CHRISTIAN FAITH CENTRE, DAKAR

Ministers / Workers Conference

Knowing and understanding your purpose
It is important for everyone to know what he or she is living for, when you do not
live for something, you will exist for anything. What are you living for? Esther was
ready to die for the will of God as long as the will and her purpose of existing
would be done in her life through it – (Esther 4:16).
Some people live for the food they will eat, the clothes they will wear, the house
they will live in and the car they will ride – all these are misplacement of priority
of life.
Purpose: -
- God’s giving assignment on earth
- Why you are here on earth
- What has God planned for your life before you are born Jer. 1:4-13, I Cor.
7:20-24
- Something you live or die for
Living or existing:
- It is your purpose that determines or defines your Living, so if you don’t live
for a purpose you are only existing not living.
Note:- Life is meaningless without a purpose or reason for living.
- A life without a purpose is like a ship without a compass (no Direction)

- You will never become a star until you operate within the scope of God’s
plan for your life. Every believer has been ordained to carry out one
particular function; e.g Joseph had a divine task of preserving the lives of
God’s people in Egypt, Gideon was not called to preach but to deliver the
people of Israel, what is your own divine assignment? God has a plan and
purpose for creating you, you are created to fulfill a definite purpose and
assignment before He ever formed you in your mother’s womb, He set you
apart for a divine purpose even before you were born Jer. 1:4-13.
God has a place prepared for you in life, a discovery of that place is what is called
“vision” until you make a discovery and walk in it, you cannot arrive at the
glorious destiny God has reserved for you.
Note:
- Know your purpose in the Church and in God’s plan, not everyone is
designed to be in business, neither is everyone expected to be in government
or ministry, God has a unique plan for each one of us and our destiny is
anchored to that plan
- So locate your place in the kingdom business.
- Many are pastor today but don’t have any business going near pulpit at all.
God has planned somewhere else for them where they are destined to shine
but they missed it because of emotional zeal.
- Don’t use your friend’s profession as a yardstick to determine what you
ought to do in life, allow God to lead you in order to end in glory and
fulfillment. No one gives himself a vision, no one places himself in an
office, God is the one who assigns offices to His children – I Cor. 12:28,
Eph. 4:11.
 UNDERSTANDING THE VISION
God has a master plan for each one of us, but it is our responsibility to
get the details of the plan from heaven at every stage that we get to.
 STAYING WITHIN YOUR CALLING – I Cor. 7:20, I Cor. 12:4-7
Our lesson comes from the different responses of the trees in the parable
when discussing which tree should be made king (Judges. 9:8-13), first is
the olive tree, which refuse to be made king over all the other trees
because it felt that the demands of palace life would prevent it from using
its fatness to produce oil for anointing the kings, priest and prophets. The
olive tree considered its calling as a producer of oil to be far superior to
being a king. It knew that without fulfilling its purpose no king, priest or
prophet could be installed. The olive tree therefore decides to stay within
its calling as a producer of oil. Next was the fig tree, which also turned
down the throne because it felt that the fruits it was producing were more
important to humanity than being a king, the vine also believed that the
wine made from its fruits was of greater importance to God and man than
being the king of trees. The vine also believed that the vine made from its
fruits was of greater importance to God and man that being the king of
trees; The question is if trees of the field are so wise as to stay within
their God’s given roles in the divine arrangement, how come men are not
wise enough to take a lesson from the trees.
 More often, those who struggle to occupy positions that they consider to
be ‘juicy’ lose their original place in God and become unprofitable in the
positions they occupy through covetousness.
Beloved, do you know your calling? Are you operating within this
calling? Are you satisfied with how God has made you and the
assignment He has committed to your hands to profit His Gody?
Note:- Have a careful study of the book of LK. 13:6-9 The farm owner
was not keeping the fig tree on his farm for decorative purposes, he
wanted it for fruits. Beloved, how productive are you? Are you fulfilling
any purpose in God’s Kingdom John 15:1-2.
KNOWING YOUR GIFT AND MINISTRY
Eph. 4:7-14
A man’s gift will maketh room for him and brigeth him before great men (Prov.
18:16)
In this study, we shall prayerfully search and discover the availability of God’s
gifts for His children, the purpose and what gifts we have received from the Lord,
and that the reason why so many Christians are living a wasted or purposeless life
due to their ignorance of the spiritual gifts, talents and God’s anointing available
and that is upon their lives. In this study we shall be considering the 5 ministry gift
and their functions.

DIVINE CALL:- I Cor. 12: 27-28

Anybody do not just occupy an office in the Church by will or feeling but God has
set these in the Church, He does the setting and calling. You cannot enter the
ministry because someone else tells you that you are suited for it but by a divine
conviction in your heart and due witness in your heart.

MINISTRY WITH FUNCTIONS

1. The Apostles:- A true apostle is one with commission and sent by God Acts
9:15. To stand in the office of apostle one must have a personal experience
with the Lord Gal. 1: 13-24. Mark of Apostles includes: Outstanding
spiritual gifts, power and ability to establish churches and able to provide
adequate spiritual leadership. He also functions in all other 4 ministry gifts
(Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher).
 2. The Prophet:- To stand in this office, one is first of all a minister of the
gospel, separated and called to the ministry. The works of prophet must have
a more consistent manifestation of at least word of knowledge, wisdom,
discerning of spirit plus prophecy.
3. The Evangelist: This is a messenger of Good news and call to continually
reminding people of the lost and dying world and its need for Gospel, with
supernatural gift of healing, miracles and two other revelation gifts (word of
knowledge and discerning of spirits).
4. The Pastor: This is a shepherd of God’s sheep with the manifestation of the
word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, tongues with interpretation Jn.
10:10-16.
5. The Teacher: This office does the watering process, just as you water plant
for refreshing; a teacher leaves people refreshed and revived. I Cor. 3:5-6,
Teaching is more needed and necessary in the church today for working of
miracles and gifts of healing will never establish a Christian in faith in as
much as they are important.
6. Other ministry gifts include: The office of helps, Roms. 12:6-8, ministry of
government, ministry of giving, ministry of exhorting etc.

HOW TO RECOGNISE YOUR GIFT AND MINISTRY

(a) What you do and see God’s blessing/manifestation on Gal. 2:7-8
(b) Gods signal, divine vision and divine prophesy Acts. 26:16-18.
(c) Burden-Nahum 1:1; Heb. 1:1
(d) Desire of your heart

HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR GIFT AND MINISTRY

Give yourself to search and study of the word Eccl. 1:13
(ii) Give yourself to prayer and don’t sit down idle waiting to start big.

THE DANGER OF HIDING ONES GIFT OR MINISTRY

Matt 25:14-30; Lk 12:47-48

CONCLUSION:
Every man shall give account for each gift(s) he/she received from God, and does
not hold a man guiltless for not knowing his or her gift. You must search them out,
and use them.

WHAT NEXT AFTER DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE!

(1) Make quality commitment to your purpose
(2) Develop yourself:- knowledge is acquire information and information
determines your promotion.
 Upgrade your Skill – A prepared man is better than a prepared
message.
 Training adds more value to you.
(3) Be Passionate – Be happy/excited with what you are called to do.
(4) Be a good Planner: Prov. 24:27, II Chro. 27:6
(5) Be diligent – Prov. 22:29, Prov. 24:30-34
(6) Godly relationship – Prov. 13:20 – The company you keep determines what
accompany you.
(7) Godly character – Your character is who you really are! Your character
determines your height in life.
(8) Maintain your focus
(9) Be excellent in all your doings – I kings 10:4-10
-It attracts people and wealth.
-It distinguishes you from others
(10) Take risk – not taking Risk will make you a Risk
-venture into the unknown
-Where there is no risk there is no rising.
(11) Be ready to pay the price for your rising or lifting
MK. 1:33-35
Joshua. 17:14-18

NEEDS FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT (PS. 63:1-2, Prov. 8:17)

- Spend more time in the word and personal fellowship with God Deut. 29:29,
Icor 13:11-13, Col. 3:16, Ipet. 2:1-2
- Spend more time with people who will stretch your faith and challenge you
to become better
- Update your personal library, read widely,
 - Mental / physical / spiritual agreement
- Grow in your assignment or calling / vision
- Listen to good message on tape, cds, dvds etc
- Attend Seminars that are beneficiary, network with like-minded people.
- Hunger and thirsty for God.
Note: To be informed is to be transformed; we can’t go any further than we are
informed,
- Personal development is self-improvement, working on yourself i.e you need
to go beyond where you are and have gone and do something beyond what
you have done, never forget that all successful leaders are continuous
learners.
- Promotion is not necessarily according to who came first or who is older,
God will only put more responsibilities or assignment in your hands if you
prove yourself fit to handle them, hence, the need for personal development.