HELPING ONE ANOTHER GROW UP
Ephesians 4:12-16
First, & most significant, implication of what God has provided in His plan is that we should walk in unity. 4:1 “... WALK worthy of the calling you have received.”
The unity in the body of Christ 4:1-6
Paul demonstrates that by God's design, the church has unity.
We are one. We have common roots and a common faith.
The diversity in the body of Christ 4:7-11
Within that unity there is a diversity of functions.
When Christ came down to earth and defeated the enemy, He returned from the battle to distribute gifts to His followers.
As the church utilizes gifts He has given, we help each other grow up.
THE UNITY OF PURPOSE IN THE DIVERSITY of gifts 4:12-16
Gifts are diverse in character, but they all function together to accomplish one purpose: the building up of the whole body.
Each one has received what he has because of God's grace.
God deserves any credit given.
Total picture: when each part does its part, the church grows and prospers
It’s like a physical body.
All the parts work together under the direction of the head.
All the parts help each other, and the body moves forward.
Part of growing to maturity is appreciating diversity of body of Christ.
THE PURPOSE FOR THE GIFTS 4:11-12 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
Two purposes God has for giving gifted people to the church:
1) To equip all God’s people to serve Him
Main purpose for the ministry of gifted people in the church: “to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.”
Who should do the work of the ministry?
Not the pastors! Not the elders!
—NOT just a privileged elite
—NOT just “the clergy”
It isn’t a job we pay others to do, so we can wash our hands of it!
It isn’t the job of your pastoral staff to DO the work of the ministry for you.
It isn’t the role of your church leaders either.
Leaders are called by God to equip all God’‘s people to do the work of the ministry—to build up the entire body so that we might all serve Him.
Church bulletin: “For centuries the principal responsibility for evangelism has been born by the clergy. The laity were neither called to evangelistic activity nor believed it to be their responsibility. One of the most significant developments in the church . . . is the revival of lay activity and the growing recognition that the layman is called to a ministry no less important than that of the minister.”
Elton Trueblood: “The reformation opened up the Bible to the common man; a new Reformation will open up the ministry to the common man.”
J Vernon McGee: “Don’t expect your pastor to do it all. He is there to train you that you might do the work of the ministry and that the church might become mature.... I think the greatest sin in the local church today is the ignorance of the man sitting in the pew; he doesn’t know the Word of God, and that is a tragedy.... All believers need to be trained in the Word of God so that they can do the work of the ministry.
The work of the ministry at FEFC is ALL of our ministry!
—gifted people were given to the church so we could ALL function effectively to carry out the ministry
[ 2nd purpose God has for giving gifted leaders to the church: ]
2) To build up the entire body.
This is the ultimate goal: that as a result of the equipping of ALL God’s people, the entire body will be built up.
Building up the body is a group process—not just 1-on-1!
We all add something to each other; it’s intended to be done by the whole church helping each other to grow up.
Writer in Servant magazine: I was at the store one day, and a lady came down the aisle, screeched to a halt within a few feet of me, peered over her load, wagged her finger, and said, "I left your church. I left your church". So I said, "Well, if it's my church, I think that was a wise decision. If it's my church, I think I'm going to leave too." She said, "Don't you want to know why I left?" I said, "Not particularly, but I think I'm about to find out".
"You weren't meeting my needs". I answered, "I don't recollect seeing you before, let alone talking to you about your needs. Did you ever tell anyone what your needs were?" She couldn't recall that she had, so I raised another question. "If we have 5,000 people in church, all with that attitude, how are anyone's needs going to be met? Who is going to do all the need-meeting?"
Standing her ground, she demanded, "Then tell me who will." "I thought you'd never ask. This is what will work: when people stop sitting in the pew saying, 'They're not meeting my needs' and start saying, ‘'Whose needs can I meet?' Then needs will be met. Then people will minister to each other.”
THE COMPLETION OF THE PROCESS 4:13 How long will this go on? until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Three goals to attain:
1) The process isn’t finished until we all reach unity
in the faith in the knowledge of Christ
2) The process isn’t finished until we all reach perfection
(to a perfect man, a complete, mature person)
—until we all become mature adults (NOT sinless perfection, = grown up)
3) The process isn’t finished until we all become completely Christlike (“to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”)
When gifted people function the way God desires His people to function, the body develops Christlike character.
The process continues until we all become totally Christlike—
—united in faith—grown up—just like Him
Until then, our job isn’t done!
THE PURPOSE OF THE GIFTS 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Two purposes to be achieved:
1) That we might stop being childish (Heb 5:12-13; 1 Cor 3)
The opposite of being grown up is to still be childish.
When the goal is reached, we will stop being childish
Difference between being childlike and childish
To enter God’s kingdom we must become childlike. —reference to trust and dependence on God
Being childish looks at instability; children change their minds quickly and easily
“I’ll never play with you again!”
Harry Ironside: “How children’s minds jump from one thing to another How hard it is for them to concentrate! And many of God’s children are just the same!”
Children chase fads: beany with propeller, slinky, hula-hoop. As children we were caught up in these fads. As mature adults, we’re supposed to outgrow fads.
Yet adults often jump from one theological fad to another—instead of taking a stand on the rock—God’s Word. We pursue experience; or whatever feels good; or whatever philosophy is hot at the moment!
Christ’s purpose in giving gifted people to the church is to help believers develop from babyhood to maturity.
When we reach maturity, . . .
—We will no longer be tossed back and forth by the waves.
—We will no longer be carried away by every wind that blows our way.
We won’t be “blown away” by every wind that comes along, by deceitful, man-invented schemes.
Maturing Christians aren’t taken in by every religious novelty that comes along.
Maturing Christians recognize false doctrine and stay away from it.
Contrast between what deceit and truth produce.
Those who are carried off follow deceivers
Those who stand firm and become mature “speak the truth”
When the body functions as it should, we pursue truth.
Our basis must be the truth of God’s Word
It’s not human experience
It’s not our opinions about things—however good that may be!
It’s God’s Word—God has spoken; we need to know what HE has said
One result of biblical teaching and spiritual gifts in operation should be stability.
People “graduate” with their feet on the ground—knowing what we believe and why.
—ready to face the world with “a reason for the hope that’s in us!”
—not gullible—not subject to whatever wild idea or lifestyle blows our way
[2nd purpose to be achieved when gifts function properly: ]
2) That we might grow up 4:15-16 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
When the body is functioning properly all the parts work together so that each one develops the way God planned.
Two evidences demonstrate that the body is working properly:
1) Love between the members of the body of Christ
The focus here is on truth—lit., “truthing in love”—telling the truth
We care about each other enough to tell truth in love!
We care too much to let people go down wrong path.
We care too much to allow them to stay the way they are!
Wiersbe: “Little children ... think that if you love someone, you must shield him from the truth if knowing the truth will hurt him. It is a mark of maturity when we are able to share the truth ... and do it in love. ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful’ (Prov. 27: 6).”
We demonstrate our love by telling the truth
—in a loving way
—motivated by love
2) “Pulling together” as part of the body of Christ
An isolated Christian cannot minister to others.
—Recognize the importance of the body of Christ
—Be a contributing, functioning, cooperating part
Vilfredo Pareto came up with the 80/20 rule: "80 percent of the result comes from 20 percent of the events". 80 percent of a company's sales comes from 20 percent of its products; 80 percent of the outcome of a football game will be the result of 20 percent of the time spent on the field. In church 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the people;
Florida church held ground breaking service. Instead of shovels for special people, they brought an old plow, borrowed a yoke, and 2 strong men were hitched up. But the 2 were unable to pull the plow. Then the Building Committee took the rope, but the plow didn’t move. Church officers were added, and Sunday school officers and teachers, but still the plow didn’t move. Finally every member of the congregation took hold of the rope. With every member pulling together, the plow moved, and the ground was broken.
During World War II, England needed to increase coal production. Winston Churchill called together labor leaders and asked them to picture a victory parade. First would come the sailors who kept sea lanes open. Then would come the soldiers who came home from Dunkirk and went on to defeat Rommel in Africa. Then would come the pilots who drove the Luftwaffe from the sky. Last of all would come a long line of soot-streaked men in miner's caps. Someone would cry from the crowd, 'And where were you during our struggle?' 10,000 men would respond: "We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.'" It’s often people with their "faces to the coal" who accomplish our mission.
Every member of the body has a part to play
As each part fulfills its part, the whole body grows together and becomes all that God wants it to be.
We must all pull together, then the body can become all that God wants it to be.
Leaders' role: to help you discover your part and become involved in serving God as part of His body.
If you don’t know where you fit, talk to any of our staff or elders.
If you know what your role should be, you ought to be involved!