Revival Baptist Church
Sunday Morning Service Ephesians

      • 1 John 3.16KJV1900

      • 1 John 3.17KJV1900

      • 1 John 3.16KJV1900

      • 1 John 3.17KJV1900

      • Matthew 6.3-4KJV1900

  • Ephesians 4:7–8 KJV 1900
    But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
    Ephesians 4:9–10 KJV 1900
    (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
    Ephesians 4:11–12 KJV 1900
    And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
    Ephesians 4:13–14 KJV 1900
    Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
    Ephesians 4:15–16 KJV 1900
    But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

    Introduction

    In chapter 4, we begin to see the application of the doctrine of this letter. As we are part of one Body in Christ, we need to walk worthy of that unity. The next paragraph of this chapter brings us to the gifts that we have received of Christ that will allow us to accomplish this worthy walk. What have you been given by grace? This morning, we will see these gifts of grace.
    Remember, the letter of Paul to the Ephesians, an important epistle in the Bible, has much to say on the subject of what our church should be. Paul will show us the importance of unity, faithful leadership and biblical order in the church. We will see the vital part that their family plays in the life of every Christian. We have seen the blessings of God through His salvation. We will also see the reality of the spiritual warfare around us.
    Written by Paul the Apostle, Ephesians is a letter that begins high on a mountain top in chapter one. We see the amazing blessings of the Trinity toward saved man. In chapter two, we see two paragraphs that give us the truth of grace for mankind. We are saved by grace. We are united by our sin and His salvation. Chapter three gave us insight into the task of Paul as an apostle and his prayer for the church at Ephesus. Salvation is a major focus of those doctrinal chapters in Ephesians. In chapter four, we begin to see the way that we can live out these beneficent truths through a faithful walk in His unity.
    Remember, the central theme of Ephesians is the unity of believers, in Christ, as part of the local church.
    We have received grace at the cross of Christ. Grace is the ill-deserved favour of a God who deserves our thankfulness. However, grace is not just a way to describe what happened at the moment of our salvation. Grace is also the continuing effects of the cross and empty tomb on the life of the redeemed. Grace affects us into the future of our faithful service to Jesus Christ.
    In the passage this morning, we see that grace is a giving word. It gives us gifts from Jesus Christ. What gifts have you received from Christ! Aside from your salvation, you have received the means to grow in Christ and become more like what He has saved you to be.
    Growth is what we need to move from a babe in Christ to mature in the Word of God. Christ has given us gifts to help us along the journey of growing up in Christ and becoming all that He has called us to be.
    Hebrews 5:13–14 KJV 1900
    For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
    Growth is Going Righteously Onward With Thankful Harmony. Grace is part of the process of our growth in Christ. Are you growing in Christ today?

    Declaration

    The grace of Christ has given gifts to men. These gifts are in the context of the local church. Today, choose to allow the gifts of Christ to mature you in your Christian life until Christ returns. We see a process of grace in this passage.

    1. Grace Grants Gifts

    Ephesians 4:7–10 KJV 1900
    But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
    Grace has been given to us in the past. History records that 2,000 years ago, a man named Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life, and died on a cross just outside the city of Jerusalem. He was placed in a borrowed tomb for three days. On Sunday morning, He rose again and gave instructions to His disciples to carry on the work of giving the good news of His salvation to the world. One writer summed it up this way,
    The Epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians Ephesians 4:11

    The powers of hell were triumphantly routed at Calvary

    Grace was given to men. Grace came only by the finished work of Christ. As we have seen so far in this letter to the Ephesians, grace is, for Paul, a one-word definition of salvation. When he refers to grace in Ephesians and throughout his writings, he is recognizing the Divine kindness of God in allowing mankind to have a way of salvation to approach the throne of God. However, salvation does not end after we have surety of heaven. Salvation is the beginning of a daily walk with Christ, as we saw last week. Paul is now using grace in the sense of something that is given after salvation to live the Christian life.
    Christ has given all of us grace according to what He has purposed for each person. The word “measure” here indicates that something has a limit or quantity. Each person has been given a certain amount of grace for Christian living and growth in the church. In Romans, Paul points out that this grace is measured like faith.
    Romans 12:3 KJV 1900
    For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
    Because some have more grace given then others, there follows that there will be different gifts and different callings for each person in the church. Unity in the church is the focus of the beginning of the chapter. Here we see that Unity does not require uniformity as all are given specific, necessary grace. When specifically did we receive these gifts? While other interpretations have been put forward, the passage seems to indicated that they were part of the Incarnation of Christ.
    Psalm 68:18 KJV 1900
    Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; Yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
    Because He came and was born as a man, He became our sacrifice to satisfy the justice of God. Because He died on the cross for us, He became our salvation from our eternal destination of Hell. Because He rose again from the tomb, He became our bestower of new life in an eternal home in heaven. Because He ascended to heaven to sit on the right hand of the Father, He became the bestower of gifts to carry on the work that He had begun. John tells us,
    John 3:12–13 KJV 1900
    If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
    Grace has given gifts to men. These gifts were intended to “fill all things” and they work out His will in the church. Christ has a desire to see the earth filled with His power and the message of His Gospel.
    Mark 16:15 KJV 1900
    And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
    Grace Grants Gifts

    2. Gifts Grant Guidance

    Ephesians 4:11–13 KJV 1900
    And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
    There are three portions of Scripture that give us lists of spiritual gifts. The earliest is found in 1 Cor 12:1-11. This list gives us gifts of the Spirit that were a sign to the lost world of the truth of the Gospel. We find these used often in the book of Acts but they are not in existence today. The second list is found in Romans 12:3-8. This list gives us the gifts of the Spirit to be exercised in the church as service to Christ. In our passage this morning, we see a list of gifts that focuses on offices in the church to build up the church to be what Christ desires.

    A. Guidance through People v. 11

    Guidance is given to the church through specific offices. These offices are filled by called people and they are for the growth of the church. Four offices are mentioned here.
    Apostles
    Apostles were “sent ones” by the express command of the Risen Christ. He sent them with a purpose into the world. They preached the Gospel at Pentecost and are seen throughout the book of Acts. Though this word is used of others in a similar capacity, apostles refers primarily to the Eleven Disciples, plus Matthias and Paul.
    Acts 2:42 KJV 1900
    And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
    Prophets
    Prophets are those who have the ability to preach the Gospel and foretell the future. We see both testaments have this office of prophet.
    Acts 21:10–11 KJV 1900
    And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
    Together, apostles and prophets were instrumental in the foundation and structure of the church. However, these offices are not present in the world today.
    Ephesians 2:20 KJV 1900
    And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
    Evangelists
    This word in the Greek world referred to those who gave out the information that had been revealed by the pagan oracles in the Greek temples. In the New Testament, it is only use three times including here. Evangelists are called by God to preach the Gospel. Throughout the Bible, all Christians are called to preach the Gospel, however, evangelists are those who are called specifically to this task. Romans tells us,
    Romans 10:15 KJV 1900
    And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
    Pastors and Teachers
    Pastors are those who shepherd the flock of God. This word is the same as shepherd. Christ is the Good Shepherd. Pastors are called by God to steward and care for the flock as Christ is now in heaven. This is a great task. Shepherds are seen throughout Scripture exercising the protecting and preparing of the people of God.
    Jeremiah 3:15 KJV 1900
    And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
    Teachers are those who give knowledge in the church of God. There is much discussion regarding whether pastors and teachers are the same or different offices. Pastors are called to teach the Bible. Teachers are not always pastors. However, we see here that these two officers are connected in the passage showing us that God has an important emphasis here on the development of His people to be what He desires.
    Acts 13:1 KJV 1900
    Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

    B. Guidance with Purposes v. 12-13

    Verses 12-13 give us the purposes of the gifts of grace.

    1) Perfecting of the saints v. 12

    If you were to make something perfect, you would have to work at it for a long time. If you were to make a carving perfect, you would have to carve and carve and carve without a mistake. Mistake-less work is rare in a singe piece of craftsmanship. Flawless manufacture is found only in the workshop of someone who has trained, developed and mastered a life of craftsmanship. So in the Christian life.
    Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.
    John Ruskin
    A Christian life that is perfect is one that has the ability to say that they have achieved adulthood in Christ. Growth from birth to death is based on the constant pursuit of perfection in Christ. Perfection is faithfully living in light of the teaching of the Bible and the calling of Christ in your life.
    1 Corinthians 14:20 KJV 1900
    Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

    2) Work of the Ministry v. 12

    Ministry is service to God. When we see the word “ministry”, we often think in our minds of some pastor in a black suit with a white collar. Perhaps, we think of someone who drives a Crown Victoria and shows up for funerals and weddings. However, this word means service. Service to Christ is the job of both the pastor and the people. We are to work to see the task of our Master come to fruition on this earth. A great example of this service is given by Paul in First Corinthians,
    1 Corinthians 16:15 KJV 1900
    I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
    One commentary said this,
    Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament Ephesians 4:7–16

    ministry leaders equip other Christians so that they will then serve others.

    3) Edifying of the Body of Christ v. 12

    Edifying is building. The body of Christ is built through the gifts of the grace of Christ. The idea of the church as a building built on the foundation of Christ is again mentioned here in the Ephesians.
    1 Peter 2:5 KJV 1900
    Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

    4) Final Unity through Growth in Christ v. 13

    The ultimate goal of these gifts is the final unity in Christ. In heaven, we will all be one in the finished work of the Lamb. There will be a final position of the church as the position of one who is of age and peak in ability to serve. Christ is the perfect man that we are seeking to pattern our lives after. The phrase “perfect man” is seen in a promise in Ps 37. Peace is the end of a man that is mature in Christ.
    Psalm 37:37 KJV 1900
    Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: For the end of that man is peace.
    Grace Grants Gifts
    Gifts Grant Guidance

    3. Guidance Grants Growth

    Ephesians 4:14–16 KJV 1900
    That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

    A. Growth Downward v. 14

    There are two metaphors given here for those who are not yet mature in the faith. One is of a ship and the other is of seed.
    The phrase “tossed to and fro” is the idea of a ship that is without the ability to steer through the waves in the storms of life. Without the guidance of the gifts of grace, we will have no direction and no purpose in our wanderings to the final port of heaven.
    The phrase “carried about with every wind” gives us the idea of a crop that is not yet grounded in the fertile soil that it has been planted in. We have already seen the importance of being “rooted and grounded in love” in Ephesians.
    False doctrine comes into the church through intentional manipulation by evil men. Deceit is the pattern of the enemy as Paul will warn in chapter 6.
    Ephesians 6:11 KJV 1900
    Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
    There must be growth downward either through an rudder for the ship or roots for the crop.

    B. Growth Outward v. 15

    As Christians, we are to give the good news of the Gospel in love to those without the knowledge of the truth. This must be driven by the love of Christ. It must be true care and true love that will be seen by those who hear the good news that we bring.
    Galatians 4:16 KJV 1900
    Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
    There must be growth outward to a lost world through speaking the truth of the Gospel with the love of Christ.

    C. Growth Upward v. 15

    Physical growth is upward in the direction of our head. Spiritual growth is upward in the direction of our Head, Christ. Sometimes, we just have to grow up!
    Joints are the portion of the body that hold everything together. A joint that is not aligned correctly will cause pain and malfunction. Each joint gives us those parts that are necessary to an effective body for the service of the King.
    Colossians 2:19 KJV 1900
    And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
    There must be growth upward in the direction of our Head as we become more formed, strong, and exercised in the grace that we have been given.

    D. Growth Inward v. 15

    The increase of the body comes through the love that it is built on. Constantly, we need to go back to the foundation of the salvation that we have in Christ. Surely we can say that God is a God of love for sinful mankind!
    Romans 5:8 KJV 1900
    But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
    There must be growth inward as we build upon the love that Christ has given us as a foundation for the church.

    Conclusion

    The Epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians Ephesians 4:7–10

    Only in the subsoil of Calvary can God’s imperishable grain of wheat be sown or His church planted with Him;

    The grace of Christ has given gifts to men. These gifts are in the context of the local church. Today, choose to allow the gifts of Christ to mature you in your Christian life until Christ returns.
    Growing is one of the biggest challenges in a young persons life. For the parents, growing means new clothes and shoes each school year. For friends, growing means changes in the topics of conversation throughout the years. For teachers, growing means different questions and different distractions in the classroom.
    For the person herself, growing means growing pains as she gets taller. He experiences changes in his diet. I remember deciding that I hated white milk and only like chocolate milk. Now, as an adult, I could care less what color the milk is. A growing person is always changing. A growing person is always moving and experiencing new things. A growing person has people along the way to help him through his growth as a gift from God.
    Growing spiritually has the same experiences as physical growth. However, spiritual growth is not a solitary experience. Spiritual growth takes place in the body of Christ, His church. As we spend time following and learning the Word of God, we experience the growth that Christ desires us to have.
    What church are you a part of? Where are you growing in Christ? How is your reliance on Him for stability in the storms of life. Choose today to find a church where you can grow and be a part of what God has chosen to be His vessel to get the Gospel to a lost world.
    One of the greatest gifts we can ever receive is the gift of grace. Christ offers that gift, bought by His own shed blood, to every person who has been born on earth. That includes you. Have you ever taken that free gift of salvation for your own? Christ offers it to you today and all that He asks is that you believe on Him. We are all sinners. He is the one who has paid forever for our sin. Pray and accept His payment for your sin today.

      • Ephesians 4:7–8KJV1900

      • Ephesians 4:9–10KJV1900

      • Ephesians 4:11–12KJV1900

      • Ephesians 4:13–14KJV1900

      • Ephesians 4:15–16KJV1900

      • Ephesians 4:7–10KJV1900

      • Ephesians 4:11–13KJV1900

      • Ephesians 4:14–16KJV1900

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