Assemblies of God Worldwide
October 14, 2008
THE WORK OF THE PREACHER
August 25, 2008
By Julius Czar C. Daoa, D.D.
What is a “preacher”? What are the duties of a preacher? What exactly is a preacher supposed to do? Most everyone has a notion or opinion and will readily give it, but what does God say?
There are three terms in the New Testament that describe God’s worker known as a preacher. These words are not only descriptive of the worker, but the work God expects of him. These terms are: minister, preacher and evangelist.
“Minister” (Gr. diakonos), means one who serves, a servant. A preacher is a minister or servant of Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 4:6). His work is to serve the Lord’s Word, the Gospel to all men (Acts 6:4; Rom. 15:16). A “good minister of Jesus Christ” must also “put the brethren in remembrance of these things…” (1 Tim. 4:6). A preacher is to “take heed to the ministry which (he) hast received in the Lord, that (he) fulfill(s) it” (Col. 4:17).
The word “preacher” (Gr. kerux) which means a herald, a public proclaimer from the king who authoritatively declares the king’s law to the people which must be obeyed. The Lord authorized (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11) and sent out His preachers or “heralds” into all the world (Rom. 10:14-18). Their sole work is to proclaim His message, the gospel (2 Tim. 2:1-7; 4:1-5) and only His message (Rom. 10:15; 15:19; Gal. 1:6-10; 1 Thess. 2:9).
An “evangelist” (Gr. euangelistes) is a messenger of good. Christ gave evangelists (Eph. 4:11-12) to bear His good message, the “gospel” which means “good news.” Paul warned preachers to “do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” (1 Tim. 4:5). A preacher is to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2).
Diverting the Lord’s Heralds
The work of a preacher is short and simple in its description, but large and vital in its scope. Men dissatisfied with God’s simple work, have devised many other roles and work for their “preachers.” By this device, Satan delays, distracts and diverts the important work of the King’s royal heralds into a thousand channels. Simply preaching the Word is not sufficient work for preachers, according to some men. As churches have expanded their work and mission beyond what the Lord gave, they have expanded the “job description” a preacher. Preachers are to be pastors or “shepherds” and counselors busy visiting, overseeing and guiding “the flock.”
Some want preachers to be caretakers and superintendents, managing and supervising the church building and facilities. This man-made work has become so bloated that in recent years it has been divided up among several specialties: the “Youth Minister,” the “Singles Minister,” the “Outreach Minister,” the “Pulpit Minister” and more.
A gospel preacher is not a “pastor,” shepherd, elder or counselor (unless he has both). A pastor is a shepherd, the office of an elder, bishop or overseer. This is a different worker for the Lord with a different work. A pastor’s work is to shepherd and oversee the flock, watching for their souls (Acts 20: 17, 28; Heb. 13:17). A preacher appoints men qualified to do the work of a shepherd, he does not do their work, as he has sufficient of his own (Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim. 3:1-7).
A gospel preacher is not a caretaker of the church property or work. A preacher is not to leave the Word to serve tables, but give himself continually to prayer and serving the Word (Acts 6:1-4).
The Preacher And The Church
Much of the error concerning preachers and their work comes from a wrong view of the relationship of the preacher and the local church. Many consider the preacher as an employee of the church. As such the church is an employer that determines the scope and duties of his work. This view is expressed in the statement: “We pay the preacher and we tell him what to do.”
The Lord’s command to pay preachers for preaching (1 Cor. 9:14) does not make them church employees. Such support is compared to that of God’s priests (1 Cor. 9:13-14). The priests were supported by the people’s offerings to the Lord as the Lord’s servants, not the peoples’ hirelings (Num. 18:1-20).
A preacher is not an employee of any church, but a servant of the Lord (1 Tim. 4:6). He is accountable to the Lord, entrusted to do the Lord’s work and not “entangle himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Tim. 2:3-4).
The Scriptural relationship between a preacher and the Christians that support him is that of fellowworkers in the Lord. The Lord commands the preacher to preach the gospel and those who hear him to support him in his work. Together they have “fellowship in the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:6-14; Phil. 1:5-7).
Disciple defined
August 5, 2008Disciple defined
If the cell-driven strategy redefines success for a church, it’s important to understand the end product of that success. Jesus made that clear in Matthew 28:18–20 when He told His disciples to make new disciples.
But what is a disciple? Dr. Joel Comiskey recommended that the church could define a disciple in the following way:
D-1 disciple (member of a cell)
The first step is that a person attending the church is in a cell. It’s in this process that the person is baptized and taught to obey all the things that Christ has commanded (Matt. 28:18–20).
D-2 disciple (associate leader)
The next step is that the disciple lives out in practice what he or she is learning. The term D-2 disciple defines a person who is in a cell, taking the next step in the training track, and actually helping in cell leadership. Such a person is playing a significant role in the cell group and is consciously preparing to facilitate his or her own cell group. Key steps in the training process include doctrinal teaching, holiness, baptism, evangelism, and preparation to lead his or her own cell group.
D-3 disciple (cell leader)
The next step is gathering people together and leading a cell group. The disciple has gathered friends and family and is facilitating the cell group. He or she has graduated from the training track.
D-4 disciple (multiplication [G7] leader)
This is when the cell leader has developed another disciple who has multiplied out and is leading his or her own cell group (has gone through the D-1 to D-3 process).
Because the cell-driven strategy grows from the core to the crowd, it’s essential to have a clear picture of the desired goal. While acknowledging that the primary goal of the Christian life is to become like Jesus, it’s essential to define this in practical terms within the church framework. The D-1 to D-4 understanding of discipleship helps guide a believer through a clearly defined equipping process.
From a practical standpoint, the goal is to make disciples, and the cell-driven strategy makes that happen by asking all members to go through a training track (SOL) that prepares them to become disciples who minister to others.
NOTE: Pag-asa Assembly of God Church contextualized and modified some terms and their usage.
THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS ON THE CROSS
March 5, 2008THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS
1. THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Those who crucified Jesus were not aware of the full scope of what they were doing because they did not recognize Him as the Messiah. While their ignorance of divine truth did not mean they deserved forgiveness, Christ’s prayer in the midst of their mocking Him is an expression of the limitless compassion of divine grace.
2. THE WORD OF SALVATION: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in
3. THE WORD OF COMPASSION: “Woman, behold your son!” and “Behold your mother!” When Jesus saw His mother standing near the cross with the Apostle John, whom He loved, He committed His mother’s care into John’s hands. And from that hour John took her unto his own home. (John 19:26-27). In this verse Jesus, ever the compassionate Son, is making sure His earthly mother is cared for after His death.
4. THE WORD OF SPIRITUAL SUFFERING: Matthew 27:46 tells us that about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Here, Jesus was expressing His feelings of abandonment as God placed the sins of the world on Him – and because of that, God had to “turn away” from Jesus. As Jesus was feeling that weight of sin, He was experiencing a separation from God for the only time in all of eternity. This was also a fulfillment of the prophetic statement in Psalm 22:1.
5. THE WORD OF PHYSICAL SUFFERING: “I thirst” (John 19:28). Jesus was here fulfilling the Messianic prophecy from Psalm 69:21: “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” By saying He was thirsty, He prompted the Roman guards to give Him vinegar, which was customary at a crucifixion, thereby fulfilling the prophecy.
6. THE WORD OF VICTORY: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Jesus’ last words meant that His suffering was over and the whole work His Father had given Him to do, which was to preach the Gospel, work miracles, and obtain eternal salvation for His people, was done, accomplished, fulfilled. The debt of sin was paid.
7. THE WORD OF COMMITTAL: “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Here, Jesus is willingly giving up His soul into the Father’s hands, indicating that He was about to die – and that God had accepted His sacrifice. “He offered up Himself without spot to God” (Hebrews 9:14).
