The work of the ministry

The fivefold is to equip the saints so the saints can do the work of the ministry.  Bruce Wilkerson of “Prayer of Jabez” fame said “We don’t measure success by the number of people watching you do ministry but how many of those watching you, are doing ministry.   Whatever it is that church members think pastors do: visiting the sick in hospitals, casting out devils, following up visitors to the church, ringing up the people that haven’t been seen for three weeks, teaching new believer the basics and discipline some people at lunchtime…is what they are to be doing! Jesus was modelling ministry for His body the whole church, not for the 5 fold. Ministry just means serving.  Believers don’t go to church to be at a service or to enjoy a service but they go there to give service and then go out of the meeting to give service to the body and the world. Members are to edify or build the local church body up. It is not Jesus alone who is building the church, we have excused lack of availability from that verse, for far too long. It is the job of the saints to build up the church by doing the work of the ministry. That is a ministry to God in worship, ministry to the world as disciple-makers and ministry to the saints by service, love and encouragement.