How Christ Gifts His Church

Well, if you have a copy of God's Word, would you please turn to Ephesians chapter 4.
Ephesians chapter 4. If you don't know where the book of Ephesians is in your Bible, in your New
Testament, a good helpful acronym, a good mnemonic to remember, General Electric Power Company.
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. If you're some of our students in our student
ministry, it's go eat popcorn. I much rather prefer General Electric Power Company, but that's
neither here nor there. Anyways. If you were here last week, you will remember that Pastor Bob
looked at Ephesians 4, 7-10, and hopefully you walked away with and encouraged by the grace gifts
that Christ, by nature of his victory on the cross, has procured for the church.
Hopefully you saw the connection between the procurement of the gifts and the victory that he
achieved on the cross. This week we'll be looking at Ephesians 4,
11-12 and the specific way that Christ distributes these gifts.
So last week again we looked at how Christ procured these gifts on the cross.
This week we're going to look at how he distributes those gifts. And before we read our passage
this morning, I want us to zoom out for just a second and provide a bit of context. It's at this
stage in the letter of Ephesians that Paul is relaying something very important for us.
He's communicating to the church in Ephesus God's design for the church.
So when we think of Ephesians 4, I want you to think of God's design for the church.
Those things should be synonymous in your minds. It's through this portion of the letter we see
how, first of all, how the church is to walk in unity, The second thing,
how the church is gifted. And the third thing, how the church grows. We see this in Ephesians
chapter 4. We've already seen how the church is to walk in unity in verses 1 through 6.
And as I said last week, we began to look at how the church is gifted in verses 7 through 12.
And in the coming weeks, we'll be shown how exactly the church is to grow.
This is Ephesians 4 in a nutshell. God's design for the church. And before we go to God's word
together this morning, let's spend some time in prayer.
Heavenly Father, we ask you to show us your wisdom from your word this morning.
Help us to listen intently and to apply directly.
Give us ears to hear and eyes to see the wonderful truth that you have for us.
Help us to see your glorious design for your church and how you have gifted and equipped each one
of us for the work of ministry. Amen. So this morning we'll pay close attention to verse 11 through
12, but I'm going to read the whole passage for us. So please stand with me as I read from God's
Word. I'll begin in verse 7 and read on down to verse 16.
The Word of the Lord says this. 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 descended into the lower regions,
the earth. He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens.
that he might fulfill 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. so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by
every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head,
into Christ, from which the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is
equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in
love. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever.
You may be seated.
So, what exactly is Paul intending to communicate here in verses 11 through 12?
If we're just focusing on these verses, what is Paul trying to relay to us, the modern church?
It is this, that Christ gifts the church with certain roles so that the saints can participate in
the work of ministry. Christ gifts the church with certain roles so that the saints can participate
in the work of ministry. In verses 7 through 10, we saw how Christ procured these gifts by his
victory on the cross. Now the text tells us that the risen and ascended Christ has distributed
these gifts by giving the church certain roles designed for the purposes of ministry.
So with that, my sermon is two points. Two very simple points. The gifts that Christ has procured
and distributed. are roles. The gifts are specific roles.
That's point one, verse 11. Point two, verse 12, the purpose of the gifts is to equip.
So let's first look at this first point, at the reality that Christ gifts his church with specific
roles. According to verse 11, Christ gifts his church with specific roles, and what's more,
these specific roles in question are outlined for us, laid out for us here.
In verse 11,
Christ gifts his church with apostles, prophets, evangelists,
shepherds, and teachers. Now, before I go on to distinguish and delineate each one of these roles,
I want to make a few observations on the list as a whole. I want to say a few things of what's true
of the whole list before I... and define what each one of these roles mean.
First, my first observation, notice how it is Christ himself who is supplying the church with these
roles. It is Christ himself who is supplying the church with these roles.
The resurrected and ascended Christ is the one who sovereignly ordains gifted men to occupy these
roles. He personally oversees the gifting of his church.
He personally ensures that the church's existence by continuing to gift certain men to occupy these
roles. The church does not go on without his constant attention in this matter.
Second, because it is Christ who is giving the church these roles, they are not...
one receives after having success in lower titles. The men occupying these roles did not climb the
corporate ladder to achieve them.
No. Remember, it is Christ gifting his church out of the abundance of his grace.
And it's out of the abundance of his grace that he gifts the church with men in these roles. He
calls them. He raises them up. He causes them to be qualified,
and they do nothing to deserve their own gifting. It's because of Christ's sovereign grace that he
raises up men into these roles.
Third, this is not an exhaustive list of spiritual gifts, but specific roles that Christ has given
the church to build up and maintain the church. This is not an exhaustive list of spiritual gifts.
In other words, there are other spiritual gifts not mentioned here that Christ gifts his church
with. If you look at Romans 12, 3-8, where things like service, exhortation,
generosity, leadership, and acts of mercy, these are all mentioned as bona fide spiritual gifts.
And on top of that, notice that he doesn't mention the two offices mentioned in 1 Timothy 3.
No mention of elders or Dinkins. That's not to devalue the importance of these offices,
but it is to highlight the prominent function. These roles here in Ephesians chapter 4,
these roles have a prominent function in establishing and building up God's church.
For example, when we read Ephesians 2.20, we learn that the apostles and the prophets are the
foundation for the church.
They're foundational to the establishment of the church.
Fourth thing to notice, every role in this list has something to do with God's word.
Do we notice that? Every role mentioned in this list has something to do with God's word.
Apostles are gifted and called to go and carry forth God's word. Prophets are gifted and called to
speak forth and proclaim God's word. Evangelists are gifted and called to preach the good news of
his word to the lost. Shepherds are gifted and called to care for and feed God's flock with his
word. And teachers, well, are gifted and called to what? To teach his word.
I think there's no coincidence that each one of these roles has something to do with God's word.
Because remember, the men occupying these roles are called to one purpose, to equip the saints.
And what do we learn about God's word in 2 Timothy 3? It says that all Scripture is breathed out by
God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, equipped, equipped for every good work.
So the men occupying these roles have been equipping the saints, and their tool for doing so has
always been, always been the Word of God. That's how God builds His church.
And what's more, the Word of God is used to conform the people of God into the Son of God.
We'll read more about that as we go through Ephesians 4. Clinton Arnold says this, Show me a man
who occupies one of these roles and does not equip the church with the Word of God. And I'll show
you a phony apostle, a phony prophet, a phony so on.
But this raises the question, who exactly are the gifted men occupying these roles?
Who exactly is an apostle today? Who exactly is a prophet today?
Can I suggest that before we answer the who questions, we have to answer the what questions.
So before we ask... who is an apostle, we have to first ask, what is an apostle?
Based on the Greek word apostello, which means to be sent out or commissioned,
an apostle, strictly speaking, is one who is sent out, commissioned,
to spread the word. They act as a messenger of sorts. Now, in the New Testament,
there are 12 capital A apostles, as well as Paul, who were eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ.
and they were given apostolic authority to write canonized scripture.
Our New Testament was written and composed by these capital A apostles.
And while the church today does not have capital A apostles, it does have apostles in the sense
that we send people out to spread the gospel, to be out on mission, and to plant churches.
Even though we call them missionaries or church planters, they are functioning as lowercase a
apostles when they're sent out and commissioned to make disciples and establish churches.
Think of where the church would be if Christ did not gift her with apostles.
If Christ did not raise up apostles, that the church would, by and large, remain in one place.
If Christ did not gift the church with apostles, it would by and large remain stagnant or ingrown.
And each one of us, if I'm applying this to us, each one of us are called to support the missionary
or dare I say apostolic efforts of the church. And we do this in one of two ways.
We either go ourselves or we send. We either go or send.
We are the ones going out on mission, we're the commissioned ones, or we send out commissioned
ones. We send out apostles. This is how we aid in the missionary effort of the church.
Because Christ is unwavering in his grace to give us ones who are called to go forth,
we must be faithful to send out.
And again, we either send apostles or we are the apostles being sent out.
So, Redeemer Community Church, when was the last time we sent out a missionary? When was the last
time we sent out a church planter? One of the many reasons why Matt and I went to Scotland was to
explore ways we can be involved in the church planting efforts there overseas.
It's because we recognize the importance of Christ gifting his church with apostles.
Now, we may not call them apostles, but they perform apostolic functions when they go out with the
gospel.
But next we have prophets. And again, before we answer the question,
who is a prophet today? We have to answer the question, what is a prophet?
Fundamentally, the prophet, a prophet, is a mouthpiece. of the Lord. A prophet is a mouthpiece for
the Lord. They receive a message from God and they deliver it to a human audience. That's the
function a prophet has. And while no new prophecy exists today,
I believe preachers of God's Word fulfill a prophetic role when they faithfully deliver God's Word
to the church. All across the globe, as churches gather for Sunday morning,
preachers are being prophetic in how they boldly declare God's Word for His people.
And we can confidently assert that there aren't any new prophecies today because we know the canon
of Scripture has been closed. What God has intended to reveal about Himself,
what God has chosen to show us about Himself, that's all been laid up and stored in His Word.
That Word is final.
The church today does not need any more new prophecies pertaining to God.
What we do need and what Jesus graciously provides are prophets who faithfully deliver and preach
God's Word week in and week out.
So this morning, I may not be a prophet in the same sense that Jeremiah or Daniel was a prophet,
but each time someone climbs up on the stage and gets behind this pulpit and boldly declares to us
the Word of God, they are fulfilling and exercising a prophetic role.
A prophetic role that Christ has gifted the church.
Can you imagine if Christ did not bless us with prophetic preachers?
Imagine, just for a second. Can you envision yourself completely cut off from the preaching of
God's Word? Of course we can't. Because Christ has done this.
He's procured this gift of prophetic preaching and given it to His church for our instruction,
for our edification, for our encouragement.
But what about evangelists? What about evangelists? I know some of you may be thinking,
aren't we all called to be evangelists? Aren't we all called to evangelize? And if we're purely
looking at the Great Commission in Matthew 28, I would say you're right. That all of us,
on some level, some capacity, are called to preach the gospel and make disciples.
At some level, every believer is called to share the gospel and be an evangelist. But what
Ephesians 4.11 is saying, It's telling us that Christ has gifted the church with evangelists who
are uniquely endowed with the ability to implore people to be reconciled to God.
Perhaps the person who led you to faith was an evangelist. You know what I mean by that.
Perhaps they were particularly winsome in their presentation of the gospel. In fact,
I've met many people who weren't on staff at a church, who weren't pastors or anything, but they
were evangelists.
They were particularly gifted to share the gospel with anybody who had a pulse.
They were passionate about sharing about the God who saved them,
who brought them out of death to life, who redeemed them by His blood.
And although we should all aspire to be evangelists in our everyday living,
we should all aspire to be evangelists in our work, in our schools, in our hobbies, in all these
things.
There will be certain people who are more gifted to naturally and organically share the gospel with
others. That's what Ephesians 4 is telling us. God has gifted the church with evangelists.
Perhaps you're wired like this. Perhaps striking up a gospel conversation comes easy to you.
And while we can all grow in this ability, I just know, friends, that Christ has given his church
the people who can just with ease share the good news of salvation.
And we thank God for them. We need evangelists. We need people to take the gospel to the lost.
Christ also gives his church pastors or shepherds, as it's laid out for us here,
men who are called to look after God's flock.
Last year, a group of men from our church, we went through the book, The Shepherd Leader by Timothy
Whitmer. And in it, Whitmer argues that the pastor shepherd, the shepherd leader knows the sheep,
he feeds the sheep, he leads the sheep, and he protects the sheep. These are the certain roles or
the functions that a shepherd has. He knows the sheep, he feeds the sheep, he leads the sheep,
and he protects the sheep.
And I, for one, am blessed to be a part of an elder team. that makes this a daily priority in the
life of our church.
Did you know that the elders here love you and make it an aim to know you,
to know how God has saved you, to know you personally, your personality quirks,
your habits, your weaknesses, your strengths. They want to know you for
the purposes of loving you.
Did you know here that the elders desire to feed you with the truth of God's word? They desire to
lay before you the banquet that is available for us in God's Word.
They want to offer you wise counsel steeped in the wisdom of Scripture.
The pastors, the elders here desire to lead you, not in a controlling or manipulative or
domineering way, but they want to lead you more and more into the arms of Christ.
And finally, did you know that the elders here desire to protect you? They want to protect you from
false teachers, from false beliefs. I want to protect you from grievous and habitual sin.
The elders here are shepherds.
By no means perfect, right? We're by no means perfect, but we make it our aim to see that no one
strays from the grace of God. As long as the church exists,
there will always be under shepherds gifted and called to carry out the work of the great shepherd,
the good shepherd, who laid his life down for the sheep.
Husbands, fathers, did you know that you're called to be a shepherd in your home?
So with that, do you know the sheep? Do you feed the sheep? Do you lead the sheep?
Do you protect the sheep that are in your home?
But Christ doesn't just give his church shepherds. He gives them teachers. And I'm just going to
pause here and just point out that the Redeemer has been blessed. by a number of gifted teachers
who love God's Word, who want to see people grow in the knowledge of Christ and be conformed into
the image of Christ. I think of teachers like Terry Morlidge who teach the women on Monday nights
and Tuesday mornings. I think of the Arowana and Gospel Zone teachers who diligently teach our
kids. the faith and disciple them in the ways of the Lord. Of course, I think of Bob who's been
teaching us God's Word for 18 years, week in and week out, faithfully.
There are a number of different teaching ministries here at Redeemer. Will you allow yourself to be
encouraged? I don't know where you're at in your spiritual journey. I don't know where you're at in
your assimilation to Redeemer Community Church. But we have a number of different teaching
ministries that you can get plugged into. that will encourage you, that will edify you, that will
help you grow in your faith.
We've been gifted with a number of solid teachers.
And now that we have a good idea of what these roles are and how they function today, I want to
convey a very simple truth before we go on to the next point. The truth is this, that Christ did
not procure and distribute these gifts for you to do nothing with them.
Christ did not... Go to the cross, achieve victory on the cross, die in your place to procure these
gifts and distribute them among his church for you to do absolutely nothing with them.
Perhaps this wasn't made clear, but just because you may not be gifted as an apostle or a prophet
or an evangelist or shepherd or teacher does not mean you cannot experience the benefits of these
gifts as Christ has given them to the church.
Furthermore, I believe that... more you come into contact with these roles,
with these gifts, the more you'll see how God has gifted you for the work of ministry.
Don't get me wrong. When you're included into the body of Christ, when you're united to Him by
faith, there are certain people you need to be equipped by.
Why? It's so that you can participate in the ongoing work of ministry.
Which leads me to my next point. The purpose... Of the gifts is to equip.
The purpose. Why Christ has gifted his church. With these specific roles. Is so that saints can be
equipped. Okay. And I want to share with you. A quote from JT English.
That I kid you not. It fundamentally changed the way. I saw this verse.
Changed the way I saw verse 12. He says this in his book. Deep discipleship. He says leaders in the
church. do not create distance between themselves and the people they are leading. They equip them
for the work of ministry. Ephesians 4 is not calling teachers,
ministers, and pastors who feel called to do the work of ministry for the church,
but with the church. That's what Ephesians 4 is calling pastors to do.
God is not interested in creating an audience. He says he wants participants.
Paul is insistent that one of the main purposes of the church is to invite all people into the work
of ministry, not reserve it for the select few. In the church,
there is not a group of people who do ministry and a separate group of people who receive the work
of ministry. All members of the family are called to do the work of ministry,
and all members of the family are called to receive the ministry of others.
Let that encourage you this morning. And I know that many of you are thinking, like, what is he
talking about here, Cole? Aren't pastors the only one called to ministry?
And I can just remember, when I first read this, I remember being blown away by JT's comments here.
But then I looked at Ephesians 4 once more and realized he was right. Look at verse 11 through 12
again with me. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,
the shepherds and teachers to do what? To equip the saints for what?
For the work of ministry. For the building up of the body of Christ.
Christ gave the gift of these roles so that the saints would be equipped. So that the saints would
be equipped. So it's simple. Someone's gifting leads to someone else's equipping.
Someone's gifting leads to someone else's equipping. Or put it another way,
your giftedness is not about you.
How God has gifted you, how God has gifted me, it should not result in self-advancement or self
-aggrandizement. Our giftedness should not be put to use for the advancement of our own agendas.
Our giftedness should be put to the use of equipping others.
And more importantly, your gifting is not to be put under a bushel.
Do we realize what's at stake when we refuse to use the gifts that God has given us? According to
Ephesians 4, the saints don't get equipped, the work of ministry is neglected, and the body isn't
built up when you put your gift under a bushel.
These are all ramifications of refusing the gifts that Christ has blessed his church with.
The saints don't get equipped, the body isn't built up, the work of ministry is neglected.
Now in my mind, verse 12 asks and answers three questions for us this morning.
Verse 12 asks and answers three questions for us. First question it asks is, who is being equipped?
What are they being equipped for?
And what does the work of ministry involve? Who is being equipped? What they're being equipped for?
And what does the work of ministry involve? First, who is being equipped? Well, it's no one other
than the saints of God. That's who's being equipped. The gifts that Christ has given to the church
are meant to lead to the equipping of the saints. To be equipped carries with it the idea of being
prepared for anything. It means you've made all the necessary preparations and have all the
supplies that you need to take on the challenges or obstacles in life.
Around this time of year, I call my parents, check in with them, see how they're doing. Of course,
they're back home in Florida.
This season is hurricane season. They get maybe one or two a month. varying in different
seriousness levels or categories. And I ask them, are you ready? Are you prepared? Asking if
they're equipped for the storm that's going to meet them. Do they have the right shutters? Do they
have flashlights or spare drinking water? All these things. And I ask these important questions
because I want to know if they're equipped to handle the danger that awaits them. So friends,
I ask you the same question. Do you feel equipped?
Do you feel prepared? Have you made all the preparations? Do you have all the supplies to take on
life in this fallen world?
Can you spiritually handle all the various challenges that life throws your way? Do you feel
equipped?
Do you have the equipping to remain steadfast and stable on the foundation of Christ?
If not, the church is here for you. You've come to the right place.
The church is here for your equipping. The church is where equipping happens.
We want to equip you, help you, navigate all the challenges that you face.
news of this verse is that it's the saints who are called to be equipped. The saints. Not the
select few. Not the spiritually elite. Not the seminarians. But the saints who are called to be
equipped.
Now it's certainly possible that you feel less like a saint and more like an ain't this morning.
I can remember hearing my pastor growing up saying that all the time. What does that mean? That I
feel like an ain't. Right?
I understand the temptation to look at yourself less like a saint and more like an ain't.
But can I just encourage you? Just for a moment, those of us who are in Christ,
I want to encourage you with a single verse from Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10, 14. Those of you who know
me know how much encouragement this verse has brought to me lately. Hebrews 10,
14. For by a single offering, he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
I mean... If we feel like ain'ts this morning, read Hebrews 10.14. For by a single offering,
he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Now, I know this verse doesn't mention sainthood explicitly, but it still speaks volumes about our
sainthood. Because it teaches us that who we are positionally is what we're becoming progressively.
It teaches us that who we are, perfected by the atoning sacrifice of Christ,
who we are positionally, is what we're becoming progressively. Because of the finished work of
Christ and the perfection He achieved for us on the cross, when we believe in Christ and put our
faith in Him, God now sees us as a perfect saint.
And what's more, He's sanctifying us to be a perfect saint. Who we are positionally is what we're
becoming. progressively.
So again, you may not feel like a saint this morning, but your salvation is not a feeling,
friends. Your salvation is not a feeling that comes and goes. It is a position that Christ has
raised you up to.
So it is the saints, the believers, those who've been united to Christ by faith, these are the ones
who've been called to be equipped.
And what a tremendous joy it is to know that your potential to be equipped is not dependent on how
you see yourself spiritually. Many of you see yourselves as unworthy of being equipped.
Well, I can never. No, I don't have that sort of capacity.
Let Ephesians 4 dispel you of that notion. If you are a saint of God,
you are called to be equipped for the work of ministry.
The next question that this text asks and answers is what are the saints being equipped for?
What are the saints being equipped for? You already know the answer. The text speaks clearly that
the saints are being equipped for the work of ministry. Now,
this is an interesting phrase, the work of ministry.
What precisely does this mean? Can I suggest some reasons why ministry is considered work in Paul's
mind? Can I just put forth these observations, these reasons why I think ministry is work?
First of all, ministry is work because the participants are unwilling. I'm lumping myself in this,
that the participants are unwilling to perform the work of ministry.
Think about how easy ministry would be if the whole church was willing to participate in the
ministry. May it never be said of us as a church that 20% of the people do 80% of the work.
May that never be said of us. May we strive to have 100% of the people doing 100% of the work.
But to do this, we need willing saints, willing participants to look around for both felt and
expressed needs.
We need saints to look around and feel out these needs so that the ongoing ministry of the church
can be completed.
Pastoral staff, the elder board, we can't do it by ourselves. We were never intended to. The work
of ministry is not done for the saints, but with the saints.
How have you been equipped to help? How have you been equipped to participate in this work of
ministry? Are you good with AC units? We've got a PTAC unit broken back there in the offices.
That's a work of ministry for the church.
The work of ministry could involve something as simple as showing up early, setting up for an
event, stacking chairs, unstacking chairs, rolling out tables, rolling back chairs. Are you
willing? Are you willing to participate in the ongoing ministry of the church?
The second reason why ministry is work is because the recipients are hard-hearted. And again,
I'm lumping myself in this.
When you participate in the ministry of the church, those who are recipients of your ministry
rarely respond the way you want them to.
Let us remember the group of 10 lepers that Jesus healed and ministered to in Luke 17 and how only
one of them thanked him for what he did.
The rest went away ungrateful for what Jesus had done. Let us remember the prophet Isaiah when he
was called to go and minister to the people of Israel. What does God tell him in Isaiah 6?
That who he's going to will not hear him. The more he preaches, actually,
the more deaf they'll become.
We can invest much into the ministry of the church and use all the equipping to further this work,
but we must not give up simply because the recipients are hard-hearted.
We keep going.
We keep on being equipped for the work of ministry. In a day and age when many things can come to
us in a relatively short time, think of Amazon, Google, ChatGPT, it can be easy to lose sight of
the long game of ministry.
We participate in the work of ministry. When we do this, we oftentimes expect instantaneous
success, instantaneous fruit. We forget that the work of ministry is a process.
The work of ministry is process. And that's why it's work. That's why it's work.
It's no walk in the park. People don't just grow into full Christian maturity overnight.
It takes years of continued ministry faithfulness to see someone take steps of growth.
But even with ministry being such hard work, can I just say this right now? It's worth it. The work
of ministry is worth it.
Being equipped and participating in the work of ministry is worth it. How do I know this?
It's because the next question that this text asks and answers, what does the work of ministry
entail?
Listen to this, friends. We are promised here in Scripture that when we participate in the work of
ministry, we are building up the body of Christ. We're building up the body.
The work of ministry is worth it because it involves nothing less than the building up of the body.
So it's hard work, yes, but it's worth it because you're building up the body of Christ when you
participate in this work.
And this should teach us some things about the work of ministry. First of all, the work of ministry
is not done to meet selfish ends.
The work of ministry is done for the building up of others.
There have been many a time where I've needed to check my pride, my ego at the door when doing
ministry. Times where I thought, oh yeah, I'm just doing this for the Lord. When in my heart of
hearts I knew that I was doing it for people's praise, people's approval.
Check yourself. Check yourself if you're not doing ministry for nothing less but the express
purpose of building up the body. The building of the body is something that the New Testament talks
over and over about, starting with the well-known declaration in Matthew 16. After Peter confesses
Jesus to be the Christ, Jesus says that he will build his church and that the gates of hell will
not prevail against it.
1 Corinthians 3 tells us that we, the church, are God's building. Being constructed and built up by
the teaching of the apostles. 1 Corinthians 14 tells us to strive in building up the church through
the usage of spiritual gifts. 1 Thessalonians 5 calls us to encourage one another and build each
other up. So we get it. The New Testament places a high value on building up the church.
But how? How do we do it? How do we build one another up?
Well, can I just tell you how we don't do it?
Here's what the building up of the body does not mean. The building up of the body does not occur
through the use of programs. It occurs when equipped saints take steps to involve themselves in the
work of ministry.
The building up of the body does not occur through programs. Does this mean that the church should
be program-free? Absolutely not. What it does mean is that the church is not reliant on programs
to grow and be built up. The real difference maker in ministry is not that we have stellar
programs, but that we have equipped saints.
People who love the Lord, people who love his word, who are pouring in and being poured into so
that they can do the work of ministry. That's the difference maker, not programs.
The building up of the body also does not mean that we pour out at the neglect of being poured
into.
You want to know how ministry burnout happens? It's when the person who spends all their time and
energy building up the church does not get poured into,
and they start to serve on an empty tank. I mean, someone who has experienced burnt out.
It's real.
Friends, make every effort to build up the body of Christ, but do it while also simultaneously
being equipped. Remember, it's the equipped saints who are doing the work of ministry.
Built up saints, build up other saints. Equipped saints, equip other saints.
This is how the work of ministry is to be done. This is not a guarantee or a fail-safe against
burnout, but it does aid in the process of preventing it.
There's nothing more beautiful in the church. There's nothing more beautiful in the church when
equipped saints are equipping other saints.
That's God's design. That's God's design for his church. That's what he's put in place for us.
And I want to wrap up by asking a very simple and concise question, okay? How are you involved in
the mutual upbuilding of the body of Christ?
How are you involved in the mutual upbuilding of the body of Christ?
Okay? I ask this not to guilt trip you. I ask this not to add one more thing to your plate.
I ask this because we've just walked through a passage where Jesus' care for his bride is so
evident, it's so on display, that we can't help but not involve ourselves in the work of ministry.
I ask this question because knowing what we know about Christ's love for his bride, why wouldn't we
participate in the work of ministry and be equipped?
Do we not see how much Jesus loves his church in the procurement and distribution of these gifts?
Do we see how in his victory over sin and death, the gifts that Christ obtained for us,
gifts that he also freely gives by his grace, are ultimately used for the building up of the body?
And here's the great mind-blowing theological reality behind Christ gifting his church.
And we'll learn more about this in the coming weeks, that Christ... the church so that we can be
built up and mature and look more like him.
The gifts were given by Christ in order to look more like Christ. So I ask again,
how are you involved in the mutual upbuilding of the body of Christ? Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, we come to you thanking you first and foremost for your son who came and paid the
price, delivered us from death.
ransomed us with his blood, redeemed us, bought us out of slavery,
and
achieved victory on the cross. He did not hang there in defeat. And in so doing,
he procured gifts for the church, gifts that you've spelled out for us in these specific roles.
So Lord, would we participate and be equipped by these giftings,
these roles, so that we can all participate in the work of ministry.
Lord, may it humble us, may it humble us to recognize our lack of care for the church in comparison
to you. And so Lord, would we come and recognize also how much you love us,
how much you care for us.
And so would we look to you always and continue to put our faith in you walking by faith.
so that we can be equipped for the work of ministry. In Jesus' name, amen.