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We have way too much

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of a mentality in this country,

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and I'm afraid around the world,

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about the place that pastors and teachers

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are supposed to take on the 
priority that they have,

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because the reality is they're not

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primarily the ones that are called

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into ministry in the church.

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They are, but the reality is

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if we break down ministry

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and we identify the ministry

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as basically something that 
the pastor-teacher falls into

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then we're missing the picture

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that we're being given here.

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Equipping the saints is key.

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Everything else down 
through the end of v. 16

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is a result of this equipping.

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Look what happens.

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Just follow the text.

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When the saints are equipped -

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first prepositional phrase, v. 12,

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what happens?

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They will in turn do the work of ministry.

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When they do the work of ministry,

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the body will be built up.

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But then keep going to v. 13.

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Then will come the unity of the faith.

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Then will come the knowledge 
of the Son of God.

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Then will come the mature man

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and the stature of the fullness of Christ.

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Then we will be no longer children

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tossed to and fro.

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Then we will speak the truth in love.

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Then we will grow up in 
every way into Christ.

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Then we will make the body grow

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and build the church up in love.

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How verses 13, 14, 15, and 16

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take place in the church

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is dependent on how you read

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that second prepositional phrase in v. 12.

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Do you see all of this

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as the pastor's responsibility

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to make all this happen?

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Or do you see the pastor's responsibility

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as primarily being to equip you

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so that you do it?

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See, this makes all the difference.

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When you walk through the door,

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you come into the assembly,

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you're functioning in the church -

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not just between these walls,

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but throughout the week.

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If your mindset is:

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Oh, the pastors do that.

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And that's a lot of the 
mindset behind the church.

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It's more of the audience.

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It's more of the spectator mindset.

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But this will not allow that.

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Basically what this 
says to every one of you

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is you have your ministry 
to play in making this.

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I said several weeks ago,

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look, we need every one of you.

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We need your ministry.

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We need that.

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Yes, you need the men

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who stand in the pulpit.

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And that doesn't mean 
that as pastor-teachers

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all we do is stand in this pulpit.

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Our ministry of teaching,

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our ministry of the Word and prayer,

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it comes and impacts 
the life of the church

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not just from this wooden stand,

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but in different ways.

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But the reality is our part to play here

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is not simply to amuse you.

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It's not simply what happens in the world.

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It's not simply to make you feel good.

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It's not to bring the 
Christian comedian up

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and get you all to laugh.

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You know, the reality is

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that what needs to happen

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is that we need to figure out

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how to equip.

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That's from the standpoint 
of pastors and teachers.

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We need to figure out how to optimally,

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effectively equip you.

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And you know what, the reality is

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you can have men that lead the churches

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that do just the opposite.

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They tear down this reality.

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They prevent it from working.

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And I'll tell you one of the ways

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that you prevent it from working

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is just by not getting that second 
prepositional phrase right

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to where we basically say,

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you know what?

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The elders in this church -

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they do everything.

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They're in the ministry.

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And just emphasize and press

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and suppress the church

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to where it doesn't do anything.

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It can't act.

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We have to be involved in everything.

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We have to micromanage everything.

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You can't do. We say this.

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We're going to do this.

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We're going to make everything happen.

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We're going to do the evangelism.

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And we're going to do the visitation.

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And we're going to do the counseling.

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And we're afraid you're 
going to mess it all up,

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so we just want you 
to stay back, sit down.

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That's bad.

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That is not the picture that is 
being given in Scripture here.

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Not at all.

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This excerpt is from the full sermon:

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Christian, You're in the Ministry