THE CHRISTIANS CALL TO MINISTRY - by Jim Tharp

In Chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus and His disciples, have left the multitudes. He felt the need to bring them together to hear what He expected of every true believer; He wanted every believer to become a disciple who would reach out to others with the good news of God’s love. He knew that He Himself had been sent by His Heavenly Father to sacrifice His life by dying on an old rugged cross to pay the sin debt of anyone who would believe in Him as the Son of God risen from the dead. This good news He called it the Gospel, “the power of God to salvation.” (Romans 1:16)

In Chapters 5 through 7 of Matthew we have The Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus laid out for His appointed disciples their first lessons in training to spread the good news of the Gospel. Beginning in Matthew 5, verses 13-24, Jesus made it clear that ministry is the responsibility of every believer—those present at that time before His death and resurrection and all of us who have believed in Him throughout this entire church age. The ministry of the Gospel is not confined to bishops, pastors, teachers, and elders in the church; every believer is called to be a disciple. All Christians are to share their faith in such a way as to multiply the number throughout the human race who will respond to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin, of righteousness, and of the judgment as they hear the gospel.

I urge my Christian readers to join me in taking seriously the two symbols Jesus used to describe the influence that our personal testimony of the gospel is to have on our non-Christian cultures. Notice what we are called to be and to do as we read the verses of command in Matthew 5:13-16 where Jesus says we are to be SALT and LIGHT. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

SALT. As we know, salt has at least two important uses—for flavoring and for preserving. I grew up in Arkansas and how well I remember how important salt was to flavoring and preserving our food since we planted gardens and raised most of our own food. We did not have electricity in our part of Arkansas country until 1948. However, we were glad when a truck would come to deliver ice once a week down a country road about two miles from our home back on the edge of a prairie. Either my father or I would hook our mule to a cart and go out to meet the ice truck so that we could buy two or three blocks of ice to bring back home. We would bury the ice in a prepared place in the ground, and that ice would last for nearly a week. This ice preserved our milk, meat, and other foods and kept them from spoiling. This we did for years! Then in 1948 we were blessed with that new and marvelous power of electricity.

But we still needed SALT! Foods like oatmeal, gravy, and other kinds of foods can be unpalatable without salt. Like our Tharp family, most families ate their meals at home. Being the oldest son, I was responsible for riding my bicycle to the country store about 3 miles from our home to purchase groceries and other items. I would fill the large baskets on the front and back of that bicycle with several items, which nearly always included SALT.

Our family raised chickens, hogs, and cattle. In the early part of winter, my father would butcher hogs, as well as some wild game like turkey, wild hogs, and deer. My father had built a large smokehouse in which he prepared chicken, pork, beef, and wild game by flavoring and preserving them with SALT to prevent them from spoiling, even after getting electricity. Yes, SALT both flavors and preserves!

Jesus said Christians are the SALT of the earth. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit’s anointing and power for the wisdom and courage to share the good news of the Gospel. Thus, we would be helping lost souls prepare for eternal life.

LIGHT. In John 8:12, Jesus declares to His disciples, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” He wants us to know that He is Himself the LIGHT of the world. Let us realize that here Christ is declaring that just as the moon reflects the light of the sun onto the darkened side of the earth, so we believers in Jesus are to reflect Jesus as the LIGHT of life. We should realize that we are to go all out as ones who have been born anew, enlightened and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and called to a very important ministry of witnessing to our world. We are called to shine with our life and words of faith to help as many as will listen and believe to experience Jesus’ LIGHT of life.

A closing prayer: Our Heavenly Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit help us who are called to become SALT and LIGHT to our generation to sense our need to seek a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit for the power, wisdom, and faith in these last days to reach out to unbelievers with the very love of Jesus and to shine out with His loving grace for their salvation. May our loved ones, neighbors, friends, and others we know be on our hearts and in our prayers for their salvation before it is too late. Give us courage, passion, and holy boldness—but with kindness—to help them find the life of love you desire for them. According to the signs of the times, help us realize that the end is near. Please, oh God, help us reach out in love and grace. I pray this in Jesus’ holy name. Amen!


Note: All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.