Commission U homily as shared @ The Gate Church on January 31, 2021

Many times, we as a church have acknowledged pastoral leaders, trailblazing missionaries, even ministerial entrepreneurs recognizing their calls to churches, nations and organizations. But seldom have we collectively celebrated the unique giftings in vocational leaders and those appointed to corporate frontlines.

For many of us, there’s been a convergence of conviction in recent years centered on the idea that fivefold ministry gifts aren’t exclusive to those with fivefold ministry callings. For instance, like vocational ministers, a CPA with God-given financial skills, a physician with a prophetic voice, a businessperson bent on benevolence can function in pastoral, evangelical, and apostolic anointings.

The question is…

Are we helping professionals, these Kingdom agents, connect their original design to their occupation? Are we helping them bridge the sacred and secular while on the clock?

While many answers could be said, the truth is we, at The Gate, believe works of the Spirit are manifold and meant to manifest in the marketplace. It’s also our belief anyone who is saved and aligned with Christ has difference-making, culture shaking potential as part of their appointed skill and spiritual gift mix…

…which brings us to today where it is with great pleasure we celebrate these [3] individuals who have fulfilled their Commission U requirements as part of Messenger’s initiative to equip marketplace ministers.

For those unaware of what Commission U is, we’re more than a credentialing course, more than a biweekly small group, more than a quest for frameable accomplishment; rather, we’re a tribe of iron sharpeners, a community helping disciple-makers discover and apply their spiritual gifts in worldly systems. Our aim is to train the saints to mature their faith and reach within their arenas of influence. That is our heart, the flow of our lifeblood.

In Scripture, the word ‘commission’ is used several times. In Genesis, we find Joseph being commissioned by Pharaoh as the vizier of Egypt. In Numbers, we find Eleazar the priest and Joshua being commissioned in front of large assemblies. In Acts, we find Paul being commissioned through the laying on of hands by Ananias.

While these cases may seem random, the point is in each of them God appointed his chosen to succeed. And it’s for this reason we are gathered here today: To charge these ambassadors to go and make disciples of all nations as well as their offices – to teach them to obey not only what they’ve chosen to follow, but what they continuously choose to abide in.

So, to our graduates, we employ and empower you to build upon the insight you’ve received and to see the Scriptures as God-breathed in what you put your hands to. As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth [knowing] all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

And as 1 Peter 4:10 charges, may “each of you use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

And for the rest of us, know that we all carry a priestly identity embodying the incarnate – an ‘Immanuel’ (God with us) identity with ignitable Kingdom influence where we work.

On this note, we consecrate this moment by commissioning our Commission U graduates.