It is a Body Ministry
ICS Daily Devotions
Ephesians 4: 7-8,11 – 13 (NKJV) But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore, He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”…And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Because Jesus is God, He is perfect and complete. Only Jesus has the fullness of the Holy Spirit and can operate in the full spectrum of the fivefold ministry and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For example, Jesus can preach, teach, reach out to the lost, have the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, heal all kinds of sicknesses, and carry out miracles that cause people to marvel and give glory to God. While we can expect and have faith in Jesus for all things, we cannot expect His undershepherds, the appointed pastors, to be capable of everything. No matter how mature they are as believers, they are still imperfect in their ways and their character, nor do they operate in all the gifts. Therefore, we need to manage our expectations toward our pastor.
God is a God of order. We are amazed by how the universe is created and arranged, and how the body functions so beautifully. Likewise, there is an order and a system that God has put in place for the church to function effectively and efficiently. Once the church is set in order, she can carry out the mandate to reach the lost.
When Jesus ascended on high, God gave gifts to men to develop the body of believers to fulfil the work of the ministry together. No leader or pastor can fulfil the ministry alone because it is a body ministry. Sadly, most churches have less than 25% of the members serving in the various ministries, with the expectation and reliance weighing even more heavily on pastors in small churches that can’t afford to have more staff. As a result, many pastors are burnt out or on the verge of it because of the demand for cradle-to-grave ministry—it has become a one-man ministry instead of a body ministry!
Therefore, to be a blessing to the local pastor, church members should contribute to the growth of the church by serving the local church with their God-given gifts and talents. The body of Christ is made up of different parts and needs everyone to contribute to her growth. It is a body ministry.
Sermon Series: The Pastor
