Ephesians 4:11-12 speaks of the fivefold ministries; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. There has been a lot of discussion in church circles as to whether there should be job titles for ministers from this list, or if the list simply describes the most effective area of ministry of the individual minister. However you come down on this, I feel that the important part of this scripture is in verse 12. Here is where the purpose for ministry is revealed. The scripture tells us that the purpose of these ministries is "to prepare God's people for works of service." Read it again. It doesn't say that the purpose of ministers is "to give good service to God's people."
If your pastor is consistently teaching you God's word and consistently encouraging you to get involved in acts of ministry or service to others, then he is fulfilling the Ephesians 4:12 mandate. Conversely, if he is doing all of the ministry and meeting all of your needs and giving you good service, he is cheating you of the blessing that comes from the mature Christian life.
Verse 13 tells us that if we are prepared for acts of service we will be blessed with maturity and "attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Don't get sucked into the notion that the pastor is supposed to take care of you. He is supposed to prepare you.
1 comment:
True, and something that is important for both lay people and pastors to remember. I think its just as tempting for a pastor to want to satisfy the congregation's demand for service as it is for the congregation to demand it. I also think pastors should recognize two things based on the point you've made: 1) They should feel a sense of relief as it reassures them that most of what church people complain about regarding their pastor is not pertinent to the mandate. However, 2) What pastors actually are supposed to do is perhaps even more difficult. Still, it is as you've shown verse 13 to say, what is best for everyone, not least those the lay people will serve in turn.
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