Being Equipped For The Work Of The Ministry #23

The Kingdom Cowboy

Summary:

It was never meant for a pastor and/or a few elders to do all the ministering in a church. That is totally a Bible Belt concept that someone started a long time ago, and the people just got used to it. The five-fold ministries were given so that all of us can be equipped to go out and talk to people, bless and pray for them and point them to the Lord. The church was never meant to be full of babies who are always fed, but never grow up to be mature sons and daughters who go out and make things happen.

Show Notes:

• Ephesians 4 talks about the five-fold ministries for building up, edifying and equipping the saints. This scripture alone should change a person’s thinking about just a few people in a church who are supposed to do all the ministering.

• When you get the revelation of being equipped for the work of the ministry, it propels you into a place where you will never be the same again.

• The Bible Belt concept that just one person is supposed to do all the ministry is ludicrous. Moses tried, but couldn’t do it, so with the encouragement of Jethro, he commissioned many to help him with the people.

• Honestly, most of the ministry should be happening outside the church walls on Monday through Saturday; at your work, when shopping, on the golf course, or a thousand other places. That’s what we are being equipped to do.

• When you are out there and the Lord starts dealing with you about praying over someone or giving them a word of encouragement, it can be hard the first or second time you step out, but it does become easier, However, don’t ever start relying on yourself without the help of the Holy Spirit.

• One huge open door is when someone comes to you and wants to tell you their problems. That means they are asking you for help, and they have an element of trust in you. Do not break their trust by spreading around what they tell you. It’s not that hard, if you just keep pointing them to the Lord.

• Quotes:

• We have to break through the Bible Belt mindset that there’s a pastor, elders or a group of ministries that does all the ministry. That’s not even a biblical concept.

• For people who have been to church in the Bible Belt for most of their lives, it takes repetition, repetition, repetition, and they finally get it.

• “I need to talk to the pastor”. Well, what if there’s half a dozen other people who can do those things better than I can? Because there are.

• I’m not going to bend or crumble to the request of the people to do things I’m not very good at. I’m going to focus on the things that I am good at, and set people in places of authority where they’re anointed, so they can do a lot of those kinds of things.

• It’s going to be challenging getting this idea moving in the right direction, because people have been trained to not do anything.

• When people wake up, it changes everything. Then what is just a boring Christian life turns into excitement and an adventure, when you see that God wants to use you. It’s a pretty incredible thing, and people are finding out that they are good at stuff.

• If you open yourself up to this and you are willing to do it, immediately you’re in OJT (on the job training) and you’re needed now.

References:

Ephesians 4:11

Exodus 18

Takeaways:

All Christians need to get past the concept that only a few in the church are supposed to be doing all of the ministry. This is what is referred to as the Bible Belt Mentality. It’s the responsibility for every believer to grow up and start being who we are supposed to be, to the whole body of Christ. At first, it may seem hard to step out, but the Lord will lead you, if you keep allowing the Spirit of God to get more into your heart each day. It will get easier, and more rewarding, each time.