Service for the Body
The Letter to the Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Handout
Questions for CG:
-Sermon Review:
In Ephesians 4:7-8, what does Paul emphasize about the gifts given to each believer?
What are some examples of spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12?
Why is the diversity of gifts beneficial for the church according to Ephesians 4:11?
How does Paul link the purpose of gifts to the building up of the body of Christ?
What role do pastors and teachers play in equipping the saints for service?
What does the term 'equipping of the saints' mean in the context of Ephesians 4:12?
Life Application:
How can you discover the gifts God has given you to help others?
How does realizing that you have a unique role within the church affect your view of your own importance in the body of Christ?
What keeps beleivers from serving the body on a continual basis?
What spiritual dangers/temptations are associated with serving the body?
*** Spend the remaining time helping indiviuals discover their spiritual gifts. Ask if anyone questions which gift they have and allow others to speak into their lives about observable qualities in them that could be their gifting.
Intro:
17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 “You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 “Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20 then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21 “Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 22 “Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 “If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”
From this passage we see early in Israel’s history, that the Lord was creating an organizational structure that was functional and that served the needs of the people of Israel. A leadership structure formed so that the leadership did not wear out and all the needs of teh people would be taken care of.
Business world, Every one has a role- ground levels employees to the top of the leadership
Church should not be operated completely like a business, but the organization and function of the church that is commanded in Scripture does model such a general rule. He appoints leaders under His Son as the head. Those leaders then instruct and lead others to see their gifts and roles in the church so that they can all serve the body in a healthy way and so that the body will grow as its being served by others.
Problem:
Imagine with me your boss comes to you for an evaluation and states that you are showing up to work everyday but nothing is getting done. There has been no work completed, no growth in your career, nothing. Yet you come everyday, unless there is something else in your schedule that takes precedence, and then you just don’t show up. You don’t even call.
Friends, many people treat the church like this. They never take on responsibility by using their gifts, nor do they even take gathering with the church a priority. Some even allow their children to dictate the activity level and interest in the church to which they attend. This is not what God intended for His people.
He wants you to value and prize the gathered church. He wants you to recognize the gifts that he gives you for the church. He wants you to use those gifts to serve his body until the Lord returns. This is his plan for the body of Christ. This is Paul’s message in v 7-13 of our passage today.
Review:
Unity of the church
individual responsibility and corporate identity
1. The Gift of Gifts (7-8,11)
1. The Gift of Gifts (7-8,11)
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.”
Paul now moves to the second aspect of unity in the church which is coupled with a diversity of gifts given to God’s people. Paul wants the Ephesians to see that God has given each one of them to the local church to be united and in their unity, recognize and use the gifts for the benefit of the church.
V 7 he states that “each one of us grace is given to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Now taken on its own, this verse might be interpreted as the gracious gift of salvation. But if you continue to read you realize that the grace mentioned in v 7 are gifts for the individual believer to be used in the church. The overall gifting is the sum of the grace that we find in Christ but grace always is beneficial. Grace in Christ reaps for the individual forgiveness from sins, belonging to a family, reconciliation with God, etc. That benefit for the church is that each believer is endowed with the Holy Spirit and that Spirit empowers unique gifts for each of us to be used to serve and benefit the body as a whole.
Paul writes in 1 Cor 12:7-11
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
Notice with me the unique gifts given, all given by the Spirit, “for the common good” of the church.
2. The Giver of Gifts (9-10)
2. The Giver of Gifts (9-10)
9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)
Secondly Paul focus on the source of these gifts. In the previous passage in 1 Corinthians 12, the Spirit was highlighted as the source. To the Ephesians, it is a measure or allotment of the unlimited grace from Christ. He is the supply as well. Both statements can be true because this grace is from the unified God that we serve.
Paul draws attention to Christ here to highlight the work of Christ that affords us these empowered gifts to serve the church. Paul quotes from Ps 68 and highlights the Psalmists look to the Messianic figure who would bring freedom to Israel, who would offer salvation and provide gifts to them. In the work of progressive revelation, Paul interprets this Psalm to show that the Messianic figure is Jesus, his liberation for God’s people is salvation from sins, and the gifts given are grace-filled, Holy Spirit empowered gifts to serve the church.
{The rules of progressive revelation is that while the Psalmist did not intentionally mean these words for the church when he wrote them, the Spirit guided him to write them so that Paul would define their meaning later in the Messianic context. }
What Paul wants us to see is that the descended Christ is Jesus of Nazareth coming down to earth as a man, and descending even lower to the grave, in his sacrificial death and burial in the grave. He who descended in humility also rose from the grave and ascended to the Father in victory and exaltation. This victory is Paul’s proclamation as the reason why Jesus gives gifts to the church.
Matthew Henry writes,
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens (v. 10), far above the airy and starry (which are the visible) heavens, into the heaven of heavens; that he might fill all things, all the members of his church, with gifts and graces suitable to their several conditions and stations. Observe, Our Lord humbled himself first, and then he was exalted. He descended first, and then ascended
Why is this connected to giving gifts? His victory and exaltation ensure that He in his authority is able to grant that which is impossible to receive for ourselves. Meted through the Spirit, the victorious Christ with his sword of the Spirit, asks us to kneel and placing it upon our soldiers, confers upon us the title of servant of the church, gifted with unique gifts designed specifically by Him for you!
What are you gifts that have been given?
I would say do not make up a gift according to your own interests or desires. The Lord did not make you the official food tester of the fellowship meals.
Instead look to Scripture to see what Scripture identifies as gifts. There are three passages to consider:
The first is this passage today. We will look in a moment more deeply at the gifts given in v 11 that make up the offices of the church. Some no longer are needed in this time of the church and some demand a calling and gifting from the Lord to attain.
The second is Romans 12:6-8
4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
3. The third is 1 Cor 12:6-10
6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Now I implore you to start with these lists and ask the Lord to reveal in you which of these gifts he might have given. In doing so you are asking him to show you by the Spirit that which is already in you. From there, I would encourage you to ask those in the church to wisely affirm your discovery to see if others see this in you. Church, we are to be honest, to speak the truth in love and to aid one another in this way.
3. The Diversity of Gifts (11)
3. The Diversity of Gifts (11)
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
Now Paul gives us examples in v 11 of the diversity of the gifts. He does not give all as the previous lists show us. But the example given are those gifts which particularly made of up the pastoral offices of the church. Notice the word SOME which indicates an individuality and not a universality. In other words, not everyone has all the gifts or the same gifts. They are diversified gifts for the body of Christ.
Apostles and Prophets
To begin, he lists Apostles and Prophets. Apostles are those men whom were called and sent out by the Lord Jesus. Apostles were those witnesses of the resurrected Lord Jesus and sent into the world to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. They received the revelation from God in order to transmit that revelation to the people.
Tom Schreiner defines prophecy as
the reception of spontaneous revelations from God…(that )instruct, encourage, and warn the people of God.
Apostles and prophets are those in the NT era that no longer are needed callings and gifting in the church. With the canon of Scripture given and recognized, there no longer is any need for the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Just like any foundation of a building, it is does not continue upward. Instead, once it is laid other materials are added upon its completed state as Eph 2 makes clear:
Based on the Eph 2:20
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
The next grouping of gifts are recognized in the church today, some as offices but most particularly gifting for service in the church. For example, the next title mentioned is Evangelist. We know that evangelism comes from the GK word for good news. An evangelist is therefore someone who is compelled to share the good news. Paul tells young Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist” in his pastoral ministry. He was not telling Timothy to travel the world full time and just preach Christ. We know Timothy was called to pastor at Ephesus but in his ministry he was to proclaim faithfully the gospel message.
An evangelist today that is recognized by the church may be one who is so gifted and passionate to make the gospel known across the world. He may be one who stands on a corner on the weekend preaching the gospel or one who travels full time preaching the gospel and making disciples. This describes more of what we call missionaries in the church today. They are doing the work of the evangelist and many of them are supported by churches in their efforts.
The last two listed are pastors and teachers. The word for Pastor in the Gk is POIMEN and it means shepherd or pastor. There are two other words in Scripture, all used interchangeably for the office of Pastor. 1 Peter 5 reveals this to us:
1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
Presbuteros( ELDER), Poimen (SHEPHERD) and Episkipos (EXERCISING OVERSIGHT). You can find these same words used by Paul to the Ephesian elders in Eph 20. in 1 Peter 5, elder seems to be the title of these men, while pastor and overseer is more of their function. In Eph 4, Paul mentions pastoring because it is a gift and calling on some individuals to assume this role in the church. These callings are for men only and for those who are given a passion to preach and teach others the word of God.
I believe that Teacher describes the Pastor in the context of this passage and Paul does not intent to mention a separate gifting here. The reason for this is found in the GK language. There is an article in front of pastor and there is no article in front of teacher. If Paul meant to divide these as a different gifting, he would have used an article to distinguish the two.
Yet, elsewhere Paul does seem to teach that teaching is a gift of the Spirit and therefore I would not deny some can be gifted to teach the word of God and yet not be called to be pastors. Romans 12 would be an example where teaching is differentiated from exhortation of the word of God as gifts given by the Spirit to those in the church.
What are your Spirit-given gifts that God intends for you to use in the church? When you come to gather, do you come to be served or to serve? It should be both in the sense that the Spirit ministers to your heart in the preaching of teh word and the fellowship of the saints while you serve and minister to others.
This diversity of gifts mentioned here and elsewhere must have some function and purpose and that leads us to the final point today…
4. The Purpose of Gifts (12)
4. The Purpose of Gifts (12)
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
We will end in verse 12 as we look at the purpose of the gifts for the church. In this passage, Paul makes clear that the purpose that the Spirit gifts believers is so that the saints are equipped. The word equipped here means to made ready. Like a platoon going to the weapons room loading up on ammo, weapons and gear, readying for war, the Spirit gifts the church to make us ready for engagement in spiritual pursuits and spiritual warfare. Your gifts are not meant to be revered they are meant to be used to make us ready so that we would engage in “the work of service.” Not leisure, not admiration, but church work is the purpose of the gifts.
This work required of the saints leads to the overall service of the church. Serving the body is the role of not just the appointed elders and appointed deacons, which is the term DIAKONOS. In one sense, we are all equipped with gifts to be unoffical deacons of the body of Christ.
Notice this does NOT primarily mean serving the world, although that is included in the work of ministry. But instead, Paul emphasizes teh health of the body of Christ requires a unified demonstration of the spiritual gifts of each member.
At RCC, we don’t ask you to do the spiritual gifts inventory that you might find elsewhere. Instead, we want you to study the Scriptures, pray, and seek the wisdom of the elders and church family in these matters. This is better than man-made personality profiles.
This highlights everyone contributes to the health of the church, which is communicated in “building up of the body of Christ.”
John Stott writes,
The Message of Ephesians (c. The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts Is Service)
All spiritual gifts, then, are service-gifts. This is their purpose. They are not given for selfish but for unselfish use, namely for the service of other people. Each of the lists of charismata in the New Testament emphasizes this. ‘To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good’.2 It follows that their comparative importance … is to be assessed by the degree to which they ‘edify’ or build up the church. This is why the teaching gifts are of paramount importance, for nothing builds up the church like the truth of God’s Word.
What is important here is the way that we evaluate our gifts. Do they build up the body?
This point then further affirms each members participation in the spiritual growth of one anther. We help in the maturity and spiritual growth of our brothers and sisters in the way we serve the church.
