Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesGlen
My teenage daughter recently asked me, “daddy, do you think pastors are elevated too much?”
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The grace of God was given as a gift to each one filled with His spirit, and these gifts minister in different ways to the church.
One gift should not be elevated above the other.
None of us are to think more highly of ourselves... or others...
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.
Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
1 Peter 4:10
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Ephesians 3:8
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Romans 12:3-8 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another. We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
None of us... not a pastor, teacher, evangelist, prophet, encourager, leader, merciful... have anything that the grace of God has not given us, and were it not for His grace, we would have nothing ordained of God to offer the body of Christ.
Let us not seek to lift up one gift above the other, but rather seek to glorify God with our gift.
And of course it goes without saying, that those who labor among us should be honored, and their efforts appreciated, but in all things, give GOD the glory for what is done through the grace of His giftings.
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