TOPIC:‌“The Mission of a Minister”

‌‌  by Reg. Dr. Reg Dunlap

 

TEXT:‌‌II Corinthians 5:18-21

 

“And hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation” (v. 18).

 

‌I would like to begin my message with these two statements. Charles Hadden Spurgeon, the great English preacher of past years, when speaking to a group of perspective ministers, declared: “If God calls you to be a minister don't stoop to be a king.” Put beside that the words of the famous evangelist Billy Graham, who stated: “There is no political office in all the world that could take me away from preaching the Gospel.” I fully agree!

 

‌After almost six decades of preaching the Gospel I can truthfully say the ministry is the highest calling and greatest honor in all of the world. There is no rival to it and there should be no retreat from it. I have never ceased to thank God for calling me into the ministry. As the Apostle Paul declared to young Timothy: “And I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord who has…put me into the ministry” (I Timothy 1:12).

 

‌So the mission I give you, __________________  __________________, is five-fold.

 

I.

 

‌First of all, the mission of a minister must be that of a PROCLAIMER. Listen to these words from Isaiah the prophet: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me…to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Isaiah 61:1). Such is what John Wesley meant when he wrote in his journal: “I came into the town and offered them Christ.” That is your responsibility.

 

‌Not to apologize for the faith. Not to debate some theological truth. But to offer the people of our community Christ. A minister is a “voice crying in the wilderness” (John 1:23). And we are living in wilderness times. A minister is “a man sent from God” (John 1:6). You have been sent by God not to tickle the ears of your listeners, not just to impart information or impress people with your persuasive ability, but to proclaim the greatest piece of news . . .