The Ministering Gifts of the Holy Spirit to the Church # 5

Eph 4:8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”

:9 (Now this, “He ascended” - what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower pares of the earth?

:10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ-

The word says lost people are without excuse, what about the church?

Prophets of old didn't always know what all they were saying.

1 Pet 1:10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,

:11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

:12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look into.

:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

:14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

:15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

:16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

Lk 16:19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.

:20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sore, who was laid at his gate,

:21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

:22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

:23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

:24 “Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'

:25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

:26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'

:27”Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house,

:28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'
:29 Abraham said to him, ' They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'

:30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'

:31 But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'”

We also still have Moses and the prophets, we also have the gospel and the epistles.

Evangelist is Greek for gospel. An evangelist teaches the gospel.

Gospel means good news, good message, good tidings of the Kingdom of God and salvation by Jesus Christ.

Expirortory means breath of life gone out (physical death)

You have to believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

God places a special anointing on those He calls to be an evangelist. You can be an evangelist by the way you live, not just by what you say.

First they need to be saved before they can learn to live the life God has called us to.

All evangelists need to be part of a local body. He needs to be encouraged, fed, strengthened.

Pastors mean shepherd, they have the same Greek word. They tend (feeding and guiding ) the flock.

Acts 20:17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.

Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with His own blood.

1 Pet 5:1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed;

:2 shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

1 Tim 3:1 This is a faithful saying: if a man desires the position of bishop, he desires a good work.

Bishop must be blameless, have 1 wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, hospitable, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy, patient, not brawler, not covetous, ruler of his own house, children in subjection, not novice.

1 Sam 17:28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was aroused against David, and he said, “why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

Jer 23:1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord.

:2 Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people:”You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord.

Jer 3:13 Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God, and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree and you have not obeyed My voice,'says the Lord.

:14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

:15 And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Heb 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

A teacher is one who gives instruction, declares, expounds on Jesus.

All pastors should be teachers, but not all teachers are pastors.

James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

Preach means to evangelize unsaved. Teachers teach the saved.