Ephesians 4:7-10

-I love sports, I played three sports in highschool - basketball, football, tennis. I had to work hard at all three, but there were some guys who did not have to work as hard, things just came naturally to them. It was as if they were given the gift to play sports

grace was given

-grace is a gift, and it is dependent not on who receives the grace but who gives it

-not saving grace, but grace upon grace

Ephesians 3:7 ESV

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.

Romans 12:6 ESV

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

1 Peter 4:10 ESV

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

to each one (previous verses) of us (church)

-unity before, now individually

-every believer receives a gift, no believer is left out

according to the measure of Christ’s gift

-measure, greek word where we get the word metric from

-it is based solely on God’s grace

-God knows within His church who needs what in order that His church can function for HIs glory

-John MacArthur states that the giftedness of Christians are like spiritual snowflakes, no two snow flakes are identical, no two gifts are identical

-the church is not an event, it is not for us to come to this place and observe, to be a spectator, the church is the redeemed, and when we come to faith in Christ, we are to use the gift to build up the body of Christ

Ephesians 4:16 ESV

16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

-We should not be interested in just showing up to this place and going home, it should not be our desire to check off our list, but it should be our focus to use the gift God has given us to build up our brothers and sisters

-Christ has a right to give us these gifts:

Gifted by the Christ Who is God

-therfore

Psalm 68:17–18 ESV

17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. 18 You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

-Old testament was written the way it was written because God knew what would happen in the New Testament, God has a plan - to give grace to the believer and gift them

Christ is God Col 2:9

Colossians 2:9 ESV

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

Gifted by the Victorious Christ

ascension - resurrection Eph 1:20

Ephesians 1:20–22 ESV

20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

1 Peter 3:22 ESV

22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Colossians 2:15 ESV

15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

-ascended, victorious, receive gifts

Romans 11:35–36 ESV

35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

-victory in turn gives gifts to men - a picture of the church, we are saved through the victory of Christ and we receive gifts to serve in His church

-He descended - the incarnation

lower regions of the earth

he came to the earth

lower section of the earth - in reference to burial

sheol - place of the Old Testament faithful, he took captives captive back to heaven

1 Peter 3:18–19 ESV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

-v. 10 is key - focus on the incarnation, that Jesus descended became man and then ascended the victorious Savior

Gifted by the All-Sufficient Christ

fill all things

-the purpose

Ephesians 1:20–23 ESV

20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

v.8

-fills all things through the body of Christ

-

-the sufficiency of the church is totally dependent on the sufficiency of Christ

-Christ had to die and rise again for the church even to exist

-Christ must give gifts to the church to function

-Christ must provide all that is needed in the church

-we are given these gifts so that the church is not lacking 1 cor. 12 -

-The church does not prosper because you have a great pastor, it is not because of a building, it is not because of a rich history, it is not because of certain families within a church, it is because Christ fills us, Christ through the Spirit of God equips us, gifts us, therefore we are able to build one another up

-I pray you are understanding what it means to be the church, it is not a place, it is those who are called according to His grace, and who are equipped according to His grace