Beloved, the place of the ordinary believer in the work of the ministry, under the Kingdom-arrangement of Jesus, has been up-graded and expanded, by the Cross and physical absence of Jesus – Jn. 14:12,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
In the Kingdom system of Jesus, the supportive or helps ministry of the non-five-ply minister or believer is upgraded.
They are now to do what was traditionally the pre-served function of the five-ply governmental gifts.
The five-fold work of the ministry
These functions are the five main “work of the ministry”, namely:
Prayer
Carrying God’s Presence
Preaching and or teaching
Caring physically for people
Caring for the things of God.
The direct and primary work of a believer
In the Kingdom of God, these five functions are now the direct and primary work of the ordinary believer, because of his enhanced potential over that of an Old Testament ‘believer’.
This is due to Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension to the Father – Jn. 14:12.
Now, where does this upgrade leave the five-ply governmental gifts?
What do they do, if their work (as in the Old Testament) is taken over by the ‘ordinary’ believer, under the Kingdom-order of Jesus?
The direct and primary work of the five-ply govern-mental gift
Now the primary function of the five-ply governmental gifts under Christ is to equip or mature the ordinary believer to do the five-main work of the ministry to the world.
This is God’s strategy in the New Testament of the Kingdom of God. This order will bring much blessing to the five-ply governmental gifts, and the church as a whole.
Troubled by the new and unfamiliar order
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” – Jn. 14:1-3.
Jesus inferred that by going to the Cross, He was going to prepare a new place in Himself for: apostle Peter (who was to lose his place through his denial of Jesus) the apostles, (who were the first-fruits of the five-fold governmental gifts), and His disciples; thus for all believers.
Why did He have to go to prepare them a place in God’s Kingdom or scheme of things? With His death being imminent, Jesus was now re-adjusting God’s system, strategy and scheme of things, to the troubling of the apostles, who then represented all the five-ply governmental gifts.
You know, every re-de-fining and re-adjusting of positions and roles troubles the heart of man, because of lack of familiarity with the new.
In other words, unlike in ministry during the Old Testament, by going to the Cross, Jesus was now taking His place in the Kingdom of God, or the system of God for the earth. And all those who believe in Him, must be with Him in this new system of God, that is called His Kingdom, but in their own newly prepared places.
In more other words, in Kingdom ministry, Jesus has now taken His place, and those who believe in God’s Kingdom system, i.e. the five-ply gifts, and kingdom disciples, must now take their own rightful New Testament places in Him, both now and in the future.
The targets of the five-ply governmental gifts
So, the five-ply gifts are to operate in their rightful place in the Kingdomarrangement of God till the whole church comes to:
The unity of the faith of Jesus – Acts 24:24-25; Jn.17:20-21.
The acknowledgment or recognition of the New Testament place of Jesus in God’s current scheme of things.
The place of full equip-ping or maturing of the ‘ordinary’ believer to do the fivemain work of the ministry.
Being like Jesus together – Eph. 4:13.
The acknowledgement of the physically absent Jesus with the five-ply governmental gifts is critical for them to perform their present Kingdom roles.
This Kingdom-role is to mainly equip or mature the ‘ordinary’ believer to do the five-fold work of the ministry, through mainly teaching them.
The unique place of teaching
In the spirit of the re-de-fined role of the five-ply governmental gifts, the Lord Jesus has limited the operation of prophets even in ‘Holy Ghost’ services.
Apostle Paul said they should minimize prophecies, even per ‘Holy Ghost’ Service – 1 Cor.14:26-33. How much less for Services which are not the free for all type as described in 1 Cor.14:26.
Apostle Paul insisted that if a prophet does not like this apparent limitation of direct prophecy to the saints, they should know that, the order was not coming from him, but from Jesus Christ Himself – 1 Cor.14:37-38,
“If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant”.
Eh! Is God saying that we should not allow prophets to function as such in Services to their satisfaction?
No! Prophets should operate in the church but to mainly teach Jesus to believers, so that, God’s children hear His voice or directions for themselves.
You know, unlike in the Old Testament, sons of God are to be led by the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer, not by priests or prophets – Rom. 8:14.
The part for the whole
Did God only limit prophets in their direct functions as prophets? I believe not.
God used prophets, (pro- as they are), as a lesson to all five-ply govern-mental gifts who are the “spiritual” in 1Cor. 14:37.
The lesson is that, even if direct prophecies are to be limited, even in a ‘Holy Ghost’ service, then all other five-ply governmental gifts should take a cue from Jesus’ commandment to prophets and focus on doing ‘other things’ in the church.
What ‘other things’ can be done among believers, apart from the sensational and spectacular work of the five-ply governmental gifts?
We will consider the answer to this question by referring to the Book of Acts of the Apostles.
In Acts of the Apostles, we see very few instances where deliberately-planned ‘Holy Ghost’ Services or its derivatives, were organized primarily for believers to be ministered to, by the apostles, as in Acts 8: 15-17.
If these meetings were common place, God never heightened them, in constituting the Bible for us.
It follows logically then, that the apostles mainly focused on teaching believers in various ways; and miracles broke out by the will of God, as in Acts 19:9-12.
Ministering to believers
Also, most instant spectacular miracles that immediately followed the Word of God in the New Testament as a whole, mainly followed ministry to unbelievers, not to believers.
Dear Servant of God, do not think of this understanding as an advocacy against ‘Holy Ghost’ Meetings or its derivatives like Miracle services, Deliverance services etc.
It is not to be understood that they should never be done.
They should be done because they meet the needs of believers; especially those in whom Jesus is not fully formed; as occurred in the churches of Galatia – Gal. 3:5; 4:19.
But note that even there, the Apostle Paul infers that, they should be done through the sharing and hearing of the Words of Jesus that bring faith – Gal. 3:2,5.
Therefore, I am drawing your attention to the need for the church to mainly, and more deliberately plan comprehensive teaching programmes for the five-ply governmental gifts to primarily mature the ‘ordinary’ believer, for their ministry to the world; through mainly teaching them directly.
Plan for the future
Dear Leader-of-God’s-people, let us prepare massively for and glorify teachingservices to believers. Jesus said unbelievers were wiser in their generation than His children. Why? It is partly because unbelievers strategically, deliberately and meticulously plan for the future – Lk.16:1-9.
These ‘unbelievers’ include the other religions of the world that are strategically, deliberately and painstakingly planning to ‘win’ the world.
Yes, they are putting great finances into establishing their future, however in vain that it would end.
Kingdom people should do better. It is because establishment comes only through knowledge, revelation, and understanding. You know, even the tithe is mainly directly meant for ‘food’ (which includes teaching materials) in God’s house – Mal. 3:10.
Thus, our Jesus told His disciples to commit money into establishing a future too – Lk.16:9,
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fall, they may receive you into everlasting home.”
