Tom Landry, the legendary coach of the Dallas Cowboys and a committed Christian, once compared the church to the crowd at a football game. He said there were 22 exhausted people on the field in need of rest, while 80,000 people sat in the stands needing some exercise. He claimed that in the church, a few “professionals” were doing all the work, while the majority sat and watched.
Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther brought new life to the church as he led the Protestant Reformation. At the heart of his teaching was his conviction regarding the priesthood of all believers. The leaders of the Reformation rediscovered and redefined the role of ministry in the church. Ministry was not limited to a few specialists; it was the privilege and responsibility of all who follow Christ.
Fifty years ago, Elton Trueblood wrote, “If we should take lay ministry seriously, as was done in the early church, the dull picture presented by so many contemporary churches would be radically altered… pastors would not be performing while others watch, but helping stir up the ministry of ordinary members.”
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
The practice of the early church was for each follower of Christ to be involved in some area of ministry. Becoming a believer meant more than just the forgiveness of sins and the promise of heaven. Salvation meant accepting the Lordship of Jesus and a desire to be involved in serving the Master.
We have lost this concept of ministry in the contemporary church. More and more, spiritual ministry is being left to those up-front on the platform. In the name of doing “ministry with excellence” we have left some feeling they are not qualified to serve on the platform where all “real ministry” takes place. In some places, we’ve left ministry to the “experts” on TV. In the process, the modern church is reverting back to the understanding of the church that was prevalent prior to the days of Martin Luther, that is takes a specially called few to do the ministry.
In the New Testament, everyone was a minister. No believer was just an observer; each had the privilege, responsibility and joy of serving others. Everyone was involved.
YOU’RE A MINISTER
What is a minister? Our society uses the term “minister” to refer to a professional preacher. In the Bible, the term “minister” simply means “servant”. The Greek word for minister is “diakonia,” from which we get our English words deacon and deaconess.
The word “diakonia” is used of both men and women. Ministry is not something reserved for men; it is the privilege and responsibility of both men and women to serve. A minister is not part of a class of uniquely qualified and credentialed individuals, but someone who serves God through the church in the community.
A FALSE DICHOTOMY
Modern churches have made a false division between clergy and laity. There are three common distortions in American churches.
First, some think pastors should rule over the people. This is basically the Roman Catholic practice and increasingly, it’s becoming the practice in large, protestant churches.
Second, some think pastors should be abolished. This is the practice of some Brethren churches where lay people lead the services and there is no full-time pastor. It is the thinking is some charismatic circles.
Third, some believe in a form of dualism, thinking that pastors and people work in separate areas of ministry. These people think lay people do the menial tasks while pastors and evangelists do the spiritual ministry.
EVERYONE A MINISTER
The term “the priesthood of all believers” became popular during the Protestant Reformation and redefined the role of all believers, emphasizing that Christ ended the distinction between priest and people. Reformers taught that all believers were priests before God and were called to serve him.
Essentially, the Roman Catholic teaching is: the ministry makes the church. In other words, without a priest, there is no church. In contrast to this, the Protestant teaching is: the church makes the ministry. Wherever there are followers of Christ, there is church and there is ministry, whether there is a trained clergy or not and whether there is a special building or not. Believers make the church not the presence of church-appointed priests.
Isaiah foresaw the New Testament church when all God’s people would be his servants. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. (Isaiah 61:6).
The Book of Revelation says the same thing. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6).
It is clear that the term “priest,” as used in the New Testament, does not refer to officials in a church, but to all Christians in their role as ministers of God. The division that society has made between a professional ministry and a congregation of spectators is unbiblical.
This sign, displayed in front of a church, gets to the heart of the issue.
Ministers: All the members
Assistant to the ministers: The pastor
The pastor does not do the work of the ministry assisted by laymen. All believers are called to ministry. The New Testament church does not consist of an active few (ordained clergy) and the passive many (members who are content to be merely recipients). The priesthood of believers raises the level of all believers to the level of ministry.
THE WORK OF THE PASTOR
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service… (Ephesians 4:11-12).
The biblical pattern is for pastors to prepare their people for ministry. Pastors equip. All believers minister. Unfortunately, this is not the practice in most churches today.
Some pastors are afraid to release their people into ministry. They don’t trust their members. Others, out of arrogance or insecurity, want to do everything themselves and they take little time to recruit, train and motivate people.
Some believers are unaware of their call to ministry and are content to observe rather than serve as active participants.
Some church members refuse to accept ministry from anyone other than the official pastor. They belittle the legitimate and gifted ministry of others in the body of Christ, requiring the pastor himself to serve them.
The job description of every pastor is to recruit, train and motivate the members to fulfill their God-given ministries.
YOUR MINISTRY IS THE KEY TO CHURCH HEALTH AND GROWTH
The development of a lay ministry is essential for church health and growth. Pastors can’t do it all; everyone is responsible to share in ministry. Genuine church growth takes place in proportion to the involvement of the membership in the ministry of the church.
Missions leaders will tell you that the expansion of the church around the world is not due to superior seminary training or new methodology but rather the high percentage of lay involvement in the ministry of the church. The greatest gain in converts is not where the greatest amount of money is raised and spent, but where lay Christians are at work personally leading their neighbors, friends and family to Christ.
The challenge before the church is the re-orchestration of the ministry of the church. Jesus’ commission remains the same but we need a fresh appreciation of the way the New Testament functioned. We need a reorientation in the way we think the church should function.
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:16).
FIVE BASIC FACTS
1. The entire Christian community is to be involved in ministry
2. Ministry takes many forms. There are many functions to be done.
3. God determines our personal ministries.
4. God equips us for spiritual ministry by giving us spiritual gifts.
5. We must match our spiritual gifts with the ministry God wants us to perform.
A healthy church does not consist of an active few, the ordained clergy and the passive many, the laity who are just content to be the recipients of the blessings of God.
Our earthly priesthood is not exercised by folding our hands, waiting for heaven. Nor is it exercised by limiting the expression of our faith to continual praise-gatherings. On the contrary, our priesthood is demonstrated by witness, activity and service not only in the church community but to those outside the church.
God wants to bring a level of fulfillment to our lives that can be found in no other way. As we allow God to use us to impact others for the kingdom of God, our lives will be personally fulfilling and lived with eternal consequences. God wants you involved in ministry, not only to accomplish things for the kingdom of God but also, to enable you to grow stronger in your faith.
Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.” (Colossians 4:17).
A complete directory of articles can be found at http://calsinsights.com/
You can receive this material regularly by email – just fill in your email address at the bottom left side of the home page under subscription options and you will receive a copy of each new article as it is posted.
To forward the material to someone else, press the “share this” button and fill in an email address.
I appreciate all your comments and suggestions.