Preparing the Saints for Works of Service
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13
Scripture makes it clear that the role of church leaders is to prepare church members for works of service that then lead to building a stronger and stronger church. Instead, church leadership gets trapped in doing most of the works of service rather than preparing others. Leadership ranks do not increase and works of service are fairly limited to what must be done.
This can be and should be changed. It is urgent to get started on equipping the saints for works of ministry now!
The following suggestions and teaching the Togethers can lead to almost all Christians increasing their works of service tenfold. Most of this increase will come in new ways of loving in friendships, families and marriages.
The primary rule to lead Christians into service for God’s glory is to believe in them.
Believe that down deep they want to serve because the Holy Spirit is pushing them toward it.
Believe that they can grow to love God enough to live the way He wants them to. Believe that there are many works of service waiting to happen in friendships, families and marriages by implementing the Togethers. Believe that they can overcome things that have held them back from serving God. People may be hindered by lack of childhood encouragement and affirmation, so get in there and affirm and encourage service, especially increased obedience to the Togethers. Also, believe that they have something very important to contribute because they have at least one “gift of the Spirit”. Since spiritual gifts are not talents but God’s power called into action by Him and usually not the person’s conscious choice, watch to see them exercised by the person. Likewise, remember talents. |
Too many people were not expected to do much when they were children. Parents accepted whatever they got. Chores assigned were not very demanding. Unmet responsibilities were too easily excused. Parents did not realize that they were communicating to their children that they were not capable of much. They also taught their children to do only that which they found enjoyable. The concept of service in the family was not taught. So, as adults, these folks tend to do only what they have to do. And because they are reticent to take jobs in the church, leaders only invite them to participate, but almost always do not expect them to serve. Sermons about Christian love in family, marriage and friendship come across as suggestions when in Scripture they are not optional. In short, church leaders continue the communication that it is fine and dandy if people just operate at their desired level of involvement, usually dictated by their comfort level. Instead, church leadership must believe in people by expecting, encouraging, exhorting, commissioning, recommending, affirming, and complimenting.
The following things are basic to leading people to the kind of service that will establish unity in the faith and in the knowledge about Jesus, eventually bringing maturity and the fullness of Christ.
The following things are basic to leading people to the kind of service that will establish unity in the faith and in the knowledge about Jesus, eventually bringing maturity and the fullness of Christ.
[1] Strongly teach a God-centered faith (not self-centered nor organizational church-centered faith). Help Christians to be committed to God and knowing and relating to Him as a Person – more than they are to being in the faith for their own benefits and to be blessed by God. Impress that being a true Christian is being on God’s side for His sake, receiving blessings as a secondary benefit. Show that living for God rather than for His blessings means serving Him and promoting love and justice.
[2] Create more biblical interdependence in friendships, families and marriages so that significant spiritual growth can happen. (Realize that Genesis 2:18 teaches that Christians need help from each other for spiritual growth as well as anything that God assigns to them.) Such help between believers will combat the self-centeredness fostered by our contemporary, unbiblical individualized faith. Concern for others of necessity will grow, as will a desire to serve God, when the Togethers are implemented in friendships, families and marriages. [3] Stop beginning and ending with focus on the individual in preaching and teaching. By doing so, not only do you go against God’s design for humans to have to help one another, but you actually prevent significant obedience in friendships, families and marriages. Community is reduced to mere fellowship and masqueraded as community. (See Recommendations to Pastors.) [4] Teach your people that they not only belong to one another, but that their lives can be blessed or harmed as a result of the obedience or disobedience of others in the church whom they may not even know. Use Joshua, Chapter 7 to do this. [5] Therefore, for their own good, expect the people you lead to actively pursue serving their friends, their family members, and their spouses in deeper and deeper ways. In so doing, you will be obeying Hebrews 10:24 which says, “Spur one another on to love and good deeds.” Teach them to expect their Christian friends, family members and spouse to do the same. [6] Be bold in asking people how they are serving their friends, family members and spouses more and more. Lend a vision of how more important they can be to those Christians in their inner circle. Ask them where they plan to serve in the work of the organizational church they attend. [7] When you come across people who need help, whether that be advice from the Bible or hands-on help, resist doing it yourself if you can involve someone else who is not in leadership. Show them that they are capable of serving and, perhaps, even leading. [8] For more, read both our Recommendations to Pastors and Recommendations for Church Leaders. |
Church leaders should teach that the primary work of ministry or service is in the course of life in friendships, families, and marriages. These are the relationships where those who listen to sermons or learn in classes will most readily apply spiritual truth and growth. Our Togethers of Scripture are 65 things God wants Christians to do when they are together. And, they are Scripture, not extrapolations from Scripture. Make sure that those under your care learn The Togethers. Get them to our website at www.ChristiansTogether.org to learn these Togethers and review our other resources.
Let’s bring people into the kingdom of God differently – first for God’s benefit. Let’s do what we can to add to the offer of salvation the very great privilege of knowing God and being on His side in fighting against evil. From the start let’s teach people that the kingdom they are now a part of through salvation is active kingdom – more like a war than a party, more like a deep friendship rather than an acquaintance, more serving than being served.
Once people accept Christ as their Savior, let’s make sure new converts know that Jesus is both the Lamb of God with His tender side toward His sheep and the Lion of Judah with His army of peoples who recognize that He is the Commander-in-Chief, the Lord.
It then follows that we need to expect them to show up for duty. Not to earn salvation and favor from God, but to spiritually grow and act out of gratefulness for His salvation mercifully given, even though not deserved.
Let’s bring people into the kingdom of God differently – first for God’s benefit. Let’s do what we can to add to the offer of salvation the very great privilege of knowing God and being on His side in fighting against evil. From the start let’s teach people that the kingdom they are now a part of through salvation is active kingdom – more like a war than a party, more like a deep friendship rather than an acquaintance, more serving than being served.
Once people accept Christ as their Savior, let’s make sure new converts know that Jesus is both the Lamb of God with His tender side toward His sheep and the Lion of Judah with His army of peoples who recognize that He is the Commander-in-Chief, the Lord.
It then follows that we need to expect them to show up for duty. Not to earn salvation and favor from God, but to spiritually grow and act out of gratefulness for His salvation mercifully given, even though not deserved.
I have seen pastors cringe at the suggestion that they expect the people of their congregations to do much of anything. Are they afraid they will lose members if they expect them to do what God’s people are saved to do? Is the church budget or God in control? Do they think that it is fruitless to keep on expressing expectations for spiritual growth and for action?
A good father will not stop expecting his children to learn how to correctly throw a ball, cross the street safely, and a million other things that once mastered will build confidence. Likewise, church leadership must continue expecting each and every person to grow in their contribution to the body of Christ, to their family and friends and in their marriage, as well as less frequently to secular society. To not do this is to give up on them. What is the downside of soft-peddling allegiance to God and the acts of faith that take commitment? Foremost, God is poorly treated. Also, divorces and family breakdowns happen. Lives are lived far short of their potential in Christ. Also, consider that rewards in heaven are places of service based on obedience here on this earthly “boot camp”. When church leadership does not expect Christians to live for works of service they will be lessening the quality of life after death. A church member might then find himself happily sweeping golden streets for eternity rather than happily being a mayor or an artist or some more desirable service for God in heaven. |
The first thing for church leaders to expect Christians to do is live for God rather than for themselves. From Day One when a person joins the military they have to put behind their own way of doing things and begin immediately to learn the way of the military (or peel potatoes for a week and then learn the way of the military). Let’s stop dumbing down the commitment to God by defining it primarily as coming to church services. Right from the start let’s tell people that God has a best way to do everything and get them learning and doing things His way.
Most of this work of ministry or service is done in friendships, families, and marriages. Our Togethers of Scripture spell out what are these works of service to one another. Obedience to The Togethers (the Bible) will take head-on the main enemy of Christians and the church, Satan’s strategy of individualized faith. This will shrink individualized Christianity and the saints will get more into works of service.
The final outcome is maturity in Christ.
This is a “must do” journey!
Most of this work of ministry or service is done in friendships, families, and marriages. Our Togethers of Scripture spell out what are these works of service to one another. Obedience to The Togethers (the Bible) will take head-on the main enemy of Christians and the church, Satan’s strategy of individualized faith. This will shrink individualized Christianity and the saints will get more into works of service.
The final outcome is maturity in Christ.
This is a “must do” journey!
__________________________________________________________________________________
If you are concerned about the same things we are, we invite you to join our Advisory Team. This means that we will occasionally send you emails asking your thoughts about an issue we are thinking through. If you would like to be a part of our team, please email Dick Wulf at [email protected] and let him know of your willingness to help.
__________________________________________________________________________________
If you are concerned about the same things we are, we invite you to join our Advisory Team. This means that we will occasionally send you emails asking your thoughts about an issue we are thinking through. If you would like to be a part of our team, please email Dick Wulf at [email protected] and let him know of your willingness to help.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2012 Dick Wulf, Colorado, USA