Learning 

The Christian life is a continual bombardment of learning opportunities.  There is Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, podcasts, books, devotionals, blogs, social media, special events and many more that i’ve forgotten.  The question that never gets asked; however, is “for what purpose am I learning?”  There are likely as many reasons as there are people, but most people seem content to learn with no apparent purpose.  There are 3 passages that come to mind that highlight our reasons for studying and learning.

Jude 1:20-21 “build yourself up in your most holy faith…”  Learning builds our understanding of God through His Word and ultimately facilitates a relationship that changes us.

1 Peter 4:10 “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God.”  The more we learn, the more we are able to serve and minister to other people.

Matthew 28:19 “…go and make disciples…”  It is difficult, if not impossible, to teach, train, or take someone where we ourselves have not gone.

Paul takes these generalizations and refines them into more specific roles in Ephesians 4:11.  As you read through the following descriptions, which one(s) do you feel God has gifted you to carry out?

Apostle

The apostle likes to initiate innovative ways to reach new areas or people for God’s kingdom.  These ways could be church planting, starting new ministries, or using a business in a creative way for kingdom work.  They enjoy challenge and creativity and are often considered a visionary.

Prophet

Most people consider this role as someone who receives direct revelation from God; however, a very careful study of the prophet’s role in the Old Testament can help refine this.  The role of the prophet is to hear, listen and understand the ways of God and apply it to current circumstances.  They are concerned with making sure people are following God.  Their revelation may include insights, solutions, guidance or wisdom; however, it is not the prophets job to make decisions, only to convey what God has given them.

Evangelist

Evangelists look for opportunities to engage lost people.  This can include sharing the gospel but also engaging non-believers over any spiritual matter.

Pastor 

Pastors empathize with other believers to provide comfort and encouragement.   They are concerned about the wellbeing of Christians.

Teacher

The teacher is excited by truth and wants to share it with others.  This could be a traditional teacher but could also take the form of a musician.

 

Undoubtedly, at least one of these descriptions would describe what God has initiated in you.  If so, how could we ever expect to carry out our role without learning?  We become paralyzed by our feelings of inadequacy but yet, we are unwilling to learn and train for our spiritual calling.  You will notice in the chart that there are three necessary elements: learning, purpose, and strategy.   If we focus on performing our God given role we will need strategy, have a purpose, and learn.  God has entrusted us an important role in His kingdom and we must pursue it with purpose and passion.