 |
Ephesians 4:11-1211 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ... |
Equipping...
...every man, woman, and child God entrusts us with in their gifting and calling to impact the marketplace and change the world.Why?
Did you know that the body of Christ is something that needs to be built? Sounds strange to "build a body", huh? The Greek word behind "building" is a construction word. In fact, it is the same word for "house"! Do you see? God is doing something - He's "building" the expression of His Son in the world today. But how does this happen? Here is an amazing truth: God has made us His construction crew. He has put building implements in our hands. But whose hands? Not professionals; notice their role. They exist to "equip the saints". It is only as the church (people) is equipped (this word means "to furnish completely") that they do the work of service / ministry, and only then does the building happen. This kind of purpose is what you were made for, so if you want to be happy...... you have to build!
Traditionally, the message in the church has been, "Come do ministry in the building". While that is important, it is not the main thing! Remember the emphasis in the passage: increasing the expression of Christ in the world. The first application we want to give is to the workplace, because that is where most people spend most of their time. Your "9 to 5" can be more than a place you go to "bring home the bacon". Do you want to stop feeling blah about your job? You can transform your workplace with the love of Jesus. We invite you to check out the links we have below. We want you to be empowered to be a blessing where you live, and where you work.