Devotional Thoughts In our devotional on Friday we took a look at Ephesians 4:11, seeing that God has given free gifts of His grace to the Church. These spiritual gifts, given corporately to the whole Body include the Apostles, Prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers. We took the time to learn about each of these offices in the church and what they contribute to the structure of the church.
Today we will move on the verse 12 and see why these men have been given to the church. Why has God given these gifts? The short answer is indeed contained in Eph 4:12 - Christ has given these men to the church "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." But what exactly does that mean? We will take the next 3 days to break this statement apart and learn what each phrase means and when we are done we will, I hope, have a new understanding and appreciation for the true work of the ministry and those who lead us in the worship of God.
Let us begin then by the first task of those who shepherd our souls. They have been given:
For the Equipping of the Saints
There is a difference between church growth and church expansion. Many today are clamoring after church expansion, thinking that to add numbers and budget expenditures is growth. That is simply not true. Jesus tells us that He will build His Church. As He does so, He works according to the plans He has detailed in Scripture. These next verses give us a very detailed look at how He builds His Church.
Church growth occurs when the people (believers in the local body) grow spiritually and bear good fruit. Expansion deals with quantity. Growth deals with quality. We cannot afford to confuse the two. Too often a church expands and thinks this is growth while the body is sick and dying, imbibing false doctrine and spiritual errors, being led by men who focus on meeting felt needs instead of obeying the Bible.
We should never target demographics for the sake of expansion. In fact the only demographic we are commanded to reach is the lost. Any further break down, any further categorization, is foolish and sinful!
We see then that the first step in true church growth occurs as those who lead the church and minister before God fulfill their role by equipping the saints. To equip here means to set a broken bone, and refers to a restoration original condition, to make complete, mature, and perfect. (See 1 Thess. 1:2-7 and 1 Peter 5:3-4).
What does it mean then practically for the elders of the church to equip the saints?
Individual members of the Body are equipped as they "become complete." And Paul tells us that this is defined as being "of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace" ( 2 Cor. 13:11). Further Hebrews 13:20-21 tells us that God, as the Great Shepherd of the sheep, will "make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." The goal then of equipping saints is that they be mature, complete, and perfect in their faith. Will we ever be perfect while in this fallen world? No. But we are to ever be pressing toward that mark knowing that when Christ appears we will be like Him!
We also see that the church is equipped corporately as a whole local body. 1 Corinthians 1:10 tells us that Paul's desire for the church was unity. "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." So growth involves maturity on a personal level and that works its way out in unity on the corporate level. And as we studied last week, the true basis for unity is the truth of God's Word as we are fed and led by sound doctrine!
So what tools are to be used by those who shepherd our souls so that we might be brought to maturity and unity? There are several tools given and used by men and by God to equip us and fit us for Christian living. Today we will look at 4 of them.
The first and probably most obvious tool used to equip the saints is the Word of God. Key verses that demonstrate this for us are found in 2 Tim. 3:16-17 and Acts 6:4. There the Word of God itself says to us:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
...but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
The calling and work of the pastor-teacher, following the examples of the Apostles and elders in the New Testament church, is to first be given to prayer and the ministry of the Word. This is our primary focus! For only in fulfilling this mandate are we able to effectively equip the church. This is true because in prayer we learn the mind of God and in the ministry of the Word we use the only infallible, inerrant, and inspired tool that we have been given for equipping the saints.
All Scripture is God breathed. And all Scripture - ALL SCRIPTURE - is profitable for doctrine (what we believe), for reproof (confronting sin and error), for correction (turning us from our sin and to truth), and for instruction in righteousness (step by step practical ways to live what is right and true). We see then that without the sound and consistent preaching of the Word of God no church can hope to truly grow, mature, or bear fruit! Worship starts and ends with the Word of God.
It is no wonder by the way that the churches that face the greatest expansion are often those with the lowest view of Scripture. Those ministers, so called, who preach to men about men a man centered religiousity draw great crowds. But large numbers never equates automatically to growth, maturity, or the presence of sound doctrine!
The second tool given for the equipping of the saints was mentioned there along with the ministry of the Word - it is prayer. A church lives or dies by its prayer life. As Leonard Ravenhill said quite boldly, "a preacher that is not praying is playing and a people that are not praying are straying!" Prayer is the life blood of the church - communion with her Savior.
Colossians 4:12-13 says:
Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.
Paul notes and makes mention of Epaphras, specifically as he prays earnestly for the church. And for what does he pray? That the church be perfect, mature, and complete in the will of God. Do we pray for church growth - for maturity and depth?
Many churches it is said have a great outreach and impact, and it is stated that they are 3 miles wide but only an inch deep. Jesus is not nearly so concerned with breadth as He is depth! For throughout the New Testament He was encouraging depth and often when He did teach deep truths He Himself saw "disciples" forsake Him quickly!!
Prayer is a tool that we must be using if the church is to grow. A church that does not pray will not grow, in fact. Just as people who do not breathe will die! Prayer is in truth spiritual breathing! It is necessary for life. How can we abide in Christ if we are not communing with Him often and intimately? Pastors then must lead by example and they must instist that if the church does nothing else, it prays!
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