It's Bigger Than Me!
Notes
Transcript
Visiting Intro:
Honor to GOD and his Son, and appreciative of the Spirit living in me to guide and empower my life.
I am appreciative to my wife who greatly supports my ministry, and my daughter who is a growing young lady in Christ, for traveling here with me today.
I am appreciative to Bro. Mills for his invitation to join you all on this great occasion, and stand and preach where you labor. We’ve gotten acquainted some and I look forward to growing our brotherhood.
It is great to be here with brothers and sisters at Indiana Avenue. And I bring you greetings, hellos, hi’s, what is is, and what’s happening’s from your family in Christ who meets and serves at Swope Parkway.
Bro Mills, praise GOD for blessing you with one year of ministry at Indiana Avenue!! Indiana Ave brothers and sisters, GOD bless you for receiving this brother for a year in the ministry GOD has given him for you. This celebration is certainly appropriate. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13“12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” Know then that the Spirit agrees as you overflow with love and appreciation toward Bro Mills and his work.
If you will, turn to Ephesians 4:11-16
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Sermon Intro:
It’s Bigger Than Me! (Repeat) I am humbled before GOD and so respect and relate to the theme that Bro Mills has put forward. It is grave reminder yet a Christlike example to know that “It’s Bigger Than Me”. I believe the Spirit’s message through Paul in this passage strongly emphasizes that “It’s Bigger Than Me”. In order to see that “It’s Bigger Than Me”, it’s important to know that GOD expects that attitude.
Thesis: My aim is to help us see the importance and appreciation for the ministry of the word. Also, to understand God’s design for the growth of the body of Christ. If we don’t understand that design, we will never fully see that “It’s Bigger Than Me”. To understand the strategic design for growth, we must see what Christ gave to the body, the purpose he gave, the goal, and the outcome. And each part are all intended to be Bigger Than, ME!
To begin, Paul says “He Gave”!! It is difficult to appreciate what “He Gave” in this passage, if one hasn’t already grasped what else He Gave. Paul mentions a keyword in Ch 4 verse 1, therefore. Meaning it is important to understand all that he has communicated prior to if we’re going to appreciate and adhere to what he says in Ch 4. Ch 1-3 tells all that GOD and Christ have given to bless all saints. Ch 1, GOD blessed us (saints) with all spiritual blessings in Christ in the heavenly places. Paul prays for saints enlightenment to comprehend the power of GOD that raised Jesus, exalted him, and put everything under his feet, and made him head over everything FOR the called-out!! Chapter 2, GOD made Jew and Gentile alive, although they were dead. He also saved them by grace. We learn that Jesus is our peace and unified Jew and Gentile in himself. Chapter 3 we learn that it was God’s great mystery that Gentiles would be fellow heirs, members, and partakers in Christ. Based on all those blessings GOD GAVE, Paul says they should have a worthy walk including unity.
The Purpose Is Bigger Than ME
He Gave
Now that unity has been emphasized, but Paul wants all to know that the captain gave specific gifts to each individual. However, Paul focuses on a specific ministry sector. All in this group deal with the ministry of the Word. The first two on this list do not function today. Acts 1 tells us that in order to join and fulfill the Apostolic ministry, one needed to have been with Jesus from the beginning, that being the start of his ministry. Also, they would be reminded of all that Christ told them and guided into all truth (John 15-16). Concerning prophets, Paul says when perfect revelation has arrived, partial revelation would be done away with, that being prophecy, tongues, and revelatory knowledge (1 Co 13:8-10). So the three we still have are Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. Evangelist, which Timothy and Titus were, not just itinerant, but stationed with the saints as the principal instructor. Remember Christ gave him! Why Jesus?
To Train God’s Children
Jesus’ purpose for giving these gifted individuals is so they can equip. But who they are to equip is the next indicator that informs us that it is bigger than him. The Saints, plural. Nonetheless, his function is crucial. Listen to what equip means. To equip means to make the necessary adjustments to bring to a condition of fitness.
Example: Exercise is important. Some who go in excited, but because they lack proper form, leads to injury and lack results. A trainer’s job is to observe and adjust their form as necessary!!
Application: Christ’s purpose for the Man of GOD is to train the saints. Not with his own methods, but with all the tools GOD has given him to train, correct, reprove, and teach, which is all scripture. Quote 2 Tim 3:16. It is every saints responsibility to receive this training. This is our captains purpose.
But what is the direction of his training of the saints? It should be moving toward readiness for work of ministry. It should also be toward completing the building of the body. Thus building of the body, the whole is the purpose.
Application: Jesus’ purpose for who he gave for the body to build! The body is bigger than one person!!
The Goal Is Bigger Than ME
But not only is Jesus’ purpose bigger, which answers why. The goal of his gift is also bigger than me. The goal answers, what are we trying to reach. But there’s also a temporal/time aspect to this goal. In other words, Jesus you gave these gifted servants for the purpose of training and building your body. But where are we trying to get them to, and how long will they function this way. Paul says Until WE! (Everybody say “Until We!!”). We is bigger than Me! This a 3-part goal. The aim is unity of the faith, that being all that GOD has done and revealed through Jesus to draw humans to trust in him. Knowledge here goes beyond what you know about him, it is an exact and precise knowledge that leads to a stronger faith and relationship.
To Reach Jesus’ Maturity
Going further, reaching that faith and knowledge, we’re also trying be full grown Christians. The Evangelist, Pastors, and Teachers should certainly be examples. But they are not the standard of measurement. The reason saints should be aiming for unified faith and knowledge of Jesus, is because he is the standard of measurement. It is the full extent of his height that the whole body is trying to reach!
Application: Bro Mills exhausts himself rightly dividing the word, to feed you greater knowledge of Jesus, and you come to hear and absorb it, because every day, our goal should be reaching the next level. Which is the height of Christ, who is bigger than us all!
The Outcome is Bigger Than ME
We are not kids anymore
Listen to the definite outcomes when this process (The body moving in its purpose and stretching to its goal) is received and intact. The first outcome is a status of what saints won’t be. No longer infants. “We aren’t kids anymore”. Not physically, but spiritually because it deals with doctrine, which deals with what one hears, understands, accepts, and follows. The infantile is characterized by a small boat being thrown all around in a storm on the ocean. What’s moving that storm is human schemes that are slick and misrepresent the truth, with the intent of taking advantage.
Example: The movie “IT”, like a lot of other movies, amaze me. No one has any business talking to a voice from a clown they hear from the sewer in the rain!! Trickery to trick kids.
Application: This is what we won’t be, in the stage of infancy. Teachings about what marriage should look like, reactions to suffering, live yo best life, etc. Most of all GOD, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit
We are bigger now
Because they won’t be children anymore, the parallel outcome is that "WE” will grow up. Which means to get bigger. But it’s WE get bigger! And how lies and trickery influenced our infancy, telling the truth in love facilitates us getting bigger. And again, this growth and development is to Christ. But Paul also wants us to know that this growth, development, maturation, or being bigger is from Christ. He is the goal and source of our growth.
Now, I need for all of us to pay close attention to this ending statement.
We all support the body to grow itself
The main subject, verb, and object of this sentence would be “The whole body, makes/causes, the growth of the body”. Adding in the other parts of the sentence, Jesus is the source.
It is from Jesus that the body causes itself to grow
How? The body is joined and held together by the support of every ligament. That is each part working properly!!
Application: Jesus expects each part to do its work. That’s why the preacher is here to remind us. But it’s bigger than him. It’s bigger than you. It’s bigger than me. It’s going to take each part!! 1 Peter 4:10 “10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” For the entire body to grow as GOD has designed it! At 17, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Which means my pancreas decided it no longer wanted work properly! Strain, stress, and more work for the whole body.
Why? Now we add that last part, the building up of itself in love!!
Application: Never lose sight that the body must be built in love. Many focus on numerical growth. The aim must be spiritual growth, and numerical will follow. What good is it if 500 more people are here amongst an infant body lacking love. But when love is intact, it will attract and add to the body.
Conclusion: Jesus gave ministers of the word for the purpose of training the body for ministry and build. The Goal is Jesus level of maturity. The outcome is no longer infants but growing into and from Christ. It’s bigger than me, it’s all about the body!! What part are you playing??