Sermon Tone Analysis

Unity in the Body of Christ

eph 4.

In the first three chapters of his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul set down a number of glorious doctrines about predestination, election, adoption, redemption, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the work of God in joining people from all nations into the one body of Christ.

Now, in chapter 4, the Apostle Paul moves into the application section of his letter to the Ephesians.

In , he explains that a healthy church—made up of healthy Christians—is marked by spiritual unity.

unity illustration here - family together or disjointed

getting ice cream last nigh - grandmother watching 4 grandkids - all doing their own thing, people were watching

We learn that a that a healthy church—made up of healthy Christians—is marked by spiritual diversity.

Let’s read about the measure of Christ’s gift in :

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.)

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Introduction

Several years ago USA Today reported that one in five gift-card recipients never used their cards in 2005, representing about $972 million in unredeemed cards.

According to Consumer Reports National Research Center, the top reasons for not using gift cards:

• Didn’t have time: 50 percent.

• Didn’t find anything they wanted: 37 percent.

• Lost the card: 14 percent.

• Card expired: 12 percent.

Most of you have probably received a gift card.

In fact, you probably have received several gift cards over the years.

Have you ever not used a gift card?

According to Consumer Reports, there is a high likelihood that you have not used a gift card that you have received.

What a waste!

Paul teaches that Christ has given spiritual gifts to each believer.

Sadly, a number of believers do not use the spiritual gifts that have been given to them.

In the next few weeks, we shall learn about spiritual gifts, and how not to waste them.

Let’s use the following outline:

1.

To Whom Are Spiritual Gifts Given?

(4:7)

2. From Whom Are Spiritual Gifts Given?

(4:8-10)

I. To Whom Are Spiritual Gifts Given?

(4:7)

First, to whom are spiritual gifts given?

eph 4.

In , Paul stressed the unity we have in a healthy church.

He wrote,

But this unity does not mean that the church is uniform.

No.

In fact, Paul now goes on to teach that there is diversity in a healthy church.

So, Paul said in verse 7, “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

So, Paul said in verse 7, “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

I want to begin by focusing your attention on, “But grace….”

Commentator John Stott is helpful here.

He writes:

Verse 7 refers to Christ’s grace in bestowing different gifts.

Although Paul does not here employ the term charismata for “gifts” (as he does in and ), yet clearly it is to these that he is referring.

Serving Grace

For “grace” is charis, and “gifts” are charismata.

Moreover, it is very important to understand the difference between them.

“Saving grace,” the grace which saves sinners, is given to all who believe;

but what might be termed “service grace,” the grace which equips God’s people to serve, is given in differing degrees according to the measure of Christ’s gift (verse 7).

The unity of the church is due to charis, God’s grace having reconciled us to himself; but the diversity of the church is due to charismata, God’s gifts distributed to church members.

Do you see what is being said here?

Every person who becomes a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has received and continues to receive a full and equal amount of God’s saving grace.

In addition, each believer receives what Stott calls a “service grace,” the grace which equips each believer to serve, and that “service grace” is given in differing degrees to each believer according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

John MacArthur notes, “We each have a gift that is measured out to us—with certain distinct capabilities, parameters, and purposes.

Each of us is given a specific gift (singular) through which we are to minister in Christ’s name.”

The Apostle Peter put it this way in , “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

And the Apostle Paul put it this way to the Romans in ,

There are actually several lists of spiritual gifts that are given in Scripture (cf. ; ; ).

These spiritual gifts that are given to believers should not be thought of as a comprehensive or complete list.

Rather, it appears to be a representative list of the kinds of spiritual gifts that God has given for the purpose of “building up the body of Christ” ().

John MacArthur puts it this way:

The lists of specific gifts in , , and are not narrow and strict delineations of the spiritual gifts.

1 cor 12.

There is not, for instance, a single kind of prophetic gift, teaching gift, or serving gift.

A hundred believers with the gift of teaching will not all have the same degrees or areas of teaching ability or emphasis.

One may excel in public teaching in the classroom or church.

Another’s teaching gift will be for instructing children, another’s for teaching one-on-one, and so on.

Each believer is given the measure of grace and faith to operate his gift according to God’s plan.

Add individual personality, background, education, influences in life, and needs in the area of service and it becomes obvious that each believer is unique.

Moreover, each believer may possess a cluster of spiritual gifts.

A believer with the spiritual gift of administration may also have a measure of teaching or mercy.

There are almost a limitless combination of clusters that make each believer’s spiritual gifts unique, like a snowflake or a fingerprint.

So, if you are a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, let me say as clearly as I can: You have a spiritual gift because grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

The question is: Are you using your spiritual gift?

John MacArthur writes:

Not to use our gift is an affront to God’s wisdom, a rebuff of His love and grace, and a loss to His church.

We did not determine our gift, deserve it, or earn it.

But we all have a gift from the Lord, and if we do not use it, His work is weakened, and His heart is grieved.

The intent of the text before us is to reveal the balanced relationship between the oneness of believers and their individuality which contributes to that oneness.

Just like gift card that remains unused it is an a affront to the giver.

II.

From Whom Are Spiritual Gifts Given?

(4:8-10)

Paul is loosely quoting here in verse 8. John MacArthur writes about verse 8:

Paul is loosely quoting here in verse 8. John MacArthur writes about verse 8:

Paul said in verse 8, “Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’” Paul is loosely quoting here in verse 8. John MacArthur writes about verse 8:

is a victory hymn composed by David to celebrate God’s conquest of the Jebusite city and the triumphant ascent of God (represented by the Ark of the Covenant) up Mount Zion (cf. ; ).

After a king won such a victory he would bring home the spoils and enemy prisoners to parade before his people.

An Israelite king would take his retinue through the holy city of Jerusalem and up Mount Zion.

Another feature of the victory parade, however, would be the display of the king’s own soldiers who had been freed after being held prisoner by the enemy.

These were often referred to as recaptured captives—prisoners who had been taken prisoner again, so to speak, by their own king and given freedom.

Paul is using the vivid picture in to say that the Lord Jesus Christ, having won the victory over sin and death, the grave and hell, ascended on high to the Father and presented him all the elect for whom he had won this victory.

And as part of his victorious ascension, he gave spiritual gifts to believers who had not yet died so that they could continue his ministry in the church.

What a glorious picture!

What is meant by to the lower, earthly regions, literally, “into the lower parts of earth”?

The genitive “of” can be taken in three ways: (1) “Into the lower parts, namely, the earth” (a genitive of apposition).

This would refer to Christ’s incarnation, His “descent” to the earth.

(2) “Into the parts lower than the earth” (a genitive of comparison).