[Linux4christians] B7 - Tuesday - Ephesians 4:11-13

[dcolburn at bibleseven.com]

    Tuesday


      Ephesians 4:11-13


4:11 It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as 
evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

4:12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up 
the body of Christ,

4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge 
of the Son of God --

a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ's full stature.



      Prayer


Lord, You choose to use us as Your tools for building the quantity and 
quality of Your "Church" (believers) and You equip and sends those who 
will lead and train us in doing so. May I go and serve where I am sent 
and follow and learn when I need to be lead.



      Summary & Commentary


Between the moment of of saving faith - our absolute surrender to Christ 
- and our arrival in Heaven for eternity (following the Great White 
Throne Judgment) we are all constantly in the process of maturing.


Jesus provided everything that we needed "... to build up the body of 
Christ", that is, to grow His "Church" (believers) in both quality and 
quantity. Among those resources are apostles, prophets, evangelists, 
teachers (some of whom are pastors) - their job is not to build 
buildings, gather adoring fans, create local doctrines, or to do "the 
work of ministry" - the text is clear that their job is to "equip the 
saints for the work of ministry", which is, "to build up the body of 
Christ".


This is very important because it means that every single "saint" 
(believer) is called to "the work of ministry" and that it cannot be 
delegated-away to apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and/or pastors.


This is also very important because it means that every single saint 
must be constantly-maturing so that they become more and more valuable 
to the Lord God in His ministry of building up the body of Christ.


Paul elsewhere (1 Cor. 12, etc.) described the various roles of members 
of the "body" or family of believers that is "the Church", with an 
emphasis on the importance that all are serving (and are serving 
as-called), that none is more important nor any capable of everything. 
Every part of the body is dependent on the others.


Here Paul emphasized the role of the leaders, from the founding of The 
Church (believers) until this very day, and until Jesus calls His 
children home. Apostles were called to establish the Church and to equip 
those who would sustain the Church once they departed. Prophets, then 
and now, remind us of Who God is, what He has done, and what He has 
promised to do. Once the "canon", the trustworthy Word of the Bible, was 
closed by the Lord God there is "nothing new under the sun" (or the 
Son), Rev. 22:18-19 makes that profoundly clear.


Evangelists and teachers (some whom are pastors) tell His-story, feed 
His sheep, and protect His sheep.



      Interaction


        Consider

There is an "old school" religious tradition where all of "the work of 
ministry" is foisted upon the pastor-teacher. He is often expected to 
perform every function from prayer, teaching, caring, service, 
evangelism, even "church" property maintenance! This is despite the 
clear teaching of the Bible about the distributed responsibilities of 
"the body" and the instruction that the "elders" focus upon their duties 
as spiritual leaders and delegate overflow-tasks to "deacons".


        Discuss

In what ways may a pastor-teacher emphasize the "equip(ing) of the 
saints for the work of ministry"? How can he be protected from becoming 
too-busy doing their "work" for them.? How might the pastor, and certain 
hyper-active "saints", may resist leaping to do most of the "work of the 
ministry" - because in so doing they deny the blessing of service to 
others? Is it not evidence of maturity and wisdom for them to learn to 
to wait a bit when a need arises to allow the Lord God, through His 
indwelling Holy Spirit, to make clear whom He has been preparing in the 
body to be blessed as a conduit of His blessing?


        Reflect

What does the phrase "... to equip the saints for the work of ministry" 
mean to you?


        Share

When have you experienced an example of a faithful teacher preparing you 
"for the work of ministry", showing you opportunities to serve, coaching 
and mentoring you, but then allowing you to do and to grow and then to 
multiply yourself as they multiplied themselves in you and others?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you some things you have been doing 
which you have not been called and/or have not been gifted to do?


        Action:

Today I commit to partner with the Holy Spirit in "... equip[ing] the 
saints for the work of ministry" by teaching, coaching, equipping, and 
mentoring others to do what they have been called and/or have been 
gifted to do -- so that I may focus on those things to which I have been 
called.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Wednesday's text will be:


      Ephesians 4:14-16



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Savannah-Statesboro needs a Bible College/Seminary!
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com
1Cor. 15:22 "For just as in Adam all die, so also in
Christ all will be made alive."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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