Unlikely Candidates
Jesus’ disciples were a rather motley crew. Up to seven of them may have been rough fisherman. Another was a Roman-hating religious fanatic, another a tax collector. There was nothing about them that made them “qualified” for ministry. Yet it was to these that Jesus gave the Great Commission of the Church. He said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Jesus wants to reconcile this world to Himself, and He wants to do it by using ordinary human beings.
He wants to accomplish His will by using people who are willing to believe and follow Him, regardless of their limitations or weaknesses.
He wants to draw people to Him by working in the hearts of regular folk who have their eyes on Him.
He wants to do it by using people like Peter, James, and John, people like us.
You see, there is only one qualification needed for a believer to serve the Lord, and that is to walk by faith.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, it is your privilege and responsibility to be a minister of the gospel, no matter who you are, what your profession, how old you are, or what situation you find yourself in.
Walking By Faith
Peter took a leap of faith the day that he decided to take Jesus up on being a fisher of men.
Andrew and John, simple fisherman, believed they needed Jesus more than their livelihoods.
Simon the Zealot had faith that Jesus could be the answer to religious unrest.
Matthew trusted that Christ was worth stepping away from the lucrative tax collecting business.
And these, all these and so many more, Jesus taught, discipled, moved, and enabled to become ministers of the greatest message to ever reach the ears of earth.
It may take a lot of faith for you to accept and move toward the fact that as a believer, you are a minister of the Gospel, and God wants to use you. But remember, our strength is not found in ourselves, nor in our faith itself. Our ability is found in the object of our faith, Jesus Christ.
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
So, a life of ministry? Yes, you.
