Weekly Devotional 7-28-14 God’s Gift of Evangelists and Pastor/Teachers
Jesus in discussion with His disciples said that He would build His church and the Gates of Hell would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:13-18 NKJV). He promised that after He ascended back into heaven He would send His Spirit to indwell them individually and corporately, that is, He would indwell His promised church (John 14:15-26; Acts 1:1-8).
Furthermore, from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians we read, “10He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. 11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till 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; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:10-16 NKJV).
Much of the professed church today seems to have forgotten that the true church is a possessed church. It has been gifted by the ascended Christ to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth. To bring the possessed church to maturity He established various offices. Of these offices, the office of evangelist, and the office pastor/teacher were ordained to remain throughout the life of the church for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ (vs. 12).
Evangelists (a.k.a. Missionaries) are engaged primarily with spreading the gospel beyond the walls of the local assembly of believers while pastor/teachers are called to nourish believers of these local assemblies. (Their ministries however are not necessarily restricted to these confines). Therefore, we who are truly Christian (truly followers of Christ) should not take the office of an evangelists lightly, nor should we take the office of pastor/teacher lightly. Evangelists are taking the gospel into a darkened world and pastor/teachers are called by God to lead and instruct believers, to bring them (us) to maturity.
Thank you Lord for those you have called, gifted and given to us.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power, The Work of God on Behalf of Man