Equipping
the Saints
By Don Campbell
Have you ever notice how many really good coaches and managers in professional sports were only so-so players, who never excelled in—sometimes didn’t even play—college sports or never got out of the minor leagues? On the other hand, some great players who have attempted to coach or manage have fallen flat on their faces. This reminds me of the saying—one I first heard from a teacher—"Them that can’t, teach; and them that can’t teach, teach teachers to teach." If taken literally, the statement isn’t true and is an insult to all of the dedicated teachers of the world. Remember, God had only one Son, and they called him "Teacher." The point—I believe—is that some people can actually teach other people how to do a job better than the teachers can do it themselves.
If the task at hand were to build as much fence as possible before Jesus comes, it would be foolish for the elders to employ me to do all of the building. It would be just a foolish for me to try to do it all. However, if I could teach some of you how to dig postholes, others how to set posts, others how to string wire, and still others how to carry water for the rest of the crew, we could build some fence, couldn’t we? Or maybe you already know how to do these things, but just need someone to motivate you.
Paul wrote that God placed apostles, prophets, preachers, elders, and teachers in the church for "the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph 4:11-12). He went on to say that the church really becomes all that it can be when it is "joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share" (Eph 4:16). One of the works of a preacher is to train or equip other people how to use their gifts from God in service to the church. I have spent a lot of time and energy in preparing myself to equip others to do their share. With the permission of the elders, I want to use my God-given talents to help you identify and use your God-given talents. I can teach you how to teach and preach. I can teach you how to be a proficient people-helper. I can teach you how to do personal evangelism. I can also guarantee you that once equipped for the job, some of you will be much better at some of these things than I am.
I’m so excited about it all that I can hardly wait to get started.
DC