I had a dream some days ago that got me thinking. I believe it was a message from God. Permit me to share it with you.
I was at a concert with my daughter and there was a wide array of ‘gospel’ artists performing. I however noticed that quite a few of those ministering were public figures (actors, secular musicians etc) and some were not even Christians. But they still sing and believe it or not they “ministered”. From that scene, I was taken to another where the organizer of this ‘outreach’ programme was being called to task for featuring people who the whole Nation knew were not even ‘saved’. His reply was that they ministered and several people answered the call to salvation. “Souls were saved to the glory of God”.
I woke from that dream thinking the same thoughts: “So people can be saved through me while I may not even know or love the Lord!” Of all the other possible conclusions that could be drawn from this dream, this was the one that the Lord made me dwell upon.
Consider if you may a signboard announcing an upcoming event. All it does is point people to where it’s “happening”. It may be painted in bright and attractive colors, made with solid metal or the latest material in signboard technology, but it’s still stationary. It’s not going to escort anyone to the venue of the event let alone participate; all it’s good for is to stand there, look “good” and point the way to where people need to be.
Bible talks about a ‘sister’ in Acts 16:16-18 who followed Paul for many days crying “these men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation”. What she was saying was definitely true but was she a true believer? We find our answer in verse 18 when Paul, ”being grieved” turned on her and cast out her evil sprit. She “talked the talk” although she was anything but a Christian. A typical signboard.
What do you believe?
Are you a minister or a worker in church? Do you stand there Sunday after Sunday looking good, ‘talking the talk’ and even appearing to walk the walk? What do you really believe? Would not it be a shame if people who looked up to you and thought they were following your Christian example made it to heaven but you didn’t?
That will not be our story in Jesus Name!
I know of a brother who was the epitome of goodness. An usher in church, he’d get in early, clean the chairs the pulpit area and anything else that needed doing. A sharp dresser he had many sisters “believing God” that he would just look their way and pop the question. His combination of humility, charm, service and finesse was a winner any day.
A group of us however got talking about the end-times one day and to our utmost surprise he said “let’s face it, I mean for one trumpet to sound and all of us to go flying into the air… that’s just a bit absurd. Don’t you think?”. Now although this was way back in 1994 and he has since changed his views radically (thank God!), it was an eye opener for me.
Brothers and Sisters, his was not an isolated case. There were and still are many in the church today who are only members because they admire the Pastor, if not because of miracles, sign and wonders. Church is “the place to be” nowadays. Church is “where it’s at”. And so they join the choir, the ushering department, even the evangelism team and ‘minister’ to people without being fully persuaded of Christ’s suffering, death, resurrection or HIS SECOND COMING!
Beloved, what do you believe? Whether we know it or not, the Lord CANNOT LIE. If He said “I am the way, the truth and the life” and “you must be BORN AGAIN”, He means just that. If He said “I go to prepare a place for you” he means just that. You MUST believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, that he came and he died and that He’s COMING AGAIN!
Nothing else we do in His house matters to him if we have not believed in Him and confessed Him as Lord. Be you an usher, a Pastor, a chorister, a worship leader, a traffic warden, a sanitation officer, an instrumentalist - whatever you are you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ first and foremost.
A failure to do this makes you nothing but a signboard pointing to the Master but moving no closer to Him than when you first begun.