1st-Century Ministry

A characteristic of a medieval model is that the paid pastor and staff perform the majority of the ministry, while church members serve, attend, and give.

 

If you want your church members to only serve, attend, and give, you are not a first-century ministry.

 

The Strategy of a First-Century Ministry

 

A first-century ministry is seen in action in the book of Acts, and a detailed plan is given in  Ephesians chapter 4.

 

Ephesians 4 says that every Christian has a vocation, or a calling, and lists them in verse 11.

 

God has a plan, a personal plan for every individual.  

 

Some were called to be Apostles. They were those personally sent by Christ.

 

Some were called to be Prophets, and they are seen in the book of Acts, but not after the Bible was completed.

 

Some are called to be Evangelists. I believe that is the Bible word for a church planter or a missionary.

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​Some are called to be Pastors. These are those called to shepherd believers in a church.

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​And then we see something unusual. Ephesians 4 writes…Teachers, but not “some teachers.”

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Some Apostles

Some Prophets

Some Evangelists

Some Pastors

 

But then the Bible does not say “some” Teachers.

 

Why?  Anyone not called to full-time service as a pastor or a missionary does have a calling as a teacher.

 

Our problem with the word “teacher” is that we can only think of a teacher in the context of a class or group.

 

But a disciple-maker is a one-on-one teacher, like a tutor.

  

Most people fear public speaking, but in one-on-one discipleship, they only need to speak to one person at a time, and you are both growing together.

 

 

The Purpose of a First-Century Ministry

 

So then look, in verse 12, the Bible tells us that the purpose of the missionaries, pastors, and teachers or disciple-teachers is for the “perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ.”

 

To perfect the saints (believers) is to add what is missing. 

 

Why? So that they can join all of us (missionaries, pastors, teachers) in the work of the ministry.

 

What is the work of the ministry? Is it attending, giving, and serving? 

 

Everywhere you find the word "ministry" in the Bible, you see that there is a person who has the Word of God, and that person is transferring it to someone else.

 

And remember, pastors and missionaries disciple one-on-one as well because the Bible says they are to be “apt to teach” and an “ensample” to the church members.

 

 

Serving is Not the Same as Ministering

 

In most churches, you do not need to know much about the Bible to serve. In fact, you do not even have to be a Christian to serve.

 

A medieval ministry model tries to get everyone serving. That is their primary strategy.

 

Serving and helping the church run smoothly is important, but that is not the purpose of the ministry, as we see in Ephesians 4.

 

A biblical first-century church sees people trust in Christ and matures those young believers to minister the Word of God. Not just the Pastor, leaders, or 5% of the adult church members.

 

It is a church where the missionaries, pastors, and disciple-teachers work together to place the Word of God in believers, mature them, and multiply disciple-makers to join them in the ministry.

 

Preaching, teaching, and discipleship is the ministry.

 

And the Journey discipleship lessons were designed to guide you toward a New Testament, first-century pattern of ministry. The strategy is built in.

 

Without this step, the mathematical outcome cannot be reached.

 

A leader who is overloaded, pushing and grinding, defaults to group ministry.

 

But when church members join in ministry, helping the Lord and you, you will experience the joy you were intended to have.

 

So, to multiply disciple-makers in your ministry...

 

your definitions must be clear

you must have a biblical shepherd as the pastor

and be a first-century ministry or multiplication will not take place

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Now, let's look at the next interconnecting requirement.