In His ministry, Jesus sought to raise others to continue and grow His Kingdom. He took His disciples, not merely the 12, but also 72 others, and trained them to preach and teach the Gospel and to rely on the Holy Spirit to do the works He was doing. He gave them power and authority through the Spirit, and empowered them to continue His work, even after He ascended to heaven. This is still the ministry of the Kingdom. In an age where many churches have decided to deliver God as a product (as if we could, how arrogant have we become?), the true Church (not the congregation or building, but those who worship in Spirit and Truth) needs to raise, train and send out, continuing the work of Christ and the Gospel. It is not solely the minister’s job, nor is it the Elders or Deacons of the church alone who are called, but the entire church. The Elders, Ministers and evangelists of the church are to oversee the Spiritual aspects of the church, equipping and training the saints for the work of the Gospel. The Deacons are to oversee the physical needs (fiscal and otherwise) of the church. Every member is to go out and proclaim the good news, led by the Holy Spirit to reach and seek and save the Lost. We are to raise up disciples who have a passion to lead people to Christ Jesus. And this should be the reason for everything we do: if in showing Hospitality, giving to the poor, or helping: to show the love of Christ, that all may learn to walk in His marvelous light. If in being a worker, friend, or neighbor, doing all for His glory, that we may draw all men to Jesus. Jesus died for our sins; He rose again that we, too, may have new life. Isn’t that worth telling others about? Shouldn’t we be encouraging one another in this task? God tarries that no one should perish, so let us, then, make use of that time to spread the Good News that all may know the goodness of God. Ephesians 4:1-16 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
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