The Good Shepherd

Have you ever considered how God has so thought about every need of His people? He thought about our need for love so He showcased His great love for us by giving us His Son to save us from sins. He thought of our need of food to eat, a place to live, the best substance to drink – water, and now in this passage, we consider the fact that He provided both work and rest for His people. Remember that Jesus is the Good Shepherd of His sheep, and as long as you come under Him, you are certain to be led by Him to lie in green pastures, by the still waters, to restore your soul, in paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Christ will be with you and will comfort you by His rod and staff. He will prepare a table before you – in fact in the presence of your enemies! And anoint your head with oil so that His goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life!

This good shepherd is the Lord and is the lord over the lives of His sheep. He has given them His word to follow Him! Are you following Him? The passage before us will challenge our thinking in a number of things in regard to the keeping of the Lord’s Day. Please do not switch off because you may not like some of the instructions here. This passages chops off by the roots the trees of materialism, earthlimindedness, and pleasure-madness that so many Christians seem to enjoy and relish their fruits.

You will notice that most of your time is taken up by making money, thinking of what new property you need to acquire, pursuing pleasure and family. You notice that though these in of themselves are not sinful, bust silently tend to dethrone the Lord from His position in the heart, if not checked.

Do you really take God seriously?

In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite His wonders, they did not believe. Psalm 78:32

Imagine where everyone ignored the law of this land – motorists do not care about other road users, they even knock down pedestrians. One gets into the shop and takes away whatever he wants! Another can kill other people and no one is going to question or care… that is anarchy. Would you want to live in a society where there are no regulations? No. Imagine another scenario, the law is there but it is ignored, so that people kill, steal and destroy, nothing is done. This is what is called impunity, where the law is disregarded. What would you do if you lived in such a society? Your property is stolen but when you go to report to the police, nothing is done.

Imagine the same disobedience in your house, where you call your children and they disregard you. When you send them they openly rebel and refuse. What would you do when your children rebel against you, when you have done all you can to do them good – providing for their needs, protecting them from the dangers of this evil world and all you get in return is insults? Is this not the way many people treat God? Do you know why people sin against God? It is because they forget who He is and what He has done for them or think that He will not follow through the threats in His word. They think that God will understand – He won’t!

People really do not take God seriously do they? This began with our first parents – God told Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge of God and evil. But a while later the serpent came and told them to disregard God’s prohibition but instead listen to him, and they did! And so through Adam, sin spread to all his posterity and with sin death (Rom. 5:12), just as God had warned. The world continued in wickedness and so God sent Noah to warn his contemporaries of the impeding judgment by a universal flood and also build the ark to save those who will take him seriously – no one did except his family, they all scoffed at him, didn’t they? Therefore, they died in the flood. The Israelites continued in obstinacy even after God had heard them in their distress. Throughout the Bible this is repeated again and again and again – this is the story in Psalm 78. Sadly, the Bible tells us that even now people scoff and count God’s patience as weakness (2Pet. 3:7)

There are two areas of life where I want to point out to you to beware that you may not fall into the same danger. It is for you here and now to examine and search yourselves and deal with the area of your life where you need to regard, consider, act and live as those who know that without doubt God has revealed Himself to us the way He has done for us to live accordingly.

1.    People do neither take God seriously nor His word

First it is because of the sinfulness of man because the Bible says that they still sinned. The greatest problem that affect human race is that they do not take God seriously in His Word. Your problem is that you do not listen and obey God because you do not take God in His word seriously. Many think that the threats and promises that come with His word are empty. They will take their schoolteachers more seriously than God’s Word; they will listen and obey their bosses but not God; they will make every effort to make money but not to cultivate faith, godliness and values that have eternal implications. Many will do everything to live here on earth for as long as possible, regardless of the struggles of this life; but do nothing to spend all eternity in glory with God! Why is this the case? The reason is because; at best they do not take God seriously. At worse they try to argue that God does not exist; that God only exists in the minds of the religious people. Undoubtedly, they have no use for the Word of God except, to justify themselves! Why do people make excuses when the Word of God says something? Because they do not think that God will hold them accountable.

Secondly it has to do with the understanding of man of what God has been doing because we read that they sinned in spite of all God had done, and despite His wonders. This is why this Psalm opens with God telling us to give hear to His teaching and incline our ears to the words of His mouth! (vv. 1, 2) He then proceeds to emphasize that the fathers have to instill this word upon their children so that the next generation might know His commands. This way the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments. We read in verse 32 that, “In spite of all this …” To spite is to desire to deliberately to hurt, annoy or offend someone, in this case God. But ‘in spite’ is that they live without regard for who is God and what He wants with His creation.  They are not affected by what God has done or said in the past in creation and in redemption. They live without any regard for the providences of God.

There is no question that man’s understanding of God is flawed. God is not regarded as God, the sovereign God, the Creator and sustainer of everything in this world. He is the one who holds this world by the power of His might. Man’s understanding of His holiness, righteousness and justice is not based on the word of God – it is based on their own construed ideas. Therefore, many acknowledge His love, grace and mercy but refuse to acknowledge His wrath in punishing sinners. remember that He has already punished the angels who disobeyed. He executed His wrath on His Son in order to redeem sinners – how can you forget that dark Gethsemane? How can you forget the agony of Calvary that Christ bore?

Therefore man does not quiet understand what is salvation – Jesus appeared to take away the sins and in Him there is no sin (1John 3:5). He is the one and only able to redeem and save sinners from their sins. He illustrated His power to save in delivering Israelites from the Egyptian bondage. Salvation now is not by His outstretched arm but through Christ who is the one and only hope for sinners. Christ is the only one able and willing to save sinners from their sins – He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Do you hope to be saved? You have to trust Him and plead with Him to forgive your sins.

Man’s understanding of the future judgment is faulty. Jesus will soon appear to judge the world by His justice and holiness. He will judge everyone on His terms not on the terms of men. He will judge according to His standard of holiness, not according to your imagination! Think about it He has given you time to think about it and you better do it or you will bear His wrath on that Day.

Finally, it is because of the unbelief of man because they did not believe. The words used to emphasize what took place tell us exactly what happened – imagine God dividing the sea for them to pass, causing waters to stand like a heap! God split rocks in the deserts and gave them water, described as an abundant drink as from the deep! He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed (20). You notice that although they sinned and rebelled and so tested God, even worse they spoke against Him. Yet He rained down on them manna to eat… meat like dust… winged birds like the sand of the sea so that man ate the bread of angels! (v.24, 25, 27, 28). But what note of thanks did they send God?

“We do NOT believe you. Yes we do NOT trust you!”

They did neither believe God not trust Him! It is unbelievable that people do not take God seriously even when He has done more than it is necessary for them. You may be enraged and say that you could not have done that. you need to identify with them and be persuaded that you could have done the same! Unless, you are saying that you do not sin, and so deceive yourself and even worse despise God by calling Him a liar (1John 1:8,9), otherwise by any sin you commit, you spite and grieve God. People continue to persist in sin despite the wonders of God, despite the faithfulness and grace of God. They ignore and trash what God has done and live as if He had not done anything for them. They live as if God has been ungracious to them.

The vast majority of people live as if God does not exist - this is why they sin. Many others live as if God is not alive – they imagine God who does not care what happens to His creation and so they conduct themselves as if He does not see, hear or act – this is why there are so many hypocrites. Many others have a God of their own imagination who is so ‘loving’ that He will only do what they want and He never has His own will! Where do you fall yourself? This explains the conduct and behavioral patterns of all people of this earth. This is the reason why our cultural practices and worldviews are patterned on here and now.

God’s word is treated as a joke from a toddler! Why else do men have no regard for what God has said! Many of you live in contradiction of the truth of the Scripture. Many of you ignore the revealed of God in blatant defiance, why because you think that you will get away with it. You imagine that the Lord will lower the standard of His word for you when you will die – I assure you that He will not. You think that you will be able to persuade him on the last day to treat you with a different standard from the others – may I repeat it, He won’t. You may disregard the word of God now, and live the way you want but I want to assure you now and here that when you will stand before God in judgment you will be without excuse, whoever you are (Rom. 1:20). God will deal with all who have ignored Him and His word. Such will be judged. His word says that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things and none will escape (Rom. 2:2,3).

2.     People do not take God seriously what He Has said about Man

Firstly, people deny that they are sinners and so live a lie (1John 1:8). If you were requested to describe who is man, I know that many will write volumes without mentioning the fact that man is a sinner. This is a unique predicament that we have to contend with every day as we wake up and sleep. Sadly, many are offended when the word sin is mentioned and instead, it is lowed to the degree of either wrong or bad, but never sin. The point is that man resents that he is a sinner and has been trying throughout the history to deny it, and so he lives the way He does. He thinks that God, the Bible and preachers are wrong to talk about sin. Clearly, many do not take God seriously in His word that sin is a reality for every man. It is not God who is mistaken about sin it is you.

They don’t acknowledge their total inability to bring themselves out of sin. The word of God is very clear that man is a sinner and completely unable to get himself out of the mess of sin. Only God is able to rescue a sinner from sin. Sadly many think that this is not the truth. Many deceive themselves that they are not sinners. Sin is the particular disease that has affected ALL people without exception. And this one has to acknowledge without question and then seek to deal with the state of sin in which you are born. The sad thing from this passage is that the bible says, “In spite of all this, they still sinned…” This is particularly gross and terrible because God has done everything for man and yet what has man done except to sin! Sinning for all people is as natural as the inhaling air or the circulation of blood.

Secondly, they forget that sin grieves God. “In spite of all this, they still sinned…” how do people hurt God? It is by sinning in spite of all He has done to bring them from their misery. When you see the wickedness in the world, know for sure that it is to spite God; it is meant to offend God because He is too holy as to behold evil. In this Psalm, Asaph narrates what God did for the Israelites in history – choosing them of all the peoples of the earth, redeeming them by His mighty arm from the Egyptian slavery through wonderful works, - bringing plagues, dividing the sea for them; leading them by the day by His cloud and by the night by a pillar of fire, providing for water, bread, and meat and protecting them from being attacked by wild animals or enemies and causing their clothes and shoes not to wear out.

The craving of men for self-gratification is blinds people. Many people live for today and not for tomorrow. The Israelites grumbled and complained about God, (to God!) because they wanted what will fill their stomachs, what will excite them …  so walk by sight and not by faith.  God graciously satisfied them and gave them manna and quills and water and the list went on and on, all to underscore the greed of man, the insatiable demands of man, the covetousness of man and the unreasonableness of a depraved sinner.

They forgot what the Lord had done to redeem them too quickly, didn’t they? They forgot God’s mercy and graciousness in dealing with them. The Bible says, “They did not remember His power…” (v.42). The forgetfulness of man is because of sin, so that he is blinded by the present, to his own detriment. Men forget so fast what God has done and then go on to complain, rebel and test God’s anger to their own condemnation. They forgot both the power of God to redeem them and the power He used to deal with the sinfulness of Egyptians (vv. 42-51). At the same time they forgot that the same power of God could be used on them for their rebellion! They resented the will of God but instead regarded their own desires. They refused to submit to the will of the Lord, but instead walked according to their own desires to their detriment.

Finally, everyone hopes that he is immortal! Many people do not take it seriously that they will die soon. They have seen people die but they are themselves left thinking that it is only others who die. They think that they deserve to live more than anyone else. The vast majority of people do not take it seriously that they will appear before God in judgment and give an account for their lives. They do not take it seriously that there will come a day of judgment, when they will be held accountable for their deeds. They think that it is a joke. You notice that because of the blatant sinning of this Israelites God made their days vanish like a breath and their years in terror… when He killed them (v.33).

These things happened to the Israelites as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. The effect that this ought to produce in us is for us to examine ourselves lest we fall under the same situation of grumbling, rebelling and testing God. You realize that ignoring God and what He has said for something else such as reasoning is idolatry. This is because you place His authority on something else or on someone else. This is what the we are told – to flee from idolatry (1Cor. 10:14). We are to be very careful with to listen to God and His word as the only authority for our correction in all matters of faith and practice.

Man does not believe because he is naturally inclined to reject and disbelieve God because of sin. He doubts even the ability and power of God. This is why the Lord when healing those two blind people asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread His fame through all that district. Matthew 9:28-31. Lack of faith in God is therefore a big problem to your progress. Here we see two blind men who followed Christ wherever He went because they were persuaded that He was their only hope if they were to see.

May the Lord help you all to take God seriously and not ignore what He has instructed in His word? We should never take it for granted that God takes us very seriously, so seriously, that He did not delegate the salvation of men to angels, but came by Himself, through His Son so that we now have salvation and life everlasting on the basis of what Christ has done on the cross for us. Do not leave this place as if you never heard anything… remember this that In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite His wonders, they did not believe. Will you remain like that or will you come to the love of Christ? Will you believe?

It is my prayer that you will pray that the Lord may give you a faith that will not shrink, a faith that will not tremble or murmur. A faith that shines more bright and clear, a faith that keeps the narrow way. O Lord, give me such a faith as this, and then, whatever may come, I taste even now the hallowed bliss of an eternal home.

THE GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

At the end of our Christian lives what should we be like? In life we have goals for all we do. The great goal for the Christian is not wealth, health and long-life, high education, marriage and children. But -

(1) To be like God in holiness (Matthew 5:48, 1 Peter 1:15-16, 1 John 2:29). God chose us with the purpose to make us holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4). Christ loved us and died for us for the same purpose (Ephesians 5:25-27). We must pattern our lives on how God has revealed Himself in the Bible, for example, in kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32-5:1).

(2) Like Christ (Romans 8:29, 1 John 2:6, 3:3). God’s purpose is to make us like Christ in His human nature, which will be completed on the last day (Philippians 3:20-21, 1 John 3:2). We must imitate Christ, for example, His love (Ephesians 5:2), His humility (Philippians 2:5ff.), His attitude to suffering (1 Peter 2:21ff.).

NECESSITY. This likeness to God and Christ is necessary in order to enter heaven (Matthew 5:8, Hebrews 12:14). Such likeness will not be perfect in this life, but there must be a great difference from before becoming a Christian. Holiness must be the one great mark of our Christian lives.

ASSURANCE: Is it possible to be sure of reaching this goal? Yes, because no one who is a true believer can be lost. Read John 10:28-29, 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, Philippians 1:6. But how can you know if you are a true believer? Note what the following verses say about who will be saved in the end: “he who endures to the end will be ssaved (Matthew 24:13); “if we hold our first confidence firm to the end (Hebrews 3:14). This is the doctrine of the PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS.

HOW YOU WILL REACH THIS GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?

(1) Use the Means of Grace. In order to persevere to the end you need continual supplies of the grace of God. How does God give grace to us? It is not automatic with no effort on our part. There are public and private means of grace, centred in the Word.

PUBLIC MEANS.

• Be committed in attendance at worship (Heb.10:25). It is through the reading and preaching of the Bible that you will know the promises and commandments of God.
  
• The ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the same Word in the form of symbols. As you respond to the Word in faith it will be a means of grace to you.
• Constant fellowship with other Christians is a great blessing (read Hebrews 3:12-13).
  

Then there is the encouragement of praying together (Acts 2:42). 

PRIVATE MEANS.

1.  Read the Word of God consistently, let it dwell in you richly (Colossians 3:16). 
What benefits come from the Word in the following verses from Psalm 119? Guard the heart (v.9); not sinning (v.11); in affliction
Comfort as to give life (v.50); Lamb and light (v.105).

2. Pray constantly to commune with your heavenly Father (1 Thessalonians 5:17).Meditation, a constant consideration of the Word and how it applies to your life, is very important (Psalm 1:2, 119:97).

3. Make use of the sufferings God brings into your life, as His Fatherly discipline (Psalm 119:67, Hebrews 12:11).

4. Give Practical Obedience to God’s Commandments. In His commandments God has clearly shown us the road upon which we must walk. You must know the meaning of the 10 commandments, that they are positive as well as negative, that they cover our thoughts as well as our actions (study Matthew 5:21-30). Do not forget the 4th. commandment! Consider Jesus’ summary of the commandments (Matthew 22:35-40). Practice the love commandment Jesus gave to His disciples (John 13:34-35). There are many passages that outline what our Christian lives ought to be like – Romans 12:9-21, Ephesians 4:25-5:5, Colossians 3:5-17. Such obedience is sure evidence that we know God (1 John 2:3). Put to Death (= Mortify) Sin (Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:5). You must be serious in dealing with sin, not only actions, but words and thoughts. Rather than sin, cut off your hand (Matthew 5:30). Do not let sin reign in your mortal body (Romans 6:12).

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  (4) False Views of the Christian Life.
  

• Deliverance – We sin because we have evil spirits from which we must be delivered.
  
• Second Blessing – We can be holy if only we are baptized with the Spirit of God.
  
• Keswick – Stop struggling and let Christ take over and live His life through you. 
  

Be filled with the fruit of righteousness

Be filled with the fruit of righteousness

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

What does it mean to be filled with the fruit of righteousness – it is to overflow with fruitfulness in the righteousness that we have obtained from Christ.

Every true believer will and must bear fruit in his Christian life. Why did God appoint you? Why have you been chosen of God if indeed you have been chosen? What made God elect you for salvation if you are in salvation? It is that you can bear much fruit! (John 15:16).

This is what our confession of faith states:

All saints that are united to Jesus Christ, their head, by His Spirit, and faith, although they are not made thereby one person with Him, have fellowship in His graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory;[ I John 1:3, 16; Phil. 3:10; Rom. 6:5-6] and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces,[Eph. 4:15-16; I Cor. 12:7; 3:21-23] and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, in an orderly way, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man.[I Thess. 5:11, 14; Rom. 1:12; I John 3:17-18; Gal. 6:10]

Psalm 1: 1-6; John 15:1-8

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:1-8

Look trees do not bear fruit for themselves. They bear fruit for others to feed on it! You ought to bear fruit in your children; your relatives and friends etc. You don’t bear fruits for your own glory it is for God’s glory! You should bear

The discipleship is not a mechanical enterprise it is organic and flows from the

Do you wonder why you have had so many trials in your life? It is God’s providential mechanism so that you can bear fruit. Having communion with Jesus Christ and this you do by being very close to the Lord.  That you are not bearing fruit is clear evidence that you might not be in Christ – the greatest sign that you are in Christ is that you bear fruit. Every true believer will bring fruit to the kingdom of God. What fruit are you bringing in the kingdom of God? Those who are Christ depend on Christ and are strongly in need of Christ.

Those who have no fruits to bear are as good as in the fire. If you had a shamba and you find out that the orange, mango and pawpaw trees you planted are all fruitless after 5 years – would you continue tending them. No! they must be fruitful and their fruits must be useful – you know that because of the poor politics of this country most of the coffee farmers cut them down.

You are not just required to bear fruit but to much fruit – the weakest Christian bears 30% and it is possible to bear 100%! A genuine Christian is far more fruitful than he recognizes. Look at your life, your family, your friends your colleagues and ask what difference have you made in their lives.

We must abide in Christ's word by a regard to it, and it in us as a light to our feet. We must abide in Christ's merit as our righteousness and plea. We must realize that it in us as our support and comfort to be fruitful. The knot of the branch abides in the vine, and the sap of the vine abides in the branch, and so there is a constant communication between them. You see you are not depending on yourself to bear fruit – you are only a branch attached to the very source of life and so bearing fruit is natural. If you abide in me and my words abide in you then you would be  fruitful. How can you be fruitful? – By feeding in Christ’s Words and being in close communion with Christ in prayer then you would be fruitful.

You have to fight to love and you have to fight to have joy and to love and to read your Bible. Self control comes only by the way of practicing and living it. Trials that come your way are to help you to develop and mature such fruits as love, joy, peace, faith, patience, self-control, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness etc. Gal 5:22-23

What are you doing for the Lord?

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Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Eph 4:8-16

Many will say that they attend church regularly, give a large portion of their income regularly, and that they pray and read their bible constantly. Do you think this is sufficient service to the Lord? In these activities you do, what spiritual gift are these? What ministry do you do and what sphere do you practice these gifts? What have you accomplished for the Lord in the past that you think you are unable to do now? Is it because of age? Or your new family or job-related commitments? Do you wish for the good old days? Anything that may hinder you from serving the Lord more than you did serve Him in the past should be treated like an idol, because they have claimed God’s place in your life.

What part of your Christian life are you most proud of? What is it that if the Lord came now you would want to tell Him about? Is it the way you have been evangelizing or the way you have been making disciples? Is it the way you have been faithful in your duties or the way you have delighted in the Lord?

How would you account for your time before the Lord? Would you, with a good conscience say, that you have looked carefully how you have been walking, not as unwise but as wise, and that you have been making the best use your time? Eph 5:15-16

Each one of us has a responsibility in the church as long as he has been saved by the Lord and placed in a local church. It is for us to ask ourselves, what is it that we are doing in service to the Master? We should not be content in being spectators in the church. Eric Wright a long serving missionary in Pakistan wrote a book that he called, ‘Church – No Spectator Sport’ and it is an appeal to return to the priesthood of all believers. He says that every member ministry is biblically normative because when the Lord was ascending, He never proposed that His church become a congregation of spectators, rather, when He ascended He gave gifts to men that all may participate in ministry (Eph. 4:8).

How would you discover your gifts?

1.       Taking an inventory of providential preparation –

Natural abilities, our education and training, our ministry and work experiences, along with any skills we have acquired, will furnish us with a glimpse of the Spirit’s work in endowing us with gifts. Find out all the jobs, education, jobs, hobbies, interests or talents you that could in any way be used of God in the ministry. First think of yourself outside of your church – in your home, at work the way you spend your leisure time.

2.       Taking inventory of our sense of need –

Christians are people who meet needs. Take a moment and consider what greatest concern that you have for the church that you are constantly praying or thinking about as not met as you may want. Then ponder some of the ways that you think you can help. You can as well ask, what is it that I may want improved (removed, added to or something different) in this church? What can I do to help in improving this need? What lacking in the life of my church? We are supposed to pursue this line of reasoning because there is a possibility of repressing some spiritual gifts to the detriment of the church. Unmet needs in the church cry out for ministry.

3.       Taking an inventory of effectiveness

Needs that are met show that there is a spiritually gifted person present. When there is ineffectiveness in the church in particular ministries it shows that there is someone who is not exercising his spiritual gift. People led by the Spirit exercise their gifts inevitably produce spiritual fruit. Think over your own life. In what areas can you recognize some degree of some spiritual effectiveness? Whom have you helped through witnessing, teaching, encouragement, mercy, giving, etc.? do others seek you to talk over your problems? Are there practical things you do like witnessing to your neighbors with other church members, taking food and the gospel to those in prison, counseling young people for marriage etc? Where are you most effective in serving Christ? Where do you see fruit from your labours?

4.      Taking an inventory of enjoyment and fulfillment

God did not create us for misery. When we glorify God we find a deep sense of fulfillment, joy and satisfaction. As much as Christian life calls for suffering and self-denial there is a lot of joy and fulfillment for those Christians who suffer for their faith. Paul was bitten up severally in his endevours to evangelize to the Gentile world and yet He was very happy in Christ. Our desires and aspirations are vital in finding out what one can do for the Lord. You can ask yourself,  if I could be assured of success , what I would most likely want to contribute to my church fellowship? What would you really love to do if you could? As a rule God , God prepares us to find satisfying niche of ministry where we can use our gifts. Are there moments when we find that our minds are a fountain of ideas and methods about how to engage in a certain project or service? Our potential gifts must yield a certain measure of enthusiasm. As much as every ministry must have its share of sacrifices those who find ministry in the areas of their giftedness find great satisfaction.

5.      Taking an inventory in other people’s counsel

6.      Taking adequate time to discover your gifts