“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” – Ephesians 4:11-12
Many people outside the church (and inside for that matter) think that although the congregation of the church may gather on Sunday for service, they leave to live “normal” lives while the pastors do all of the “ministry” Monday through Saturday. Sadly, this philosophy has blinded many people. The New Testament knows nothing of passive church attenders who leave all the ministry work to the “professional Christians” (those who are paid). When Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians, he saw a massive need in society that could not and would not be changed or remedied by a few people who were doing all of the ministry in Ephesus. To paraphrase verse 12, Paul said, “Train others! Equip them to get in on what God is doing to build His church!” Do you know that God has given you the responsibility to equip others to use their gifts to serve the body of Christ? You might be thinking, “I can’t do that.” It is as easy as bringing others with you as you serve, allowing them to serve with you.
How are you regularly serving the body of Christ? Who can you invite to join you in those opportunities?
