Making A Joint Effort

Text

Ephesians 4:11–16 NASB95

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.

Making A Joint Effort

Introduction

The theme for this month is: “Church On Purpose”

This emphasizes the existence of a church that operates with purpose and on purpose

This means we know why we do what we do

This means that we know who we do it for

This means we do not do things simply to keep busy, check boxes, please people, or compete with others

We do because we understand that God had a design for this body called the church

We are intentional and strategic, trusting in the guidance of Holy Spirit

We understand what God wants, and that, shapes what we want

I cannot function properly in the church if my wants do not harmonize with what God wants.

To be a purpose-driven church means that I understand the purpose that drives the church

God’s purpose is explicated across three chapters in Ephesians, culminating in Eph 3:8-12.

God’s Purpose

God’s purpose was to bring all men to together and make them one famiky through the power of Jesus Christ proclaimed in the gospel - A church that does not get this, have missed God’s purpose

God’s purpose existed with God in eternity, came to humanity through Jesus Christ - now it is being carried by His church

The people that were beneficiaries of God’s Purpose NOW carry, God’s Purpose (Eph 3:10)

Thus, we come a church “On Purpose” - This is not a country club, this is not a lime, this is not a business enterprise.

We are a spiritual organism infused with a heavenly vision that remains cosntantly in our sight, with a work that is constantly in our hands - A Church On Purpose

How do I put that into practice?

Make a joint effort. . .

This is how I live like a christian that is on a mission

Our Text

Paul, in chapters 1-3, provides a theological foundation for salvation as the fruit of God’s eternal purpose - He tells us what it is

In chapters 4-6, he shows us how to live out that salvation that we are now beneficiaries of - He does this by using a metaphor of “walking”

[Eph 4:1; 17; 5:2; 5:8; 5:15] - Salvation is not just something you talk, but it’s something you walk

Paul shows us what salvation looks like:

In the church

In the Christian

In the marriage

In the family

In the workplace

In the context of spiritual warfare

What does living out the eternal purpose look like for the church?

It looks like a church that “Makes A Joint Effort”

As think of our text,

A Call to Unity (1-3) - preserve the unity through exhibiting humility, gentleness, patience and tolerance in love

The Premise for Unity (4-6) - one body, spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, God and Father

Graces given to accomplish unity (7-10) - Unity preserved through growth

The Process of Accomplishing Unity (11-16)

How does God furnish the church to establish this unity?

He calls us to “Make A Joint Effort”

This process contains not only the graces given to the church, but the empowerment of every beleiver to contribute to the growth - THIS LEADS TO UNITY

#1 What did God do? (11)

Ephesians 4:11 “11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,” - Paul calls this the gift

Keep in mind, all have been given a measure by Christ Ephesians 4:7 “7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

God gave some (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers)

God gave these to the church - the church needs to receive it APPL. Receive the gift

We need to trust God had enough wisdom to work His will through a submissive heart or. . .take down a prdieful one.

#2 Why did God do this? (12-13)

These gifts are not here for clout, personal agendas, for titles, not to lord over God’s heritage

FOR:

The equipping of the saints

This means that the saints are to be furnished so that they will be qualified for something

This means they are to be trained for something APPL. The word God is not just for a “feel good” moment on Sunday, it’s there to train you

APPL. This has more to do with your character than your capabilities - Spirit, then Skill

Saints are equipped for the work of the ministry

The furnishing training and developing of character is for service to Jesus - Paul calls this a work - areas or positions of service

When you become a christian, you sign up for work - Ephesians 2:10 “10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

God’s work in you lends to the building up of the entire body.

The gifts that were given, their work is to equip - That’s their work!

For the building up of the body of Christ - This is what their work does!

The word means to make more able/to qualify for a task

Sometimes the way we talk, what we talk, how we act, make the body unstable and NOT more able

Am I contributing to DESTRUCTION or CONSTUCTION?

“until we attain”

Until we attain the unity of the faith

The faith is not your faith

The faith is the doctrine of God

The doctrine of God is linked to the Person and Work of Jesus (It is not everything you feel strongly about) - Paul knew the difference

Galatians 1:23 “23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.””

Colossians 1:23 “23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”

Colossians 2:5 “5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.”

But also the “knowledge of the Son of God”

APPL. We like to say (boast sometimes) I’m in the Church of Christ - But do we know the Christ who owns the church?

Philippians 3:8 “8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,”

The attaining is not multiplying: programs, events, ministry - The Goal is know Jesus!

“to a mature man”

This is not conformity to church policies or policy

This is not excellence in performing ceremonies

This is not regularity in attendance

This is not the preferences of others

MATURITY is looking more like Jesus everyday:

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you

Submitting my will to God’s purpose

Allowing the Holy Spirit to shape my character by His word, so that it looks more like that of Jesus

This is not a sinless man, but a submitted man

A mature church is not an old church, but a church wrapped up in God’s purpose. They seek to look like Jesus. They work on character as much as they work on ministry - THIS IS WHAT BRINGS THE UNITY

Each member uses the measure that Christ gave them until “we” measure up into Christ

And the more we mature is the more we can contribute to the growth and the preservation of unity in the church

“As a result, we are no longer children”

When this happens/happening, we (notice the unity language) won’t be tossed back and forth by the waves

Ephesians 4:14 “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;”

This is what we look like when we fail to submit to God’s purpose!

The “we” we keep seeing indicates that this is not “every man for himself”

The body attains maturity when WE use our gifts

The body maintains unity when WE mature to a full man

The body is tossed about when we fail to mature

Paul consistently uses this “we” language throughout the text to reaffirm the oneness of the body - APPL. the person next you needs you, you need the person next to you

The Tossing

This language is that of a vessel that goes where the winds want, NOT where the captain wants

It is not driven by purpose, and it has no sense of direction - if you’re not headed toward Jesus, where are you going?

It is doing something out there on the water, it is busy, but it is not accomplishing anything

“Every wind of doctrine” is contrasted with “the faith” in vs. 13

Every personal conviction is not doctrine

Every church policy is not a doctrine

Every matter of freedom/preference is not doctrine

[Mainly, things connected to the person and work of Christ and how that relates to our living]

This “false” doctrine is by the cunning nature of men, their craftiness in bringing it and the their manipulative intention

“speak the truth in love”

Ephesians 4:14 “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;”

This serves as an antidote to the poison of vs. 14

As a result the body grows up [this speaks to increase]

Keep an eye on the direction of the growth - it is always toward Christ (vs. 13; 15)

Make a joint effort

Ephesians 4:16 “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.”

Based on the measure (vs. 7) which is repeated in this verse, the body can work properly and bring growth and increase - because you were supplied by Jesus Christ

However, the “you” element is when Paul says:

joined (coming together)

knit (sticking together)

By what EVERY joint supplies (the support/aid given)

God gave you a gift

The gift works properly

The gift is effective enough to cause growth in the body

The gift needs to make a supply

The gift will do what it is designed to do, but only if you make a supply

The reason why this is problematic is because we have become spectators and servants

We have become customers not and the church is our corner convenient store

We are worshippers that have not become workers

We need to become a people that is so consumed by God’s purose that we become a church on purpose

We can only get there if we make a supply - this is the evidence that we have embraced this Purpose