Being a part of a church body is not a spectator sport. Somewhere along the way people developed the concept that the pastor and staff do all the work while the membership shows up when church begins. This cannot be further from the truth! The pastor’s role is to teach and train the sheep and then the sheep beget sheep.” … he gave gifts unto men” [not just pastors and staff]. Ephesians 4:8. Why would Jesus do that? “For the perfecting of the saints, for the works of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (v.12). Why and for how long? “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 fullness of Christ:” (v.13). Translate that to mean “eternity.”

Messages in this series:

June 4, 2006