In Acts 9:5 "And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6And he trembling and
astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto
him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."
Paul was a Pharisee active in ministry, under the direction of the Sanhedrin.
It was while he was on his way to Damascus to receive important papers which could have given him authority to wipe out this Nazarene sect…God met him.

His first Question was " Who are you Lord ?" He reveals himself as Jesus
The second question is " What will you have me to do?"
This study is focused on the second question. It is clear from the New Testament and even in the Old Testament, that after the Lord revealed himself to you, their was usually a work that you must do.
After the Lord reveals himself to you, what follows is service. You should serve the Lord in some capacity.
We are in perilous times as Paul advised Timothy.
There was a survey done, and do not quote me but in most churches it was only 10% or less that actually did anything in ministry, or to keep the church running.
At this point I will ask members to say what they think there ministry is and what they are actually doing for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God?

Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Jesus sees James, & John the sons of Zebedee they are self employed fishermen, Jesus said follow me, and then you can listen to me forever, because I need an audience No! He said follow me and I will make you fishers of men. In other words, you were fishing for fish, but now I will train you to fish for the souls of Men.
Following is not Just sitting down, week after week, sermon after sermon, being titillated or learning something new, following is receiving instruction and also being active in it.
The Question you must ask yourself is! What are you doing for Jesus.
Mark 2:14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
Matthew gave up his job with the inland revenue and joined the ministry.
John 21:15-17 1 "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs."
If you really love the Lord, the test is service.
Yet week after week we have members that say they love the Lord and do not do anything for him.
Jesus said in so many words…Peter you really love me, serve me, and you can do this by looking after my sheep.
Modern Christianity is about the big preachers with big names, we will travel land and sea to be in a meeting, and when we get there it is to see somebody else working for God. It is to be entertained, it is to see somebody else flow in the gifts.
The concept of lay ministry is leaving the modern church, it is the preachers job, he is the minister, he must teach me, feed me.
While it is the Job of the five fold ministry to edify the body, it is or purpose, the Goal is to train you for the work of the ministry.
Ephesians 4:7-12 "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

Notice how the scripture opens up, but unto some of us? Unto the select few? NO!
Unto everyone of us is given grace, or an ability that you did not work for.
The five fold ministry is for three reasons:
The perfecting of the Church
To train them for the work of the ministry
For the building up of the body of Christ.
The problem with the western church is that we have left it to a few select people, and no one else will take responsibility.
The wonderful thing about the growth of the church in the early church was that there were so many people involved in ministry who not even preachers.
Aquilla and Priscilla had a full time job already as tent makers with Paul, yet they found time to evangelise as a husband and wife team, they did not start there own church or ministry, but built up the church they already belonged to.
Acts 18:26 (KJV)
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
This couple was responsible for the conversion of Appolos who was a great minister in the church.
We have a work…all of us have something the Lord has given us to do.
Revelation 22:12 (KJV)
12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

1 Peter 1:17 (KJV)
17And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
Have you done anything that is worth remembering apart from turn up at church once a week.
Hebrews 6:10 (KJV)
10For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

John 4:34 (KJV)
34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
Jesus fulfilled the work he was given by the Father. Have you.

We are to be abounding in the work of the Lord
1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)
58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 3:13 (KJV)
13Every 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.
14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

Can your work stand the test of Gods Holy fire, or have you even got a work or done anything for the kingdom?

Galatians 6:4 (KJV)
4But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.