"unlocking The Power Of Spiritual Gifts And The Five-Fold Ministry”

As I stepped up to utilize my five minutes, I laid one of the gloves and a pencil on the table before the altar. I asked one of the youths present in the meeting if I could use him to present an illustration of the teacher's role in the five-fold ministry to the church body.

The young boy came forward and was excited to be part of my little project. I asked the young boy to ask the empty glove to pick up the pencil, which he did. After several failed tries of asking the glove to pick up the pencil, I asked the young lad why the glove would not pick up the pencil, and he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. I then asked the young boy to shout in a loud voice, demanding the glove to pick up the pencil, but nothing happened. Now, it seemed as if everyone in the building had their eyes fixed on the little boy and the glove on the table. It was during this time that I asked the boy to place his hand in the glove and pick up the pencil.

While the boy had his hand in the glove and was holding the pencil, I concluded my five-minute illustration by informing the church body that the glove needed a solid substance with the strength of that substance inside it to perform the task of picking up the pencil. I finished my presentation by informing the church body that this little illustration gives us a picture of the critical role and function teachers have in the five-fold ministry.

People, including the teenage youth, left that meeting with the understanding that teachers are to pour good, solid teaching that will produce growth into the body of Christ, especially our youth. This study has revealed the importance of the five-fold ministry in the body of Christ as we face the coming attack from the Kingdom of darkness, which is now upon us.

I sincerely hope that you have gained a general understanding of the importance and purpose, including the function that the five-fold ministry has in the body of Christ. The role and function of the five-fold ministry can be understood in greater detail by comparing these crucial offices to the structure of a building.

"THE FIVE-FOLD MINISTRY COMPARED TO THE STRUCTURE OF A HUMAN HAND"

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in my previous presentations, I explained the significance of the five-fold ministry and how it functions in the body of Christ. In this part of the message, I will provide a more concrete understanding of this crucial ministry using a simple analogy. Please think of the five-fold ministry as the fingers and thumb on our hand, each with its unique function.

(a) The Apostle is like the thumb - it provides strength and power to the rest of the hand.

(b) The Prophet is like the index finger - it points and directs the hand.

(c) The Evangelist is like the middle finger - the most extended finger whose sole purpose is to stretch out with the salvation message to serve.

(d) The Pastor is like the ring finger - just as a wedding ring symbolizes a lifelong commitment, the pastor is married to the church.