Casting the Vision

Introduction

Have you ever felt like something’s missing? Like you’re on a trip and you forgot something that would make all the difference? Just a week and a half ago the girls and I were driving back home from New Jersey. We packed the car full of gifts and our luggage then took a page from Santa’s book and checked the house twice. Mostly confident that we got everything we set out on our drive. And sure enough, we got everything we were supposed to.

After 8 hours of driving we made it to Grace’s sister’s house where we spent the night before driving the rest of the way home. We hung out for most of the morning and left at 11 a.m., a much later start than I wanted. But it was only a 5 hour drive that day, so no big deal. We drove about 20 minutes down the road and saw a gas station with a good price and we definitely needed gas. So, we stopped in and filled up, had a longer than necessary bathroom break and got the kids back in their seats. When I sat back down in the driver’s seat Grace asked, “Are we far from Anna’s house? Can we go back?” I looked at her suspiciously and said, “No.. Why?” She responded, “Because we left my pillow there.” With a sigh of regret and frustration I drove back to Anna’s house, ate lunch (since we were there), and then left for home at 12:40.

Imagine if we got all the way home without Grace’s pillow. She probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep very well, the bed wouldn’t be as comfortable without a key piece. Have you ever felt like there’s something missing from the church? A key piece that should be there but is lacking, so things aren’t quite as they should be.

Maybe it’s a lack of influence and outreach in our community. Perhaps it’s our individual devotion to the Lord. Or, maybe a lacking prayer life. Possibly a lack of Bible knowledge or Bible use. Maybe a lack of joy in the worship service. Perhaps a self-centered focus for church instead of a Christ-centered focus.

What is lacking and what can we do to make things better? The apostle Paul gives us a solution in Ephesians 4.

Ephesians 4:1–3 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

In classic Paul fashion, he transitions his letter from important theological truths to the application of those truths. Paul felt it important to remind the Ephesian Christians in the first 3 chapters of their identity in Jesus. Christians are more than just “church-goers.” They are chosen in Christ as sons of God, rich in grace, sharing in the glory of Jesus, sealed by the Spirit in Christ. Christians were dead in transgressions and sins but God made them alive by His great mercies through the grace of Jesus. Now the mystery of Christ is revealed, that even Gentiles are fellow heirs and members of Christ’s body.

That leads us to the passage we started with. The Ephesian Christians have been reminded about who they are in Christ. Now, Paul urges them to walk in a manner worthy of the calling of Christ. Church, I want to start this morning by reminding you who you are because of the calling of the gospel in Jesus: You are chosen, adopted, forgiven, lavished with grace, sealed for an inheritance, holy, blameless before God, heirs, fellow members of Christ’s body, fellow partakers of the promise in Christ, and a new creation. Let that reality drive you to live a life worthy of that calling. Let your life reflect who God made you in Jesus.

This is a new year, which means, new opportunities to impact people for Jesus. We have a lot of potential as a group and as individuals with endless possibilities, the only limiting factors are our imaginations and our choice of either staying where we are or stepping out in faith.

I. The Vision

“Regardless of WHAT we do in our lives, it’s our WHY - our driving purpose, cause, or belief - never changes.. WHAT we do is simply a tangible way to breathe life into that cause” (Simon Sinek, Start with Why, p. 136). No matter what we choose to do as a church this year, we need to make sure we keep the main thing at the center of our focus. Why we do ministry is more important than what we do. When we have a clear understanding and vision of our purpose in Christ then we can make a larger impact, because we have a goal we are aspiring to.

What is that vision? What is the overarching why that we are aspiring to achieve? Grow into the body of Christ (v. 14-16). We will go back and see what the passage has to say about achieving this, but notice verse 15 especially, we are to “grow up into all aspects into Him.” We are children of God who stand on the truth of Christ and cannot be swayed by lies and deceptive philosophies of this world. We grow into Jesus, for He is the truth. The more we grow in Christlikeness the less we will be deceived by false doctrines and the lies of the devil.

It is also in Christ that we are being built up together. We are not alone in this life, as we grow into Christlikeness individually we will be growing together as a church, for we are all members of the body of Christ. Jesus joins us together and we, through our working out of our faith, grow the body, building up the church in love.

Our purpose for existing as a church is to grow into the body of Christ (repeat 3 times). If you look in your bulletins you will see a piece of paper that gives you an image to see how this works. Jesus is the head, we are His body. We do what Jesus says as we grow to be like Him in all aspects, then we are truly functioning as Christ’s body and will make a lasting impact on our community and the world around us. What we do as a church must derive from our purpose: growing into the body of Christ.

II. The Functioning Body of Christ

-What does it look like to live as the functioning body of Christ in our daily lives?

A. First of all, remember that Jesus joins us together and holds us together (v. 4-6)

1. Notice the broad look at our reality in Christ

a. We have unity because of the saving work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

b. The Father is credited with making the plan of redemption. The Son enacted the plan through the cross. The Spirit empowers the plan by applying the blood of Christ to individuals

2. Thus, we are brought together into one body (the church), have one foundation that leads us to Christ and guides us in everyday life (the Scriptures, i.e. the faith, Romans 10:17), and we have the same hope that we look forward to: eternity in heaven

3. So, God gave us a new reality. Being a Christian means we are sons of God, joined together in one body, with one hope. This is what God does for us

B. Second, Christ gives gifts (abilities) for fulfilling our purpose, especially leadership (v. 7-11)

1. Jesus came down to “the lower parts of the earth” (He became a man) that He might lead the captives of sin out of it and give them everything they need to live a new life

a. So, Jesus gives a gift of grace: forgiveness of sins and eternal life

b. He also provides abilities for His followers that they may live up to the calling of the gospel in Him

2. Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, and 1 Peter 4:10-11 detail different gifts the Godhead bestows or has bestowed upon believers at different times that they may be adequately prepared to grow up in all aspects into Christ

a. The Holy Spirit gave some miraculous gifts through the apostles for the infant church that it may be established

b. The Father is credited with giving skills to people for them to use responsibly (giving, serving, showing mercy, etc.)

c. In our passage, Jesus is credited with providing accountability that Christians may grow into the body of Christ

3. After Jesus descended to accomplish the work of salvation He then ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now continually intercedes on our behalf. He founded church leadership for practical accountability and that the leaders may pave the way for Christians to mature (v. 11)

a. Christ initially anointed apostles and prophets with the inspiration of the Spirit that they may lay the foundation for the church (Ephesians 2:20-22)

b. Now that the church has been firmly established through the completed Word of God, evangelists and elders are ordained to build on the foundation of the apostles and prophets

c. As leaders, our primary responsibility is to keep the vision of Christ at the forefront and equip people that they may accomplish it

1. Illus. Think of the image of the body of Christ: Jesus is the Head, Christians are the body, the leadership acts as the neck that connects the body to the Head

2. A preacher or elder is simply meant to be a lead Christian. Someone who has experience at living the Christian life, is consistent in modeling it, and helping people grow in it

d. If God has given each of us abilities or skills to use for His glory then the leadership must demonstrate how to use these gifts and provide opportunities for these skills to be used

C. Third, let’s train to look like Jesus in Character and Conduct (v. 12-13)

1. Church, you are made in God’s image, saved by Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. You have something to offer God’s kingdom in our community and in our ministries

a. Illus. Let’s say you decided you were going to lay in bed for the next 30 days without moving. Sure, you’d move your hands to eat but otherwise you stayed in the same spot without rolling over or scooting to a different position. Someone brings you meals and helps with anything you need so that all you do is lay in the same spot for 30 whole days. Now let’s say that after the 30 days you went to jump out of bed and run to the kitchen to make yourself some coffee. What would happen? You would find you not only couldn’t jump but that you would struggle to stand. Your legs would have atrophied from lack of us and you would have to relearn how to walk. If you didn’t strengthen your legs back up and refused to move them ever again you might have to get your legs amputated

b. When you don’t use every part of your body for a long enough period of time then it begins to suffer and die. When God’s people choose not to use their gifts then the church suffers and will one day die.

1. You are a vital part of our church and we want you to be involved in ministries that are meaningful to you and where your God-given skill can shine (for His glory)

2. This in part is why the leadership exists: to provide opportunities for ministry and prepare people to use their skills

2. There are 2 responsibilities given to church leadership: equipping for service (v. 12) and unity of the faith (proper teaching, v. 13)

a. To equip means “to bring to an end or to finish”. The leadership are trainers to bring about the end, God’s end, growing into the body of Christ

b. They also teach the unity of the faith that all may know the Son. Why? So that everyone grows to full maturity “the measure of the stature that belongs to the fulness of Christ”

3. But what good is a trainer without an athlete? What good is a doctor without a patient? What good is a map without a destination? What good is leadership without Christians putting in the work, doing their part

a. Spiritual maturity looks like the Person of Jesus in Character and Conduct (in knowledge of the Son and in works of service). We are growing into the body of Christ together

b. The only way to achieve this purpose is to believe, follow, and hold fast to God’s Word and do works of service to build up Christ’s body (the church)

Conclusion

-Ephesians 4:15.

(make printouts of the body of Christ model for bulletins)