Rooted In Your Wealth 17 - Eph. 4:12-16

Your Soul Must Be Led?

Text: Ephesians 4:12-16

Introduction

We have just finished understanding that because of Jesus’ decension and ascension, the local church has always had what it needed (individual gifts) to impact the world with the Gospel and doing so with sustainable unity.

We now come to the portion when Paul is going to explain in detail the purpose behind Jesus’ benevolent distribution of gifts to each individual who make up the local church.

It costed Jesus His life’s blood for you to even be here and belong here!

I never assume everyone who makes up our church body has a healthy and balanced view of their own value within this body. It is my desire you will leave here today understanding why faithfulness to the local church is so vitally important.

(v13) There is going to be a day when we will finally experience the “perfect man.” In other words, we will become perfect in the sense that Jesus is. This is because it will be a time when we are physically in His presence.

However, Paul is admonishing this local church as they look to that soon coming day. They were not there yet and neither are we. So…let’s pay close attention to what God has for us today from His Word…

Paul breaks this down into three different reasons:

1) It’s God’s Way Of Perfecting You. (v14)

The local church IS NOT man created!

There is no other institution or individual God has sent with the necessary gifts of grace to help you pursue the “perfect man.”

“perfecting of the saints” = making something fully ready, of perfectly equipping someone, of fully preparing something. The proper use of the gifts is to bring the body of Christ to its full potential. John Phillips, Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Eph 4:12.

The ultimate picture of maturity is Christ!

Colossians 1:28 “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:”

1 Corinthians 14:20 “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.”

Let’s examine verse 14

The Apostle Paul always had those who apposed the gospel following him and stocking the church he established.

The teaching of absolute truth has always had enemies!

Spiritual infants and those who remain on a shallow diet of God’s Word, embraces little beyond their own salvation.

This person is vulnerable and needs gifted and learned men to protect him.

Holds to one view for a while and then switches to another and then another…

Illustration: My boys have no real sense of what is dangerous and what is not! They gain this by us teaching them the truth about what is safe and what is not.

Example: I looked up a particular denominations doctrinal position the other day. It was so loose with so many things the Bible gives clarity about!

Here are some typical phrases:

All religions or denominations are essentially the same.

Good people go to heaven.

There are other revelations beyond the Bible.

The resurrection is not bodily.

1 Timothy 3:15 “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

2 Tim. 3:13-14 “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;”

God has gifted you with the local church to help you exit infancy and enter adulthood.

2) It’s God’s way of preparing you to serve Him. (v16)

I love how God inspired Paul to use the analogy of the body to speak to how important every member of the local church is.

What good would an arm or leg do in isolation?

“effectual working in the measure of every part”

Speaks to the gift Jesus gave you through His grace.

There is a peak efficiency that gift can perform.

It is your calling to reach it.

You can’t reach it outside of the local church.

You won’t find freelancing evangelists, missionaries, Bible teachers in the New Testament.

Quote: Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man — D.L. Moody

Illustration: For anyone to have the necessary skills to do a job well, they MUST undergo training that is accepted by that industry.

Illustration: If someone was coming to town with insight on how to ensure your career or business would be a success, you would probably attend the conference and apply what they tell you.

The One True Living God is speaking through the greatest missionary the world has seen, telling you on how to guarantee your life to be stable, safe, with the greatest purpose and reward!

3) It’s God’s way for you to encourage and be encouraged (v15)

You can have all the physical and financial strength and lack spiritual strength.

True spiritual strength only comes from the one who created soul and spirit!

Now, the church is not a perfect place! It is filled with people who should be pursuing the state of perfection.

That being said, church is a place where you will also have the opportunity to practice humility, forgiveness, sacrifice, etc…

All the things that will help you be conformed to the image of Christ.

To run from issues that arise in church, is like saying, they should be perfect.

There are some great encouraging opportunities within the local church:

See people just like you still going forward for Jesus.

Seeing people just like you still worshiping Jesus.

Seeing people just like you still serving Jesus.

Worship, teaching, preaching, prayer, service, missions, evangelism, etc…

The church must speak the truth in love.

John the Apostle is believed to have pastored this church after returning from Patmos.

The Apostle of love…yet the church had lost their first love; the love of Christ.

Everything is shallow and fake without love for Jesus.

Revelation 2:2-4 “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

Ungraciousness and unfaithfulness is at stake.

Quote: Ephesians 4:15a (JPCS Eph/Php): True love, however, will always speak at the right time, with the right words, in the right spirit, and using the right approach.

Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”