There is a lot of talk in the church about what seems to not be working. The questions are tossed about: “Where is the love?” – “Where is the church we read about in Acts?” – “Why are we not seeing miracles and growth?” The answer is not one answer, but then again it is one answer. The one answer is that we are not hearing the voice of God and obeying. The answer that is not one answer is different in different fellowships of the church.
There are pastors and/or other church leaders that only accept the ministry of a pastor. They have replaced the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, and Pastor and Teacher with Pastor, Elder and Deacon. In these fellowships the leadership wants to maintain control over the spiritual and ministering gifts. The pastor is expected to be the main focus of the congregation and Jesus is the subject discussed and not the head of the church. In these fellowships the pastor will have direct administrative responsibility in every aspect of the church – no delegation. If there is delegation, it is in title only with no real power or authority.
There are church congregations that do not allow the pastor any authority. In these fellowships the congregation expects the pastor to lead by compliance to their rules and doctrines. The pastor is not allowed to walk in authority and the other ministry gifts are not allow. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are kept at a bare minimum if allowed at all.
There are churches that accept only some of the ministering gifts; namely evangelist, pastor and teacher. In these churches some of the gifts of the Spirit are displayed, but under the close eye of the pastor and sometimes only at the pastor’s direction. Here the Holy Spirit is taught as a subject of discussion, but not as a living active part of the Church.
Then we can find everywhere churches that are heavy in one ministry and/or spiritual gift. The fellowship may be made up of people with prophetic gifts and/or the calling of Prophets. It could be made up of people with teaching gifts and heavy in doctrine and wisdom of the book called the Bible – where the Bible is the subject discussed. It could be made up of people that are comfortable speaking in tongues that have no leadership. The issue is really the same in all of the fellowships discussed here and above; the fellowships are not flowing in the gifts of ministry or the Holy Spirit in all areas.
God, Jesus Himself, gave some to be Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Pastors and Teachers . The Father, at the request if the Son, sent the Holy Spirit with all of His gifts to the Church. The gifts are for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). The ministering gifts are not just for the recognized leadership of the Church, but for the whole body. Every member of the Body has at least one of the ministering gifts and at least one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the edifying of the body of Christ. All of the ministers of God need to start walking in the gifts they have been given. Let the living water flow! Let everyone share the daily bread they have been given by God! The church and the love is bottled up under the guise of maintaining control. Let’s give control to God and let Him flow in the Church.
Before this starts to sound like another church-bashing, let’s look at Revelation chapters two and three (take a couple minutes and read the two chapters). To the church at Ephesus Jesus said, “you have left your first love.” To the church at Smyrna Jesus said, “I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not.” To the church at Pergamos Jesus said, “you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam.” To the church at Thyatira Jesus said, “you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce.” To the church at Sardis Jesus said, “I have not found your works perfect before God.” To the church at Philadelphia Jesus said, “you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” To the church of the Laodiceans Jesus said, “you are neither cold nor hot.”
It was not by accident that the message was given to Philadelphia following the message to Sardis. Why? The perfection of God is in the commandment to love one another. It was also not an accident that the message was given to the church at Philadelphia prior to the church of the Laodiceans. Why? The Laodiceans are neither hot or cold – they neither love the Lord nor do they hate Him and His ways. They are passive in their love for God and for one another. Where is the church? It is within all the seven churches described in Revelation chapters two and three. Where is the love? It is in the church at Philadelphia – it is in the spirit of those that love one another. What does that have to do with the ministry gifts of Jesus Christ?
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head —Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:11-16).
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us (1 John 4:12). Jesus gave ministry gifts for the “equipping of the saints for the work of ministry … till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man.” How? “ By, “speaking the truth in love, (we) may grow up in all things into Him who is the head.” Jesus Christ gave ministry gifts to equip the saints for the work of ministry for the “effective working by which every part does its share.” All of the ministry gifts need to be working in fellowship to equip the saints in a way that “causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” There is the love and there is the growth. Praise God!
© 2006, Tim D. Coulter Sr.