"A Wide Door for
Effective Service:
Let the Pastor ’Move Over’"
Author: Dr. Neal Gray
Passage: Ephesians 4:11-16, KJV
Purpose: Is the Pastor supposed to do all of the work of the ministry of the Church? NO! The Pastor equips the laity to do the work of the ministry. That’s the Pastor’s ministry. I must train the Christians for service.
INTRODUCTION
Opening
This message is the 2nd of a sermon series titled, "A Wide Door for Effective Service." The key verse for this series is:
"I will tarry...until Pentecost; for a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries." (1 Corinthians 16:9)
The emphasis for the series is this: each Christian member of this church is, in fact, a minister. The time has come for you to find a suitable and enjoyable service in your church; for you to contribute in ways more than you have practiced until now.
==> I believe strongly--very strongly--that there are many ways YOU can be in effective service in Christ’s church; and at the same time, YOU CAN BE MORE FULFILLED by doing the thing that you enjoy, but doing it for God and His people.
Scripture
Our Scripture for today is a classic passage, Ephesians 4:11-16. In this "central" passage, I hear Paul telling pastors what our responsibility is to you, the congregation. Look at verses 11-13 first, to see what the pastor’s job is, i.e., how your Pastor should serve you.
And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)
Now, Paul says that if we equip you to do the work of the ministry, i.e., "the perfecting of the saints," then here’s what we can expect...
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:14-16)
THE PASTOR’S REAL RESPONSIBILITY
Introduction
A group that does these kinds of surveys recently took a survey of 5,000 pastors across the United States. They asked those pastors what their greatest needs were in the church. Interestingly enough, 98% of the pastors who responded listed as either their #1 or #2 need--the need at the top of their list--was to GET THE LAYMEN INVOLVED IN DOING THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY.
In his book, THE REBIRTH OF MINISTRY, James D. Smart says this:
"Jesus was not satisfied in having a succession of audiences to which He might proclaim His Gospel. Jesus was interested primarily in having disciples in whom and through whom His ministry would be multiplied many times over."
==> To that end, the Apostle Paul says that the moment I understand that I AM TO EQUIP YOU TO DO THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, and that, in fact, YOU DO THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, then there will be 1.) maturity in the church, there will be 2.) edification in the church, and there will be 3.) growth in the body of the congregation--but not until I understand and act on the knowledge that IT IS MY JOB TO EQUIP YOU.
Pastor is Paid to Get the Laity to Work!
You see, Paul teaches us very clearly that as pastors we are to equip you to do the work of the ministry. One of the greatest days of my life is when I first understood that, (tongue-in-cheek), YOU PAY ME TO GET YOU TO WORK!
Now...THAT’S A GREAT JOB. That’s why the title of the message this morning is: "Let the Pastor Move Over."
==> In fact, until the pastor equips the congregation, perfects the saints, to do the work of the ministry, and moves out of their way to do the ministry, the church will never be what it should be.
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PASTOR IS TO EQUIP THE CONGREGATION FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY. That’s my job. Paul teaches that to us.
Equipping
And I want to look with you this morning in depth about what this equipping means, and then how are we going to do it.
The word "perfect" in this passage (v. 12) is a very interesting word. The modern English translations may use the words, "equip," or "prepare." The FIRST TIME WE FIND THAT WORD in the New Testament (in the Greek) is when it is connected and associated with Peter, James, John, and Andrew. You’ll remember that Jesus came by and said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (cf. Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20). DO YOU REMEMBER THE STORY?
What were these men doing at the time Jesus called them? The Bible tells us that they were mending their nets. The Greek form of the word used in this story of the occupation of these men before they knew Jesus Christ, is EXACTLY THE SAME WORD used--you may have guessed it--when Paul says the pastor’s work is the equipping of the saints to do the work of the ministry.
In other words, "to equip" or "to prepare" or "to perfect," and "to mend" is the very same word. Now, with that as a background let’s talk about the root of equipping, which is mending, and how it relates to how we as pastors are to equip you to do the work of the ministry.
FISHERMEN MENDING THEIR NETS
Introduction
There are three pictures that come to mind when I think of fishermen mending there nets.
Mending Nets Is a Continual Process
FIRST. It is a continual process. They never quit mending their nets. It is never completed, it is never finished. Every day after fishing the nets have torn under the strain of bringing in fish.
There is never a day when the fishermen say, "You know, I’ve mended this net everyday for the past 15 years. Today and from now on, I’m just not going to mend it anymore."
No, they know better. They must mend the nets, because their very lives depend on the nets being strong and tight to catch the fish. Mending nets is always under construction.
Similarly, equipping people is always under construction. There is...
* Never a time when we equip the people for the last time
* Never a time when you are fully equipped, and,
* Never a time when the discipling process is complete.
Therefore, for the pastor who wants to have a church where there is no-fuss-no-muss, no mess, no mending, no equipping; he or she won’t enjoy that kind of work. Because for the pastor...the work of equipping the saints for the work of service is ALWAYS ONGOING.
Pastoring is A Lot of Hard Work
But I know of several pastors who, after a season in full-time pastoral ministry, end up resigning to accept jobs in the marketplace. One such fellow told me, "Neal, I’m really very glad about my decision. I work during the week, and supply pastor at different churches on the weekend. It’s a great job: I go in and preach the same message I’ve preached elsewhere, AND I have no responsibility. I don’t have equip anybody, I don’t have to worry about anybody, I just preach and leave them; it’s the best job I’ve ever had!"
==> Beloved, let me tell you: the pastor’s job of equipping you, of "MENDING THE NETS," of preparing you for the work of the ministry IS NEVER DONE. AND YOU DON’T WANT A PASTOR WHO WILL NOT TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EQUIPPING YOU.
[Jokingly] I heard about another ex-pastor who became a funeral director. I don’t know if there is a relation between those two jobs; but I suspect he put enough people to sleep, he might as well bury them! When asked why he left the pastorate to do funeral work he said, "I tried to help Suzy get off of alcohol and straighten up her life; and she did for a little while. I counseled with Bert and his wife to help their marriage straightened out, and it got better, but only for a season. But I’ll tell you, at the funeral home when I straighten them out, they stay straight!"
==> Here is the BIG NEWS: When it comes to "mending nets," THEY ARE NEVER GOING TO STAY MENDED. They will always need repair. Its never done. And when it comes to preparing God’s people, it, too, is a continual process.
Mending Nets Is for the Purpose of Work
SECOND. The second fact I picture about mending nets is that they mended their nets for the purpose of work. They mend the nets for the purpose of going to work.
The mended nets are not for display. In fact, as soon as they mend the nets, what do they do? They say, "Let’s go out fishing, let’s go to work."
Now, when you and I come to church, what kind of work do we do? Basically there are four things, all starting with the letter "p":
* Prayer: we come to worship God with our mouth
* Prayer: we look to God for His guidance
* Personal Growth: we each want to grow in Christ Jesus, and,
* Pass It On: we want to pass on to other persons the great life that God has given us in His Son.
We take what we have learned and experienced, and we go out to pass it on. Now, until all four of those dimensions are operating in our life, we have not really come to church. Our work is the work of ministry!
Receive and Then Give
When we RECEIVE WITHOUT GIVING, we become fat, and we become lazy. And we become depressed that our Christian life is not fulfilling. We become "spiritual porkers," just wobbling around doing nothing useful for God.
On the opposite side, when we GIVE WITHOUT RECEIVING, we become faint.
But when WE RECEIVE AND THEN WE GIVE, we become faithful. And that’s what our goal is: TO RECEIVE AND THEN TO GIVE.
Another way to look at it is this: coming to church is something like going into the huddle in a football game. We huddle to find out the play, to know the strategy, to know how to go out now and do the work of Jesus.
So many churches just call the huddle. They don’t have a plan, a strategy, nor a goal. They just have their little "holy huddles," but they don’t do the play. They don’t make anything happen for the good of anybody; just a kind of "kiss me" sessions.
==> Folks, we come to church to learn how to go to work.
Mending Nets Is an Extension of the Equippers Work
THIRD. The third picture I have in thinking about mending nets is that it is an EXTENSION OF THE MENDER’S OWN SELF.
When those fishermen are mending nets, those nets are going to extend their success. Those nets are going to go where they cannot go; and they will get fish they otherwise could not have. Those nets are an extension of the mender’s own self.
Why are we to equip the saints? So that the saints in the church can be an extension of the ministry of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. The trouble is that in too many churches the pastor doesn’t equip the saints, but instead tries to do everything. Folks, that’s not how God meant for it to be.
==> Rather, we are a great church when different people with different backgrounds use different gifts at different times in different places to meet different needs!
WHY NOBODY CAN DO IT ALONE
Introduction
I’ll say it again, but this time please listen to the DIFFERENT words carefully:
WE ARE A GREAT CHURCH WHEN
DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS USE
DIFFERENT GIFTS AT
DIFFERENT TIMES IN
DIFFERENT PLACES TO MEET
DIFFERENT NEEDS!
==> Nobody can "do church" all alone. It will take all of us--that’s all of you and all of me!
Pastor Spinning the Plates All Alone
Let me give you a mental picture of the problem the Pastor has.
Have you ever seen the poor fellow who STARTS PLATES SPINNING on vertical sticks?
Because the plate is centered and spinning, it stays on the plate like a gyroscope. But he tries to get 5, 8, or even 12 plates going at once. Just as the last plate is up and spinning, plate #1 needs attention; then plate #2 again, now plates #3 and #4, and so on.
That guy runs up and down trying to keep those plates going. I’ll tell you what that fellow needs. That fellow needs a helper! It wears me out to think about it!
==> Friends, the Church of Jesus Christ has ENOUGH "PLATES" TO KEEP ME, YOU, AND THE PERSON SITTING NEXT TO YOU BUSY! And when you are equipped, you become an extension of Jesus’ ministry that He started! Wow!
Dedicated Christians Worked to Death
And some of you are working hard in your church. In fact, YOU ARE WORKING TOO HARD! You have so many jobs in the church, that frankly, you are working yourself to death!
Why? Because many people have either chosen to not use their spiritual gifts for the good of Jesus’ Church; OR, as I suspect is mostly the case, you haven’t been equipped, prepared, perfected, mended to do the jobs that need to be done.
The Church Suffers
The result is that the ministry of the church suffers. Things don’t function as smoothly nor as effectively as they should. I hope that today you have seen how the church suffers when we did not have what we needed.
* Today, we needed 80 bulletins, but there were only 20
* Today, we needed 80 hymnals, but there were only 20, and,
* Today, we needed two offering plates, but there was only one.
(Let the reader know that these items were purposefully taken out of the sanctuary on Saturday night to make the following point.)
==> Now consider this: Look at the confusion it brought to us, just by not having enough physical items. CAN YOU SEE HOW MUCH WORSE THE SITUATION IS WHEN WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH CHRISTIANS DOING "the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ"? The body of Christ suffers!
There is "Gold In Them There Pews!"
Let me tell you what I believe so very strongly. FIRST, I BELIEVE IN YOU. God sees you--I’m talking about each individual one of you--as a holy person. God sees you as a child in His family. He loves you.
SECOND, God sees the way you behave, or the way you choose not to be an active part of His family, and GOD WONDERS, "Why do they do that?" Yes, I’ve seen many of you step up, ready to use your God-given talents for His Church. And I believe that there is "GOLD IN THEM THERE PEWS!"
THIRD, you are thinking right now, "Pastor, there is not anything I can do for this church, because I don’t do anything well. I certainly don’t do things as good as you could do them."
You know what I say? I say, "I know this: YOU MOST SURELY CAN SO SOMETHING BETTER THAN ME. And I will rejoice with you when you find the thing that you like to do for Christ--and then you do it." Friends, there is "GOLD IN THEM THERE PEWS!"
CONCLUSION
Jesus Will Be Pleased
The more that the people of this church use their spiritual gifts, their talents, their abilities for the good of Jesus’ Church--the more, I’m convinced, Jesus is pleased with us.
When Jesus sees us all engaged in ministry, what do you think He thinks about that? I think that Jesus is pleased. Hmmm?
I Understand My Duty to You
Many Pastors do not understand their responsibility. They don’t understand that they are to perfect the saints for the work of the ministry.
I understand what my duty is to you and to God. And today, I lovingly, lovingly, lovingly invite you to join into the work, so that the whole body of Christ is made better.
Get God and Get Going
To finish out, I give you this invitation: when you are genuinely ready to become a doing-the-work-of-the-ministry type disciple of the Savior-- COME TALK TO ME.
It is not only my job to getting you going; it would be an honor for me. I’ll offer you some ideas for your ministry in Jesus’ Church.
For too long, church folk have shrank back from the work with the slogan, "Let go and let God." But today I say to you, "Get God and get going."
May God give you the spark you need to get you involved in His work.
Credits
Adapted from a Dr. John C. Maxwell sermon.
Hymns & Reading
Suggested hymns and readings from the "Sing to the Lord" hymnal:
Make Me a Blessing............Hymn #533
Ready.........................Hymn #553
In the Service of the King....Hymn #398
Unison Reading.....................#235
Find Us Faithful..............Hymn #726
I Will Serve Thee.............Hymn #469
AMEN.
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| Copyright 2002
| Practical Holiness Ministry (r)
| "BRINGING PRACTICAL IDEAS TO
| THE CHRISTIAN LIFE." (tm)
|
| You may reprint or publish or hopefully preach
| this material as long as it is not-for-profit,
| except that it may profit one’s soul,
| (see Mark 8:36).
|
| Dr. Neal Gray is the Senior Pastor of the
| Baltimore Parkville Church of the Nazarene.
| 8510 Fowler Ave -- Baltimore, Maryland 21234
|
| You can reach Dr. Gray by e-mail at:
| mailto:drngray@earthlink.net
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| Also, please visit the church’s website:
| http://www.ForMinistry.com/21234BPCOTN
|
| LEARNING. MENTORING. SERVING. (tm)
| 2 Pet. 3:18 - 2 Tim. 2:2 - Matt. 20:26-28
|
| All Scripture is the King James Version.
| Used with God’s blessed permission.
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