When it comes to identifying and describing the gifts the Lord has given to the Church for leadership, many in the Church can can only identify some of them. In fact, for many of us, there are unanswered questions that arise when dealing with two of the Leadership Gifts that we have traditionally known very little about or even talked about. Those Leadership Gifts are that of an Apostle and Prophet. Questions like: What are these gifts? What are they for? What describes their ministry? Is it still for today? What do they do? How will I know them if I meet them? This lesson is dedicated to trying to help us answer these and perhaps even more questions about the “Forgotten Leaders---Apostles and Prophets!”

LESSON TEXT: Ephesians 4:11-13.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹²to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until 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. NIV

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. ¹³ This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. NLT

I. CHURCH LEADERS.

a. Ephesians 4 informs us that the Lord has given to the Christian Body (the Church) 5-gifts for leadership.

i. They are commonly referred to as:

1. The “Ministry Leadership Gifts”

2. The “5-Fold Ministry Gifts”

ii. However, since all member of Christ’s Church are given gifts and since all members use those gifts for ministry, then a better title of these gifts might be… “The 5-fold Church Leadership Gifts.”

II. THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE LEADERSHIP GIFTS.

a. They are listed here in our texts as:

i. Apostles

ii. Prophets

iii. Evangelists

iv. Pastors

v. Teachers

b. Is there an “order” to the listing from the Apostle Paul?

i. We will answer this question after the lesson material.

III. THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP GIFTS DEFINED.

a. Evangelist: Is a specialized office and gifting where one is given the anointing to proclaim to those who are non-believers, the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Most Evangelists are “sent out” from a local congregation to reach the unsaved. Even though we all are commissioned to “preach” (proclaim) the gospel, and we all are commissioned to be “witnesses” to the truth of Jesus Christ, the gifting of an evangelist is a specialized office/calling/gifting.

b. Pastor: The Pastors, also known as “Bishops” and “Elders” are those who have been called and gifted to “disciple” and develop the Christian converts who have been saved through the ministry of those sent i.e. the Evangelists or the Church Body witnessing and proclaiming the truth of Jesus. The Pastor mirrors the O.T. and N.T. image of a Shepherd. They watch over the “flock” of Christ, guiding, leading, instructing, feeding, watering, and protecting them from “wolves” (in this sense, false teachers and teaching). They finish their task by leading them to “green pastures and still waters,” mimicking the Chief Shepherd, Jesus.

c. Teacher: Are those specifically called and anointed by God with in-depth knowledge of the Word of God and the Kingdom of God. They acquire that knowledge through a love of studying the Word of God and listening to His Spirit. They “deepen” and “develop” the Body of Believers in a church in the truths of God, His Spirit, and His Kingdom. They work in conjunction with the Pastors, and most all Pastors, also have the gift of teaching.

IV. THE “FORGOTTEN” CHURCH LEADERSHIP GIFTS.

a. Apostle:

i. The word “apostle” comes from the Greek word: apostolos which literally means “the sent one,” and refers to any messenger appointed and sent on a special mission.

1. Paul sent designated individuals that he sent to Corinth as “messengers” which literally meant, Apostles of the churches.

ii. So, the general meaning of apostle in the New Testament included people who had been commissioned and sent by local churches as missionaries, or sent with other special responsibilities (Acts 14:4, 14 and Romans 16:7)

iii. Professor French Arrington identifies the General meaning of Apostles in the following manner:

“They were believers whom God used in a powerful and effective way. As a result, they demonstrated remarkable spiritual leadership. They were anointed by the Spirit to confront directly the powers of Satan and darkness, and to confirm the gospel with mighty signs and wonders. They were also dedicated to establishing churches. They traveled extensively, preaching Jesus as Lord and risking their lives for the sake of His name (Acts 11:21-26; 13:50; 14:19-22; 15:25-26).