How God grows his church! – Ephesians 4:11-16
How God grows his church! – Ephesians 4:11-16
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 9, 2020
Family is important. It is important because it is the foundation for a stable society. This is why families that are secure, stable, and functional are a necessity. And it explains why our society is so fractured, insecure, and dysfunctional. Healthy relationships and a healthy view of self is where and how we as individuals have healthy lives, learn to function, and mature. It is how we grow.
I have shared before that the church is a sacred thing that we as Baptists often take for granted. The reason we do is because like most evangelicals we think that church is about us and that is should meet our needs and make us feel better when in fact that is not what a church is supposed to be at all. Church is not a social club, fraternity, or a secret society. It is where we as believers are to develop a healthy spirituality, learn to function, and mature. Let’s learn how God grows his church…
READ: Ephesians 4:11-16
The church is Jesus body in the world and is to function in unity in order to do his work and will in the world until he returns. God has given us spiritual gifts to use within the church for specific purposes. We learn that…
I. God grows his church through his people! (Vv. 11-13)
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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.
1. The list that Paul gives is not one listing a succession of importance or of rank but rather it is simply a list that Paul was given through the Spirit’s inspiration. Paul knew that it was Jesus who established the church in order that after “he ascended on high” would have followers who would be his body in the world and it “was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers” to serve in his church. We are to be his spiritual ambassadors, speakers, preachers, and shepherds of his flock! These duties are not for us to make us feel good about ourselves but instead “to prepare God’s people for works of service”. This is extremely important because as his people we are to be his servants serving others! We are to put others before ourselves. Paul saw God’s household, his church, as being “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20 NIV)” Evangelists came later spreading the gospel and pastors and teachers held the church together “so that the body of Christ may be built up 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”. The notion therefore is that the purpose of the gifted believers is to equip other believers for the ministry within the church so as to give them stability doctrinally and practically and thereby lead them to mutual edification. All believers are to be involved in the spiritual maturation of God’s church. God grows his church through his people!
EXAMPLE: Church was never meant to be simply a Sunday morning experience or a once a week empowerment. It is to be a place whereby God’s people help one another mature so that they can be all they can be in God; his full measure. Paul would write “‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’--but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NIV)” And it is only the spiritually mature who can understand this. God grows his church through his people!
The church is supposed to be the family whereby its members are cultivated so that they can reach the world for Jesus. Perhaps we have forgotten the fact that…
II. God nurtures his church to maturity! (Vv. 14-16)
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. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 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.
1. Paul came to understand that Jesus gave us his church so that as human beings we would not fall prey to an ungodly world. Sadly, it seems as if the church today is in a rush to be accepted by the world rather than to preach, teach, and minister the gospel message it is supposed to! Instead of maturing many have remained mere spiritual babies. Churches today are often founded on personality rather than the power of God. If we were maturing the way we are supposed to be “Then we [would] 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”! Far too often churches are often taken in by liars who use their deceitfulness in order to gain power over others. Paul would warn his friend Timothy: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3 NIV)” Spiritually mature believers will not fall for such deception because “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” The leaders we chose, from Sunday school teachers, deacons, Team members, and the pastor should all be able to help us a church body mature in Christ and stay away from false doctrines! Just like a healthy body is held together through proper exercise, nourishment, and mental stability a healthy church focuses on the Lord and what his will is. It is because of him that “the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”! Therefore we learn that God nurtures his church to maturity!
EXAMPLE: The man we chose to be our pastor must a man who will help us as a church to “grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Because it is “From him the whole body,[is] joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”! Our desire as a church and as individuals should be not for the moment but for the future of God’s work here in this community into the future! Our purpose is not momentary but eternal in nature and we are to focus on establishing his church so that future generations will come to know him! We must never forget that it is God who nurtures his church to maturity!
Conclusion:
God grows his church through his people! God nurtures his church to maturity!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 9, 2020
Family is important. It is important because it is the foundation for a stable society. This is why families that are secure, stable, and functional are a necessity. And it explains why our society is so fractured, insecure, and dysfunctional. Healthy relationships and a healthy view of self is where and how we as individuals have healthy lives, learn to function, and mature. It is how we grow.
I have shared before that the church is a sacred thing that we as Baptists often take for granted. The reason we do is because like most evangelicals we think that church is about us and that is should meet our needs and make us feel better when in fact that is not what a church is supposed to be at all. Church is not a social club, fraternity, or a secret society. It is where we as believers are to develop a healthy spirituality, learn to function, and mature. Let’s learn how God grows his church…
READ: Ephesians 4:11-16
The church is Jesus body in the world and is to function in unity in order to do his work and will in the world until he returns. God has given us spiritual gifts to use within the church for specific purposes. We learn that…
I. God grows his church through his people! (Vv. 11-13)
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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.
1. The list that Paul gives is not one listing a succession of importance or of rank but rather it is simply a list that Paul was given through the Spirit’s inspiration. Paul knew that it was Jesus who established the church in order that after “he ascended on high” would have followers who would be his body in the world and it “was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers” to serve in his church. We are to be his spiritual ambassadors, speakers, preachers, and shepherds of his flock! These duties are not for us to make us feel good about ourselves but instead “to prepare God’s people for works of service”. This is extremely important because as his people we are to be his servants serving others! We are to put others before ourselves. Paul saw God’s household, his church, as being “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20 NIV)” Evangelists came later spreading the gospel and pastors and teachers held the church together “so that the body of Christ may be built up 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”. The notion therefore is that the purpose of the gifted believers is to equip other believers for the ministry within the church so as to give them stability doctrinally and practically and thereby lead them to mutual edification. All believers are to be involved in the spiritual maturation of God’s church. God grows his church through his people!
EXAMPLE: Church was never meant to be simply a Sunday morning experience or a once a week empowerment. It is to be a place whereby God’s people help one another mature so that they can be all they can be in God; his full measure. Paul would write “‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’--but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NIV)” And it is only the spiritually mature who can understand this. God grows his church through his people!
The church is supposed to be the family whereby its members are cultivated so that they can reach the world for Jesus. Perhaps we have forgotten the fact that…
II. God nurtures his church to maturity! (Vv. 14-16)
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. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 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.
1. Paul came to understand that Jesus gave us his church so that as human beings we would not fall prey to an ungodly world. Sadly, it seems as if the church today is in a rush to be accepted by the world rather than to preach, teach, and minister the gospel message it is supposed to! Instead of maturing many have remained mere spiritual babies. Churches today are often founded on personality rather than the power of God. If we were maturing the way we are supposed to be “Then we [would] 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”! Far too often churches are often taken in by liars who use their deceitfulness in order to gain power over others. Paul would warn his friend Timothy: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3 NIV)” Spiritually mature believers will not fall for such deception because “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” The leaders we chose, from Sunday school teachers, deacons, Team members, and the pastor should all be able to help us a church body mature in Christ and stay away from false doctrines! Just like a healthy body is held together through proper exercise, nourishment, and mental stability a healthy church focuses on the Lord and what his will is. It is because of him that “the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”! Therefore we learn that God nurtures his church to maturity!
EXAMPLE: The man we chose to be our pastor must a man who will help us as a church to “grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Because it is “From him the whole body,[is] joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”! Our desire as a church and as individuals should be not for the moment but for the future of God’s work here in this community into the future! Our purpose is not momentary but eternal in nature and we are to focus on establishing his church so that future generations will come to know him! We must never forget that it is God who nurtures his church to maturity!
Conclusion:
God grows his church through his people! God nurtures his church to maturity!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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