Jesus Gives!

Introduction

Read Ephesians 4:11-16.

Jesus Himself gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers. This is the kernel of the sentence before us this morning. The sentence runs from verse 11 to verse 16, but is has just one subject and one verb: Jesus gave. Just as Jesus lives, even so Jesus gives!

Jesus Himself gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors-teachers. This is the kernel of the sentence before us this morning. The sentence consists of a subject and a verb: Jesus gave. Apostles and prophets are servants given to the church for its foundation. Evangelists and pastor-teachers are servants given to the church for its continuation. However, Paul goes on to explain the purposes for which these servants are given:

Apostles and prophets are servants given to the church for her foundation. Evangelists and pastor-teachers are servants given to the church for her growth.

Jesus gives these gifts of men in order to equip the saints for the work of ministry, and edify the body of Christ.

Therefore, these four types of servants equip and edify the church. This process concludes only when all believers come to the unity of the faith. Sinners must come to the knowledge of the Son of God and saints must grow up with rest of the Church to a perfect man or to the fullness of Christ.

All believers come to the unity of the faith. All believers come to the knowledge of the Son of God (perfect man; fullness of Christ)

As this process plays out in our lives:

We will no longer be tossed to and fro by false teachers and their false teaching. We will grown up and into Christ.

Church growth is achieved when when every part of the Body of Christ does its share.