IronGuys Law Enforcement Ministries
"WORDS OF WISDOM"
By Police Chaplains
"Are We Equipping the Saints?"
By
Doni Daudel
Chaplain, Beaumont (CA) Police Department
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.
Ephesians 4:11-12
These verses from Paul to the Ephesians were serious and carried great responsibility. When Paul said, “He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,” Paul
confirmed that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, appointed and ordained those He was calling to ministry. These Spiritual gifts were to bring glory to God and “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
Paul’s words were not only for the people of his time, they are as applicable today as the day Paul penned them. Yet the church and the church leaders specifically are not equipping the saints. Churches are putting people in key positions like pastor-teachers who were never called by God to fill those positions. Churches put men in these positions that have a certain look or appeal that the church leaders think will draw more people to their church. When God has appointed a person to ministry He will equip them with the Spiritual gifts needed to fulfill that ministry. If a church or church leaders is appointing people to further their own agenda or kingdom, you’ll end up with entertainers trying to draw people to a “Country Club,” with ignorant sheep instead of equipping “Warriors” for the battlefield.
Are you in church leadership? Are you sure you’ve been called to that position? If so, you better take the office of that position seriously because God does. If you know you have been called, are you prayerfully seeking Gods confirmation and equipping of those you put into church leadership? Remember, as leaders you are called to love, feed, tend and “equip the saints” for ministry and to edify the body of Christ! God calls, equips, appoints and ordains a person to ministry. Your role as church leaders is to pray for God to reveal and confirm those people to you in your church, and then diligently and prayerfully invest into them through discipleship and training. The blood of every person in your church is your responsibility. Choose your leaders with that thought in mind.