Ephesians: Gifted
Notes
Transcript
Good morning, everyone! We’re going to get back to our study of Ephesians today. We got to chapter 4 and took a detour for a couple of weeks. After the assassination of Charlie Kirk we skipped ahead to Ephesians 6 to talk about putting on the full armor of God because we are fighting a spiritual war against Satan and his demons. I want to pause here again for a minute because I am seeing a spiritual awakening in our country and around the world.
Our church doesn’t exist in a vacuum isolated from the community and nation we’re a part of. We can’t ignore the current events that are impacting our friends, family, and neighbors. The murder of Charlie Kirk because of his beliefs was a wake up call.
Charlie launched Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of 18. What began as a conservative political movement grew into a spiritual force to win the hearts and minds of young people for Jesus.
Charlie said, "As Christians the most important thing is to win souls for Jesus Christ. The second most important thing is to make sure we still have the freedom to do the first thing."
Charlie understood that it’s important for Christians to get involved with politics so we can influence the government in it’s role and responsibility to protect our freedoms.
He said, "The question in front of us, as the American church is that we have had this beautiful blessing called the United States of America, handed down to us by our forefathers. This idea of liberty is God's idea, not man's idea. And whether or not the United States of America will continue to exist in any recognizable form, is completely and solely dependent on whether or not those who call themselves Christians, churches in America will be willing to say, “Lord, here I am. Use me for your purpose.” And will elevate the fight for truth, freedom, liberty, America. Much more than ease and comfort."
Why do I think there is a revival happening in the wake of Charlie’s death? First of all, the memorial service held for Charlie in Arizona drew over 200,000 people and was watched by over 100 million. At the service, people worshipped the Lord and the gospel was proclaimed over and over. We saw how important faith was to Charlie and that his life was centered on Jesus Christ.
We witnessed an amazing moment when Charlie’s wife, Erika, forgave the man who murdered her husband. We’re given a promise in Romans that the things people mean for bad are actually working together for good.
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according
Many people see Charlie as a martyr who died for his faith and beliefs. Pastors all across the country are sharing stories about parking lots full of new church goers and people reading their Bibles for the first time. People are coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior because of Charlie’s death. I’m seeing people ask for a recommendation for a church in our area because they want to come back. We can’t stand still and let this moment pass us by. We must be bold in our faith and be willing to stand up for Jesus no matter what the cost. We need to be ready to receive people in church who have never come or haven’t been in a long time. We need to be will to boldly share our faith.
Now, let’s look at the next passage in our study of Ephesians. Today we’re going to be in Ephesians 4:4-12. Before we dive in, I want to start by taking you back to my younger days. I played sports growing up—soccer when I was a kid and football through junior high and high school. Those years on the field taught me a lot about life. I learned the value of discipline, pushing myself to work hard toward a goal. I learned not to give up when things got tough. And maybe most importantly, I learned about teamwork. In soccer and football, it wasn’t about one person being a superstar. It was about all of us working together, each with our own role, to try and win the game.
The coach would watch us at the start of the season, figure out what we were good at, and put us in positions where we could help the team the most. Maybe you were fast, so you played striker in soccer or wide receiver in football. Maybe you were strong, so you were a lineman or a defender. We practiced our roles over and over, learning how to combine our skills to make the team stronger. Whether we won or lost, we learned that success came from being unified, working together with the same passion and purpose.
Now, here’s the thing: those same principles apply to our church. We’re a team, too, but our goal is a lot bigger than winning a game. Our mission, given to us by Jesus, is to go out into the world, share His love, and help people become His followers. That’s what we’re here for. And just like a coach, God has given each of us unique abilities—what we call spiritual gifts—to help us accomplish that mission. He’s also given us leaders, like pastors, to guide us and help us work together. Let’s take a look at Ephesians 4:4-12, to see how God has designed us to be unified as a team, each with our own unique gifts, to carry out His mission of reaching the world for Jesus.
Let’s start by looking back at verses 4-6 to see why we should all be on the same team:
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
The Bible is telling us here that, as followers of Jesus, we have so many reasons to be united. Let’s break this down. First, it says there’s “one body.” That’s a way of talking about the church—not just our little church here, but all the people around the world who believe in Jesus. It doesn’t matter if they’re Baptist or Methodist, American or from another country, young or old. If they follow Jesus, they’re part of the same team, the same body. And the goal is for all of us to work together, not to be divided by our differences.
Next, it talks about “one Spirit.” That’s the Holy Spirit, the part of God who lives inside every person who trusts in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is like the glue that holds us together. If we all listen to Him and obey Him, we’ll be united in a way that’s perfect. But here’s the reality: we’re not perfect. We mess up. We sin. Sometimes we argue or let pride get in the way. That’s why we have to keep confessing our sins to God, asking Him to help us become more like Jesus, so we can stay unified as a church.
Then the passage lists other things that unite us: one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father. Let’s unpack those. The “one hope” is what we look forward to—eternal life with God, where everything is made perfect. The “one Lord” is Jesus, the one we follow. The “one faith” is our shared belief in Jesus as our Savior. The “one baptism” is the way we publicly show we belong to Him, through the act of being baptized in water. And the “one God and Father” is the Creator who loves us all and is working through all of us. These are the things that make us one team, with one mission.
But here’s something important: being unified doesn’t mean we’re all the same. God loves diversity. Think about a football team. The quarterback, the running back, and the kicker all have different jobs, but they’re all needed to win. In the same way, God has made each of us unique—different personalities, different talents, different ways we can serve. And that’s what Paul, the writer of this passage, talks about next.
*God Gives Spiritual Gifts to Each of Us (Ephesians 4:7-10)*
Let’s keep reading:
7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people. 9 But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.
This part of the passage tells us that God gives each of us special abilities, called spiritual gifts, to help us do His work. These gifts come from Jesus, and they’re given to us because of His grace—that’s His kindness and love that we don’t deserve.
The passage uses a picture to explain this. It says Jesus “ascended on high” and “gave gifts to his people.” To understand this, think about a victorious king in ancient times. When a king won a battle, he’d take the enemy’s treasures and captives as his prize. He would set free his own people who’d been captured, and he’d share the spoils of victory with them.
That’s what Jesus did. When He died on the cross and rose again, He defeated sin and death—our greatest enemies. He set us free from being slaves to sin. And as the victorious King, He gives gifts to His people. These aren’t physical gifts like gold or jewels; they’re spiritual gifts, abilities that help us serve Him and share His love with others.
The Bible says these gifts are unique to each of us. God measures them out carefully, like a chef measuring ingredients for a recipe. He knows exactly what you need to do the job He’s given you. The Bible gives us examples of these gifts in a few places. Here in Ephesians, it mentions things like being an apostle, prophet, evangelist, or pastor-teacher. In Romans, we find another list of gifts:
3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
And in 1 Corinthians, we see even more gifts:
7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.
Now, these lists aren’t the only gifts God gives. There are countless ways God can use you. For example, if you have the gift of teaching, you might teach a Sunday school class, or you might be great at explaining things one-on-one to a friend. If you have the gift of serving, you might help set up chairs for church, or you might cook meals for someone who’s sick. Your gifts are shaped by your personality, your passions, your experiences—everything that makes you, you. God designed you with a unique blend of abilities to do His work in a way no one else can.
Let me give you an example. When my wife, April, and I got married, we got a lot of wedding gifts. Some were great, but we also got duplicates—like three toasters! We ended up re-gifting some of them. And sometimes, we got a gift we didn’t really want, so we’d stick it in a closet. But God’s gifts aren’t like that. He never gives you the wrong gift or one you don’t need. Every spiritual gift He gives you is perfect for the job He has for you. You don’t need to be jealous of someone else’s gifts, because God made you exactly the way He wanted, with the exact gifts you need to serve Him.
Now, let’s read the final part of our passage:
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
Here, Paul tells us that some of the gifts God gives are people—spiritual leaders who help guide the church. These leaders are like coaches for our team. They help us figure out our roles and train us to do God’s work. The passage lists a few specific roles: apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors who are also teachers.
Let’s look at what these mean. Apostles were people sent out by Jesus with a special mission, like the disciples who started the first churches. Prophets were people who spoke God’s truth, helping others understand His Word. Evangelists are those who share the good news about Jesus, often going to places where people haven’t heard about Him yet, like missionaries. And pastors, who are also called teachers, are the leaders who guide the church day-to-day. They’re like shepherds, caring for the flock, teaching God’s Word, and helping everyone grow in their faith.
In the Bible, these leaders are described with different words: pastor, which means shepherd; overseer, which means someone who watches over the church; and elder, which is someone respected for their wisdom and faith. Their job is to take care of the church, teach the truth, protect us from false ideas, and train us to serve God.
Think about Jesus as an example. When He was on earth, He taught His disciples, showed them how to serve others, sent them out to do ministry, and then helped them learn from their mistakes. That’s what good pastors and leaders do—they teach, show us how to serve, give us opportunities to try, and help us grow when we mess up. Their goal is to “equip the saints”—that’s all of us who follow Jesus—for the work of ministry and to build up the church. That phrase, “build up the body of Christ,” is like building a strong house. It means helping every person in the church grow stronger in their faith so we can all work together to do God’s mission.
So, what does all this mean for us today? How do we take this passage and apply it to our lives? Let me give you a few practical steps.
First, discover the gifts God has given you. You might be thinking, “I don’t even know what my gifts are!” That’s okay. You can start by praying and asking God to show you. Read the Bible and look at the lists of gifts we talked about. Talk to mature Christians who know you well—they might see gifts in you that you don’t see yourself. I’m going to teach a class in the days ahead to help you find your S.H.A.P.E., which stands for Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. It’s designed to help you figure out how God has wired you to serve Him. Let me know if your interested in the class and we’ll discover your gifts together.
Second, take opportunities to serve. The best way to figure out your gifts is to try things out. Volunteer to help with kids’ ministry, or join the team that sets up for worship. Maybe you can help visit people who are sick or serve food at our community outreach events. As you serve, you’ll start to see what feels right, what lines up with how God made you.
Third, develop your gifts. Once you know what your gifts are, work on getting better at them. Study the Bible to grow in your understanding of God. Practice using your gifts in ministry. If you’re gifted in teaching, prepare well for your lessons. If you’re gifted in serving, look for new ways to help others. The more you use your gifts, the stronger they’ll become.
Finally, support the leaders God has given to our church. Being a pastor or leader isn’t easy. I know from experience it can be challenging to guide a church, teach the truth, and care for everyone’s needs. So pray for your leaders. Encourage them when you see them doing well. If you think they need to grow in some area, talk to them respectfully. And commit to following their lead as they follow Jesus. When we all work together—leaders and church members—we can
As we close, I want you to picture our church as a team. Each of us has a role to play, a gift given by God to help us accomplish His mission. That mission is to share the love of Jesus with the world, to help people know Him and follow Him. We’re united by our faith in Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, by our shared hope of eternal life. But we’re also diverse, with unique gifts that make us irreplaceable in God’s plan.
You don’t have to try out for this team—God’s already chosen you. He’s given you exactly what you need to do your part. So don’t sit on the sidelines. Don’t hide your gifts in a closet. Use them to serve others, to build up this church, and to reach the world for Jesus. Together, as a unified team with diverse gifts, we can make a difference for eternity.
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for making us part of Your team. Thank You for the gifts You’ve given each of us through Your grace. Help us to discover our gifts, to use them for Your glory, and to work together as a church to reach the world for Jesus. Strengthen our leaders, unite us in Your Spirit, and guide us in Your mission. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
