Discipleship 101
a beginner's guide to
Christianity
Chapter 24
Responding to the church with teamwork
Sometimes Christians assume that full-time pastors serve the Lord more than
other members do. Although that may be true in some cases, it is not true in all
cases. Paul tells us, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1
Corinthians 10:31). Whenever a Christian works in a bank, he or she does it for
the glory of God. A Christian who teaches school does it to glorify God. A
Christian who takes care of children at home glorifies God in changing diapers
and scrubbing floors. They are all serving the Lord—full-time, perhaps 100 hours
a week!
Every member lives to the glory and honor of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15).
Every member serves him as circumstances and abilities allow. Every member is a
witness of Jesus Christ working in this world—and that includes secular
occupations just as much as it does religious jobs. Jesus himself served God by
working as a carpenter for many years. Even today, Christian carpenters serve
God in the work they do.
Members have a mission
As
we know, the church is not a building. It is not a social club or a self-benefit
society. The church is the people of God. That means both ministers and lay
members. Now, let’s consider that the church has a mission to the world. The
people of God have a mission to the world. Both ministers and members have a
mission to the world.
Lay
members have a prominent role in the church’s mission—partly because there are
many more lay members than there are ordained ministers. Another reason for the
importance of lay members is that lay members are more often “in the world.” Due
to the nature of their job, ministers often interact mostly with people who are
already Christians. It is the lay members who are mixing with non-Christians on
a daily basis—on the job, in the neighborhoods, in hobbies and sports. They set
examples of Christ-like life, hopefully a life that evidences hope and joy
despite the troubles of this world. Non-Christians need that kind of example.
The
church meets for worship and fellowship a few hours each week. What is the
church doing most of the time, during the rest of the week? Much of our time is
spent mixing with the world, in our jobs, in our neighborhoods, even in our
families. Most of the time, the church is dispersed, setting an example
in the world. This is part of our Christian calling, part of our mission, even
part of our worship as we seek to glorify God in all that we do.
Our
weekly worship services should fill us with the joy of salvation and strengthen
and instruct us in living in Christ throughout the week. They remind us of what
life is for. They also give us opportunity to come together into the presence of
God and express thanks to him for what he has done in our lives the preceding
week. They give us opportunity to join the angelic choir in praising him in
collective song and prayer. They help us seek guidance from his Word regarding
how we serve him in the coming week.
Likewise, our small group meetings give us opportunity to reflect on the Word of
God and share with one another the work God is doing in our lives, so that we
might encourage one another, and pray for one another that our service might be
all the more effective.
All
members are ministers of Jesus Christ. We all serve him. Some serve him
primarily in prayer, some in helping the poor, some in their family and
neighborhood responsibilities, etc.—each according to our circumstances, each
according to our abilities. Pastors serve him in pastoring his flock; members
serve him in contributing to the spiritual health and unity of the flock, and we
all serve him throughout the week in our ordinary activities, too.
When Christ said, take up your cross and follow me, he was not referring to
pastors only! We cannot pay someone else to do our Christian service for us.
Pastors are to lead, to teach, to equip members for service. But each of us must
do our own duty, as we have been called and gifted by the Holy Spirit. All
Christians follow Christ in denying the self and in serving others. The Lord
served others, and service is not beneath the dignity of anyone who accepts
Jesus’ death as being payment for his or her sins. He served us, and calls on us
to serve others, to do good to all.
The
question is not whether we serve Christ throughout the week—it is how
we serve him. Whether we want to or not, we represent Jesus Christ in the
office, on the highway, in our homes. Are there other ways in which I could help
my neighborhood? The new covenant emphasizes what we do throughout the week—this
is where doctrine comes to life to illustrate the fact that we are being
transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. He is living in us, Paul says,
and the effect he can have in our lives is limited only by the vitality of our
faith in him.
Most of us are quite responsive to the will of our Lord. But many of us are not
used to thinking of ourselves as ministers of Jesus Christ. Every member is
ministering, being led by Christ to work and serve in the world. This fact
magnifies the importance of what we do in the name of Jesus throughout the
week—not just in the work we do, but also in our relationships with the people
we work with.
The
fact that our work is a ministry magnifies the importance of community service.
Works of service are of value in themselves, of course, but they are also
opportunities to witness to what Christ is doing in our lives. Some people are
better at sharing the gospel in words; some are better at sharing it through
their work. And when Christians work together, they can often be even more
effective than either one would be alone.
Mutual support
Throughout the week, members are at the “front line” of the church’s work. We
can support each other in prayer in this work. We need to be aware of how
we are serving, and how others are serving, so that we might better encourage
them. We can share our experiences and opportunities whenever we meet. Worship
services can also strengthen and equip us for this work. Our success as a church
is measured in large part by what we do during the week. When members are
doing good in Jesus’ name throughout the week, and when they are being energized
and encouraged by what they do and hear at worship services and in their small
group meetings, then the gospel is being spread.
When members realize that they are ministers of Jesus
Christ, they have a realistic view of who they are, what they have been called
for, and how to live. Their identity is in Christ. They come to worship services
not only to give worship, but also to receive instruction that will help them
serve even better during the week. Perhaps that also generates fewer complaints
of “I’m not getting fed” and more thoughts of “How can I glorify God in my
life?”
The
pastor’s job is to provide vision and leadership as he equips members for their
ministries. For one thing, this means helping them connect to God, from whom all
ministry should originate. This means inspiring, encouraging, comforting,
exhorting and challenging. It includes preaching and administration, and it also
includes training leaders for small groups and developing and mentoring leaders
for other ministries.
The
church, from the pulpit and in small groups, can provide moral support for the
work that is being done, helping remind one another that our activities are
serving Jesus Christ, and that he gives us the power and courage to carry out
his will. In small groups and other activities, the church also provides
practical opportunities for skills to be developed and spiritual gifts to be
discovered and ministries to be encouraged.
Pastors have a difficult job. How can members help their pastors? For one thing,
pray for them. The pastors’ job cannot be done without supernatural help. For
another thing, ask pastors what to do to help. Be a volunteer—don’t wait for an
assignment. Third, help create an environment of love in the congregation. This
will give “weak” members comfort and “space” while they work through some of
their needs. Strong members need to assist in the ministry of reconciliation, of
soothing hurts within the body of Christ, of encouraging, comforting and
edifying one another.
Fourth, many members have some pastoral skills. They can even help equip other
members for works of ministry. They can invite other members to join them in
their ministries during the week. They can mentor and set examples of service.
In small groups and one-on-one, they can share their faith in Christ with other
members, to strengthen their faith. They can pray for other members. In all
these ways, members can assist the pastor.
Every member is a minister.
Michael Morrison
To
the next article in this series: The written word of God |
