Ephesians 3:1-9 “A Worker by Grace”
Today we gather to worship in a Thanksgiving Service and also this day is the time to install workers to serve the church, which is the body of Christ. I pray this blessed day brings glory to God and great blessings to us. Let us read verse 7 together, “Of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.” In this we see that the ministry we serve in, no matter what kind it is in the house of God, it is the gift by the grace of God. How thankful we are for it. Therefore today we receive grace through a sermon titled “A Worker by Grace.” I pray God’s grace will fill your hearts.
First, Let’s think about the church of God and its importance. In 1 Timothy 3:15B it says, “The house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” As you well know, the word for church in Greek is Ekklesia (ek-klay-see'-ah), the meaning of this word comes from the word Ek and the word Kaleo (kal-eh'-o) put together meaning “to call out” – to call out to life from death, to call out the people to heaven from hell, to call out the people who belong to God from Satan, to call out to light from darkness.” Therefore the church is the divine gathering of those who have remission of sin through Jesus Christ and are led by the Holy Spirit. The truthful meaning of the church’s existence is that people come to God and meet Jesus Christ and give glory to God and praise the name of Jesus Christ. While gathered saints go forward to God’s nation, love each other, and have fellowship they make a beautiful group of people called God’s church. Every church of God is like an individual branch of God’s nation. It is such a glorious and great blessing that we are permitted to serve God’s people and His kingdom in such a glorious place. This is the grace from God to us and a gift from God.
Secondly, there is a spiritual structure for those who serve in God’s church. This structure is in the leadership, like the pastor, elder and deacon, Sunday school teacher, van driver, and includes everyone. They are the ones serving in God’s church, the branch of God’s kingdom. There are three distinctions in ministry. jOne is the generality in ministry. It is a belief that our ministry comes from God. It is not rank, not rule over others, it is only to serve others to meet Jesus and to help them. It is to believe that the ministry we have comes from God therefore it is divine. Paul said in Romans 11:13, “For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry.” We too magnify our ministry as workers of God’s kingdom. kTwo, is a classification in ministry. There are different positions as pastor, as elder, as deacon, as teacher, but the same purpose. This is the call to work to extend God’s kingdom. lThree, is to assume responsibility and relinquish rights. Ministry in church is different than social positions. How are ones in social areas generally? They ask for their rights, order others around, and rule over others. However in church, it is totally the opposite and is to be different. The command, from God the Master, we obey as a servant. We are not to rule over other believers or ask for possessions or give out orders. We seem to have no power in man’s eyes. Nevertheless if servants are ignored or mistreated or disturbed in their work, in that time, God the Master, our Lord Jesus Christ will speak to them. I believe you will do well in your ministry if you know rightly these three distinctions (generality, classification, and assume responsibility and relinquish rights) and follow them according to your ministry.
Thirdly, let’s think about the attitude for ministers. jWe must be humble. We must be humble as Jesus Christ was humble (Philippians 2:8B). kWe must know the will of the Master. To do this we must read God’s word, the Bible, thoroughly. lWe must be faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). Jesus Christ was so faithful to fulfill God’s will which was death on the cross. The apostle Paul was also faithful to his ministry which was given by the Lord. He was imprisoned, received five times forty stripes minus one for preaching the gospel and the church and ran to the end for the sake of our Lord. mThe workers by grace must serve in joy and thanks. The apostle Paul was able to serve God’s church because he counted it as a gift from God and to do the work of God was his privilege. However, how do we think of it? Do you think of it as a joy and privilege to do something for the Lord? For example, there is something in my younger age that I never will forget. It was very cold one winter, the wind was very strong and it was a snowy morning. When the teacher came in to class, he called my name, “Sang-Kun” and told me to go to his (the teacher’s) house because he had forgotten something. At this time I felt so good and ran in one breath in spite of the winter cold. All of my friends looked at me with envious eyes. If it was nowadays, it would be frustrating and one would say, “Why me on this cold day”? However at that time the teacher specifically selected me, asking that I run the errand and it was a privilege for me. Among so many students, I was chosen; this brought me thanks, joy and pride in myself. If only I could keep that mind all of my life, how wonderful my life would be.
Beloved saints! Let us give thanks to God that He chooses and calls us. “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4) We must have a thankful heart to God. Today, we become workers in God’s church according to the gift of God’s grace. This is a privilege and glory. Paul thought it a privilege and grace of God that he became a servant and worker. It is our mission to serve each person, each soul. I bless you in the name of our Lord that we all become saints who know the ministry by grace and work faithfully in God’s church
By: Rev. Samuel Choi