The Pattern
In Matthew 10 Jesus calls His disciples to them. The Bible says that He then gave them authority to drive out demons and to heal the sick. This authority was not just supernatural – but also practical. The Bible does not tell us what the process was, but what we do know is that the disciples had spent much time learning from their master. The authority Jesus gave them, no doubt, was imparted through teaching just as much as it was through any other means the Lord might’ve seen fit (eg. demonstration, laying on of hands, prayer, etc.) He then commissioned them to go out and proclaim the Gospel of His Kingdom and to demonstrate the power thereof.
We see in this passage, as well as in the letters to Timothy, Jeremiah 1 and Isaiah 6 (to name but a few more examples), a pattern emerging: The Ministers of Reconciliation are called, equipped and then commissioned.
This is the pattern found throughout Scripture – and that is what this blog is about: going from disciples to disciple-makers.
On this blog we will be exploring the different facets and aspects of calling, preparation and the work of ministry. We are all called to serve the Lord in one way or another, and it is our aim to equip you for this purpose – whether your calling is as a lay-person or a vocational minister, it is our hope that you will find something here that will encourage, edify and equip you to fulfill the Great Commission.
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