ALL SERMONS IN SERIES

Summary 

Our precious savior Jesus Christ, out of love for His cherished Bride, as provided leaders in the church as gifts to equip the followers of Jesus for the good work of ministry so that they will grow strong and devoted to God as each person is able to provide what God enables so that the whole Body of Christ is built up in love as each person does their part.

Transcript

11 And Jesus gave the apostles, 11 And Jesus gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers,12 to equip the saints, for the work of ministry, for 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 mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by human cunning, by craftiness of deceitful schemes.15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we grow up in every way into Him, Who is the Head, into Christ,16 from Whom 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.
Introduction: “We are all needy, and we are all needed.” The pastor at our home congregation with much love, care, and attention to truth, regularly reminds us with this short statement of the importance of each of us gathered here this morning. Even with not knowing each of you personally, I can accurately say to you with love, which is filled with truth, that you need Jesus The Christ, and that you are needed and useful in this congregation and the whole of the Body of Christ, in His gracious care by the working of the Holy Spirit.  Please do not for one moment disregard either of these truths. Some of us are wrongly inclined at times to think we do not need anyone else. And others of us, mistakenly think we are not needed in the Body of Christ. The eternal truth is as stated, we are all in need of Christ and of one another, and we are all needed by others, and are useful in God’s care for the blessing and benefit of others unto the glory of God in Jesus. 
I. The Gifts:11 And Jesus gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers,
-Jesus gave His beloved followers apostles (a special group of men, who personally encountered Jesus and were sent by Him to serve in His name and for His purposes.
-Jesus provided His followers prophets (one who communicates or interprets messages from God).
-Jesus blessed His followers with evangelists (one who speaks the “Good News” of Jesus Christ). Both Philip and Timothy were specifically called evangelists in the time of the Apostles of Jesus.
-Jesus provided shepherds and teachers for the followers of Jesus to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
-In order for the church to be strong it must not only have good leaders but active members.
-These shepherds (pastors) and teachers are given a cherished calling of equipping the saints for the work of ministry in Jesus Christ.-These pastors and teachers are called by God, in spite of their own weakness and neediness, for good use in God’s care for helping the followers of Christ to do the work of ministry for which each has been called.-These are good men, having developed a measure of maturity, not perfection, that is seen by other Followers of Christ, as those in the congregation whom God will use to shepherd Christ’s precious and beloved flock. Listen to the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy, as recorded in 1 Timothy 3, a partial description of the nature of these men called to be Christ’s gifts to His flock.“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore, and overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” 
II. The Goal:12 to equip the saints, for the work of ministry, for 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 mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
-Throughout the ages it has been important for the Followers of Christ grow in their knowledge, understanding, commitment, and devotion to God in Jesus Christ unto His glory. -We are in an age where God’s Word is not cherished and sought after for its truth, wisdom, temporal, and eternal understandings by many in our communities. Instead, as a culture we pursue many others interests and have a variety of keepers of our time and energy. It is most wise for each of us to embrace the Bible as our only rule for faith and practice.
-A valuable part of being in the Body of Christ and under the care of Jesus’ gifts to us, is the regular encouragement that is established to help you go beyond where you currently dwell so you can be strengthened to expand your interest and devotion in the things of God.  Prayerfully this includes a thirst and hunger for knowing what God has revealed for us in His Word, and then a better understanding on how to rightly apply it throughout your life for the blessing and benefit of others and unto the glory of God in Jesus.
-These wonderful men, yet needy and needed, as are all of us, called to be elders in the church, and under shepherds of The Good Shepherd, are to be treasured as precious gifts from God for each of us. Please look to each of your elders as one for whom you have been called to honor and cherish.
-In this equipping for the work of ministry, the Holy Spirit strengthens the Body of Christ in ways that help it grow, piece by piece, somewhat like the construction of a building, or the making of a reflective musical score, or the drawing of a beautiful picture, or the cooking of a delicious meal. The point is that each piece of the whole is needed to make the final product complete.
-The Elders are given by God for the Followers of Christ to help them grow individually and together as one body.
-The apostle Paul writes to the Ephesian believers there are several goals for the work of the Elders in equipping the saints.
a. To attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.-A common understanding has been promoted by many people throughout the history of the Body of Christ. A very early creed states what the church believes. It is found in the simple use of the Greek word for fish. The Greek word for fish is Ichthus, and each of those letters is used to make a telling acronym which stands for Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior. -It is critical for each man, woman, boy and girl to know Who is Jesus and to know what He has done. In John 8:23,24 Jesus says to the Jews what is also important for us today. “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the One I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.”b. To a mature manhood, - Maturity is a natural outcome of life. Many of us at times, when life is rougher than we want, would like to be like Peter Pan, to remain as a child, and never grow up. -However, the author of Hebrews reminds us of the appropriate calling for a follower of Jesus by lovingly reprimanded the followers of Christ in their lack of maturity as recorded for us in Hebrews 5:11-14. This is a good reminder for each of us to seek spiritual maturity and growth by the power of the Holy Spirit, with the caring help of the elders and other wise and thoughtful people. 11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  12 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, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.  14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
c. to the measure of the fullness of Christ,-The elders of the church, which includes the pastor and ruling elders are here for you, to help you grow and mature. It is good to start with the milk of God’s Word, but not stay there and then progress to the meat of God’s Word so that you can be useful in helping others to grow and mature as well. 
-One of the best ways you can aid the elders in helping you grow in maturity unto the fullness of Christ is to make the best use of what they provide in the congregation and to lovingly ask them for what you need to grow. Seek their advice, follow their example, listen to what they say and watch what they do.  It is tempting to be critical, but fight against that temptation. Instead use all that you learn from them to become a more deliberate person of prayer, turning your complaints into prayers, seeking God’s gracious hand in your life. Then humbly follow their guidance and counsel as they follow Christ.
-With this in mind, remember you are needed in the Body of Christ. Your prayers for and support of the elders are dearly needed in this congregation. It is a very challenging calling to serve as an elder in the Body of Christ, so God has placed each of you in a position to pray for and support their leadership as they seek to faithfully serve Jesus Christ by lovingly shepherding each of you for the glory of God.
III. The Guarding: 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by human cunning, by craftiness of deceitful schemes.
-The apostle Paul is guiding the Ephesian believers in what they are to guard against with the help of the shepherds and teachers in the congregation. 
-The Goal is for the followers of Jesus to mature in Christ and get stronger in their knowledge and understanding of the ways and desires of God so that they do not remain children.
-The Elders are gifts from Jesus to His beloved people in order to assist and guide the Body of Christ in standing strong and sure against the many ways that false teachings can enter the church and mislead the precious people of God.
-One of the main ways to recognize false things that are imposters or counterfeit of the real thing is to know very well the real thing.
-Years ago I was told by an FBI worker that the primary way treasury officials train to spot counterfeit money is to become experts in the real money, not in all of the variety of ways one could make a counterfeit.
-So, with guarding against being misled by every wind of teaching or human cunning or craftiness of deceitful scheming, keep close to God in His word. 
-In Christ’s mercy, work at making the Lord’s Day the center of your week. Ask God to enable you to focus your energies in preparing for gathered worship from Thursday through Saturday, and then use Monday through Wednesday as your days to thoughtfully reflect upon and caringly apply what you have learned and experienced each Lord’s Day.
IV. The Growth:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we grow up in every way into Him, Who is the Head, into Christ,16 from Whom 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 apostle Paul has reminded Christ’s followers that Elders are precious gifts from Him to His people. The Elders are gifted to the people of God with the Goal to prepare the dear saints for the lovely work of ministry so that the Body of Christ can be built up with a unity of faith and knowledge of Jesu, to become mature and more like Christ in their thoughts, words, and deeds.
-These precious elders are here for you to help you live strong in your fellowship with Christ, not susceptible to the contrary ways of the world, nor misguided by the false teachings and half-truths promoted by those who are not devoted to God in Jesus.
-Rather, Paul encourages Christ’s followers to speak the truth of God, founded in love, so that the people of God grow strong in Christ as their everything.
-The whole body, founded in God’s love for them in Jesus, from whomever is thought to be the least, to those who are the leaders, everyone in Christ is needed so the Body works properly, growing in ways that strengthen the church as it grows strong and wise in love. 
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we can recognize that Paul is echoing the beautiful words of Christ to His apostles and the crowd gathered on that hillside. (Matt. 5:13-16) “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before other people, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
-Please remember your light and salt in this world is ever so useful to God and powerful in the strength of the Holy Spirit no matter one’s view of its temporal magnitude. In other words, even what is perceived or considered by some to be insignificant is eternally useful in the God’s care for the blessing of others, for the furthering of His kingdom, and unto His glory.
-In the loving and thoughtful care of the elders of this church, seek God in His Word, follow the guidance and direction of your elders, pray for them as often as you can, and ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to grow strong in truth, established in love as your continue to find all of your hope, joy, peace, love, and your complete identity in Jesus Christ.

Previous Page