<img src="Noel Dear Main Logo 2.png" style="width:600px; border: none; box-shadow: none; background: none;"> *Dr. Noel Dear's Sermons, Bible Studies, Articles, & Devotions* ([[Pastor Noel's Resources|Home]]) # The Priority of EQUIPPING ## August 12, 2025 *(This is a presentation I made for a minister's meeting.)* # Introduction - ## My plan... - Monthly presentations... - ## My goal... - In 2025–26, I want to challenge us all in twelve different ways. - Some months, I will present something aimed to ==challenge us to rethink how we lead and minister.== - Some months, I will present something aimed to ==challenge us to grow in some area of our spirituality.== - Some months, I will present something aimed to ==challenge how you think about theology in a practical way.== - ## Today... - **I want to challenge us all to take a fresh look at the purpose and goal of the ministry we do.** - ### Story of the archer who shot the arrows and then painted the targets... - That is a danger every Jesus-loving, experienced, successful, gifted minister faces! - There are three ways to frame the problem... - **Complacency**... - We find a ministry focus or rhythm that seems to bring moderate success, and consequently we grow to assume that is all we should do. - We find it easier to stay with moderately successful than to take risks necessary for real growth. - **Mission Drift**... - Overtime, the focus of the ministries we lead gradually and imperceptibly changes away from the Scripture focus to one we enjoy or one that gains the greatest approval and applause from others. - **Ruts**... - While routines, patterns, and traditions can serve us well, they can also keep us from achieving true effectiveness. - ==**I fear that the church today has created something foreign to Scripture and to God's intentions.**== - I fear we have created a professional Christianity... - I fear the church has cast aside God's plan and re-invented church... - I think it was all well-intentioned... - But I think in the church's desire to excel, we have gradually created a whole new organization that bears little resemblance to what is described in God's word. - So, let us allow the Bible to describe the focus of the ministries we lead. - ## Outline - We will start off theoretical, Scriptural, and theological... - We will end very practical... - ## Here is my point in one sentence: - THE ROLE OF A MINISTER IS NOT FIRST TO MINISTER BUT TO EQUIP OTHERS TO MINISTER. # Scripture - ##### **[[Ephesians 4.12]] | to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,** (CSB) - ***DEEP DIVE...*** - ## Context - Previous verse... - Pastor-teacher is the only continuing biblically mandated church leader. - Other categories... - Apostles & Prophets - Evangelists - Deacons - **So, what about all of us in this room?** - How do we justify having other ministers in leadership positions? - Where does your authority come from? - Theologically, the only way to see how the Bible supports our leadership structure is to see all of us together embodying the position of PASTOR-TEACHER. - The Bible says that God gives a local church a PASTOR-TEACHER. - Due to our church size, we have decided to take that PASTOR-TEACHER role and fulfill it with a group of people who all specialize in fulfilling particular parts of it. - Think about it like this... - ### If you want to build a 200 square foot SHE-SHED in your back yard, you would probably hire a one-person builder. - He would pour the foundation... - He would frame things up... - He would run the electricity... - Siding... Roofing... - ### If you want someone to build a 4,000 square foot luxury home, then you will hire a builder (GC), but his role will be fulfilled by a team of craftsmen... - Brick layer... - Plumber... - Electrician... - Etc. - Do you see then, why it is SO IMPORTANT that we protect our unity. - When we see instructions given to the PASTOR-TEACHER in the NT, those are instructions to me and to you. - Ephesians 4.12 gives instructions to the PASTOR-TEACHER. - ##### To equip the saints... - Something odd here... - ##### To equip - Making EQUIP an infinitive. - In the NASB the verse begins differently... - ##### For the equipping of the saints... - Making EQUIP a gerund. - The first makes for smoother English, but the second is technically correct. - πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν - πρὸς — To (the preposition not the infinitive marker) - For the purpose of... - τὸν — Article - καταρτισμὸν — Equip (but it is a noun not a verb) - What do we lose when we translate it as in infinitive? - The infinitive focuses on the leader's action... - Think: *Be equipping...* - The noun (gerund) focuses on the result of the minister's actions... - Think: *Make people equipped.* - ##### Equip - Grammar - καταρτισμός - Hapax legomenon... - Maybe even an invented word. - The verb is common... - καταρτίζω - Paul's use (or invention) of this word emphasizes the finished product not just the aim. - A PASTOR-TEACHER's assignment is to create thoroughly trained/equipped servants in the church. - Examples... - We need to fix the problem... - We need a fix. - They are winning the game... - The got a win. - κατα - Down - It likely functions as an intensifier... - Thoroughly - Catalyst = completely loosened (bonds) - ἀρτίζω - Prepared - -μός - Action noun (...ing) - Semantic Range of the Verb: καταρτίζω - Verses... - ##### **[[Mark 1.19]] | Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat ==putting their nets in order==.** (CSB) - ##### **[[Matthew 4.21]] | Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, ==preparing their nets==, and he called them.** (CSB) - ##### **[[Luke 6.40]] | A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is ==fully trained== will be like his teacher.** (CSB) - ##### **[[2 Corinthians 13.11]] | Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. ==Become mature==, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.** (CSB) - Louw-Nida - to make someone completely adequate or sufficient for something—‘to make adequate, to furnish completely, to cause to be fully qualified, adequacy.’ - BDAG - ① **to cause to be in a condition to function well,** **_put in order, restore._** - ② **to prepare for a purpose,** **_prepare, make, create, outfit._** - ### Nautical Use... - Repair what is lacking... - Fit the ship for departure... - **[[Polybius]], _Histories_ 5.46.10** — used of **fitting-out ships** (πλοῖα), i.e., outfitting/readying them for service. - ##### Ministry - διακονία = serve - Semantic Range - ##### **[[Acts 6.1]] | In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily ==distribution==.** (CSB) - ##### Build - οἰκοδομή = "Building" - So... - Our primary assignment, as the pastor-teach collective, is... - To help our members overcome barriers and obstacles to service... - To train, equip, and motivate our members to serve... - To put our members in a place of service... # Application - ## Why must we redouble our efforts to EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY? - #### **Equipping is the command and the goal.** - The command and goal are simple: - *Equip the saints!* - When we just ignore that and foster a professional ministry model, we violate Scripture. - Let's look at how the church has changed through the centuries (and even in the last 100 years)... - Influence... - *Ministers have never been more educated and well-trained...* - *Churches have never been more wealthy and resourced...* - *But the church has never had less influence!* - The protestant model from the Reformation until the post WWII - One person preached... - The rest of the church just figured things out... - Even in churches that ran hundreds or thousands... - That seems crazy and even irresponsible today. - But the influence and the effectiveness of the church in America has gone down every single year since 1950. - Of course, there are many factors, but to ignore the fact that when we created the professional Christian class, the church's influence began to decline, is to ignore something critical. - We must remember God's rubric... - Our success is not measured by how much ministry we do... - But by how well we prepare others to do it. - Let me give you four models the church has created that I think are largely unfaithful to Scripture... - ***Chaplain model...*** - ***Counseling model...*** - ***Show model...*** - ***Services model...*** - #### **Equipping is the only effective way to make disciples.** - How... - How do they train medical doctors... - How do they train pilots... - How do you become a great musician? - #### **The Equipping Model is the key to ministry growth.** - What is the opposite of the Equipping Model? - ### The Plate Spinner Model... - #### **The Equipping Model is the JESUS MODEL...** - If there was ever a person with the giftedness, the bandwidth, and the need to do ministry, it was Jesus! - But Jesus invested the majority of his time equipping 3, 12, 72... - The THREE - ##### **[[Mark 9.2]] | After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transfigured in front of them,** (CSB) - The TWELVE - ##### **[[Mark 3.14]] | He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach,** (CSB) - The SEVENTY-TWO - ##### **[[Luke 10.1]] | After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go.** (CSB) - #### We are Leaders not Ministers... - Listen, the church can't afford ministers. - If all we are going to do is minister, then we should get a job at Lowes and volunteer our time. - We are here to be leaders. - Community growth... - Church growth... - No staffing growth... - ## What are the obstacles we will face in this emphasis? - #### Pride - This is the number one obstacle we all face. - "No one can do this as well as I can." - What PRIDE assumes... - God needs ME to do this ministry... - It is ME who makes this work, not the Lord through his Spirit. - People need ME more than they need the work of Christ. - ##### **[[1 Corinthians 1.26]] | Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.** (CSB) - ##### **[[1 Corinthians 1.27]] | Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.** (CSB) - ##### **[[1 Corinthians 1.28]] | God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something,** (CSB) - ##### **[[1 Corinthians 1.29]] | so that no one may boast in his presence.** (CSB) - ### Patsy Stokes... - #### Perfectionism - This is often just another subtle form of pride... - *"My reputation or esteem is tied to the excellence of the product..."* - Perfectionism exists when the excellence of the ministry becomes more important than... - Making disciples... - Faithfulness to the Lord's instructions... - ##### **[[2 Corinthians 4.7]] | Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.** (CSB) - What is our higher goal? - That people will think well of us... - That people will become disciples... - #### Busy, imperfect people... - Is that true? - *Yes and no...* - Yes... - Most families are two-income families... - Most of the people in the church would say that there life is more hectic than ever... - No... - People spend more time mindlessly looking at screens than ever before... - People have more hobbies than ever before... - People have put their kids in more optionally activities than ever before... - People have been saying life is too busy since the beginning... - ##### **[[Luke 10.40]] | But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”** (CSB) - **4th century** – Augustine lamented the “press of worldly business” and how it pulled believers away from contemplation and prayer (_Confessions_, Book 6). - The Monastic Movement - Meister Eckhart - Martin Luther - Puritans - **William Wilberforce (1790s)** – _“I am in danger of being suffocated by the multiplicity of business.”_ - **The Atlantic Monthly (1884)** – _“Modern life crowds the hours and leaves no time for quiet thought.”_ - **20th century** – In the 1950s, as suburbs, highways, and television spread, sociologists warned of “the acceleration of daily life” and how technology was supposed to save time but instead filled it. - With a very few exceptions, people have never had more "free time" than today. - If for no other reason than modern conveniences and wealth... - If people are as busy as they think they are... - This is not a reason for us to throw in the towel, raise the flag of surrender, and abandon the model God has given us in his word. - This is a reason for us to help people change! - We are leaders... - We are change agents... - Christianity has spread for 2,000 years because people have sacrifices their time, their money, and their lives... - We don't need to shy away from asking people to give up their pickleball or pull their kids out of travel soccer to serve the Lord. - If we aren't the voice for that... - Then who will be... - ## How to EQUIP THE SAINTS? - Structure your ministry, calendar, time, energy on EQUIPPING. - Steve Bell story... - Measure new things. - Give up some control. - Give people authority not just tasks... - Speak powerful words... - Math story... - Ministry story... # Conclusion - **[[Exodus 18.17]] | “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him.** (CSB) - **[[Exodus 18.18]] | “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.** (CSB) - **[[Exodus 18.19]] | Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him.** (CSB) - What stories can you tell? - Who are ten people you can begin to invest in?