Through Church

Pete Kersker - Nov 06, 2025

Jesus empowered and equipped his disciples (students) to go before sending them out as apostles (sent ones). Jesus empowers us with the Holy Spirit when we are baptized as his disciples (students). Jesus equips us to serve through His Body: Church.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all" (Mark 9:35 NIV).
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep (John 21:17b NIV).

Jesus taught the twelve apostles (sent ones) to serve in ministry. He also told them to teach (feed) others to do the same. They were told to baptize these new disciples (students) and teach them to obey everything Jesus taught. In other words, they were told to empower and equip one more.

Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, watching over them--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:2-3 NIV).

Peter clearly followed this command, because he writes to people who are "shepherds" of "God's flock" that is under their care. They, in their local church gatherings, would "feed" Christ's "sheep." They were empowering and equipping one more.

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood (Acts 20:28 NIV).

The apostle (sent one) Paul was not one of the original twelve apostles (sent ones) who learned from Jesus for three years. Instead, he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and learned the good news of the gospel from other Church members. In other words, Paul was a part of a second wave of "shepherds" who would watch over Jesus' flock. Paul empowered and equipped people in the local churches that he planted. Then, he taught them how to do the same.

So Christ himself gave the apostles (sent ones), the prophets (message deliverers), the evangelists (good news carriers), the pastors (shepherds) and teachers (explainers), to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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 (Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV).

Paul wrote to the church (gathering of Christ-followers) in Ephesus and told them how God was building them up in the faith.

There were people (apostles, prophets, evangelists) who went out, found them, and shared the good news of the gospel with them. These were the servants who showed everyone how to be empowered with the Holy Spirit.

There were others (pastors [shepherds] and teachers), who taught them everything Jesus commanded. Together, they all participated in "equipping God's people for works of service." This pattern has repeated itself over and over again until it reached all of us today.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ (Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV).

Jesus wants us to invite people to follow him and involve them in ministry (service) just like he did with his original disciples (students) back then. Jesus also wants us to empower them with the Holy Spirit and equip them with specific instructions so we will all do what he calls us to do. This is what makes Church more than just a gathering of people. We are the Body of Christ.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:16 NIV).

Did you know that Jesus equips us for works of service through His Body: Church?
Have you been empowered with the Holy Spirit? Are you equipped to serve?