Understanding Fivefold Ministry What are apostles, and do they still exist in the Church today? How do you recognize a genuine apostle or a false apostle? What about prophets? Do they still exist today? How do you recognize a genuine prophet or a false prophet?What is the true role of a New Testament evangelist? How can you...
DIV God is building His body around the world in the most unexpected ways through the most unexpected people. Take a self-test to find out where your gifts lie and what area of ministry God may have custom-designed you for. /div
Why does the Lord appoint apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the church? Ephesians 4:12 says they are bestowed for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and to edify the body of Christ. However, these three objectives are best understood in the context of God’s purpose. His purpose provides the “why” for understanding the five-fold ministry gifts or the gifts of Christ. From before the foundation of the world, the Father predetermined spiritual blessings in Christ for all humanity. In essence, His purpose is one of unity. The blessings outlined in Ephesians Chapter 1 says that He chose humanity to be His sons, who would share His very nature and be like Him. In short, the Father’s simply wanted a family born of His nature, who would reflect His character, and on whom He could bestow an eternal inheritance. Therefore, the gifts of Christ exist in accordance with this purpose. Indeed, each gift has individual responsibilities but collectively, they serve to bring the entire body of Christ into maturity—a unified body that manifests the Father’s glory or character. The gifts exist to fulfill the purpose that the Father predetermined from before the foundation of the world. This book discusses all these elements in detail and brings the Father’s purpose for the church into perspective in relation to the gifts.
EPHESIANS 4:11-13 NKJV11 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.All of the five fold ministers function like coaches - they demonstrate how the work of the ministry is done, so that the saints may be equipped to do the work of the ministry. God's plan is multiplication of His Kingdom. God's foot soldiers are His people. It is God's will that none should perish, not one.The saying is true, "Shepherds don't have sheep; shepherds tend sheep. Sheep have sheep!" The secret to church growth is equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry, carried along, empowered by the Holy Spirit. The secret to building up the body of Christ is an accessible five fold ministry. The key to seeing the body of Christ united in the faith, and in knowledge, and with a maturity approaching that of Jesus Christ, is the operations of the five fold ministry.The five fold ministers are a wonderful blessing and aid to the Body of Christ. Most exponents are genuine. However there are a few who claim to be five fold ministers who are not. The Body of Christ need not be troubled by these impostors. Within these pages you will find such quantities of truth as to have received a vaccination forever against error, at least where these ministries are concerned.My aim in writing this book is to equip the saints with a thorough knowledge of what each of these ministries looks like, and the outcomes they can expect in each case. After reading this book even a new Christian should be able to discern between what is true, and what is false. False apostles, false prophets, false evangelists, false shepherds and false teachers are not numerous, but they do exist. So if I can borrow an argument the apostle Paul uses with respect to the spiritual gifts: God would not have us ignorant.1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8a,13 RSV4 Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; 5 it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends ... 13 So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.The word for love used in the King James Version in the above passage is "charity" and on this occasion that translation is helpful. That is to say, when encountering a five fold minister for the first time our attitude should be charitable. We ought to be believing the best, and hoping the best where that ministry is concerned, measuring their output against the Word of God.
Taking a look at how the fivefold ministers relate to the church today... Discover how the fivefold ministry was created to work within the local church, the training ground for ministry. These ministers-apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers-are coaches who equip and train God's people to release His power for works of service. Learn how proven fivefold ministers can be mentored and released in the body of Christ. This book covers the "who, what, why, how" of fivefold ministry Who are these ministers and how are they identified? What fivefold ministry is and what it is not Why we need fivefold ministers How do five ministers relate to one another Who finances these ministers? How fivefold ministers are utilized in church planting Discover practical tips on building relationships between church leaders and fivefold ministers Grow a healthy fivefold ministry in your church
I.R. Womack guides you through this basic training course by revealing the multiple functions and operations of each fivefold ministry gift. With the information and instruction you'll receive you will: -Become a more well rounded five fold ministry leader -Gain a fuller understanding of your office enabling you to operate in new dimensions of ministry -Work more effectively as a team with other five fold ministry leaders and the local church for maximum Kingdom impact -As a believer you will be able to draw more fully from five fold ministry gifts in order to become better equipped for the work of ministry
What are spiritual gifts? Storms has spent several decades teaching on the topic of the spiritual gifts and equipping believers in the faithful practice of God's gifts. Yet there remains a great deal of confusion about the nature of the gifts and how they best function in the body of Christ. In this comprehensive guide to the spiritual gifts, Storms addresses the many bizarre and misleading interpretations while confronting the tendency to downplay the urgency of spiritual gifts for Christian living and ministry. He explains how spiritual gifts--both the more miraculous and the everyday--are given to build up the body of Christ. God has graciously provided these "manifestations of the Spirit" so that believers might encourage, edify, strengthen, instruct, and console one another, all with a view to an ever-increasing, incremental transformation into the image of Jesus Christ. Throughout this guide, Sam Storms unpacks the glorious truth that there is a supernatural and divine energy or power that fills and indwells the body and soul of every Christian believer. Understanding Spiritual Gifts is useful as a reference to address common questions about the gifts, but it also serves as a training manual for using and exercising the gifts in ministry. It is perfect for any individual or group who wants to grow in their understanding of spiritual gifts for today.
This informative study guide discusses in depth the biblical characteristics of the ministry gifts -- apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher -- and their roles in the Body of Christ.
Upon This Rock I will Build My Church Jesus says in Matthew 16:18, And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. It was this divine revelation of Jesus being the Christ (Messiah, Anointed One), Son of the Living God, which gave Peter access to the keys of the kingdom. It is by this same revelation that a young monk named Marin Luther would declare and understand that the just shall live by faith, thus beginning a reformation of the church. This book is designed to continue the process of reformation, as in the 16th Century, where a partial reformation began to take place. Martin Luther, who we now realize was a prophet in his own right, was given a doctorate of theology at the University of Wittenberg (Germany) by the Electon Frederick, Duke of Saxony. This degree Staupitius was conferred upon him in October 19, 18 Dr. Michael P. Sterling 1512. This divine revelation caused him to speak boldly against certain indulgences, such as one could buy a soul from purgatory for ten shillings and not a farthing less. This indulgence was prefabricated in pretense by Pope Leo X, who succeeded after Julius II. This Pope Leo X imposed such ridiculous practices on the pretense of raising money for war against the Turks. Martin Luther began to oppose the Pope, much like a latter day Amos, who came to Bethel and heralded against King Jeroboam, King of Israel, and Amaziah, the Priest of Bethel. This prophet, Martin Luther, began the genesis of reformation. Martin Luther also was the first to translate the New Testament into the German language, which was September 1522. He studied the works of Desiderius Erasmus who prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament. Martin Luther also finished the Pentateuch in 1523, thus completing the entire bible and publishing it in 1530. As we examine history we find that Martin Luther was a step ahead of William Tyndale. His great defiance was enacted as he nailed the 95th Thesis of Contention to the Wittenberg church door, as he declared his intolerance against the Roman Catholic corruption on Halloween night 1517. Martin Luther died of natural causes although he was branded a heretic by the Catholic Church. William Tyndale was not so lucky, and was burned at the stake in the public square (1596). Upon This Rock, Revival of the Five-Fold Ministry 19 As we examine church history we see a clear picture of martyrdom. And in its wake men like John Wycliffe, who was called the morning star of the Reformation era, who 200 years prior criticized abuses and false teaching in the Catholic Church. Yes, John Wycliffe, a professor at Oxford University, was expelled from his teaching position by the Pope, who also after his death exhumed his bones and had them burned. This is the price of Reformation. Let us examine for a brief moment John Huss, using Foxes Book of Martyrs as our source. John Huss was chosen as the pastor of the Church of Bethlehem in Prague. He also held a position as the Dean of Students and Rector at the University. He along with John Wycliffe were known as the pre-reformers. His teaching and revelation upset the pope, and he was also burned at the stake like so many spirit filled saints of the time period. It is noted in historical data that John Huss was heard singing in the midst of the flames as he went on to glory.
