Everyone in the church is a living stone (1Pet 2.4-5) who
finds their foundation in Jesus, the cornerstone. Church is compared with a
building. Here, it says the church is a growing spiritual building. In the building, every stone is connected and carrying
the burden of the other stones, likewise it is expected that every believer is
to be connected to the other believer and should carry the burden of another. As
every stone in a building has its own special role and function to build the
building, to give the shape of the structure and to give existence for a building,
every believer in the church has a role and function in the church to build it
up. This particular role or function is nothing but the individual ministry of
every believer in the Kingdom of God.
The greatest job that Jesus is doing in this world is
building his church (Mt 16.13-20). To this end, Jesus has given to all of us an
authority. This authority is to overcome the powers of darkness and build up
the church successfully. It is clear in this passage that the gates of the hell
cannot stop the progress of the church. Jesus wants we all need to be part of
the building process of the church as he invited Peter to take part in the
building process. To that end, Jesus has given spiritual authority to all of
us.
When we are the part of the church, we are the field and
workers of God (1Cor 3.5–9). Church planting ministry is like a field where
someone will water and other will plant. Lord assigned to each in the church a
task in the process of building up the church in this world. Here we are the
fellow workers of God. Paul says himself that he is an expert builder in
building up the church. Here also we see that everyone in the church has a role
in building up it.
In conclusion, we all have to take our role and function (ministry)
in the church, so that the church may build up.