THE CALLING OF UNSELFISH PREACHERS AND WATCHMEN
By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi @Curing the disease of carnality before possible spiritual growth
Transcribe by Saviour Willie
We need to praise God for Paul the apostle, and we need to praise God for Apollos the minister of God. We need to praise God for Peter and Cephas also. Why? Because even though the Corinthians church in their membership were taking size. We thank God that, that kind of carnality was not in Paul, Apollos and Peter. And we need to come back home to our own church. Even if the young converts and the babes in Christ are having all those preferences. How about those of us who are workers?. How about those of us who are ministers? How about those of us who have known the Lord all these years, are we like the babes in Christ? Are we like the members of the church like unfortunately Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Apollos too will be saying © I know your place. I know my place. You stay there and I stay up here ©. You know who is greater and then there's also strife among them. If strife comes among the ministers, workers then, those workers, workmen and watchmen become as carnal members and when the leader is the same as the follower and when the preachers are the same as the people on the queue and when the apostles are the same as the young ones, there's no hope. But it is when the leaders, ministers stay at a higher level, deeper level, and are able to take their stand and are not in agreement with the Corinthians babes who are arguing and at strife concerning the position and concerning the personality of the ministers, then there's Hope for the church.
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</script>And so those of us who are leaders, we need to examine ourselves and find out. Are we as matured as Paul the apostles, Apollos? That we will not allow that kind of strife, division and that kind of envy to be among us who are leaders.
That's why we are looking at this section now. That is: the calling of unselfish preachers and watchmen. We are reading from 1 Corinthians 3:4-5. It says:
For while one saith, I am of Paul and another, I am of Apollos; Are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
It says the Lord gave to everyman (i.e) If Paul was an apostle —that's the calling of God for him. If Apollos was a preacher —he minister, that's the call of God for him. If Barnabas was a prophet, that's the call of God for him. If Timothy was an Evangelist (to do the work of an Evangelist) that was the call of God for him. In which ever state, the Lord has placed you, you remain under the call of God, under the anointing that God has bestowed upon you. That is why he said "By whom ye have believed even as the Lord gave to every man? Wouldn't it be wonderful, that you're a minister and a worker and you're satisfy with what God has giving you. You're in the women section, you're satisfy with what God has given you. You're on the campus, you're satisfy with what God has giving you. You're among the youths and teenagers, you're satisfy with what God has giving you, and there is no carnal competition, worldly competition, political strife, and no place seeking and stamping upon one another so that you can come up and you accept totally and completely whatever the Lord has giving you an instead of abandoning what the Lord has given you and then looking ahead, I want to be that and this, you remain submissive to the calling of God in your life.
There are three things we are looking at:
The divine call of Paul and Apollos.
They had different calls. The Lord had called Paul the apostle and he had also called Apollos. Look at that in 1 Timothy 2:3-7, it says:
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained (Paul)a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not) a teacher of the gentiles in faith and verity.
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</script>Why wouldn't it be wonderful? If somebody can be satisfy in the place where he is and you say I am ordained to be this and to do this and I'm not eyeing, envious of any other thing — I am satisfy because here is where I'm going to establish the people in faith and in verity. It tell us in Acts of the apostle 26:16.
He knew the purpose for which he was call and he remains in that purpose. It says "But rise, and stand upon that feet: For I have appeared unto thee for this purpose. Underline those two words "For this purpose". Have you understood for what purpose God appeared unto you, for what purpose you were brought into the kingdom? For what purpose you are and you are either a teacher or a pastor, or a coordinator or a leader. Anything you're doing "For this purpose I appeared unto you". If you know the purpose why you are in the kingdom. If you know the purpose where he has placed you and another brother knows his own purpose, another sister knows her own purpose, there will be no conflict, fighting and competition as to you know, I want to be there and she want to be there but Paul the apostle said "I can recollect and I can remember that God told me: I appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of the things in the which I will appear unto thee. Verse 17. It says: Delivering thee from the people and from the gentiles, unto whom now I send thee. I'm sending you to the gentiles, that's my purpose. I'm sending you to the children of Israel, that's my purpose. He knew the purpose and he knew where he was sent.
He didn't have to try to campaign and try to politicize the ministry. "Don't you think I can do this and that? Look at the place, they just put me and I'm restricted and I'm limited here. What do you think and you people are just quiet. You are not even praying for me and you're not methodically making way for me to be this and to be that". Paul the apostle didn't have to do that and you don't have to do that because 'God has send each one to fulfil a particular role. Look at verse 18. It says: To Open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me'. The call of Paul the Apostle was very clear, the call of Apollos was also clear. We were told in Acts 18:24-25 and eventually when he went to Ephesus in Chapter 29, in chapter 19 —All he ought to do was very clear and the kept their distinct ministries. Let's go to the second section now.
The distinct commission for preachers and ambassadors.
In 1 Corinthians 3:5. It says:
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man.
It's the Lord who has appointed us, appointed his ministers, the preachers, the pastor's, the shepherds, the overseers. And he knows what was looking for. He knows what he's seen in the lives and in the development in the growth of all those ministers and has given to everyone according to his will.
There should be no competition then, there should be no fighting and then for the ambassadors, it tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:18. It tells us that we ambassadors, also have our roles to play. 'All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation'. Do you understand that? Sinners are separated from God and the Lord has called us believers to be soul winners, Evangelist, ambassadors of Christ and to reconcile men into God and to bring sinners to the saviour and make them to see the saviour, make them to know the saviour, make them to turn away from their sin and turn from the world and turn from the devil and turn from darkness and turn unto the Lord Jesus Christ and then are regenerated and converted, born again and reconciled unto God and here the word of God says 'He hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation'. You see, there are people who will leave that ministry of reconciliation and go to the management administration. Brother, that's not what God has giving you. Do what God has giving you, leave all that administration alone [They want to control, be incharge of everything and even claim of doing everything that comes their way]. Therefore, instead of concentrating to the ministry of reconciliation, evangelism and edification of the church run to and fro making comparison of the ministry God has given to them. Recognize the distinct commission that the Lord hand given to the preachers, ambassadors. It tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:19. It says in verse 19, telling us about the ministry of the ambassadors; To wit, that God was in christ, reconciling the world unto himself,......" Let's think about these: the people of the world who are not born again, the need to be reconciled unto God, so that when they die, they will go to heaven. Now, what if we all abandon that ministry of reconciliation and the little membership that we have, you knoe, somebody comes and he says "I'm going to stay with the little membership and reorganize this and that". It's like you have a little room and in that room, you have table and chairs and then we put the chair this way, the table that way.
Somebody says, he leaves what he ought to do, reconconciling the world unto God and bringing the word of evangelism, salvation, regeneration, repentace and Grace of God. He leaves that and he comes to that little room, and then reorganizes these and put the chair apart there, another chair there and he says 'I like the arrangement now and then instead of leaving that and going and evangelising, reaching out to the regions beyond the people who've never had. He comes back to that same little room again and said:
You know, it's been some weeks now since he's been like these, he reorganizes again. He waste a good life on administration instead of moving on to reconciling the world unto God. But you know, Paul the apostle knew why God called him, the commission and the commitment, consecration of an ambassador and the consecration of a preacher of the gospel.
That's why he says in Verse 19: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath given unto us, not until them, others may I cannot. Here is my concentration. Here is what I ought to do. He has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. In verse 20. Now then we are, not we were, not we shall be, God I'm coming — I need to finish these, I like these one now, let me concentrate on this and that. But you know, it wasn't like that, Paul the apostle did not say; I will abandon what the Lord hath given me to do "I will concentrate on extra-moral activities. Some other things that God hath not called you into, I'm emphasizing that for you to think about yourself. "What has God called you to? To be preacher, and to be a pastor? To be an overseer, to do the work of reconciling men unto God. Are you concentrating on that? Do you love that? Do you appreciate that or Are you saying, 'I wish I was doing the another thing?
Paul said "Now, then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. We pray you, we plead with you. He was passionate about it. He was persuasive about it. That was his whole commitment and consecration, "Be ye reconciled unto God. And that ought to be your concentration, commitment, that you know that God hath called you to concentrate on bringing sinners into the kingdom and preaching the word of God. Not just staying in a local place and reorganizing and rearranging and administering and doing this and doing that. But bringing the word of salvation to the people that have not heard and it's not that you are sitting there expecting sinners to come, you're actually reaching out to them. You're going to the regions beyond, towns, villages and those places you're seeking for sinners.What Jesus did when he was still on Earth, that he came to seek and to save that which was lost. That's what we are going to do in Jesus name, Amen. You will do it in Jesus name, Amen. You and your husband will do it in Jesus name, Amen. You and your wife will do it in Jesus name, Amen. And your children will not discourage you. Your children will not say "Daddy where are you going again! I'm going where the Lord has sent me to go and preach the gospel to every creature
.........And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15.
And then they that believe and are baptize will be save. And if we don't go to them to preach to them. Those who don't believe will be lost. I pray nobody will be lost because of our carelessness in Jesus name, Amen. Now, as we talk about the preachers. When people are called to be preachers, for example we have Paul and Barnabas and the holy ghost separate, the holy ghost say "Separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work I have appointed them to and all the other members of the church and all the other leaders in the church, they that accepted that and encourage them and lay hands on them; fasted and they prayed and they sent them forth. That is the way it was in the early church because the early church knew the distinct commission of those preachers and of those ambassadors. They never discourage anyone. There are people that will discourage a minister.
"Where Is he? We hear that you're now there. How are you doing there? And what is the condition, the climate there? Is it too much heat there? Is it different from where are you before? Well! We are praying for you, that you will abandon those people, let them perish and come and stay with us here. We just like to see your face, whether the people are perishing or not.
Those people are worser than carnal people, wicked people and do not want preachers to go and minister to other people. They do not know the distinct commission of the preachers and the ambassadors. That's why they are doing that. I pray you'll not be guilty of that in Jesus name, Amen. Ezekiel 3:17; Here is the Lord talking to Ezekiel as he is talking to you, me and talking to the people he's called and the people he's appointed. He says "Son of man [you can put your name there], if God had called you, if God is calling you. If God is sending you forth. If God had sent you forth. Put your name there "Son of man, I have made the, I have made there, I have made the a watchman. Think about that! If God, the almighty says "I have made so and so an overseer, prophets, pastor, a watchman, a winner of souls and then you on the other hand, you said 'God you must be wrong. You know God, we don't accept that. How can you call Ezekiel. How can you made this a watchman? No!! We disagree with that. Then you're not a child of God. If you're not submissing to even the will of God in others people lives, how do you submit to the will of God in your own life? But it says: Son of man. I have made there a watchman until the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. Verse 18: When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thing hand........
If God has called you to be a preacher, if God has called you to be an overseer, ambassador reconciling the world unto himself and you allow the pressure of people and allow their worldly statement, worldly commitment, and their worldly discouragement, and distractions to sway you and then to give up what the Lord has called you for, the blood of the souls you should have warn would be required at your hand and the people that make you to abandon the ministry, abandon the calling and come and stay on administration, recorganization, the blood as is required in your hand would be required in their hand aswell. And it tells us in verse 19. "Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul. And in verse 20: Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his stumblingblock before him, he shall die....... A righteous man who had been save before, who had committed his life to the Lord, he allows temptation, carelessness, backslidings, he allows deprivity to come back again, he allows defilement.
He shall die, because those hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sins and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thing hand. In verse 21: it tells us "Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, the righteous man sin not and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
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