The Calls of the Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Dismiss Children
Good morning everyone and thank you for worshipping at Liberty today. My name is Dustin and I have the privelage of being the Lead Pastor here at Liberty.
Great vacation last week. I’m so thankful for the team that serves here at Liberty where I can go away and know that things are cared for.
I heard our teens did an amazing job on Wednesday night. What a wonderful thing it is to be apart of a church that supports young people serving the Lord and has a desire to connect with them.
What a blessing you that came out for that were to them and those who lead that ministry. I’m grateful for all of you who are willing to give of your time to grow in the Word on Wednesday nights and be apart of what we do as a church whether it serves you or not. Because being a Christian isnt about us being served, it’s about us serving others.
Being apart of a church isn’t about how the church, the pastor, or the deacons can best serve us, it’s about how we can best serve each other.
Today we are going to look at Ephesians 4 as we continue in our gospel Story series. We are going to see the Gospel Calls of the church in this passage where Paul wrote from a Roman prison to a church he had planted on his missionary journeys.
He wrote this epistle around 62 AD and the overall purpose of the epistle is for the believers in Ephesus to understand the gifts of the spirit and how they should be used in their lives.
Lets’ dive in and discover the Gospel calls on the church
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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.
Eph 4:1-6
These first 6 verses are serving as a means of introduction for our message today.
Walk with me through these.
V.1 Paul identifies himself of a prisoner of the Lord because of his imprisonement being caused by his preaching of the gospel. It could also be understood as him being a servant of Christ. He is beseeching believers, beseeching means begging, pleading with, imploring them, to walk worthy of the calling that they have recived.
I believe we can see 3 calls in the verses ahead that this calling refers to. The primary call is that of salvation
verses 2-4 show us the secondary call of Submission
and 5-6 show us the call to sanctification
Those calls are explained in the following verses as Paul explains how to live out the calling that is on our lives with one another.
Christianity is not meant to be lived out privately. A Christian that doesn’t live out their faith among others is a Christian that isn’t living up to their calling.
Let’s look at that first calling together
I. The Call of Salvation
I. The Call of Salvation
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:7-10
Exegete:
In verse 7 Paul writes about the grace given to us according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
The gift of Christ that is given freely and recieved freely is the gift of salvation. The grace that is being spoken of here are the gifts that are given to us following salvation.
verses 8 quotes Psalm 68:18 where David is writing about the majesty and might of God.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; Yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
Psalm 68:18
Here again we see two different gifts. The first being gifts for men and the second being the gift of God’s presence.
The reference here is to the Israelites that were in captivity in Egypt. god took them captive in His will if you will by releasing them to be free and living for Him.
He called them out of bondage and into a loving relationship with Him as their God and them as their people.
The Israelites were God’s people, not because of anything they had done. God had chosen Abraham to be the father of a great nation that would represent Him on earth.
Abraham had no interview or pre requisites put on him for him to be the father of the nation, just the grace of God.
God knowing all that Abraham and the nation of Israel would do tto Him and how they would go against Him he still called them to salvation.
Illustrate:
There are a lot of companies hiring now. You see the signs up all over the place.
Whats something you have to do when you are going to get a job?
Resume, Job interview, etc.
Would you hire someone you never interviewed or read a resume about?
The guy who helped make our mugs in the foyer is hiring for a blacksmith position. He needs someone withe xprience that won’t need training. He needs someone tha won’t really mess up or need him.
Now, I have absolutely no experience at that. If I went to Brian there is no reason he should hire me. I’ve never forged anything in my life.
What if he called me though and said “Hey Dustin I want you to do it.”
You would call him crazy? Why? Becuse he knows nothing about me.
God knows everything about you, he knows the sin you have committed and will commit yet he willling send his Son to die for you and is calling you to salvation.
Apply:
Some may say that call is only for an elect or a select few. I reject those claims based on
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:13
and
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
Salvation is available for all and God is calling you today
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
2 Cor 6:2
When you have accepted the call of Salvation, you then have
II. The Call of Submission
II. The Call of Submission
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:11-12
Exegete:
In these two verses Paul gives a description of some of the roles of those in the church and the reason for them.
Apostles were those men who were with Christ. There are no Apostles alive today. These men were commissioned by Christ himself to take the gospel and prove this new revelation from God with sign gifts.
We could understand Apostles to be church planters. People who plant churches, call a pastor, and move on lilke the Apostle Paul did but there is still no special gifting today as there was with the 12 Apostles with Christ.
Prophets-These are not prophets like you think of in the old Testament. I’m a prophet. I’m a forthtelling prophet. I preach the word of God making application for us to better understand God’s will for us.
Evangelilsts- The idea of an evangelist has morphed over time. Now it is someone who travels and preaches. I’m not opposed to people doing that however based on a literal understanding of the meaning of the greek word, an evangelist is anyone who preaches the gospel. Anyone who tells others about Jesus.
Pastors- When we read this we think of a person in my role. That is not always the case. The reference to pastoring here is shepherding. Not all who serve in the position of Pastor have this gift of shepherding. Now should they. Remember, these gifts are given to the entire body of Christ, not a select few. Many of you have a more compassionate and shepherding heart than myself and other pastors I know.
Teachers- This one is pretty self explanatory, a person that enjoys and is good at teaching the Bible to others.
All of these different roles were given to the church. Why? These gifts of grace are meant for each person to use for the “perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry.
How is this a call to submission?
First, we must submit to the Lord to use these gifts.
Second, we must submit to the others with those gifts.
Third, we must accept that not one single person accepts all these gifts and we should work together for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry.
What does that mean, what does that look like?
Illustrate:
I watched a movie recently with our family called home team on netflix. Cute and funny movie.
It’s about Sean Payton, the New Orleans Saints football coach being suspended for paying players to injure others. During his suspension he goes home and becomes an offensive coordinator/head coach for his sons team.
Within a couple games he moves the QB to the running bck position and a defensive back to the full back position.
Why? The kid playing quarterback was quick, evasive, and a fast runnner. However he consistently overthrew his recievers. He couldn’t pass the ball for nothing.
The kid playing a linebacker position didn’t like tackeling or getting hit. He was big and would actively seek to not get hit by other players.
He made this move and the team won games. However, the parents were irate. Why? because they thought there kids should be playing the other position..
As Christians we can find ourselves in a situation like this. When it comes to serving in the church and serving the community through the church, we are all not meant to be the shepherding and caring ones. For some of you, the thoughts of being at a hospital bed are terrible. For others, you get great joy being that shepherding and caring person for others.
Some of you hate the idea of having to do public speaking. Others, like myself, don’t mind it. I love it.
If we are not submissive to the Lord in serving where He has gifted us we are not answering the call to submission.
If we are getting upset with someone for not being a shepherd or a prophet when that is now how God has made them. We are not answering the calll to submission.
Sometimes you may find yourself in a position where you are not gifted. Get out of it and get into one that is. How will you know if your gifted? How will you know if thats where you need to be? It will be apparent to those around you more than it will you.
Ever meet someone that can’t sing but loves to sing?
What about someone who likes to go golfing but is terrible at the game of golf?
Same concept.
Apply:
As New Testament believers must be willing to submit to how God gifted us, wiling to accept others gifting and not try to do it all on our own, and not get upset if someone tries to help us see our love and our gift are not the same.
Why? because we are bad at what we do and need to be replaced? Nope.
becuase when we aree submitted to God in this way we are truly doing it for the perfecting, or edifyinng, of the saints. For the building up and growing of others so tthat we may bemost succesful in the work of the minnistry.
What is the work of the ministry? The ministry is about serving people so that they may grow closer to God in their walk and do the same for others. You may help with that by cleaning toilets or by preaching on Sunday. You may help with that by being apart of our care team or by being apart of our greeting team.
Whatever God has made you for you should submit to Him and do it.
III. The Call of Sanctification
III. The Call of Sanctification
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Eph 4:13-16
Exegete:
This last portion speaks to our growth as Christians. That’s what the word sanctification means. It is how we are becoming more like Christ.
not children tossed to and fro. We gain understand of scripture and know more about God so that we re decived by false teachers or the lies of the devil that come to us in the form of pride and anger.
We approach each person with love as we speak truth to them.
When we are growing ourselves we are able to grow others.
It was great to be able to teach in our leadership development seminar on the 2nd Sunday of each month how growing leaders grow leaders. And as we grow, and as we disciple people we should be seeking to disciple them into our role if that is their gifting. There should be few greater joys for our teachers than when they have discipled someone to be able to take over their class or switch with them.
Discipleship is not just about a transfer of information. It is the development of a relationship that should lead to growth in both the lives of the discipler and disciplee.
The call of sanctifcation is a call for us to grow ourselves and grow others.
Illustrate:
Have one person come up. This person is a mature believer. They have been saved for years and know lots of scripture. They serve in a ministry at the church.
This person is a new belliever.
This person is unsaved.
Now, what if the mature believer found their ideentity in their ministry. Maybe it was Rick’s favorite ministry “The lladies coat ministry.” They beleived they shouldl never move from that position So they never tuaght anyone how to do it.
The new belilver comes in and has a passion for ladies coat ministry. But that’s what this person does. So instead of developing a relationship and working together with th enew beleiver the mature believer shunns them and pushes them away. Now the ladies coat ministry needs more people becuase the church has grown. But we can’t get more peoplle becuase the mature believer will be offended. What do we do? Stop rpeaching the gospel to grow the church? Stop seeking people to serve?
NO. We disciple others to take our placee.
Now the new believer is on fire for God and goes and tells everyone about Christ. This one trust in Jesus and wants to grow. So the new believer takes them through a discipleship program and brings them to church. They serve together greeting or cleaning but the new beleiver is never finding joy in serving becuase they really love ladies coat ministry.
So now the new believer ends up leaving to somewhere they can grow and serve in ladies coat ministry.
The newer believer that was saved doesn’t find joy in serving without theeir friend so they leave too.
Now this is a shallow illustration. A deeper one would be a mature beliver that won’t pass on their faith or knowlege to a younger generation because they don’t act like, talk like, or look like them.
Or because they do things differently.
What ultimately happens if we are not obedient to the call of sanctification? We find ourselves disobedient to the great commission, we find ourselves a stumbling block to other bellievers and the work of the ministry.
Apply:
What does it look like for you to answer the call of sanctification? How do you need to be growing? What steps of growth do you need to take thsi week? more time in the Word? More time in prayer?
Better yet, are you needing to engage others in love by praying with them or talking with them about Jesus. Do you need to disciple someone to be a teacher, greeter, ladies coat ministry worker?
Do you need to enngage someone younger in the faith than you to help them grow closer to God?
Wherever you are, I challenge you this morning, answer the call to sanctification so that you don’t find yourself disobedient to the Lord or a stumbling block to the work of the ministry.
Time of response
Time of response
Which call do you need to answer today?
The call of Salvation? The call of Submission? The call of sanctification?