City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints 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 man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” Ephesians 4:11-13 NKJV

Reflection

The word apostle comes from the verb apostello, which means “send”, all of us are called to be Christ’s ambassadors (the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20), but in this context, the word refers to missionaries, who followed in the footsteps of the apostles before them to go into the world and tell about Jesus. Too many people mistake prophets for holy fortune-tellers, they are God’ mouthpiece or spokesperson, they only say what God has revealed to them. Evangelism takes many different forms, not just public speaking, but also music, art, healthcare, or entrepreneurship, just to name a few. Pastors guide the congregation, shepherding the flock. A Christian teacher might work in a school or college or teach in Sunday School. The roles Paul listed aren’t meant to be exhaustive, but to give a good idea of how to do God’s work. 

We, who are referred to as saints, are equipped to do God’s work. Everybody has different talents, and all contribute in some way. Our holy work is to tell others of Jesus and guide other Christ-followers with our example. As Pastor Ji said, every single one of us is called to the ministry, not necessarily speaking on stage, but serving the church with our gifts and talents is fulfilling our ministry, and all of God’s people are called to ministry. We who come from many backgrounds and many races make one church, one body, and are given a great mission. 

Application

Think of your favorite movie, TV show, book, or video game in which a diverse group of heroes come together to fight for the greater good. Each of them brings something different to the table, and everything they bring benefits the group and/or those they protect. That’s what you are. A hero fighting for the greater good. And you are on an epic quest. What talents will you bring to the table? We need them!

Prayer

Dearest Jesus, thank You so much for the talents You have given me. Please help me to use them for Your Glory. Help me find ways to bless those in my church and to bring nonbelievers to You. In Your Precious Name I pray, amen.