how or why. He will reply, “I tell you the truth, what ever you DID NOT DO FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU DID NOT DO FOR ME.”

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

At age 83, after much study of God’s Holy Bible, especially the teachings of the New Testament, I truly believe in the ‘Security of the Believer’. And after many years of teaching the Word, and many examples of the necessity to live in loving obedience—I also truly believe that we will be rewarded according to the degree of our obedience. He said, “You must be born again,” Then he told Peter, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” Salvation is an absolute necessity in order to inherit eternal life. And our INVOLVEMENT IN MINISTRY is an absolute necessity in order to please God. Many will be saved ‘as by fire’ because of their lack of obedience. You can know a tree by the fruit it bears!