Equipping the Saints

The church is not a one-man show. It does not consist of a pastor who does all the preaching, all the teaching, all the praying, all the counsel, all the service, and all the leadership. There is simply too much work to do in the Kingdom of God. The church is a body of believers who use their God-given gifts in order to build one another up, reach the world, and thereby glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

And this is how the Lord has instituted the church. The Lord has given to the church, according to Ephesians 4, apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers in order to “equip the saints for works of ministry.” This means that the role of the pastor is one of empowering the body to serve God in a manner consistent with their spiritual gifts and calling. Such a model and biblical vision has far more influence and reach than that of a one-man show. And this model will more effectively reach into the surrounding community and lives of the families of the church members.

Implementation

A church is a bit like a household. Certain tasks just need to be done, regardless of giftings and calls. In a household, someone needs to do the dishes, vacuum, dust, do laundry, mow the lawn, etc. Likewise in a church, less than glamorous tasks need to be done. The people of the church should be encouraged (though not guilted into) service as part of sacrificial worship of the Lord. As the body pitches in, the list of tasks will become more managable, and less burdensome than if the church is run by a few extremely dedicated volunteers and the pastor.

Beyond these acts of service is the use of spiritual gifts. Each believer has received a spiritual gift for the purpose of “serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). It is the role of the pastor of helping the body to discern spiritual gifts, foster and flourish these gifts, and give opportunity to implement these gifts. Some gifts are by nature public and seen by others, such as teaching. Other gifts will be behind the scenes. But each gift works together through the administration and choreography of the Lord for His glory. From the least to the greatest, the body needs to be encouraged toward maturity and the use of spiritual gifts.