God's Gifts to Us and Our Churches

Ephesians 4:11-14  And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,  (12)  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,  (13)  until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  (14)  so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

God gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. Therefore they are gifts to us from God.

What do apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers all have in common?  A vital aspect of all their ministries involves speaking. Sometimes it is to preach the good news that God uses to bring people to repentance. Other times it to explain to believers how to grow in in their spiritually maturity. And other times it is how to avoid or get out of false teachings..

Preaching, proclaiming and teaching are all essential ministries within the church. Service to those in need is also crucial and of course should not be neglected. But without evangelizing there would be no church because God has decreed that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). And after we come to saving faith in Jesus God wants us to grow in the knowledge of Him, His holiness, and His will. Without godly preaching we remain spiritual babies and are susceptible to all manner of deceptions.

Prior to the coming of Jesus in the flesh, God used prophets to exhort the people of their day and give us much of the Bible. Jesus chose certain men, including Paul, as His apostles, or ambassadors, and gave them the power to proclaim the gospel and help raise up His Church. Later the church also sent out some who they referred to as apostles, who apparently served in ways like those we call missionaries today. Evangelists then and now are gifted by God to share the gospel of repentance from sin and the salvation that only Christ provides by He death on the Cross.

Pastors (shepherds) and teachers are particularly essential in ministering to the local church. Pastors usually are gifted to both preach and teach to their flocks, but also to counsel, comfort, and at times confront individuals within their congregation. Teachers are gifted to help people understand God's Word, but may not be gifted to care for others in the same way that pastors are apt to be.

Not everybody who calls themselves apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are actually gifted and called to be such. Some people portray themselves as such because they have good intentions but God does not grant them them what is needed to serve in those ways. Other people are actually false prophets and false teachers, and their motives are self serving.

Churches who have shepherds and teachers who are truly called and gifted by God should be exceedingly thankful that God has so blessed them. Leaders like that will help them learn more about how holy God is and how we can have lives that are pleasing to Him.

I am so thankful to be in a church where those who serve as elders are men who seek to meet the Biblical standards of elders including that an elder "...must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." Titus 1:9 ESV

The church now also has a pastor to serve as a senior elder for all in the church. From his preaching it is evident to us that he is called, gifted, and has been and intends to continue to diligent to study, prepare, and present what God wants us to know so we can grow in spiritual maturity. I gladly respect him and will support him in whatever ways I can, as I am sure many others in our church will. One passage of Scripture that comes to mind as I ponder how blessed we are to have this man as our senior pastor is the following.

1 Timothy 5:17-18  Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.  (18)  For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer deserves his wages."