Re: Verse reading–Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Hebrews 13:17-18 (day one)
” He gave. . . some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints. . .until we all attain to the unity of the faith. . .to a mature man. . .the measure. . .which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”–Ephesians 4:11-13.
It begins low, but ends high. God’s vision for the human race. First we are sheep. Helpless/foolish. Then, in salvation, we become saints. Eventually, by His grace, we attain unity, maturity as sons of the Most High! “Conformed to the image of His Son” shouts the scripture! No longer infants. Stable. Strong. Loving. God’s provision toward this miraculous transformation is to send shepherds. (Pastor means shepherd in the original language). Pastors protect/feed sheep, but they also equip/lead lead them toward maturity. At the end of life, it won’t matter who your Pastor was. It WILL matter whether you gained strength from him/her to get forward on the road from being a sheep to a son.
