The Minister – God’s Gift
Our adult Sunday School Class is going through Ephesians verse by verse. Recently, we were in chapter four. Verse eight ends with, “and gave gifts unto men.” Just a few verses later, it reads: “and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11).
I believe verse eleven has a dual meaning.
First, God has given some people gifts, specifically talents and abilities, to fulfill those roles. I won’t argue whether apostles and prophets still exist here, but it’s clear that evangelists, pastors, and teachers are vital to a church’s life and Christians’ spiritual growth.
Which brings us to the second meaning. God has given these people to the church for our individual growth. In other words, these people are a gift from God to us. This shows why God gave these people to us. Ephesians 4:12: “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
Evangelists, pastors, and teachers are tools God uses to help us become more like Christ each day, accomplish the work God has for us, and build us up.
As I prepared for Sunday School on Ephesians 4:11, I couldn’t help but think of those who profess to be Christians yet have lackluster church attendance and miss out on a vital gift God has given them.
A teacher may be sitting in a classroom instead of standing behind a pulpit like a pastor or evangelist, but the task is similar: preach. You may think teaching and preaching are different, but only the style differs; the message and goal are the same.
We are commanded to preach the gospel. Mark 16:15: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Why would God emphasize the gospel as the message? Because the gospel brings people to salvation. Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
The gospel message is easy, but many people do not want to hear it. The gospel message is that we are all sinners, and our sin has separated us from God. Only a blood sacrifice can wash away our sin, and God chose His Son, Jesus, to be the Lamb of God, the sacrifice to take away the sin of the world. When we place our faith in Christ’s blood, we are saved; there is no other way. God grants us eternal life.
The “we are sinners and separated from God” part is the part of the gospel message people don’t want to hear. “I haven’t done anything that bad.” “Overall, I’m a good person.” “I’m religious, I go to church, pray, and read my Bible. God will be satisfied with that.” All of those, and similar statements, run through people’s minds, basically rejecting the first part of the Gospel and making the rest of the Gospel message unnecessary. Therefore, it is the minister’s duty to keep the truth of the gospel before people’s faces.
God chose preaching as the main focus for spreading the gospel. 1 Corinthians 1:21: “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
The Bible talks not only about salvation, but about every topic under the sun. But regardless of the topic, the theme always returns to Jesus Christ. The New Testament tells us several times that people preached either Christ or Jesus (Acts 8:5, 8:35, 9:20, 10:36, 17:3, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 4:5, and these are only a few).
Ministers also act as shepherds, feeding God’s flock. Acts 20:28: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
God has made the evangelists, pastors, and teachers spiritual watchmen. Isaiah 62:6: “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence.”
And of course, they are teachers. Matthew 28:20: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
I understand that, with some who proclaim Christianity, the minister is the very reason they don’t attend the assembly anymore. Just as God tells us He has given us ministers as a gift, He also warns us about false shepherds.
He warns us of ministers that are insensitive and pleasure-loving (Isaiah 56:10-12).
Of those who cause division and drive people away (Jeremiah 23:2).
He warns us of others who will purposefully lead people away from God (Jeremiah 50:6).
Others will pray upon the flock instead of feeding it (Ezekiel 34:2-3).
Others see the ministry as a job, treat it as such, and run away at the first sign of trouble, leaving the flock to fend for itself (John 10:12).
For those who have been wronged by a minister in the past, take God’s warning and His promise of a gift with equal weight. Good evangelists, pastors, and teachers exist. Prayerfully search for the church God wants you to serve. Don’t reject God’s gift of a minister because one of them rejected the service God gave them.
Preacher Tim Johnson is Pastor of Countryside Baptist Church in Parke County, Indiana. His weekly column “Preacher’s Point” may be found at: www.preacherspoint.wordpress.com