God's Ministry Gifts To The Church Series

Opening illustration: There once was a carpenter who visited one of two brothers who had recently grown embittered with each other over a misunderstanding over the farm they had managed together for the past 40 years. The carpenter was in need of work; or so he said, and he asked the one brother if there was anything he might do to help him out. "Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence, an 8-foot fence - so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore." The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you." The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day - measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There wasn’t a fence there at all. The carpenter had fashioned a bridge... a bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, hand outstretched, meeting them in the middle, "You are quite a fellow, you know; to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done." Then hoisting his toolbox onto his shoulder, the carpenter departed. "I’d love to stay, but I have many more bridges to build.” That’s just like the carpenter, isn’t it – that is the carpenter from Nazareth, our Lord Jesus Christ, who would tear down the dividing walls of hostility, not just between us and God; but between us and others too? It’s just like our Lord who bridged the gap of sin with His cross, and gifted us with His love that we might love one another more like Him. It’s just like our Lord who has spoken elsewhere of how he dispensed His Spirit so as to make “some into prophets, some into evangelists, and some into pastors and teachers so as to prepare God’s 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, becoming mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). It’s just like our Lord to remake us, to recall us to such service, to restore us to the spirit of respectfully using our God-given gifts for His agenda and not our own. It’s just like our Lord who continues to build His church today by this same Spirit’s reviving through His Word.

Introduction: While we have come to accept the ministry gifts of Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, it has not been quite so, with that of the Prophet and Apostle. To this end God is raising up prophets as well as end-time apostles to bring His people into the "fullness" of their inheritance in Christ. Many apostles and prophets have been called to begin "networks and schools" for the purpose of raising up many great prophetic and apostolic ministers. The primary goal of these networks and schools is to lead those who are called to the five-fold ministry into the "fullness" of their calling in Christ, so that they may, in turn, lead all those that God has called them to minister to, into the fullness of their inheritance in Christ - thus producing a mighty people who can establish the kingdom of God in the earth. In fact just before the second coming of Christ, the prophet Elijah and a known (name undisclosed) will be sent to earth (Malachi 4: 5).

How do ‘Ministry Gifts’ work in the church?

1. Apostles ~ apostolos which is translated "sent one" and carries the understanding that the one being sent has the full power and authority of the one sending him.

OT – absent

NT – emerged after the advent of Christ

Profile – had seen or been with Jesus Christ; new ground breakers; one chosen and sent with a special commission; witnesses of the resurrection. An apostle normally has a measure of all the other five fold gifts, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher and Evangelist so they have an understanding to train and equip and so they can step into these roles as God leads.