Equipping the Saints
2 Peter 3:18“But grow in the grace and knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him
be the glory both now and forever, Amen.”
Ephesians 4: 11-13“And He himself gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelist, and some
pastors and teachers, for the equipping of
the saints for the work of the 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….”
Different rolesI. An apostle was an ambassador
• Mark 16:18, Acts 28: 1-6
Mark 3: 13-15 “And He went up on the mountain and
called to Him those He Himself wanted.
And they came to Him. Then he appointed
twelve, that they might be with Him and
that He might send them out to preach,
and to have power to heal sicknesses and
to cast out demons….”
Luke 1: 1-2“Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to
set in order a narrative of those things
which have been fulfilled among us, just
as those who from the beginning were
eyewitnesses and ministers of the word
delivered to them to us….”
2 Peter 1:16“For we did not follow cunningly devised
fables when we made known to you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”
Different rolesI. Apostle was an ambassador
• Mark 16:16, Acts 28: 1-6
I. Prophets delivered direct revelations
2 Peter 1:21
“For prophecy never came by the will of
man, but holy men of God spoke as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Deuteronomy 13: 1-5“If there arises among you a prophet or a
dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a
sign or a wonder, and the sign or the
wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke
to you, saying, let us go after other gods’
which you have not known and let us
serve them, you shall not listen to the
words of that prophet or that dreamer of
dreams, for the Lord your God is testing
you to know whether you love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all
your soul. You shall walk after the Lord
your God and fear Him, and keep His
commandments and obey His voice; you
shall be put to death, because he has
spoken in order to turn you away from the
Lord your God, who brought you out of the
land of Egypt and redeemed you from the
house of bondage, to entice you from the
way in which the Lord your God
commanded you to walk. So you shall put
away the evil from you midst.”
Jeremiah 14: 13-15“Then I said, ah, Lord God! Behold, the
prophets say to them, you shall not see the
sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will
give you assured peace in this place. And
the Lord said to me, the prophets lies in
My name. I have not sent them, command
them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy
in My name, whom I did not send, and
who say, sword and famine shall not be in
this land by sword and famine those
prophets shall be consumed!”
Different rolesI. Apostle was an ambassador
• Mark 16:16, Acts 28: 1-6
I. Prophet delivered direct revelations
II. Evangelists are gospel preachers• Ephesians 2:8, Acts 2:28
Different rolesI. Apostle was an ambassador
• Mark 16:16, Acts 28: 1-6
I. Prophets delivered direct revelations
II. Evangelists are gospel preachers• Ephesians 2:8, Acts 2:28
I. Pastors and teachers are shepherd’s
11 “And He himself gave some to be
apostles, some prophets, some evangelists
and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the
equipping of the saints for the work of
ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ, 13 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
of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”
Stages of growth and maturing
1. Gifted leaders are responsible for the equipping of the saints
2. The well equipped saints do the work of the ministry
3. The result is the body of Christ is built up
Ephesians 4: 1-16