Grow

Scripture

Ephesians 4:11–16 NRSV

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Introduction

Don’t forget that next Sunday is Thankful Sunday and ya’ll are the sermon. If you are new and don’t know what this is, let me take a second to explain. . . .

Today we are looking at our value of intentional faith development. We describe this value as:

Growing in Christ demands more than weekly worship.  It is through Intentional Faith Development that God’s Spirit works in us making us more like Christ as we grow in the knowledge and love of Christ. We offer small groups, Bible Studies, music ministries, age group ministries, and other opportunities for spiritual growth.

It is our process of sanctification, a process of holiness where we become more and more like Jesus in our thoughts and actions. Sanctification is the work that the Holy Spirit does in us to transform us to be disciples for the transformation of the world. This is the part of being a Christian that is not easy. It requires perseverance, discipline, and faith among other things. It is something that we do together that we help each other do. it involves all 5 of the marks of a disciple. It never stops, unless you stop it. But if you do, you will never be what God knows you can be.

In this process we respond to God’s sanctifying grace. We do this by saying Yes to where he is calling us.

You cannot, I repeat cannot, be who God wants you to be just by going to church. To be a disciple requires a total sell out to Jesus. It is all encompassing from the time you get up in the morning till the time you go to sleep. Let’s take a look at what Paul says about this, but first some background.

Background

There is disagreement among scholars of who actually wrote this letter. The Greek is somewhat different from Paul’s other letters. For example, the author does not use the word charismata for spiritual gifts which Paul always does in his undisputed letters. I happen to believe Paul did write this letter. But whether Paul wrote it or not, we can say the letter is Pauline. Someone that followed him wrote the letter if he didn’t, therefore it is authoritative. But I am going to approach it as Paul is the author.

He says in the letter he is writing from jail. Paul was put into jail many times so we do not know which imprisonment this might me. There’s some guessing about it, but we really don’t know. He is writing to help improve the quality of living for his audience. That is to improve their relationship with Christ and with each other. He stresses unity in the church, avoiding false teaching and maturing as disciples. He would like his readers to maintain unity and live in harmony.

Ephesus is another really big city 4 or5th largest in the empire. It even had running water in a lot of its homes! It was a port city and was a center of worship for Artemis and the Emperors. Paul lived there longer than any other city where he planted churches, about 3 years.

Exegesis

I am following the suggested sermon texts that coincide wit your study of YES!. I thought this was an oddly chosen text because the verses are not the complete idea that Paul was trying to express. You really have to go back to verse 7 to understand what he is talking about. Lets take a quick look at verse 7

Ephesians 4:7 NRSV

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Ephesians 4:7–10 NRSV

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)

If Paul had not quoted the Psalm in verse 8 through 10, this would have read better. We now know by going back to verse 7 that the gifts he is talking about are spiritual gifts, given by God’s charis or grace. But the gifts are not gifts like we looked at last week, these are more like offices. A type of office given for the edification of the body. Let’s look at verse 7 straight into 11.

1 The New Revised Standard Version Unity in the Body of Christ

7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers . . .

Without the Psalm getting in the way, it becomes much clearer that Paul is talking about spiritual gifts, but in a different way than in Corinthians. He is talking about offices in the church: apostle, prophet, evangelist and pastor/teacher. Pastor teacher seems to be one office. Let’s take a quick look at these in the context of the first century. This come from the NIV Application Commentary:

These are all roles that proclaim the faith:

Apostle: one who walked and talked with jesus and witnessed the resurrected Jesus. Also came to be a leader of the church.

Prophets, they traveled about, those who spoke a word from God “thus saith the Lord”

Evangelists, they traveled about too, but we know little about them, primary activity was with unbelievers proclaiming the gospel and its relevance.

Pastor/Teacher, or more accurately, teaching shepherds, served the local church and were compensated by the local church.

Paul goes on to say these office are given, once again for the edification of the body. But he gets even more specific. They are to unify and to grow the disciples. These are people given to people. These are people who helped others mature as disciples so people’s beliefs would not be “blown about.” They helped people grow into Christ, even better, they helped the body grow into the body! They are the ligaments that hold the body together.

Paul actually use a Greek medical term here for the word we translate as equip. The greek word actually means to set a bone. It really means to grow in Christ we must “align” ourselves with God’s intentions, not be tossed about every wind of doctrine! This is maturity or growing into Christ likeness.

Pul also says that is “until all of us come to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God” and “we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” that way this is worded seems to indicate that this is a process that will not be complete till Jesus returns.

Well, what does all this mean for us? Not much different than it meant for the Ephesians.

Application

We need to be intentional and deliberate in growing our faith. We are gifts to each other in this process. If you think all salvation is about is getting a ticket stamped to heaven and get out of this place ASAP, you are mistaken. This is a process that answers the question, “What am I saved for?” We are given gifts to educate and to grow each other. The offices Paul lists here are not quite the same as they were 2000 years ago.

Today an apostle is one that is an ambassador for Jesus. We do not stay disciples we graduate into apostleship. Simply put a discipleship process can be this: Invite, grow, send. The send part is when the disciple is sent forth and becomes an apostle.

A prophet today is not so much a seer as he or she is a preacher or one that preaches. We have people that preach that are not Pastors—that’s another office. a prophet brings a word from God.

An Evangelist is one that works to introduce non believers to Christ.

A Pastor is one that shepherds a flock, not much different. He or she also teaches and also is a prophet and apostle. Pastors in the church today have all these offices, just as Paul held all these offices.

And of course we have folks that teach that do not do any of the above.

The offices may be somewhat different today, but the still do the same thing. They exist to help us “grow in every way” into Jesus Christ. If you have this or these gifts and you are not employing them in the body of Christ, you are causing dis-unity. You are causing dis-unity because you are not saying YES! to God’s call and you are not equipping the saints as so the come to the unity of faith. You are not just letting God down, but you are letting your brother and sister down as well. Paul says the people that posses this gifts are the ligaments that hold the body together. Growth depends on each part working properly and together. If one part fails to function, growth is stunted. The author does not envisage numerous bodies with individual growth patterns, as in a school of fish or a gaggle of geese. There is only one body: it can grow, stagnate, or die. You see we are all ministers and we all share ministry. This is necessary for the growth of the body.

You see we are all ministers and we all share ministry.

We need each other and each others gifts to:

Philippians 2:12 NRSV

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Phil

We offer encouragement to each other, build up each other in love, challenge each other to keep our motives Christ centered, This can’t be done in worship, it is done in small groups: Sunday school, Bible studies and prayer groups. if you do not participate in any of these, or don’t know anything about them here they are (bulletin)

What we are talking about is the process of sanctification. Sanctification is responding to the grace offered by God to transform and become more and more Christ like, or Holy, in our thoughts and actions. Wesley said we needed to employ the means of grace to do this: worship, Bible Study, prayer, fasting, and small groups. Be intentional about following Jesus.

Video

When Clay was in the early elementary grade, K through probably the third grade he collected a number of small cars and machinery called micro machines. These were very tiny "matchbox" cars. These little cars had carrying cases and little towns that you could drive them around in. Some of these little cars were transformers. In other words you could "unfold" the car and it would transform into a robot. Suddenly this little car became something entirely different with the aid of the person who "unfolded" it. Once transformed this little toy had a much different effect on the little town then it did as a simple little car.

Our transformation effects those around us. A transformed life speaks louder than any sermon. it you and me and you and you and you. Its unity in love. it is working out our salvation together. It’s what were’ saved for . . .