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| 10/12/2009
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| Two Types Of Ministry - Planting and Watering |
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” - (1Co 3:6)
There are two types of ministry that God has given to His children to carry out. The first type is the type of ministry to those outside of the church - this is planting. The second type is ministry to those inside the church - this is watering. Planting is done outside, watering is done within. Planting a seed is not the only job of a farmer. He also tends to the field (watering, fertilizing, etc). Paul told the gospel to the Corinthians (he planted), and then Apollos labored for their spiritual maturity - he watered. Paul brought them into the flock of the Lord Jesus, and Apollos fed them. You see the two types of ministry here - planting, and watering. Both are necessary for the field. If a man plants a tree and that tree is not watered, it will die. If another waters some dirt but there was no seed ever planted there, what good is that?
“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few” - (Mat 9:37)
There aren’t many people actively involved in ministry. God’s field is a BIG field and there is a major lack of people laboring for Jesus. Churches are like a football games - the stands are filled with thousands of people doing nothing but watching two dozen people on the field doing all of the work! Those ones in the field sweat, get beat, practice hours on end, fight hard and prepare. They care about their job on the field, and they work at it. But the ones in the stands are only there for entertainment. They don’t care about anybody else because they just want to relax and be comfortable. If you attend a church, chances are that you will find most of the people in that church sitting in the stands.
Don’t let yourself be one of those lazy ones in the stands. Get out there and labor in God’s field. It doesn’t matter whether your ministry is one of planting or one of watering, to those in the church, or to those in the world, whether it is evangelism or building people up in the image of Christ. It’s each Christian’s duty to work in the ministry that the Lord has given them. If God tells you to water His field, then go and water it. If He tells you to plant in the field, then plant in it. But don’t be deceived, He will never tell you to do nothing. There is no excuse not to have a ministry. Even if your ministry has you never leave your house, you still have a ministry. Even a poor bed-ridden soul can pray for his or her brothers and sisters in the Lord. Prayer is a ministry. Even a paralytic can speak an encouraging and stirring word to the people that come to visit. Encouragement is a ministry. Whatever your spiritual gift is, use it.
Your spiritual gift is whatever you can do for someone else in the name of Jesus.
Do some planting or watering in God’s field. To each person God has given a gift and to each is given the responsibility to use it.
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