Ephesians 4:7-16 - Growing together in Christ

Baking a cake from scratch stresses me out.

I don’t understand how powdery things and liquid things become solid things.

There are particular steps and things you need to do.

To remember all these things is crazy.

Even more so, to understand how they work is crazier.

If you use flour to cook things—I’m watching you.

Somehow, all the compounds in these dry and liquid things bind to one another to make a delicious cake.

Everything comes together, doing different things, adding different flavors, comes together in something profoundly amazing.

The ingredients grow together to form something absolutely beautiful.

Similarly, the Church is made up of many different kinds of people, with many different gifts, that grow together by the power of the Holy Spirit

Big Idea: Growing together in Christ

Paul is continuing his idea of living out the call God has placed on us individually together.

God’s people are to live in unity and community, exercising their spiritual gifts to grow into Christ.

He calls us to live in unity because our God is unified in Himself, and now He’s giving us the foundation of how we are to grow even more.

Stand to read

Ephesians 4:7–10 ESV

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Leader: This is God’s Word

Everyone: Thanks be to God

Explanation

Paul addressed his calling and the grace given to him to do the work of ministry.

Now, since he has called the Church to unity, he is going to explain how each of them have been gifted by Christ.

He points their attention to Jesus was fulfilling Scripture from Psalm 68—He leads them in a bit of a Bible study and validate’s Jesus’s divine descension to earthly ministry, death, resurrection, then ascension to heaven.

He is emphasizing that Jesus Christ is the ruling/reigning, sovereign King who has the authority to give gifts to His people.

Up to this point, he has explained the gospel—God’s plan to restore and reunite all things back to Himself through Jesus Christ.

Now he comes to the church.

The Church is God’s plan A to demonstrate His love, glory, power, and authority to the lost and dying world.

God has restored and called His Church to put His majesty on display!

How does He do it?

He gave the Church gifts

You have been given a gift by God to contribute to the mission of God.

If you are actually a Christian, you have a part to play in glorifying God by making disciples and planting churches.

Every single believer in Christ, without exception, has been given some “grace.”

The risen, ruling, and reigning Jesus has specifically apportioned us gifts to build up His body and to participate in His plan of redemption.

We don’t just have God’s gifts—we are God’s gifts to the Church.

We’re not just shoppers filling our basket at the store—We were saved and given gifts to bless others and serve them!

We’re not meant to be consumers, but contributors!

Transition

How do I step into my giftedness? Calling?

Jesus gave the Church gifts—The persons themselves.

Ephesians 4:11–13 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up 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 mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Paul explains 5 different types of teaching leaders within the church (v. 11)

These teachers focus on articulating the gospel, teaching the Word, and shepherding God’s people.

Apostles

Prophets

Evangelists

Shepherds

Teachers

We can get into the semantics of these distinctive positions and gifts, but one thing is clear: God has blessed His people throughout redemptive history with gifted proclaimers of His Word.

These particular leaders are called by God to train Christians up to know the Bible, follow Jesus, and reach the world with the gospel.

This is so that you grow into spiritual maturity!

So that we can walk in unity of the faith together

So that we can grow in knowledge f the Son of God together

Into the fullness of Christ!

Church, King Jesus has given us everything we need—which shows us

We are equipped to grow (vv. 7-13)

God’s plan to reach the world is the Church—meaning that every single believer has a part to play.

For too long the church has been seen as a clubhouse, and not a training center.

We have to change the way we see the Church.

This is why our mission statement for Harvest City Church is we strive to glorify God by making disciples and planting churches.

I don’t just do ministry for you—I equip/prepare/train you for it (v. 11)

Who are the spectators?

Too many Christians believe it’s them.

Jesus did not save you to sit you on the bench.

You have been saved to be sent to the rest of the world.

Our friends, family, the rest of the world are the spectators that watch how God works through us, His people!

Jesus has given you particular gifts to reach people in your life with the gospel.

This church is an every member ministry.

When the Church functions as God intended for it to function—in unity, then we have been given everything we need to grow the way Jesus planned for us to.

So where are you going to get in on what’s going on here?

Welcome, tech, kids, security, music.

The Church is enriched when everyone is growing into their gifts, engaging in the mission and worshipping God with the gifts He has given us.

Transition

King Jesus has given us everything we need to grow up into spiritual maturity.

Spiritual maturity is the goal of the Christian life within the Church.

This involves being like Jesus.

Paul gives us the ultimate picture of spiritual maturity: “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (v. 13)

We are to be “full of Jesus”

Paul says we need to grow in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (v. 13)

This is so we aren’t children anymore.

Ephesians 4:14 ESV

14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Children are gullible and easily deceived.

False teachers can creep into the church and toss spiritual babies around.

False doctrine creeps into the church and gets us thinking things like:

All religions are the same

If you’re just a good person, you’ll go to heaven.

The Bible is only one of many religious books.

God will not give you more than you can handle.

God helps those who help themselves.

Heard any of this?—Do you realize that none of that junk is in the Bible?

False teachers lead people astray with saying things that sound like they belong in the Bible, but aren’t.

Bad doctrine produces a bad lifestyle. Bad theology/belief hurts people.

This is why one of our values is: Scripture—We stand on God’s Word alone.

This requires us to be diligent students of the Word, to know what it says and what it means!

Searching for what God has revealed through His word!

My calling is teaching—I don’t want you just to be impressed with my ability to preach.

I want you to leave this place knowing God’s Word better, equipped to engage the world with your faith.

When I train at Altiora, they do an occasional “SharkTank.”

A shark tank is when one person stays in for a whole thirty minutes and goes 10-3 minute rounds.

The people coming in and out are fresh, rested—where you are continually having to defend yourself from a new attack, not having a rest in between.

We do this to prepare to fight even when we’re tired and don’t have time to formulate a new plan of defense.

My job is to equip you to always be ready to defend and teach the faith.

I want you to know the Bible to the point that you’re always ready to go—regardless of what life brings.

I want you to follow Jesus everywhere so you no longer have to wonder where your hope lies.

Every Christian, brought into spiritual adulthood—so that when false teachers come in, you know what you’re actually talking about.

This requires us to grow up.

When we become Christians, we’re babies—so we need to mature and grow.

We grow through the Word and become disciple making teachers.

The goal of every Christian leader is to produce mature Christians who speak the Truth…

Ephesians 4:15–16 ESV

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Christians are meant to be truth-tellers to the world, but this truth must be presented in love.

We hold truth and theology high, but the centrality of our calling is love.

The wording in the Greek is “truthing in love”—Truthing is not an English word, but the idea is clear.

We live truth.

Maturity involves a truth-telling, truth-maintaining, truth-doing love.

This is how we are to grow up into Christ.

Church, this means

We grow in truth and love (vv. 14-16)

When the whole Church begins functioning this way—where we love truth and live truth—the entire body flourishes and builds itself up in love.

This means that everyone participates in the life of the Church, doing what God has called and equipped us to do.

We cannot do this alone.

It is not possible for a Christian to grow in isolation.

We are dependent on Jesus and the Church.

We need one another.

As we grow into Christ and as we use our gifts in love, the body becomes healthy.

So lets resolve that we are going to grow as believers today by taking a next step of faith toward Jesus.nm

Take the Next Step

See where you need to grow.

Be honest with where you are.

Don’t make excuses for your growth—Start today.

What next step do you need to take?

Repentance, baptism, Starting Point, serving?

Invite someone to grow with you.

I’m going to follow Jesus, and I want you to come with me.

I want to be an agent of unity for my church and grow in my love for Jesus.

I want you to also.

We are equipped to grow in truth and love.

How are you going to step into what God has called you to?