Divine Design
Message Notes
In the verses we’re about to read, Paul mentions five spiritual gifts that are often limited to church settings—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Today, I want to expand these gifts to each Christian as we function in the family, the community, the world and the workplace. (Emphasise how vital these gifts are in the church)
Text: Ephesians 4:1-8, 11-13
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
So, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Paul then writes about how these five gifts aim to train God’s people to minister and mature within the church community.
But let’s expand these gifts to each Christian as we operate in daily life. That’s what I want to explore with you today—out of the five gifts: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, which one(s) do you relate to? What are their strengths and weaknesses, and how can this knowledge help us to be more effective in our work and interactions with others?
Firstly, let’s define these gifts:
Apostles: a messenger, a representative or ambassador.
There’s a sense in which every Christian is an apostle:
An apostle is a person commissioned by another to represent them. Jesus was commissioned by the Father to represent God to humanity: “Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.” (Hebrews 3:1).
Prophets: In the Biblical sense, a prophet is an interpreter or forth-teller of God’s will—a person gifted at expounding divine truth. More broadly speaking, a prophet is a person who can advance or emphasise one idea over another, primarily through the spoken word. If you’re gifted as a prophet, you can communicate vision in a particular situation, offer wisdom to solve problems and help people navigate their challenges.
Evangelists: a bringer of good news.
The least mentioned in scripture, but what a wonderful gift.
Pastors: Translated most often as “shepherd.”
Someone with a pastoral gift will feed, protect, lead, and care for the total well-being of people—invariably those who can’t do those things for themselves.
Teachers: Instructors acknowledged for mastery in their field of learning. They are tailor-made to teach and thus attract people who want to hear and learn.
To better understand these gifts, I like the analogy of the hand:
Apostles: The thumb allows us to grasp things. Apostles are pioneers and builders gifted in establishing and sustaining.
Prophets: The index finger that points the way. The prophet gives direction and correction.
Evangelists: The middle finger is the finger that extends furthest. If you’re an evangelist, you thrive by using your gifts to increase and expand.
Pastors: The ring finger represents commitment. The Shepherd is a faithful caregiver who consistently guides others to places of nourishment, growth, safety and rest.
Teachers: The little finger (pinkie).
Teachers, educators, counsellors, and mentors do a lot of unseen work, but like the little finger, their job is critical to the success of those they teach.
1 Timothy 5:17-18, The elders who direct the church’s affairs well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
So, with this in mind, let’s explore each of these gifts in greater detail, and as we do, I encourage you to think of the gift(s) that you relate to the most. What can you learn about yourself and others and how you interact with your family, friends, church, and workplace?
You’re an apostle if:
• You love to start new ventures and teams and help others achieve something.
• You can see what needs to be done and how it can be accomplished.
• You enjoy getting things moving and getting people committed to a mission.
• You help people explore ideas and goals, identify their strengths and weaknesses and reach their potential.
• You particularly like spreading into new areas.
You’re a prophet if:
• You’re passionate about provoking and challenging assumptions.
• You love to shake up the status quo.
• You’re focused on authenticity and truthfulness.
• You look for opportunities to encourage others.
• You’re zealous about social justice and cannot stand by as injustice occurs.
• You want to do more to change the world.
• You get dreams and can see pictures in your mind.
• You are intuitive and discerning about the inner voice.
You’re an evangelist if:
• You love inviting or recruiting others for the job at hand.
• You’re outward-focused.
• You enjoy sharing stories.
• You can get other people excited about what excites you.
• You’re passionate about life—and everything.
• You’re comfortable anywhere and make others feel relaxed.
• You want lots of friends who aren’t Christians (yet)
• You’re not shy about meeting new people.
• Life’s short; anything could happen and probably will.
You’re a pastor if:
• You love to meet the needs of the community.
• You’re a peacemaker who creates harmony.
• You strive to keep a group healthy and focused.
• You love to have fun and enjoy life.
• You’re an exceptional listener.
• You are good at bringing people together to feel like they belong and are accepted.
• You help the needy, broken and oppressed.
• You feel people’s pain when they’re hurting.
• You love to celebrate other people’s accomplishments.
• You include those who are on the edge of the group.
You’re a teacher if:
• You enjoy communicating complex ideas in ways that everyone can understand and apply.
• You focus on clarifying the truth, ending confusion, and correcting misinformation.
• You get excited when you have people’s attention.
• You don’t understand something, and you spend time trying to figure it out.
• You’re good with words and love to talk.
• You love to share what you’ve learned through study and experience.
• You’re an avid reader because reading is one of the best learning methods.
• You’re curious and enjoy learning new things.
Navigating Weaknesses
Apostles:
Constant pioneering and expansion can cause burnout in the apostles and those around them. People can be spread too thinly. The apostle can become frustrated when things don’t progress quickly enough. Their insights into other people can cause them to be opinionated and intolerant.
Prophets:
Like the apostle, people can grow weary around the prophet if there is a constant challenge to the status quo and endless social justice issues. They must learn when to give things a rest. The prophet must also learn to control their desire to correct others they deem wrong. They should be careful not to be blunt with their opinions and perspectives of truth. Prophets can be easily distracted.
Evangelists:
What the evangelist is involved with can snowball quickly, so a plan needs to be developed to manage growth. The evangelist doesn’t mind breaking the rules. They might even enjoy it: “It’s better to apologise than ask for permission” will be a favourite saying. The evangelist can invariably be bold and speak their mind but needs the wisdom to learn what to say, how to say it and when to remain silent.
Pastors:
They may be reluctant to engage in issues outside their comfort zone or invite new people to the group, which may disturb group chemistry.
Teachers:
They need to ensure they don’t focus so much on the study that they don’t love people well and meet each other’s needs. If you’re a teacher, be aware of riding your hobby horse that others may find boring.
Explore Further:
For some solid teaching on Ephesians 4, listen to these two sermons:
Visit the Fivefold Ministry Test page to discover your predominant gift.
Discussion Questions
Read the qualities of each of the five gifts. Which one most describes you? Which would come in second?
Do the Fivefold Ministry Test to discover your predominant gift. Is it what you thought it would be?
How does this concept help you understand yourself and how you operate in everyday life? Share examples/stories.
How does this model help you to understand others?
Read and discuss the analogy of the hand. How does it help you appreciate your and others’ gifts?
Read the weaknesses of each gift. What can you learn from this that will help you in the future? Share stories of when these weaknesses have impacted you and others.
Following are some specific questions relating to each gift:
Apostle Question: How can you best help people discover their potential?
Prophet Question: How can you attune yourself to listen and heed your inner voice of intuition and discernment?
Evangelist Question: How can you invite others for the job at hand?
Pastor Question: How do you best give people the gift of fun, inclusion and belonging?
Teacher Question: How do you best make complex and confusing topics clear? (whether at home, at work, or at church)?
Apply these questions to each area of your life—at home, at work, or church.