Called to Equip

In July of 2006, about a year after hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, I was forced to go work on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. After a few months, I was promoted to a Deckhand or Roughneck. As a deckhand, I was responsible for several important tasks. I was one of the individuals who was tasked with taking the 90-plus feet drill pipe hanging in the rack and connecting it with the drill pipe going down into the ocean floor. This job was fast, involved heavy equipment, and very powerful machinery. While there were other things that were my responsibility, the main task was to connect the drill pipe together safely and properly. Why was this so important? Without the individual pipe connecting there would be no drilling. The oil we were trying to reach was over 10,000 feet below the surface and if I and my deckhand coworkers did not connect the pipe, the entire operation would fail. 

I think of being a pastor a lot like a deckhand. There are many responsibilities and there are many dangers. There are issues that come upon pastors out of the blue. Everything can be going right on the drill floor, then suddenly, a pipe can burst causing havoc, so can a random phone call cause panic in a ministry that was going well. 

Just as I had a main task on the drill floor, pastors have the main task as well. While we do not neglect our other responsibilities in doing our main task, if we fail to do the main task, all the others mean nothing. What is our main task as pastors? 

If we fail to do the main task, all the others mean nothing.

As Paul is writing to the Ephesian church providing them instruction on theological foundations and their application to the Christian walk, he provides some insight in Chapter 4 on the role of the pastor. 

And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (Eph. 4:11-13). 

Now to be sure there is a lot in these few verses, but to me they are a blueprint for ministry, and encouragement to continue, and a challenge to fulfill. 

Paul tells us right up front that as pastors our main charge, the one thing we must do in ministry is to equip the saints. Notice the language here. The task is not an option. It is God who calls and God who appoints. When he says, “He gave” Paul is telling us it is God who has personally appointed each pastor to his local church. Be encouraged brother. Know that God himself has called you. God has appointed you to your church. The search committee may have recommended you and the church may have called you, but it was God who placed you there and appointed you as pastor. 

With this call to pastor comes a duty, a duty to equip. The word equip means to build up, perfect, or finish furnishing. Yes, we have phone calls to answer, meetings to attend, and visits to make, but our main task, the task which God appointed us to is to equip the saints. We do this best when we faithfully preach the whole counsel of God, and we disciple our people in the Word through relational groups. 

Men, I want to encourage you in this. So many times we get to Thursday and we are spent. All of our energy is gone, and we wonder what happened. You made such a solid plan for the week and then by lunch on Monday it was blown up. I’m not saying these other tasks are not important, but if we neglect the one thing we are supposed to be doing, how shall we fulfill our calling? 

If we neglect the one thing we are supposed to be doing, how shall we fulfill our calling? 

The call to equip is a beautiful call, a glorious call, a wonderful call. For the call to equip has some exciting implications. Paul tells us in verse 12 that the call to equip leads to two necessary functions of the church. As believers are properly equipped in Christ they will serve, and they will build up the body. 

When we equip our people with the Word of God through preaching and relational teaching opportunities the church will learn how and want to serve the church. As believers serve one another they will then build up the body. The word “build up” may be translated as “edify.” This is a sweet word that means to promote another’s growth in Christ. That is the picture of the Christian life right there. As we serve one another, we are actively promoting one another’s growth in Christ. 

Pastor, oh pastor, how amazing that God has allowed you to participate and, in your church, to be the catalyst for this great grace!

But Paul is not finished explaining the outcomes of your faithful equipping of your people. As you equip your people and they begin humbly serving one another, they are being strengthened in Christ. This mutual serving and strengthening leads to biblical unity of the faith and a deeper, more intimate knowledge of Jesus. As your church serves, as they are strengthened, they are unified in the faith, they grow in the knowledge of Jesus thus leading to their fullness or maturity as a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

As you serve, day in and day out. As you pour over the text, develop sermons, and create teaching outlines. As you are preparing leaders and teachers, know you are doing a great work and know you are pouring into the people of God, the people God loves and who God has given you. 

Be encouraged today pastor. I know it is hard work. I know there are sleepless nights. I know personal devotion is precious and sought after. Just remember, God has called you, out of all people, he has called you to equip his church, so they look more like Jesus. May the Lord continue to pour his Spirit into you and grow you in Christ as you pour into his church. 

Blessings, 

Brad