(1 Tim 1 - 1 Pet 5)
This collection is even more eclectic than last week's because there are several different authors represented. We started off with Paul's pastoral letters, who may or may not have also written Hebrews (personally, I doubt it), then we finished with James and Peter.
The pastoral letters are particularly significant to me for obvious reasons, but that doesn't mean that they are irrelevant to non-pastors. At a minimum, every Christian should be aware of the qualifications and expectations of a pastor so that they know what to look for. But even beyond that, there is much in these letters about the expectations upon the whole church.
One of the most important passages, in my estimation, is 2 Tim 2:2, "and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also." You would be hard-pressed to find a clearer pattern for how we are to fulfill the great commission. It's not stadium-sized evangelistic events or tent-meeting revivals, but one-on-one discipleship that is key. Certainly the pastors are part of the process (Paul & Timothy), but it involves the whole church (faithful men & others).
One of the greatest challenges facing the church today is the lack of men entering the pastorate. I am convinced that one of the main reasons for this is that we haven't been doing 2 Tim 2:2 very well. We've been leaving it up to Bible colleges and seminaries. Those are important, but not everyone can afford to invest 4-8 years of their life preparing for ministry this way. Nor does it need to be. Jesus was able to train leaders to build His church who never went to seminary. He did it by modeling 2 Tim 2:2 - life lived in service together.
So, what is FBC Stryker doing to prepare the faithful men & others who will be our next generation's pastors, deacons, and ministry leaders? It's going to take all of us doing our part.