Discipleshp Equipping (Diversity)
Discipleship: Equipping the Disciples • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 55:15
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Equipping disciples for ministry
Equipping disciples for ministry
Our series as you know by now is based of (Eph5:11-16). To help the church know the important work and the function of the body in the work of ministry (service).
Our theme passage
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
We are a body with many parts (1Cor12:12). We are going to touch on that and many other passages tonight, but a few reminders.
God’s equipping provided for providential necessity
God’s equipping provided for practical necessity
We want this place to be a place that we “grow together” spiritually, numerically, financially and in service to one another and our community. We want the disciples to know and understand the necessity and the opportunities available for service.
Now, I cannot be remiss we cannot be a everyone do it this way congregation, we are a diverse people and God did not save us to make us robots, but to be disciples serving Him, worshipping Him. We cannot fit people into a mold, yes there is a plan for salvation, then comes the growing together part. There are things for us to consider as a body of believers, as disciples about the diversity and function of the body. Tonight we are looking at:
The body has many members
The body has many functions
Every function within body is needed.
Body has many members
Body has many members
We were created by God, in image of God, to worship God and to serve God. Today we serve God as the temple of God that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are many parts making up one body, the church.
The body is not one member, but one body (1Cor12:12-14)
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
Many members in one body (Rom12:4-5)
4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
(Transition) I think you get the point that the physical body and the body of the church are comprised of many parts for one body. This leads us to our next point.
Body has many functions
Body has many functions
God created us as individually but created us to be work together. Our work together is not in uniformity (the same) but in conformity to what God called and equipped us to do.
Many parts, many functions (Rom12:5-8)
God has given us His grace by faith in Christ Jesus (Eph2:8) and that measure of faith that is given to us (Rom12:3) is for the common good of the body, to fulfill it’s function within the body. Check out this passage
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
We are members of one another, individual members of one another that have differing gifts. Notice (v.6) it says that we are to each to exercise them accordingly.
7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
All members do not have the same function, all members do not have the same equipping. we all have the equipping by the grace given to us. We just read some of the equipping and the diversity of the equipping.
Many functions one body (1Cor12:18-19, 25-30)
We looked at (1Cor12:12-14) a little while ago, from there Paul expounded on tht not are all the same (eye, hand, ear, etc) and all are needed (vv.15-17) and that leads to our next scripture
18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?
God places us, God equips us as He desires. And collectively we make up one body (v.20). Then jump down some to (v.25) with me.
25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
May we all work together, serve together, and yes even feel joy and sorrow, suffering together, for we were created that way to do it together. (i.e. Ecc4:9-12) we are stronger that way!
27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
YOU ARE CHRISTS BODY! and it started with God’s gift to the church, Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, the miraculous gifts that the foundation of the church was built on.
And then pressing on in context
29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?
Differing gifts! There were foundational gifts and there are functional gifts built on the foundational.
So, we need to remember to be good stewards of the gifts.
So be a good steward of God’s grace (1Pt4:10-11)
10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
These differing gifts are for serving one another as a good steward of the manifold grace of God.
All done with purpose that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ!
(Insert Grasp this PowerPoint Here)
Please grasp the concept, the biblical concept that we are individuals that make up the whole. when we do not grasp this it can be very detrimental.
To our spiritual growth personally when we think we are to be alike. To do what we are not called or equipped to do. This can lead to discouragement or detachment from the body and even create apathy and desire not to serve the body at all.
To our spiritual and physical growth as the body, the body of Christ. We were designed to fulfil God’s desire in several functions such as Evangelism, Edification and Benevolence. If we all do the same thing, or are expected to do the same thing there are other important functions left undone.
(Transition): Now this leads to a tying everything together regarding the diversity of gifts and the importance of every part.
Every function needed!
Every function needed!
Everyone has a part to play in the body of Christ. Every part is needed, are you bringing your part?
All parts are important (1Cor12:15-20)
I know we have touched on some of this passage this morning but in trying to tie everything together with the diversity and necessity of the gifts being put into action I want to keep everything in context.
15 If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? 16 If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body?
17 If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? 18 As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.
19 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. 20 What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own.
Oh that is pretty graphic and yes that is from interpretive version, we already read a translation.
We are one body, many parts, proper size in proper place and all parts are needed and necessary.
All parts are necessary (1Cor12:21-22)
21 Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? 22 As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach.
I think Paul’s illustration in (vv.21.22) showing that it would be arrogant, out of place to think that we can get along without one another and still function as the body of Christ as He designed, equipped and called us to be.
So, beware we are one body, many parts, different parts to all serve the one body that Jesus Christ is the head of. We need to look to encourage one another (Heb10:24-25) to good deeds in the body and for the body.
(Insert spiritual-gifts-in-the body picture here)
There are challenges that we have as a body.
Challenges of ignorance: We don’t know our gifts
Challenges of faith: Don’t think God has gifted us eventhough scripture says differently
Challenges of understanding: Knowing our gifts, understanding our gifts and the purpose of our gifts
Challenges of deployment: Taking our God given graces, God given gifts and applying them for the good of the body.
Some reminders before we go.
(Below not on screen, leave the other spiritual gifts picture on the screen)
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
Our series, this part of it is about equipping, and starting to look at the equipping, the spiritual gifts (graces) given.
We need to know them and deploy them as it says
(This too below is not on the screen; leave the spiritual gifts picture on the screen)
10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
There are within the gifts listed a variety of applications and as we continue this discipleship series and 2021 grow together year may we grow personally so we can grow collectively as the body of Christ.
(Insert What Am I Bringing to the Body PowerPoint here)
We are a diverse body, with diverse gifts, with diverse applications. We have to have the faith that God has given, god has equipped and know God wants us to use the God given gifts (graces) for His purpose and glory. The first gift is gift of Grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
(invitation- leave other slide up) Am I a part of the body? (expand) (Song) (Prayer) (Exit)