1. Consecration

The word consecration means, to set apart for sacred purposes. Ones heart and mindset must be: My life belongs to God, for His purposes, to fulfill the call of God. God is Holy, so also is the call of God; therefore the servant of the Lord must maintain a holy lifestyle, which is a part of consecration.

2 TIMOTHY 2:20-21   But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver; but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor and some to dishonor.
Vs.21   If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

2 TIMOTHY 2:3-4   Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Vs.4   No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

The call of God may cost everything, even ones very own life. God the Father's will for Jesus was the cross and before his arrest and crucifixion, our Lord said, “Father not my will, but thine, be done.

MATTHEW 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his Lord.

The Apostle Paul, in fulfillment of the Lord's words, “ For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my names sake.” ( Acts 9:16) Paul speaks of some of his sufferings in (1 Corinthians 6:1-10 and 11:23-30.

The point of these scriptures is to show that; the call of God isn't always a bed of roses; that hardship, troubles, and trials often go hand in hand, with the call. If we are going to speak the words of Apostle Paul “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7) then our consecration and dedication must be maintained throughout it all.

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2. Faithfulness

1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-2 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Vs.2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Faithfulness means to be trusted, reliable. Apostle Paul says in the above scripture that they were stewards of the mysteries of God; a steward is someone who has been entrusted to oversee or manage the affairs of someone else.

Paul says that it is required that a steward be found faithful. Noticed the word found, to be found faithful, comes by testing.

Abraham's test

GENESIS 12:1   Now the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee.

GENESIS 22:2   And he said, Take thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

From reading the scriptures we find that Abraham was faithful in his obedience to God and was willing to give up everything if God required it.

Paul's faithfulness

1 TIMOTHY 1:12   And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

Before God will entrust us with the riches of his grace, he may find out just how faithful we are.

Some areas to be faithful

A. Good Doctrine

1 TIMOTHY 4:6   If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou
shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of
good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

B. Preaching

2 Timothy 4:2   Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

C. Dividing the Word

2 Timothy 2:15   Study to shew thyself approved unto the God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth

D. The Gospel

1 TIMOTHY 1:11   According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

E. Obedience

1 Samuel 15:22   And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Acts 9:10-17    10. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12. And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16. For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
17. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

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3. Credibility and Accountability

Credibility

PROVERBS 22:1   A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

We all have heard the nursery rhyme story, of the boy who cried wolf; he lied so many times that when the wolf did appear, no one believed him: the boy lost his credibility.

The word credibility means capable of being believed. Without credibility a person will accomplish little in the kingdom of God. We gain credibility, as our ministry is proven to be authentic, scriptural sound, and we are faithful in the things of God. Having a home church, with a Pastor and Elders adds to credibility.

ACTS 9:26-27   And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
Vs.27   But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Paul had persecuted the church before his conversion and had gain no credibility with Christians up to this point. After Barnabas spoke up for Paul, the disciples began to
accept him.

Accountability

Accountability means the quality of being answerable. The servants of the Lord are accountable the the Lord and to the church.

1. To the Lord

ROMANS 14:12   So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

LUKE 12:48   But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

LUKE 19:15   And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10   For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:13-15   Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Vs.14   If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Vs.15   If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

( See also Matthew 25:14-30 )

* Let us not forget: It is God that raises up a ministry and if necessary, will bring down a
   ministry.

2. To the Church

ACTS 11:1-18 Vs.4   But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them..

ACTS 21:18-19   And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
Vs.19   And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

* Being answerable to others, provides the checks and balances that we all need.

1 CORINTHIANS 14:29   Let the prophets speak two or three. and let the other judge.

GALATIANS 2:11   But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

* It doesn’t matter who a person is, because of the flesh, a person can miss it. The scriptures say in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Lone rangers can get into trouble without checks and balances.

Accountability adds to Credibility

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