work of the ministry

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WARNING:  This may be long.

>Tom Lasater wrote:
>
>>I have been taught that the five fold ministry is for the perfecting of
>>the saints, to do the work of that ministry, to build up (edify) the
>>Body. It now occurs to me that these gifts are to be used to equip the
>>saints for the ministry, to bring them into the ministry that GOD calls
>>them into.

>Joe Chancellor wrote:
>
>Yep....This is a concept that is missed by many the last generation or
>two... a lot of the people with these talents....or to word it so it will be
>recognized by todays frame of mind....in these positions....have
somewhere
>assumed the premise that they are few and far between who will actually
turn
>out to be ministers. 

The gifts of ministry are given to those that ask according to the
calling that God
has called them with.  But they must be desired.

>For ministering in the church....being an
>evangelist...a pastor etc...has become something that is a
position...not
>simply the work of the God through His people...ALL of His people.  Hence we
>no longer hear the phrase spoken as oft as we did fifty years
ago..."They're
>ALL preachers."

ALL???  
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave SOME, apostles; and SOME, prophets; and SOME,
evangelists; and SOME, pastors and teachers;
1 Corinthians 12:29-30
Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of
miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all
interpret?
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more
excellent way.

All ARE witnesses (preaching the gospel), but ALL are not given further
ministries 
as Apostles, Prophets, etc.  We are to COVET the best gifts, but each
requires sacrifice that many will not make to obtain them.  Yet many go
about teaching as 
if they are "called" and "ministering" in areas where they have no Godly
authority, doing great harm!

>The church has now relegated itself to a heirachal system
>of positions in which the ministry is in such a place above the "lay"
people
>that few ever even aspire to attain such a "high and lofty calling" as
>someone in the "ministry". 

Hierarchy = A group of persons organized or classified according to
authority or rank.  

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, FIRST apostles,
SECONDARILY prophets, THIRDLY teachers, AFTER THAT miracles, THEN gifts
of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
---and---
Romans 13:1-7
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power
but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.  Whosoever therefore
resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist
shall receive to themselves damnation.  For rulers are not a terror to
good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then 
not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have
praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But
if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword
in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon
him that doeth evil.  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for
wrath, but also for conscience sake.  For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
God takes authority so seriously, he went to great lengths to let it be
known that 
to usurp that "hierarchy" of authority, no matter to whom it is given,
would result in 
dire consequences.  When Moses and Aaron were confronted by Korah,
Dathan, Abiram and 250 members of the congregation, God did not let it go unnoticed.  
God had lifted Moses and Aaron to positions of authority and He wasn't about to 
let it be diminished. Read the story in Numbers, chapter 16.

A Pastor's authority is to and for the congregation.  No one is allowed
to usurp 
that authority.  I guess, if one were to deem himself to be above such a
pastor,
then he would have no other choice but to either submit to a Pastor
greater 
than himself or to become self-pastored.  It would be too much to expect
that 
one with such personal greatness should contribute such greatness to
support 
a Pastor of such obvious limitations.  (Pun intended)

>that few ever even aspire to attain such a "high and lofty calling" as
>someone in the "ministry". 

Many do not desire greater than that which they have.  The greater the
authority, 
the more the servant you become.   People by nature desire to climb "up"
in 
positions of authority, seeking (being served) honor and recognition. 
God intends
us to humble ourselves and to become servants to all.

> And because of this we seem to have lost the
>memory that we were all to be in the ministry...some wise and prudent
with a
>Godly wisdom that made them able to lead and shepherd people through
paths
>they were, at the moment, too young or weak to circumvent...some with a
>knowledge and. even better, an ability to impart that knowledge in a
manner
>that others can hear and understand the things of God that they
previously
>could not quite grasp...etc etc..

We are all ministers, but only in the sense of bringing those in the dark
into His marvelous light.  And we are ALL examples one to another.  But
the ministering 
to the Saints of the church is given only to those that are called according to His purpose (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher).  We
can't all presume 
to teach one another.  Chaos would ensue.  We do, however, learn from one

another's example.  

1 John 2:26-27 
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye
need not 
that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all
things, 
and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall
abide in him.

>Oh for the day that the church realizes that we are ALL in the ministry
and
>God has called us ALL to be a part of that ministry and to learn from
those
>who have already had the opportunity to learn and grow in Christ so that
we
>may soon work right along side them and one day take up the slack when
those
>who have lead us have gone on from this world.

We are all to submit only to the authority of God and only to those in
whom God's authority rests!!!  

Roger Bozeman
rbozeman@juno.com
All Christians are born a warrior.  It is their duty to attack;  it is
their destiny to be assaulted.