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We do everything humanly possible
to grow churches. We make sure the building is nice and
comfortable. We want a dynamic pastor who can “preach.” We bathe
our ministry with powerful, emotionally charged music and drama.
We work hard to accommodate every age group. We organize to the
hilt! We have pastors to meet every personal need. Then we
develop an advertising campaign to convince people to come. Come
to our church. Look at all we have to offer!
Could it be that we do not
understand God’s prescription for the growth and unity in the
body of Christ? We have focused on the apostle Paul and
especially upon the small phrase that he claimed often
“according to the grace of God that was given unto me.” This
small line became Paul’s trademark expression.
Let’s rejoin Paul as he begins to
carry out his stewardship responsibility at Ephesus.
Paul had gone to the city of
Ephesus and preached the gospel. Many people believed in Christ
and became a part of His body. Now, note carefully Paul’s
special use of the small “grace phrase,” according to the
grace of God given.”
God’s Grace to Us
“But to each one of us
grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
(Eph. 4:7)
Paul had said on other occasions
“according to the grace of God given to me.” Here he
subtly changed the direction of God’s grace! He said “to each
one of us” God’s grace has been given. The Ephesian believers
were included in God’s stewardship plan.
A grace stewardship is being
extended to all believers. God passed His plan of
communicating the gospel and building up the body of Christ on
to the Ephesians and to us!
Like Paul, each believer has been
foreknown by God, called, justified, and equipped to carry out a
grace responsibility (Rom. 8:29-30). The gift of apostleship is
not around today! That is to say, no believer today has the
unique gift to be an apostle. The apostles were the foundation
builders used by God at a particular time and for a particular
purpose. But believers throughout the centuries have been set
apart, called, and equipped by God to build on the foundation
that the apostles have laid. This is God’s grace way of building
churches!
Christ's Gift
“Christ’s gift,” the word “dorea,”
means without a cause! “Dorea” emphasizes the freeness
of the gift given by Christ. Christ’s gift here is not talking
about eternal life. It is an ability to carry out a stewardship
responsibility. God did not want the Ephesians to think that
they had in some way earned this equipping grace. It was all
based on the plan and work of God. Grace always comes from the
top down! God is always said to “give grace.” Grace is given
according to His choice.
“Therefore it says,
‘When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of
captives, And He gave gifts to men.’ (Now this
expression, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean except that He
also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He
who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all
the heavens, so that He might fill all things).” (Eph.
4:8-10)
The second person of the Trinity
became flesh and descended to earth in order to die and pay for
sin. He was buried, and He rose from the dead. Shortly after
His resurrection, He ascended back into heaven. At His
ascension, Jesus Christ began to build the church that He had
spoken of to Peter (Matt. 16:13).
“I also say to you that you
are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and
the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matt. 16:18)
As Christ ascended into heaven,
He distributed gifted believers all through His body to perform
their grace stewardship. He began with the apostles!
Apostolos:
one sent with a message. This included Paul and the other
disciples who became apostles.
Prophetes:
fore-telling or forth-telling. We assume that this refers
to New Testament prophets
Eangelistes:
those who are especially gifted to present the good news.
Poimen:
those who shepherd; the elders.
Didaskolos:
instructors.
It was not Paul's intention
to mention all the grace-gifted believers here. He just wanted
to show that God’s grace was being extended to the Ephesians.
Each believer was being placed into the body of Christ in order
to grow His church. This is God’s design for growing churches.
Growing Churches by Grace
There is no clearer diagram in
the entire Bible for how to grow a church than right here. This
method will produce growth and unity within the body of Christ
because it is God’s plan. In fact, Christ’s church can grow
no other way. Let’s slow down and go through this formula
line by line!
“For the equipping of the
saints for the work of service, to the building up of the
body of Christ.”
(Eph. 4:12)
Jesus Christ placed gifted
believers throughout His body in order to equip the saints. The
word “equipping” means to train or to prepare. The various
gifted believers first become the recipients of God’s grace
extended to them. They responded to His call and were set apart
for a special stewardship purpose. They were placed precisely
where God wanted them to be.
Work is the Greek word “ergon.”
It implies energy being used. Service is the word “diakinos”
or ministry. Every Christian has been given the grace to help
equip others to minister. Believers are not called of God to sit
in a building and listen to a sermon! Believers are called of
God to serve!
“Building up” is a combination
word made up of “oiko,” to build, and “dome,” the
top or the roof. When put together, the word gives the idea of
building from the ground floor all the way to the top. God's
prescription for the growth of the body of Christ is based on
the spiritual contribution of every gifted member in the body.
No one is left out!
“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.” (Eph. 4:13)
“Until” is a time word!
When believers share their
stewardship responsibility with others in the body, that body
will be marked by a unity of faith. That means that everyone
will be on the same page doctrinally and will be able to work
together as a unit. This unity can only be achieved when every
believer contributes his or her special gift of grace.
Knowledge is “epignosis”
or ample knowledge. When each believer contributes his ministry
to the body, then the body will have ample and accurate truth
concerning Jesus Christ. This knowledge may involve His deity,
His becoming flesh, His birth, life, death, resurrection,
ascension, and His work now as High Priest, Head of the Church,
and as our coming King.
Given time and the contribution
of the ministry of every believer, mature believers will be
produced. The Greek word for mature is the word “telios.”
Every Christian is to profit from the ministry of every other
gifted believer in the body in order to become mature (and
balanced). This is God’s way of growing a church! How are we to
measure maturity in the body of Christ?
Literally “measured by the
stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” The spiritual
maturity of each believer is to be measured against the
character of Christ. The character of Jesus Christ can be seen
in the lives of spiritually mature Christians. How do we know
when gifted believers have accomplished their goal?
“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.”
(Eph. 4:14)
The word “children” is “nepios,”
or little children. This word stands in contrast to “telios,”
mature adults, in verse 13. Believers are instructed to grow in
grace and knowledge of Christ and to ultimately become mature
believers (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18). Maturity can only be
achieved by receiving the ministry of every believer in the body
of Christ.
A failure to grow up in Christ
will result in spiritual infancy and instability. Believers are
not to remain vulnerable to the tricks and deceitful schemes of
evil men.
“But speaking the truth in
love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the
head, even Christ.” (Eph. 4:15)
Each believer is to perform his
ministry responsibilities mixed with love so that others easily
receive our ministry. This will result in growing up in all
aspects into Christ.
“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.” (Eph. 4:16)
How is this spiritual body held
together?
-
From whom: refers back
to Christ. Every Christian's ministry comes from our Head,
our authority.
-
The whole
body: the entire body of Christ
-
Being
fitted: is being placed together
-
And held together:
knitted together like a woven blanket
Now notice carefully what
the Lord Jesus Christ uses to hold the entire body together.
-
By what every joint:
the word “haphe” or ligament. Every believer in the
body is considered a ligament in the body
-
Supplies:
provides, furnishes, or contributes
The Head (the Lord Jesus Christ)
fits and holds the body together by the use of every gifted
member of the body. There are no useless parts in the body.
How is the body of Christ to
grow?
-
According to: based
upon
-
The proper
working: Proper is the word “measured.” Working is the word
“energy” or “output.” According to the measured output!
-
Of each
individual part: each believer must understand their
giftedness and use it effectively. To the extent that this
is done….
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Causes:
accomplishes
-
The growth
of the body for the building up of itself in love:
The building up of the church is the result of the ministry
output of every believer in the body.
Each believer has been
given grace from God, has been set apart by the Lord Jesus
Christ, called of Him, equipped by Him, and given a special
ministry from Him. We all have a stewardship responsibility to
proclaim the gospel and to build the body of Christ upon the
foundation that has been laid for us. This is God’s grace way
to build His church.
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