Body Building by Fanning the Flames

Ephesians 4:7–13 ESV

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 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,

Secular vs. Biblical Body Building

One secular definition is

Bodybuilding is the process of developing muscle fibers through the combination of weight training, increased caloric intake, and rest.

Someone who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder.

Someone you may know who has done this is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A biblical definition of body building is this

The building of the body of Christ involves more than aesthetics and focuses more on functionality.

Leaders are to train others in the church to serve others. In addition, ministry is "work." It involves expending energy and placing the needs of others first. Ministry is difficult to do from a distance, because personal involvement is required in order to have the greatest impact.

The reason church leaders are to train every believer to serve others is "for building up the body of Christ." In many modern churches, one pastor is expected to provide all or most of the ministry work for those in the congregation.

When this takes place, others do not use their spiritual gifts.

Before we were born again, our spirit was completely dead, cold, and empty. But when we believed in Christ, He as the life-giving Spirit came to be mingled with and live in our spirit. Our regenerated human spirit was ignited with the divine fire of the Spirit of God. The precious gift of God in us is our spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is the gift we must fan into flame.

2 Timothy 1:6 ESV

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,

Romans 12:11 ESV

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Campfire analogy

When the people do not serve, the congregation's growth stagnates.

Instead of allowing this to happen, church leaders are called on to focus on training others to serve.

Instead, I, as the leader, have to help others use and grow in their gift. As they grow, the body is built.

1 Timothy 4:15 ESV

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.

Philippians 1:9 ESV

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

Hebrews 5:12–14 ESV

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Romans 5:2–6 ESV

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Listen to that chain of progress.

What if we stopped with endurance? Many churches do.

I need to fan into flames the gift in myself and in you.

When we fan into flames, when we exercise the gifts we have been given, then, in this way

In this way, every believer is growing in maturity and making disciples of others.

Recognizing a weak muscle

Alright, Then how do we do this?

Discover our strengths

What are we good at? What do we do well?

We are great at hospitality.

We are great at caring and compassion.

We are great at being family.

Fan these things into flame

Discover our weakness

Where do we struggle? Where do we need to improve?

We need to be better at spotting talent/gifts.

We need to be more rigorous in our accountablity for leaders and leadership.

We need to embrace the fact that we have been given everything we need as a church to function as a church.

We need to promote commitment not just attendance.

We need to embrace our new ministry field.

Fan new gifts into flame

When we begin to do this, we will discover our unity.

Discover our unity

Ephesians 4:3 ESV

eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Recognizing our own gifts is to know our strengths.

Ephesians 4:1 ESV

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

Recognizing someone else’s gifting/calling requires that we recognize our weaknesses.

Nothing makes me more appreciative of Mark and Rick than realizing that youth and worship pastoring, are not my calling or gifting.

Could I do them? Yes if need be for a time. But, we want someone in that role that is called and gifted, not just able.

1 Timothy 5:17 ESV

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

Ephesians 4:2–3 ESV

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Verse 11 makes it clear that there was (and continues to be) a definite diversity in the kinds of men that Christ gives to lead his churches. Indeed, even within a group of men who are called to the very same office, there will usually be a wide variety of gifts and abilities. The same is also true in the church at large (v. 7): “To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

Opening Up Ephesians Our Diversity of Spiritual Gifts (vv. 7–13)

In fact, like the diversity among apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers, so the gifts that exist in the church at large are widely diverse. Each member of the church, like the individual joints in the human body (v. 16), has a unique role to play.

Kurt Strassner, Opening up Ephesians, Opening up Commentary (Leominster: Day One, 2014), 89.

Puzzle pieces

Guts and butts

I am here because God called me here. He called me here to equip the saints of Fairlawn for the work of the ministry.

Ephesians 4:12 ESV

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

The end goal is for us all

Ephesians 4:13 ESV

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,

As we build others up, we build up the body of Christ.