Before we move on, perhaps we should consider to another question: What is the chief duty of the Christian? Here is the terrible sinner whom Paul described in chapter 3, but saved by the grace of God. He is “a new creature, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” What should be the purpose of that man or that woman whom the Lord has saved? The Bible is replete with answers. For example, after spending 3 chapters praising God for salvation in I Peter 1, the Apostle says… “But ye – which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy – are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
Paul what is your answer to our question? “None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Solomon what is your reply? “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
When the Lord Jesus was asked that kind of question, He replied with: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Personally, when the Lord was discussing the direction of His own life, He said: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” And then privately in talking about His life with our Heavenly Father…. “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”
What is, or what should be, the general purpose of our lives as Christians? It is to do the Lord’s will out of hearts filled with love and gratitude for our salvation. It is to glorify the Lord on earth, Who is in the process of glorifying us in both Heaven and on earth.
Unfortunately, here is another point at which professing Christians scatter like sheep in a thunder storm. What methods shall we use to accomplish this ultimate purpose? If the Bible didn’t give us some direction, we’d probably have as many answers as we have Christians.
So what is that Biblical direction? It is summarized for us in Ephesians 3:21 – “Unto him (God) be glory IN THE CHURCH by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Despite all the talk, all the ink, all the attitude and all the hatred, God has chosen to place His Name and fame firmly in His Church. As we have often said, we are talking about those assemblies which He has spread throughout the world. The Lord Jesus started the first church during His earthly ministry about 2,000 years ago. The Lord’s church wasn’t started by Moses or by Abraham. And it wasn’t started Constantine, Augustine, Luther, Wesley, Henry the VIII or Roger Williams either. Out of the myriads of denominations and congregations in the world, only those churches which teach and preach the same doctrines as Christ Jesus and the Apostles, and which have descended, like children, from the Lord’s first church in Jerusalem should be considered churches of Christ today.
But there is still need of organization and human offices in the Lord’s churches. Yet in saying that and before going on, I go back to reiterate what the Lord says in verse 3: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Just in case the man with the gift of prophesy begins to think of himself as someone more important than the grace which gave him that office, Paul cuts him down to size. And the man with the huge income, who puts thousands of dollars in the offering is no more important than the man who sacrifices even more in order to give much less. Each talent, every opportunity, each office is a gift of the grace of God, and adds to the Body of Christ. They are things to be used for the glory of God with all the humble thanksgiving that we possess.
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith.” There are two kinds of prophets in the Word of God. One was a temporary office used of God to give man new revelation until the completion of the Bible. There are many of these prophets in the Old Testament, but in the New they are few and special. But there is another very important kind of prophet, and despite being quite poor at it, I believe that I am one of those. A modern-day prophet, doesn’t try to tell you when Armageddon will take place or when the Lord will return. God’s prophet today, tries to explain to you, what the Biblical prophets wrote about these events. In essence the preacher is the prophet of God for this generation. And it is his God-given responsibility to carry out this work in conscientious agreement with the Bible and with the utmost faith and trust in the Lord for his success.
Other people have the ministry of ministering. Even though the Greek word is “diakonia” (dee-ak-on-ee’-ah), I don’t believe that this should be limited to deacons. The word “diakonia” sometimes signifies the whole ecclesiastical ministry, even the office of apostleship, as well as the ordinary ministration of the Gospel. But here Paul was referring to the office of ministering to poor saints, as in Acts 6:1 and I Corinthians 16:15. As was the house of Stephanus, they were ministers who worked with diligence, care, and constancy. This was not only a position of honor, but of service and business, in which they should behave with prudence, sobriety, and humility. In a lot of Baptist churches today, this has become a useless honorary position, but that was not God’s original design.
Next Paul refers to the importance of teaching. A man may be an excellent teacher, but incapable of preaching/prophesying. To be a teacher of a handful of primary-age children is no less important than to preach to thousands. In fact, the teaching of God’s Word may be instrumental in breaking the fallow ground in preparation for the harvest which might come about through preaching. The important thing is that the gospel and the Word of God be communicated to the lost and dying. Carry out that ministry in simplicity and faith in the Lord to open hearts.
The ministry of exhortation is on the other side of prophesying. This is an area where I am less effective than I ought to be. This is the driving home of the point of the message. This is an area which is more emotional than mere teaching. This may be the shouting, urging, motivating and inspiring part of the preaching of God’s Word. I understand that in some churches in centuries past, there were men who would follow the pastor into the pulpit after his message, exhorting the congregation to implement the message in their lives. We could probably use that kind of ministry around here.
Paul’s fifth ecclesiastical ministry was that of giving. I had to laugh as I read the comments of John Gill, followed by Jamison, Fausett and Brown. They were totally opposed to one another. Gill said that this was the wise and impartial distribution of church funds and goods to feed the poor. Then the JFB commentary said that this was not the work of the church, but of the charity of the individuals within the church. I think that it’s safe to walk a line of compromise and agreement with both these authorities. I think that there is not a single church member anywhere, who has not been given the office of giving. The church treasurer may write the checks to the missionaries. The deacons may give food or cash to the widows and orphans of the church. And both the rich man all the way down to the young child, are responsible to give of their tithes and offerings to the Lord through their church. The Greek word “simplicity” is used eight times in the Bible. It is translated “simplicity” (3), “singleness” (2), “liberality,” “bountifulness” and “liberty” one time each. What is it to give with simplicity? James Strong says that it is with “singleness, simplicity, sincerity, and mental honesty. This is the virtue of one who is free from pretence and hypocrisy. It is without self seeking, but with openness of heart manifesting itself by generosity.” Giving with simplicity is giving to the Lord with joy in having something to give, and with joy in having a Biblical means of giving to the Lord Himself. It is giving with the right hand so that the left hand doesn’t care and the neighbor doesn’t even know.
Another office that Paul mentions is rule. This is probably the same as the “helps and governments” which are mentioned in I Corinthians 12:28. This same word is used I Timothy in describing the man who ruleth his household well. In other words it appears to be like parental guidance within the church. This is the careful, loving work of warning the unruly and encouraging those who are still learning the principles of Godly living. In fact the root meaning of the Greek word involves “someone who goes before” – leadership by example.
The last responsibility which is mentioned is that of mercy. This is the work of showing practical compassion. Even though Gill says that this another aspect of the work of the deacon, I think that it is more general. James says to all of us, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” The word “visit” has nothing to do with simple social contact and a cup of tea. It is to pay a visit in order to determine the needs of the people visited. It is to come with whatever help that we can render. It might be to shovel the snow off the walk, or to mow the lawn. It might be to bring some groceries, or to carry someone to the doctor. It might be nothing greater than to carry some cheer.
Paul gives us here seven permanent gifts – permanent positions and responsibilities within the church. But he certainly could have kept going. He didn’t talk about those who assist us in our musical worship of the Lord. He didn’t mention that we all have the responsibility to invite and to bring people to the church services. He could have talked about sharing the gospel with those who might never attend the House of the Lord. He didn’t mention those who take care of the physical properties of the church of Christ. Likely there are even other areas which could have been mentioned.
From here Paul goes on to other personal Christian graces which are not necessarily church-related. He speaks of love, business practices, hope, patience and that sort of thing. But he doesn’t really finish his thought right at this point. So let me interrupt and finish it for him.
The same thing can be applied to church positions. There are thousands of pastors in small churches, who are constantly looking for larger churches move to. There are deacons in big Baptist churches who consider themselves to be more important than the men preaching the gospel in those churches. I have seen wealthy and not so wealthy women strutting around in their big hats like male peacocks. The positions which Paul has just described were not created in order to glorify the office-holder.
Ephesians 4 says that when the Head of the Church – the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” The Lord established these offices in order that we “may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
The Lord has not given me the gift of prophecy so that I could gloat over my extensive knowledge of the Bible. And the Lord hasn’t given anyone the gift of government, so that the man could lord over God’s heritage. If God has made one man rich, and he pours that wealth into the work of God, he should do it in the quietest and humblest way possible.
The general work of the ministry – the work of the church is to glorify God. That means living in obedience to the Word of the Lord. And it involves a genuine effort to bring the lost to Christ. Each of these offices and positions should be with a desire for the salvation of souls for the glory of God. This is why this subject is coming on the heels of Paul’s explanation and exposition of the gospel. “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” The perfected saint is a better ambassador and testimony for Christ than a sinful saint. Edifying of the body of Christ means the building up of that body – bodily and spiritually. My ministry is two fold – to preach the gospel to the lost, and to strengthen you in the faith. Because your ministry is two fold as well – to be the best Christian and church member that you can be, taking care of whatever position the Lord as given to you – And to be an effective witness to the grace of God in your life. Together it should be our desire to bring the lost to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And with this thought in mind, I close, asking whether or not you are really a child of God. Are you living in repentance and faith in Christ? Have you been born again? Are you earnestly desirous to know how to be of service to the Saviour? Repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.