As believers we need to begin to work at the details of the New Covenant:
“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
No longer will a man teach his neighbour,
or a man his brother, saying,
`Know the Lord’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will forgive their wickedness, and will remember them no more.”
Hebrews 8:10-12.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. That is why God says:
“When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men.”
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for the works of service…………..
Ephesians 4:1 – 12
* From these scriptures it is plainly evident that there is `work’ that believers are expected to be equipped in, and take part in! This is the period of initial training, so constitutes `work’ spelt with a small `w’.
We see an example of this in the life of Paul: –
Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles……..
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up into the third heaven.
Galatians 2:1, 2 Corinthians 12:2
* Where work is spelt with a capital ‘W’ in the text below, it refers to all Work done by the 5-fold ministries, i.e. Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Evangelist and Teacher.
Where work is spelt with a small ‘w’ it refers to work done by believers, preferably in a 5-fold configuration, in terms of being trainee ‘future’ 5-fold ministers.
Where the letters ‘Ww’ are combined together, it refers to Wwork done in collaboration between the 5-fold minsters, and the trainee believers.
So Paul took part in church activities at the local level for fourteen years before entering the `Work’ spelt with a capital `W’ as the scriptures imply below: –
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucuis of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
Acts 13:1 – 3.
The parameters within which one arrives at the `Work’ level are clearly laid out in Book 6 of this series that deals with
YOUR STRONGHOLD – HIS BODY – THE CHURCH
* The goal of this `Work’ and `work’ is: –
………to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:12, 13.
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