THE DYNAMICS OF DISCIPLESHIP (part 7)

That the man (and woman) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. – II TIMOTHY 3:17

Once a person repents and believes the gospel he becomes a new creation in Christ and is ready to be equipped for his service in the kingdom of God.

This is where the church has missed the mark, by not equipping the saints for the work of service.

Equipping is not Sunday school as many suppose, equipping is training the new convert to be like his Master in all things.

Jesus said that we would do greater works than He did and if that is so we must be trained and equipped to know how we are to be about our Father’s business, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead.

For forty years I have traversed the halls of religion being in hundreds of churches of all brands, flavors, and denominations – and in all that time I have seen maybe a handful of believers who were trained and equipped for ministry.

No wonder the world is lost, dying, sick, and hopeless.

I can’t tell you the times pastors of churches – many of whom were sizable – would call me to cast out a demon.

That is shameful and the reason is: leadership refuses to equip their people, fearing they might leave their church and start their own.

Well, praise God that is what we as the Body of Christ are supposed to be doing; multiplying and replicating His church.

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints (us) for the work of ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect (complete) man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. – EPHESIANS 4:11-13