Ministry of the Evangelist, Pastor & Teacher | Lecture 2 : BC-206-MEP&T-20260810

All right, welcome back. Uh before we get into your question, there's a question here on the chat. Let me just answer that and then we'll get there. Um says, as you said, ministry and ministry gifts are given by God and we have to prepare for it. Question is, if God called us to be a minister, then why in some cases God is calling us to do job and studies in our training period? Now there's a second part of the question also let me answer the first one. Now uh Christie the first thing we must understand is the call of God is there and God as you said it's a training period and God can ask us to yes we have to study we have to work right and God can use those seasons of working and studying to prepare you for your you know for your to for you to step into your call of God. Now, I've said this many times. I'm going say this again. There's no thing as full-time and part-time ministry. You are in ministry. Apostle Paul, even till the end of his life, he was a tent maker. He was working in his own hands. That's why in acts 20 towards the end he says uh I think it's acts the last chapter 28 if I'm not wrong he says he worked as a tent maker and provided for rent for his house for the next 3 years when he was in house arrest what was Paul doing was he a great evangel was he a great apostle was he in full-time ministry or part-time ministry full-time but he's doing tent working now that means he's part-time ministry. No, that's the wrong understanding, right? God when he prepares us, he will, you know, think of it this way. Sometimes God chooses people, you know, at a young age, they understand their call, they step into ministry and they become a pastor. Everything very smooth, right? They don't understand corporate corporate world, nothing. On the other hand, God can take somebody take them to a process of training. They go work. They work in the you know corporate field or wherever outside they work. They work there for 10 years and then slowly put step them into ministry. Now these two are different but in both ways God will have his way of training. As I say, God trained Moses in the palace and used him in the desert. God trained Joseph in the desert and used him in the palace. [snorts] So the training is different. The key is to be obedient. Why God does it? Because if God is calling you, you know you have a call on of God on your life and he's calling you to study or to work somewhere, do it faithfully. Because in that season of studying and maybe working, he's going to teach you many things that will be helpful for you in ministry. Right? For example, see, I was working in the corporate. I was working at a very young age. I joined the corporate and I was working there and I used to everyday grumble why this I want to Lord I want to do ministry what I'm coming here but God made me understand that hey this is your ministry right now in this season this is your ministry I thought ministry is one pullpit and you preach 100 500 people will be there you preach pray for people they'll be healed I thought that's ministry yes that is ministry but that's not the only way of doing ministry. So God opened my understanding. Hey, even here in the corporate I can be a minister of God. There are hundreds and thousands of employees here. I can be I can start off here. Right? And it made me understand how to minister to these people. It's easy to minister to people in church. Yes or no? But what about ministering to people who are outside of the church, right? I I learned it there how to talk to them. I can't say you know Holy Spirit is here all that they don't want to know that I can do in the church. But right now if I meet somebody who's working in the corporate sector I understand I understand the stress they go through. I understand that Monday to Friday is hard work. It's not easy. They have meetings and conf and every time on the laptop it's not easy. Sometimes they there's no work life balance meaning every time they're in office they're working 18 hours a day no time for family is breaking right I understand that now if I was not there I would not have understood why you're not there for the meeting conference nowadays we have any conference some of them in church say pastor I had a heavy day I had to go to work I understand that why because I've been in that place if have not been in that place like you tell the manager I will not come for your meeting church conference is going on that's foolishness right so sometimes God allows us to go through certain things so that we can learn and apply it and be a blessing to others right I was a Bible college student I sat on these same tables same chairs same sofa for my interview when I came I sat on this so fondly right but I'm glad that I went [clears throat] through that season as a Bible college student those tables there behind are the tables that we you sat in aton as students as a 22 year old I sat there at now every time I look at these things I say I I I did it so I'm able to understand students I'm able to understand life is not e I mean it's it's not easy you to push yourself to get things done. And that's why sometimes I can be very hard on you, right? I can say do it. Why? Because time will go. Second year will go, third year will go. Next thing you know, you're graduating. So graduation, what do I do next? Right? So time flies. So Christie, to answer your question, firstly, God allows us to go through those seasons. Sometimes he may put you in work. sometimes even put you at a uh you know in in in in a maybe in studies but those seasons will enable you empower you to be an effective minister later on because Moses understood okay you know life in the palace he was able to deal with things in the desert because mo Josh Joseph understood how life is not easy I was thrown in the pit I was sold as a slave when he became a king. He still walked in humility. When he became the second in command in Egypt, he was he was still able to ask forgiveness for his brothers. I'm sorry, forgive his brothers cuz he understood what it means to stay without food. He knew it. How can my brothers stay without food? I forgive them. If he hadn't gone through that difficult season, maybe he wouldn't have even forgiven his brothers. Right? So that's to answer your first question. And secondly, if he called us for both, what we have to keep our first priority, ministry preparation or job and studies in our both. If he's called you to do both, both are important. Example for me if you say pastor lead worship and you say pastor preach the sermon. I can't say oh leading worship is more important than sermon or sermon is more important than worship. Both are the same. Or if you say to me um what's more important ministry or family? Both are important. Both are you know I can't I can't have a fruitful ministry if my family is not in in good order right so both are important so to answer your question keep both as priority learn to balance both of them righty I hope I answered your question yeah yes your question was can you um uh I don't know if the mic is going to reach you uh just so that the online students can also here. Yes. Yeah. Just speak. It's it it will come. Okay. Practical tips to stir up the ministry gift. Now if you are sure that God has called you for that do the do the things that we normally do. For example, if what is what do you think God has called you to be if if you're sure? Do you know what God has called you to be? Healing and deliverance ministry. But but is it in the five-fold? Do you feel you're going to be called as a pastor, apostle, prophet, apostolic ministry? Okay, let's take this example as an apostolic ministry. Now, firstly, you must understand what the apostolic ministry is, right? So, you do a little bit of studies from the word, read commentaries, read books on apostolic ministry. Then you get an understanding. Okay, this is what an apostle does. An apostle is one who starts churches, raises up leaders, appoints leaders, and starters starts many other churches. But you see a certain way that it's done. You see that one church is planted. He builds that church right example makes that church to about 300 400 people. Builds a strong church and then launches out starting different other churches. Either he would go or he would raise up leaders who would go and plant churches. That's that's what the great apostle Paul did, right? He went to places, he recognized places, recognized leaders, gave them opportunities, right? So Titus, Timothy. So you look at the biblical model first. Now once you understand that, you break down the whole call of God. Okay, apostle is the big picture. So what do I do now to start off with? First I have to prepare myself in the word because I have to learn how to uh preach every Sunday in church. So I have to learn how to plant a church. So you look at the basics, you read a book, you try to learn from people how to plant a church, right? So you take your time. All the while your bigger picture is, hey, God has called me to be apostolic. But when you start off, you may start with 15 people in the church, right? You don't be overwhelmed. Hey, God has called me apostle. Only 15 people are sitting here. That's okay. It takes time, right? So you're starting small. You're starting as a everyone will call you pastor that time don't say hey call me apostle it's okay right the title doesn't matter but they'll call you pastor now example 10 years is over you're pastoring the church and your church has grown financially you're strong right you've got leaders you begin to say okay church 10 years we have equipped everyone in the church now let's start going out let's start going out and planting churches you we you've already built a team for 10 years, you have built a strong foundation. So even if you're not there in the church, the church will keep going on. Right now either you can step out, go plant churches, or you can train up people and say go provide for them and help them plant churches. Now for that to happen, sometimes it may take 5 years, sometimes it may take 10 years, right? But the bigger picture is always burning in your heart. You're not satisfied with one church with maybe 500 people but your bigger picture is I want to go out and start many more churches and as you do that you'll recognize ah this is the apostolic gift being stirred up in me right but the key is to stay faithful in that small seasons of being the pastor looking after the church that building learning growing you'll make mistakes in that season, right? But you'll come to a place of maturity, then you'll be able to tell people. And here's the thing, people when you are doing ministry, you know, people will follow you in the sense whatever you tell them, they will listen to you, right? Because you have faithfully served the church for 10 years, they will listen to you. They'll say, "Okay, okay, pastor, I'll do it." And then now later on, if you want to put apostle in front of your name, you can do it. But if you don't want to do it also it's okay but you will know that you're filling you're fulfilling your apostolic call right but it starts off very small the bigger picture is burning inside example capac we had the vision to be salt and light to the city of Bangalore a voice to the nation and the nations 12 people were sitting in a living room the First Sunday 12 people and that first Sunday we sang we have a vision for this nation and we sing it every Sunday right after the theme song. The vision is burning inside but it took time for it to happen. It's not like see 2001 we started it's not like 2005 we started planting churches outside. No we had to first build this church Bangalore. Okay build make it strong. start the Bible college slowly and Bible college became a great do because students are coming from other places from north India from different cities they came we trained them and we asked them what do you want to do we want to plant a church okay go plant we'll help you unknowingly we were fulfilling the apostolic call as well right and so very important to be open to those small dos but be faithful to the start in the start be faithful Okay. Does that answer your question? Yeah, of course. See, I didn't touch on the personal prayer and personal, you know, building of the gifts and all of that. All that is you have to do it. There's no uh saying about that. But, uh have a strong disciplined prayer life, reading of the word, right? Uh pursuing more of God, spending dedicated times, maybe fasting and prayers, all of that is a done. you have to do it. Apart from that, these are ways that you can, you know, um, practically step into the apostolic call. Yeah. Okay. Okay. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 28 must be understood both as one of establishment, the way in which they unfolded in the early church. Okay. So this order can also be the way that these gifts were uh you know unfolded in the early church. First apostles came up right. So if you see if you read in the book of acts first was apostles and if you read they say and then they called him apostle Paul and then you talk about there's apostle Peter. Apostles. What does the word apostle means? [snorts] Anyone know? Apostle. Apostle means sent out, right? The one who is sent out. Apostle. So in the new covenant, the first thing we see is apostles. Then we see prophets being raised up. Then we see teachers in the church, evangelists. Philillip the evangelist who came later on. And then we see pastors, the pastoral call. Uh the pastoral call was more clear uh during Paul's ministry, right? Uh where uh Aquilla and Priscilla were pastors of a church and uh of course Timothy was pastoring the church in Ephesus. So one way that this is listed here is also because of the order that the way the gifts were released in the early church. Everyone understanding this right. Second one is one of leadership, government responsibility and authority. So we seeing that uh there was more responsibility and authority given to these in the order that they are. So example apostles were given more authority. Right? Now when we say authority doesn't mean that you know they they are greater. No, they were given authority and they were they could speak over people, speak over the church. Prophets were given a certain amount of authority. That prophetic word was given authority. Teachers were given authority. Evangelists and pastors, right? So in the order that they were released in the early church could be also in terms of authority, they were given different um authority and responsibilities. Then then there is an anointing that goes with each ministry gift. Everyone say anointing. What is anointing? Abishek. Who's Abishek here? Any Abishek here? No. Abishek. Okay. What is anointing? Yes. The presence, the glory and the power of the Holy Spirit. Now all of us have an anointing. We are anointed to do something. We have a gift which God gives us. When the gift is anointed, it makes a powerful impact. Think of David. He had a gift. What was his gift? God called him to be the king of Israel. Right? He was anointed king of Israel. But he the moment he was anointed, he had a gift also. What was it? He was a shepherd boy. His gift was what? What? What would you say? Sorry. Singing. Singing and playing the harp. Beautiful. And he had one more gift. Come on. Think. >> What? >> Riding. writing. Okay. But we don't see it much. >> Sorry. >> What is he? What did he say? >> Shepherd. Okay. Yes. That was his main gift. God had called David to be the king of Israel. But at that moment, what was he doing? The shepherd looking after what? Sheep. What does he say? When Golajit came, what did he say? Who is this fellow who's come? This Philistine who's coming after you know who I am? I firstly I'm in covenant with God. Secondly, why are you afraid of this Goliath? I have killed the lion and the bear with my own hands. Now, this is not a joke. If you've seen a lion and a bear, we will either pray or run away. We will not go to attack it. But David is so bold and we talking about a young David. We're talking about maybe 14, 15 year old. That's it. This was a gift he had. His father told him, "Go look after sheep." He said, "Okay, I will do it." He's looking after sheep. But while looking after sheep, look at how God anoints him. One of the most boring job sit under one tree. The sheep is going everywhere. One sheep goes little, that's it. Hey, come come come back this side. That's all he has to do. But that is one side of it. When the lion comes, he's alert. Or a bear comes. Ah, what would a normal 15year-old do? You will run away from there. if you see a lion. But God anointed him. There was some kind of boldness in David and the small work he's doing. He says, "Hey, I have killed the lion and the bear in my own hands to protect my sheep." Then came the bigger picture of Goliath. He was not even afraid of Goliath. What was the difference? And these fellows in the army, they have also gone and fought with many people. Why were they afraid? The anointing was gone. Saul also was anointed, but the anointing left him. He was also sitting afraid. But the anointing of God was upon David that when he saw Goliath, he said, "This is nothing. You may be big, you may be strong, but I've killed the lion and the bear. I can finish you off. It's the anointing that made the difference. David, somebody said music. When Saul was tormented by evil spirits, every time he played the harp, the spirits would leave him. Was it because of what he played? No. It was the anointing and the presence and the glory of God that came that demons had to run away. So the same way all of us have gifts and [clears throat] God anoints us to use that gift. Right? So if if for example your gift is worship leading the moment you go and you start singing a song the anointing of the Holy Spirit comes. Why? Because it's God's anointing upon your life. God has anointed that gift in you. It could be dancing. It could be painting. Whatever it is, every gift, the anointing, there's an anointing that goes with each ministry gift, right? And the anointing enables you to fulfill the ministry, the functions of the ministry gift. Example, prophet. A prophet because of the anointing and the presence of God, he's able to prophesy. Teachers, the anointing of God gives them the wisdom to be able to teach, teach the word of God and power. Look at Jesus. What was he teaching? Simple things. Parable of the swer, you know, lost lost son. Simple things he was teaching. Does he teach very big things? Simple. Whatever was there, right? Takes five loaves of bread, two fish. What What is it? It's the anointing. Everyone else were teaching. There were many people who were teaching. They were teachers of the law during that time. They were called Pharisees, right? The Pharisees had one job. [snorts] Their job was to teach. Teach and preach. The Sadducees were more of administration. and all you know if anyone has a problem you go to the Sadducees right make sure that uh the the temple everything is all right make sure administration is all right in the temple that is the Sadducees Pharisees teaching right that's why apostle Paul was a Pharisee he was a teacher right now the Pharisees had one job to teach but nobody's going and listening to them why there's no anointing but here when Jesus was teaching Everyone are coming and listening to him. Why? The anointing made the difference. With each ministry gift, there's an anointing. Okay. If uh can you tell them to reduce the volume a little bit? One of them. >> Yeah. God will take a person through stages of preparation, growth and development in their ministry gift. So this is Christie to answer your question. God will take a person through stages of preparation, growth and development. Preparation time is never wasted time. This is your preparation time all of you. It's your preparation time. But even as you prepare, you're learning and you're growing, right? There'll be a time when you will step up into another level of growth. Then from here, you will step up to another level of growth. I remember there was this batch. I think it was 2016 batch. This young man had come, young boy, early 20s. He joined Bible college. So, you know, very quiet. He would always sit alone. So one day I asked him what do you want to do? You know he said I like to do camera work right? So do you have a camera? He said no I don't have anything. I don't I don't know anything about you know digital cameras and all of it. uh and he said but I'm really excited about learning about camera and I want to do this videos and teaching preaching videos and uh post it all over YouTube and all of that. So he said that's his that's his gift he felt right. Uh and every day he would come and say uh you know he would come and he would ask me how do I do this? How do I improve in reading the Bible? How do I I would give him some suggestions and help him out. But I I remember there was this one time they needed help in the media team. Okay. So I said you go join the media team. All his work was to carry the camera. Carry the camera, tripods, go to church and keep it there. That's it. No removing nothing. He became very happy. Right? So the first year of Bible college, all he was doing was carrying that camera and he would carry it as if it was his life. Right? Carried perfectly. He will wipe it. He'll wipe the stands. I remember that very clearly. Right. And uh she would do that every week for Sundays at church. After a couple of almost a year, slowly I told the I remember I spoke to the media person. I said slowly you show him just let him see the camera how it's being done. Uh not during the church service but before that right before or even after. So slowly they started showing him but long story short what happened was he became so good in taking photos and snippet videos that by second year they gave him an opportunity to take the camera and take video snippets in the church and pictures and by the end of second year the man one of our church members uh who was in the media team said God told me to give you this camera and they gave it to him and now he's sending me some he sends sometimes he sends me pictures of [snorts] high quality you know videos high quality he's a photographer right now right so he goes wildlife photography um and for ministries he does it for free right or a 50% discount and all that high-end cameras he's got he's got a team of people right and every time he buys is a camera. He sends the photo and he says, "Pastor, new camera added. Thank you for praying." And and his cameras are all like eight lakhs, nine lakh cameras. I don't know what, but he's doing it. What did he start with? Carrying the camera and the tripod. He's got his own company. He started his own company and he's doing it so well. He is a village person. He's not from the city. He's from a village. a village in Vanasi but I saw the efforts he took he would sit he would read and read and read about cameras he learned it he went through a preparation now some of you may don't give excuses I'm from village I don't know that's an excuse don't give me those excuses everyone we have a mind we have a gift and the anointing of God can empower you to do what you have to do the anointing makes the difference. Okay. A person may have more than one ministry and we talked about this, right? So you can be a pastor, evangelist, apostle and a prophet. Now if you feel you have two or three ministry gifts, if you want to you can add it. Nowadays they have no reverend, doctor, most highly, prophet, all those things before their name. The title is bigger than their name. Doctor, apostle, teacher, prophet, whatever. If you want to do it, you do it. But that's of no use. The thing is, are you bearing fruit in the gifts that God is giving you? Are you able to build God's kingdom? Right? So, a person can have one or two gifts. You can have four gifts. You can have all five gifts. God is the one who is giving it to you. Right? So for example, one person can be very gifted as a prophet, right? He's always like always prophesying. Whereas another person can be very gifted in teaching, can be a gifted as a pastor and in prophecy, right? Another person may be very good at healing. Whoever he prays for, there's healing. You know, the person is getting healed. the anointing, it's the gift. But you can have another person who's g good at maybe an apost good as an apostle and good at maybe you know a pastor. So it's different for different people, right? So for example, let me take my example. I can teach. I love to share the gospel. I'm pastoring a church right now, right? Here and there little bit prophecies come. So there are four. Now doesn't mean that you know all four I'll add to my name. No, it's just that we must understand that all of these can be used for the equipping of the saints to build people up. That is what it's given for. Not to show off, not to put up your price, but all are given to equip the church. Okay. The Lord Jesus stands as our primary example for each ministry gift. Now, quickly, seven 12th one. There is a difference between ministry function and ministry gift. Let's look at this. Okay, I want you all to understand this. Tell me what is the ministry gift? We all know it, right? Tell me what is the the five-fold ministry? What is a ministry gift? Five-fold ministry. Ministry gift. Then there is ministry function. Many people can function as evangelists, teachers, pastors, missionaries. Right? So it can be that one person can function strongly as a prophet whereas another person can be a prophet, pastor and teacher but he doesn't prophesy as much as the one who's functioning as a prophet. Everyone understanding? If you if you're not understanding tell me you want me to explain this again right see okay example there are two people okay one person can prophesy in detail like Elijah Elisha all these prophets no they'll say like see this is what happened to you 5 years back you did this you did this but now God is calling you he will tell you you know he will bring two people into your life. Those two people will help you and God is going to take you to another country. There he will help you to start a church and when you start the church, God will bring people and then through this you will have many open doors prophesying in detail. Okay? You'll get married, you'll have two children. In that two children, one child will be in ministry, one child will do business in detail prophecy. Now what is happening? He is moving in the function of the ministry gift of prophe prophet. Now another person may be there. He's a pastor. Okay. But he also will prophesy. See God is calling you to another nation. In time it will happen. So you pray about it and at the right time God will give you the wisdom to take the step. Now what's the difference? What's the difference between these two? Both prophesied about going to another country and starting ministry. But there was a difference. Those who are in the ministry function of the prophet, they'll give you more details. You will go in two years. You will go, you will do this, you will do this, you will do this. But here he's using the ministry gift of the prophet. He's a pastor but he's just prophesying saying see God is calling you to another country there he will lead you to start a ministry that's it prophecy is the same but the way it is delivered is different here it's more in detail he's able to tell right okay this this this this here it's just a general general prophecy one day go so the general prophecy is the ministry gift the ministry function is more in detail. So for example, last example we close healing u Smith wigglesworth right he's written there uh evangelist and healing minister now Smith wigglesworth main function was healing in his ministry whoever he prayed for they were they would get healed right he had a healing ministry hundreds and thousands of people will come to his crusade after the crusade he'll Those who need healing come in front. He will pray for them and they'll be healed. What is that? Ministry function. Now for example, somebody else will go a pastor. He can go pray for healing. Sometimes people will get healed. Sometimes people don't get healed. Now doesn't mean Jesus is not the healer. The only thing is he's functioning in that gift. Here it's a ministry gift. Right? So there's a difference there. Everyone understand that. Right? So for him it's it's it's a natural pray for everyone they'll get healed. But for the pastor maybe he has to you know uh he will pray sometimes people get healed sometimes people don't get healed. He's functioning they're functioning in different levels in the gift. Okay. So we will stop here and next week we will pick up from chapter 2 and we will look at the evangelist. But before that everyone understood about these gifts, right? Who gives the gift? Why does he give the gift? Equipping of the body so that we come to the knowledge of Christ. So that we uh you know we uh grow in maturity. Now are the gifts is one better than the other? Are all the same? Is a is is a role different for each gift? Yes. Right. A pastor has a different role. An apostle has a different role. An evangelist has a different role. So the roles are different. But when God looks at it, it's the same. Okay. Uh ministry gift and ministry function. We all understood that right? So now we'll get into uh next class next week onwards we'll get into the whole aspect of uh the evangelist then we'll look at the teacher and then the pastor right any questions those online okay there's no questions we will close and we will meet again next week right have a great week ahead bless