Sometimes I get asked, “How many ministers do you have at First Baptist Church?” I understand what they mean by that question. They want to know how many full-time pastors we have at the church.

I sometimes want to answer in a biblical fashion rather than what they mean.

Ministry in the Christian church is for all believers. We should have as many ministers as we do believers who are attending.

Here are four things I want to say about service and ministry through the church.

First, ministry and service are for all believers. We have all been given gifts according to God’s grace. We should and must use those gifts for the glory of God and to bless other people.

Second, service and ministry are a determination, a commitment of the will to serve God and God alone. No one really serves without making a genuine commitment to God to do so. Our service proceeds from our faith, but it does not happen automatically. We have to choose.

Third, service must be for God alone. We cannot really serve as long as we have impure motives. Service must be to please God.

When we serve for acclaim, money, or even to make ourselves feel better, we miss the real meaning of ministry.

The person who serves must be closely in touch with God concerning motives. Jesus talked as much about motive as he did the service itself. The person who serves to be recognized will be recognized and nothing else. The person who serves for God will be blessed immensely.

Finally, it is important to remember that as we serve, we will experience many hardships and multiple blessings.

I am often prone to point out the blessings of ministry without recognizing the difficulties that come with it. Because we live in a fallen world, ministry will provide difficulties. At the same time serving God with all our hearts will bring blessings in this life and in the life to come.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23).

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