Ephesians 4:12-16

Introduction

The offices of Apostle, prophet, evangelist and pastor/teacher were given for the purpose of equipping the saints for work of ministry.

Saints — Those that belong to God.

Ministry — Ministry is what we are all called to do together. This is not “the ministry” or what clergy do on a regular basis. This is the ministry of the church…each one of us together.

The word, translated here, “ministry” originally meant to serve at a table. It meant things like: providing food, waiting tables, meeting physical needs of those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or in prison, delivering famine relief money, serving as a deacon and proclaiming the word of God.

Ministry meant, “to render assistance or help by performing certain duties, often humble or menial in nature.”

Two-thirds of the 66 times this word is used in the NT have to do with the meeting of physical needs. The right focus then is to stop thinking of ministry as serving the church program and start thinking about it in terms of serving the needs of people and proclaiming the word of God.

So the primary work of the four previously mentioned offices was to prepare the people of God to serve then needs of others and proclaim the word of God as they did so.

Service or ministry is necessary if we are to grow in our relationship with Christ. When the body begins to serve it begins to grow up in Jesus. Spiritual maturity happens in our service to Christ and others in the name of Christ.

“So long as the saints are merely consumers of the program and product of the church, they will remain immature and selfish.” Boles, K. L. (1993). Galatians & Ephesians (Eph 4:12). Joplin, MO: College Press.

So this is the goal of our preparation…service and growth. This leaves us to answer the question…What does it mean to be prepared?

The Process: Unity of Faith, Knowledge of the Son of God Resulting into Mature Manhood to the Measure of the Full Stature of Christ

Until we reach the goal mentioned in our passage (becoming like Jesus), the four offices of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist and pastor/teacher operate on our behalf. The goal is that we might have...

Unity of Faith — That we would have a strong sense of trust and confidence in God.

Knowledge of God — To have full, accurate and true knowledge of God informing our faith.

The plan is that the unity of faith and knowledge of God would work together to produce...

Mature Manhood, Meaning We have Attained to the Full Stature of Christ — Complete conformity to Christ. To be like Jesus.

This is what God wants for all of us individually but is a process accomplished in the church. God wants us to grow together into the likeness of Jesus.

How the Process Happens (Marks of Maturity)

Doctrinal Stability — We are no longer gullible. We are no longer like a ship on the sea, helpless in the midst of the shifting currents and tides of the day.

Spiritual maturity means being grounded in the truth of God’s Word. You don’t have to know every heresy and error ever conceived in the heart of man. You just need to know the truth and you will spot the error right off.

The mature man or woman of God is one who knows the truth, can spot the error and isn’t shaken by those who claim to have an enlightened mind or new revelation.

Culture will challenge the truth of Christ. “Enlightened” man will challenge the truth of the Gospel…the truth of God’s Word. But, we are not easy prey to the peddlers of religious fads or heresies.

The Apostles preserved the truth, Prophets proclaim it, evangelists share it and the pastor/teachers explain and apply it so we might stand in the truth of what God has said is true.

It is so important to always be in a Bible believing, preaching church. A church anchored to the truth preached by Jesus and preserved by the Apostles.

It is so important to be in God’s Word, reading good commentary and Bible studies. The pastor/teachers in your life are meant to be your guide and help in the process of achieving doctrinal stability.

Speaking the Truth in Love — This is the second step in living our faith and becoming like Jesus.

“Speaking the truth” is the translation of a single Greek word which has been interpreted in many ways including: holding the truth, maintaining the truth, living the truth or speaking truth.

Paul means here that sound teaching should be “held, handled and lived in a loving spirit.”

We have the truth, believe the truth, trust the truth and now we see that we are meant to speak and live the truth but to always do so in love!

Love — A sincere concern, high regard or appreciation of someone. To love them.

We handle the truth in love for the benefits of our brothers and sisters in Christ and the lost world around us. How we live, handle and speak the truth of God for His glory and the building up of His Kingdom.

As we do this we grow up into Christ. We become like Jesus. Most people think of this in terms of knowledge, faith, morality and meekness.

Certainly being like Jesus means we have knowledge of the truth, faith in God and are holy. But being like Jesus is so much more than just these...

The Crowning Moment of Our Growth in Christ

Stay in Your Lane and Do Your Part (Service (Ministry) — This is the crowning moment of our growth. It is how we most demonstrate our Christ likeness.

We don’t become like Jesus so that we can stand around and be admired for our moral, ethical and spiritual achievement. We become like Jesus so that we can be like Him, live like Him and serve.

John 13:13-17

John 13:13–17 CSB

You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

This was the example of Christ. He served us! Now, as we become like Him we will serve His Body, the church.

Mark 10:45

Mark 10:45 CSB

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Know Your Thing — What is it that you do well which could be made to serve the Body of Christ and its ministry to the world? Ask God to show you as you grow up in Him. He will do it!

Do Your Thing — Get busy serving. Do the works of ministry that you have been prepared to do. Love the Body and others well with a mature faith and knowledge of God and His purpose for your life.

Remember the definition of “ministry” we talked about in the beginning of the sermon today. It means providing food, waiting tables, meeting physical needs of those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or in prison, delivering famine relief money, serving as a deacon and proclaiming the word of God.

Some of you men are stuck in the idea that ministry means being a preacher, missionary or worship leader. That it only means teaching, praying, preaching, studying.

Certainly we should study and pray but God created all of us with a multitude of gifts and abilities. It is time to use them in a way to love Jesus, others and grow God’s Kingdom.

Could it be that God made you a great fisherman, hunter or tennis pro for a purpose? A mechanic, carpenter, plumber, electrician, mathematician, gardener, handyman, jack of all trades for a purpose? The answer is yes!!!

What young man might you be pouring into today? What man might you impact as you hunt, fish and talk of the things of God? What would such a friendship produce over the long haul?

What widow might you love, bless and help by your service? Whose grass could you mow, bathroom could you redo or mailbox repair and show the love, compassion and servant’s heart of Jesus?

What about Six Stones? Who among us might go together and serve the least among the people of HEB? The poor, hurting and hungry? Who will give their time with Steve?

Could we take a Saturday morning and just change oil in cars that sign up for service? Could we change air filters and light filters for the aged…not just in our church but in our community at large?

Some of you old timers who can’t get around well…Who might you call this week? Who could you send a card to or visit? You are here and a part of the Body…we are growing with you in Christ. We need you.

How can we show the love of Christ? How can we serve? This is what it means to be in the ministry…and we are all in the ministry of God’s church.

Together we are meant to know our faith, have faith and live our faith…serving and loving others with the truth of God so the Kingdom of God might grow.

Conclusion

The imagery here is important because it conveys a very important spiritual truth. We are the Body and Christ is our head. The body grows together. Each of us have a part in the growth of the Body. If one part of the body is stunted in its growth the entire body suffers.

We are all joined together in Christ. We were never meant to do faith alone as an individual. We were all meant to live our faith together as the church.

Think of Paul’s imagery here again — What if the joint in the knee simply stopped growing at age 4? The leg would cease any meaningful function. There could be no walking, running or comfortable moving about. The efficiency of the leg is lost and made practically useless and the body suffers terrible loss.

We need each other. We are meant to do things together and YOUR part is important.

We need your ideas, passion and zeal. It is no longer ok for everything to come “from the top.” I am simply called to prepare you guys…you guys are the ones doing the work.

Who is next up? Patti and Ken came with ESL. Beverly came with the idea for Grief-share. What has God laid on the hearts of our men? How has God grown you up, inspired you and led you to a ministry for His work?