There Are No Benchwarmers in the Kingdom of God
Written by Brigitta Tedja
Watch full sermon here
Our Youth Director, Gerrit Hermanus, continued the “Be the Church” series with a sermon entitled, “There Are No Benchwarmers in the Kingdom of God.” He noted how powerful this series is and how it does not involve passivity or lukewarmness. He began by sharing his basketball testimony and how he made it into the team, but was “the best benchwarmer in the Inland Empire”—never got to play. In the Kingdom of God, there are NO benchwarmers, only chosen ones who are specially, fearfully, and wonderfully made.
Psalms 139:13-14
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.”
You are uniquely made. Here is the truth we want to come into Church knowing and the truth that we have to lay down, so that we do not have the wrong belief system. There are different types of laborers in the Kingdom of God and the REALITY is:
Not everyone will lead worship to move the congregation
Not everyone is going to be on the pulpit
Not every person will uproot to another country
Not everyone is going to be a counselor to the next generation
But many will. Maybe it's for a short time
There are NO benchwarmers in the Kingdom of God
Gerrit shared about Joseph’s journey. Joseph was his father’s favorite, and his many brothers were very jealous of him. They worked together to get rid of Joseph, but instead of murdering him, they sold him into slavery. Joseph became the Captain of the King’s guard, and then was slandered and sent to prison, and was finally freed from prison thirteen years after being sold as a slave. Joseph will lead the way on preparing for the 7 years of famine and he does an amazing job.
Genesis 50:15-21
“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays back for all the wrongs, we did to him’ So, they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.’ When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. ‘We are your slaves,’ they said. But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. AM I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”
When Joseph heard the message his father sent him, Joseph wept. It is OKAY to cry. If Joseph and Jesus cried, it is alright for us leaders, brothers, and men of God to cry as well. The journey God took Joseph through was necessary because it matured him to be able to handle what was coming later. The trials and tribulations of his life shaped him. Joseph was not a preacher. There is no record of him ever preaching a sermon. He was a dreamer and a dream interpreter. Even though he never preached; God used Joseph. God used him to save the people during a famine, during their own brand of pandemic. Joseph became #2 in Egypt only to Pharaoh and he was used mightily by God throughout his journey. God not only used Joseph, but the favor of the Lord was upon him, even as a slave and while he was in prison.
You each have a calling. You have a gift. We all have a calling. The Kingdom of God is established on people who know and says “yes” to the calling of what God placed in front of them:
Raising a godly family is a calling.
Building businesses that are ethical and Christ-centered is a calling.
Standing up for better biblical values in education is a calling.
Everybody matters, your talents, your gifts matter!
YOU matter in the Kingdom of God.
There are NO benchwarmers in this room!
We need to learn from Jesus. He went beyond the four walls of the Church:
Jesus went to the lowest places and the high places
He went to the big cities and was also in the small villages
Jesus healed the leper and lame man from the streets, but He also healed the Centurion’s daughter
He took in a tax collector as a disciple
When it comes to building the Kingdom of God, there was never meant to be a separation in ministry and work. It is not either you do ministry or you do work. Pastor Al Valdez from San Diego stated, “Ministry is work, and your work is your ministry.” God not only called us to do both, but He empowered and anointed us to do both. Go beyond these four walls and know that you are called for such a time as this. Pastor Paul mentioned, “Many Christians are bored or even become lukewarm not because they don’t go to Church enough, but because they don’t know what to do beyond Sunday service.”
Gerrit reminded us of the 7 Mountains of Influence, hoping that our hearts will be stirred and re-ignited. What mountains do we find ourselves in? What mountains are we influencing with God? Is it the mountain of family, religion, education, media, arts & entertainment, business, and/or government?
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
In order to move forward, we first need to be equipped. Prior to making an impact, you need to be prepared. Just like Joseph, a maturity came upon him by the time he became a ruler in Egypt. The Youth Ministry is currently doing a series called the “Special Agent Training.” Their Selah theme is focusing on being pulled back before they can be launched or be catapulted. Personally, Gerrit was shaped by his family, through CARE Cell, and serving in the Youth Ministry. Do not forsake the importance of ministry at your local Church or organization. Do not forsake the equipping of CARE events or seminars.
In Ephesians 4:12-13b, we learn that the goal and purpose of ministry is to build up the body of Christ.
“. . . to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ . . . and to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Having better lights or a nice background on stage can bring the people in and it can facilitate the presence of God, but these things cannot share the Gospel—but you can.
Acts 13:36
“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.”
You are put in the position that you are in and live in the time you are in for a reason:
The community that you are in
The talent and passion God has given you—it is unique to each one of us
That is why we each have a unique calling
We attract people who are like us. There is something special in that, because you have access to a certain group of people that are unique to you. But, on the other hand, Jesus did not only attract people who were just like Him. Gerrit encourages us START with WHAT YOU HAVE, and START with WHERE YOU ARE! May the wrong mindset of what a full-time minister is be broken in the name of Jesus.
You are all starters in the Kingdom of God, there are NO benchwarmers!
Prayer Points:
Pray to know our specifically designed purpose and unique calling
Pray to be equipped through CARE Cells, trainings, mentorships, discipleships
Pray to be able to endure and persist through trials and tribulations to build character and maturity
Pray to gain understanding that your work is your ministry and your ministry is your work
Pray to identify what 7 mountains you are influencing with God
Pray to be filled and move in the Holy Spirit
Pray to GO and be the Message