The Blessed Church Working Together

Ephesians 4:1–16 NKJV

1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of 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 you all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” 9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

ePH: 4:

-16

ROWING IS A GRUWLING SPORT ONE THAT TAKES TIME EFFORT, HARMONY IF YOU WILL. BUT ONCE THE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM GET IN SYNC ITS A AWESOME SIGHT TO SEE. EVERYONE IN SYNC THE ROWING SEEMS ALMOST EFORRTLESS THE BOAT SEEMINGLY GLIDING ACROSS THE WATER.

THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS, PAUL FOCUSES ON THE INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL OF THE CHURCH TO EXPRESS GODS FULLNESS IN THE WORLD. LETS LOOK AT WHAT PAUL SAYS HERE

Ephesians 1:19–23 NKJV

19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

EPH

HE TELLS US HERE THAT

Ephesians 3:10 NKJV

10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,

PAUL TELLS US HERE THAT IT IS GODS ETERNAL PLAN TO REVEAL HIS WISDOM THROUGH THE CHURCH AND THAT HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED THIS BY HIM SENDING HIS SON JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

PERHAPS YOU ARE WONDERING HOW GOD CAN ACCOMPLISH SUCH A LOFTY GOAL THROUGH OUR CHURCH. THE ANSWER IS THAT HE GIVES US THE GIFTS TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION TOGETHER THAT WHO WORK TOGETHER WILL CAUSE THE BODY TO GROW UP TO BE HEALTHY TO BECOME WHAT GOD HAS ANOINTED US TO BE.

UNITY IS THE FOUNDATION FROM THE KINGDOM SERVICE

PAUL BEGINS FOR WITH A PLEA A PLEA FOR BELIEVERS TO LIVE WORTHY TO THEIR CALLING. GOD THE FATHER SENT HIS ONLY SON TO REDEEM US AN TO CALL US INTO COMMUNITY, IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE LIVE WORTHY OF THAT CALLING. THAT WE TREAT IS AS THE GIFT IT WAS THE GREATEST GIFT OF OUR ENTIRE LIFETIMES!

VS 2 & 3 REMIND US OF THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. Paul IS CALLING FOR THE BELIEVER THAT MANIFEST THE CHARACTER OF Christ!

Galatians 5:16–25 NKJV

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:6 NKJV

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

:16-

WE ARE TO LIVE A LIFE THAT GLORIFY THE KING

AND BY WORKING TOGETHER TO GLORIFY THE KINGDOM

7 SEVEN LAYER ROPE IS MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN A SINGLE STRAND OF CORD.

ONE BODY/ONE SPIRIT ....... ONE HOPE OF YOUR CALLING V4. ..... SPEAKS TO OUR CALLING OF INCORPORATION INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BY VIRTUE OF OUR REDEMPTION

ONE LORD ONE FAITH >>>> ONE RECALLS THE MOMENT WERE THEY AS A BELIEVER CONFESSED CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR

A REFERENCE TO THE ONE TRUE TRIUNE GOD WHOS ONENESS IS THE BASIS FOR OUR UNITY TO MUCH IS AT STEAK TO ALLOW PETTY DIFFERENCES TO CREATE DIVISION UNITY IS THE NECESSARY FOUNDATION FOR THE EXERCISE OF DIVERSE GIFTS WITHIN THE BODY

2. THE EXALTED KING GIFTS HIS CHURCH

THE EMPHASIS ON CHRIST AS THE GIVER OF THE GIFTS IS UNIQUE TO THIS LETTER. PAUL HERE DEMONSTRATING THAT THE ALL-SUFFICIENT CHRIST HAS, BY VIRTUE OF HIS RESURRECTION AND GLORIOUS ASSENTION MADE HIS CHURCH SUFFICIENT IN ALL TASKS

BUT HOW DOES CHRIST EMPOWER HIS CHURCH?

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE BUT PROFOUND HE SENT HIS SPIRIT TO US WHO GIVES US SPIRITUAL GIFTS TO MEN TO WOMAN AND THEN HE GIVES THEM TO THE CHURCH HE DOES THIS BY PLACING CERTAIN PEOPLE IN CERTAIN CHURCHES TO ACHIEVE HIS WILL. THIS SINGLE TRUTH THAT GOD CALLS EACH OF US HERE FOR A PURPOSE A PURPOSE OF HIS CHURCH SHOULD CAUSE YOU TO SHED ANY LETHARGY YOU ONCE HAD PLAYING CHURCH LIKE A SPECTATOR SPORT. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ON THAT ROW BOAT ONLY THE LET SIDE DID ALL THE WORK THE BOAT WOULD GO IN CIRCLES NEVER REACHING ITS FINAL DESTINATION.

LETS NOT GO IN CIRCLES WE ARE GROWING SOMETHING GREAT HERE SOMETHING THAT WILL REACH MAY PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE I REALLY BELIEVE THAT BUT TO GET THERE ITS GOING TO TAKE WORK DEDICATION AND FOR SOME TO STEP OUT FROM THEIR COMFORT ZONE.

GOD HASNT CALLED US TO BE COMFORTABLE LOOK AT PAUL WAS HE, LOOK AT PETER WAS HE LOOK AT OUR PRECIOUS LORD WAS HE COMFORTABLE. NO THEY WERE ACTIVE THERE HANDS WERE IN THE DIRT THEY HAD BLOOD IN THE GAME

WE ARE SAVED TO SERVE THE KING THROUGH HIS BODY AND HE HAS REDEEMED AND GIFTED US FOR THIS TASK. IT IS BOTH A CHALLENGE BUT WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO SERVE THE KING

3.GIFTED LEADERS EQUIP GIFTED MEMBERS FOR SERVICE VS. 11-12

THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH HAD NO ARTIFICIAL DISTINCTIONS SUCH AS CLERGY BUT WHAT WE SEE IS THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE GIFTED WITH LEADERSHIP ABILITIES

THE APOSTLES THE PROFITS THE EVANGELIST PASTORS THE TEACHERS SO THAT THEY COULD TEACH TRAIN AND EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF SERVICE

PAULS EMPHASIS ON LEADERSHIP FOR DECLARATION GIFTS IN THIS EPISTLE WAS PROMPTED TO BY THE HISTORICAL SITUATION THAT LED HIM TO WRITE EPHESIANS AND COLOSSIANS

THE HERESY WAS SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE REGION LIKE A WILDFIRE IT THREATENED THE CHURCH IT QUESTIONED THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRIST IN THAT THE UNIQUENESS OF THE CHURCH

ARE WE NOT BACK HERE TODAY SOME CALLING JESUS A MERE MYTHE A HISTORICAL MAN WITH NO IMPACT THAT HE IS ONLY A WAY NOT THE ONLY WAY THAT THE CHURCH IS INEFFECTIVE THAT ITS FILLED WITH HYPACRYTES

THE ARGUMENT HASNT SEEMED TO CHANGE MUCH IN ALL THESE YEARS.

iF JESUS IS NOT THE ONE AND ONLY WAY THE ONLY SAVIOUR THE CHURCH HAS NO REAL POWER .

HOWEVER SINCE JESUS IS UNIQUELY GODS SON AND OUR REDEEMER

HE STANDS ABOVE ALL OTHERS HIS CHURCH STANDS APART DESIGNED TO ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM UNTIL HIS RETURN

WE ARE A TEAM WE NEED EACH OTHER IN GOOD TIME IN THE HARD TIMES WE ARE A FAMILY WE NEED EACH OTHERS GIFTS IF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO GLORIFY THE KINGDOMS PURPOSE

THERE ARE NO SPECTATORS IN A PERFECTLY ROWING TEAM EITHER SHALL THERE BE IN HIS CHURCH!

4. GIFTED TEAMWORK BUILDS THE CHURCH

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE PUT ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES WE ALLOWED ONE ANOTHER TO UTILIZE THEIR GIFT FULLY AT THE KINGS DIRECTION?

iN VS 12 PAUL TELLS US THE RESULT WOULD BE, “BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST”

IN OTHER WORDS GOD HAD CHOSEN YOU HIS GIFTED CHILD TO ACCOMPLISH HIS KINGDOM THROUGH THE BUILDING OF HIS CHURCH.

THIS IN NOT ONLY A NUMERICAL GROWTH THIS IS FUNDAMENTAL BUT IT IS A MULTI FACETED GROWTH IN ALL AREAS OF ONES LIFE SPIRITUAL GROWTH, RELATIONAL GROWTH, NUMERICAL GROWTH

IT WILL IMPACT EVERY AREA OF THE CHURCH’S LIFE

THE RESULTS THERE IN VS 13-15

READ

WE ARE ALL PARTS OF THE BODY THROUGH WHOM GOD HAS CHOSEN TO MANIFEST HIS SUPERNATURAL POWER ON EARTH THROUGH HIS GROWTH OF HIS CHURCH. THERE IS TOO MUCH AT STAKE TO PLAY CHURCH!

DO YOU KNOW YOUR PLACE IN HIS BODY ARE YOU SERVING ACCORDING TO YOUR GIFTS?

TAKE TIME TO REFLECT WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP GROW THE kINGDOM