Day 160: What is the Big Picture of Gifted Ministry?
Ephesians 4:11-12
It was he (Jesus Christ) who gave some as Apostles, some as Prophets, some as Evangelists, and some as Shepherds and Teachers, in order to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ.
How do all the 5 facets of gifted ministry work together to equip us all for the work the Lord has entrusted to us? that is the question we will focus on today.
*Click on the Chart to open a downloadable, larger PDF that is easier to see.
Just above, there is a chart that we have put together to show the relationships between the 5 gifted people who have been “gifted” to the Church by the Lord Jesus and how their ministries build up the different aspects of the Body of Christ.
On the bottom part of the chart, we are using the analogy of the human body to give some context as to how all of these varying ministries fit together to work together. Just as a body is made up of cells which organize to become tissues and those tissues are placed together to form organs which in turn are grouped by systems, so also there is an organic structure in the Body of Christ. In this row, we suggest the “form” that these organic realities often take in the Body.
Another analogy that we have found helpful is to think of these 5 Gifts working together in the way a farmer would plant and harvest a crop. In this analogy, the Seed is the Gospel (The Truth), the plants are those in whom the Gospel as taken root and has begun to grow. The field is a region in which the Gospel is spreading and growing.
The Apostles plant the “Seed.” Those who have been entrusted with the Apostolic Vision and Mission are like those who bring the seed to a field along with all the other tools that will be necessary to plant and maintain that field. In fact, it seems that all the other ministries are in some way contained in this Apostolic gift. Those who work in this Apostolic Impulse want to take the Gospel (The Truth, The Seed) to those who have never heard. They simply entrust the seed and the tools to a small group of people who can then run with the development of the “field.”
The Prophets keep everything “in line.” Those who have been entrusted with Prophetic Passion and Direction oversee the work in the field. They oversee the field to make sure all of the work that goes into planting and maintaining the field is in line with the Lord’s desires.
The Evangelists plant the seed all throughout the field. Once the Apostles have left the field, the Evangelist cultivate the field and plant the “seed” of the Gospel so that it permeates the whole field.
The Shepherds water, weed and protect the field. Those who have gifted with Pastoral Care and Protection move in to watch over the field. Working with the teachers, they make sure the seed planted in the field has all the water and nutrients it needs. They also protect the plants from the threat of parasites and other dangers that could stunt the growth of the harvest.
The Teachers equip the plants to become fruitful. Those who are gifted and called to Faithful and True instruction are those who “harvest the crop” so to speak—helping those who have grown up in the field to produce fruit (gracious, holy lives) and to protect the precious “Seed” that has been entrusted to them so that a new generation can be “seeded” with the Gospel.
Take some time to study the chart and see if you can get a grasp of the Vision and Mission of the Church as the Body of Christ. Does this make sense to you? Why or Why Not?
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
