New Life Bible Fellowship Church
9/28/25

      • Psalm 98:7–9KJV1900

  • I Love To Tell The Story
  • Go Light Your World

      • Psalm 148KJV1900

  • Introduction:

    We are currently in a three-sermon mini series called the Purpose of the Church. If you remember from last week, we began with the understanding that our primary purpose from which all the other purposes flow, is to Worship God. We saw how the Psalmist in Psalm 96, called us to sing a new song to the Lord, and ascribe to Him all of the attributes that make Him God. We finally looked at our responsibility to live in the here and now, declaring that God is reigning sovereignly with no rivals that will dethrone Him, and He will judge the earth in righteousness and equity. It is with this certainty that God alone will have the last word, that we can continue in a world filled with darkness and evil.
    As a result of this primary overarching purpose of His church to worship Him, we recognize the absolute essential need to prepare God’s people to do just that…to be a light, salt, and the voice of God’s saving grace in this dark world. How do we prepare God’s people to do this? The scripture clearly shows us that God has given to His church gifts…these gifts are to build up and prepare the church for this function in the world. Therefore, the second purpose of the church is to build up, or as we’ve entitled it, Edify the Saints. This we hope to clearly understand from Pauls letter to the Ephesians 4:11-16. To get a running start into the context of this text, we will begin in verse 1:

    Text: Ephesians 4:9-16

    Ephesians 4:1–16 ESV
    1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up 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 doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to 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.

    Main Idea: Since the church is a living organism, empowered by Christ, each member is called to use their gifts to promote growth, unity, and maturity in faith.

    Background:

    Paul founded this church as we read in Acts 19, spending more then two years in Ephesus, and it became the center for evangelizing the western part of Asia Minor. He wrote Ephesians from prison (Acts 28) along with Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
    Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, may have been prompted by the darkness in which the church of Ephesus was surrounded. A darkness fueled by the most prominent civic monument, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple of the goddess Diana. In one inscription, the city describes itself as the “nurturer” of the goddess, and the goddess in turn makes Ephesus the “most glorious” of the Asian cities. People from the area would appreciate the irony of Paul’s words about Christ nourishing His own body, the church (5:29).
    Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is split into two main sections. Section one, Chapters 1-3, is loadied with indicatives, or statements of fact, that declare to us all that we have in Christ. For instance:
    Ephesians 1:3–4 ESV
    3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
    Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV
    8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
    Ephesians 3:6 ESV
    6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
    Paul ends this first section of indicatives with a doxology:
    Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV
    20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
    Then in chapters 4-6, we are given the imperatives, or commands on what to do, and how we are to use practically all that we have in Christ. For instance:
    Ephesians 4:1 ESV
    1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
    Ephesians 5:25 ESV
    25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
    Ephesians 6:10–11 ESV
    10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
    This is where we find ourselves this morning, in this section of imperatives, where Paul discusses the gifts that Christ has given to the church, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. He emphasizes the importance of these roles in equipping believers for works of service, leading to the unity and maturity of the body of Christ.
    Christ is the one, not people, not educational institutions, but Christ who equips His church with various leaders and gifts for the edification of His body. This passage points to Christ as the head of the church, from whom all growth flows, illustrating His ongoing work in believers' lives through the Holy Spirit.
    So we begin this morning with the reality of Christ’s gifting, with the purpose of these gifts for the…

    I. Equipping the Saints (11-12)

    We read also verses 1-9, seeing that Paul begins section two with the word, Therefore, which links to all of section one, ending with that great doxology we read earlier, setting the stage for his first imperative, to walk worthy of the calling to which we have been called (1),
    There will be characteristics that show we are walking correctly in verses 2-3. These characteristics are a result of the calling of our eternal triune God, who is at work to bring about a oneness in Christ body the church, that same oneness that is enjoyed in the Godhead, and is given to His church by grace (3-7). In order to do that, Paul explains how God sent His son Jesus as we see in verse 8-10.
    Thus, the immediate context of this morning’s text is found in verse 8-10, which describes both the finished work of Christ in verse 8, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”, which came about from His incarnation (descended into the lower regions, the earth). Christ descended from the highest heavens to the lowest regions (i.e., to the earth), where he suffered, died, and was buried, but where he also defeated death and rose again.
    He then ascended (9)(Acts 1:9) 40 days later to be seated in the highest heavens at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33).
    far above (10) - Christ is the supreme head of the church who fills all things (see 1:23) with his glory, power, and sovereign prerogative to dispense gifts to his people (see 4:11–16). Thus, Christ is seen as the conquering hero, home from the battle, and distributing gifts, made available from the battle’s outcome to His people.
    Here now are those gifts, which you will note is not an exhaustive list of all the gifts that are found in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, or 1 Peter 4:10-11, but are those which He gave specifically, to bring about a unified church, enjoying the oneness of walking worthy of our calling…
    11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, - we begin with two gifts which have their impotance and primary use as the early church began:
    apostles (apostolos [noun] - one sent forth with a mission). In a restricted sense, these are those who had been with Jesus and witnessed His resurrection (or received a special revelation of the risen Jesus) and who had been commissioned by Jesus to be founders of the church (Acts 1:21, 22; 1 Cor. 15:1–9). The word was also used in a broader sense of people sent out as delegates of particular churches (2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25), though these do not appear to be the ones Paul has in mind in this passage.
    prophets (prophetes [noun] - one who speaks for God). The New Testament prophets conveyed special revelation to the early church. Their functions included prediction, exhortation, encouragement, warning, and explanation (Acts 15:32; 21:9–11; 1 Cor. 14:3). The teaching of the New Testament prophets and apostles laid the foundation of the church (2:20), and certain aspects of their work related to that unique task have been discontinued. All that the apostles and prophets accomplished has been set forth for us in God’s written word, the Bible.
    Ephesians 2:19–20 ESV
    19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
    evangelists. People especially gifted to proclaim the gospel (Acts 21:8; 1 Cor. 1:17).
    shepherds and teachers. The two words go together to refer to a single set of individuals who both shepherd and instruct God’s flock.
    in essence, the evangelist and pastor/teacher take what has been provided by the apostles and prophets in order to…
    12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
    Those church leaders with various gifts (v. 11) are to equip (katartismos [noun] - the bringing of someone or something to completion, and fit for some purpose ) the saints (all Christians) so that they can do the work (ergon [noun] - work a person is obliged to perform) of ministry.
    Note that this equipping is specific, it is not to make you smarter, richer, or anything else outside of the work of ministry.
    Thus, Sunday mornings are first and foremost for the saints (believers), in order to equip them.
    All Christians have spiritual gifts that should be used in ministering to one another (1 Cor. 12:7, 11; 1 Pet. 4:10), however, these gifts are seen as fundamental or foundational in the preparation for others to use their gifts thus…
    for [building up] (oikodome [noun] - to construct or build; edify) the body of Christ
    So how long do we do this, when is our job done?

    II. Unity in Diversity (13)

    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, - We see here the extent of the work to be done, as well as, the diversity of gifts that serve to bring about the unity of Christ’s people.
    until (mechri [conjunction] - temporary action that continues to a completed end) we (the body of Christ) all attain (katantao [aor, act, sub] - the possibility of reaching) - So, in essence, this work of equipping is ongoing and continues to focus as directed by three prepositions of direction (to - eis), which are seen not as a series of accomplishments that moves from one level to the next, but actions that take place in parallel, or concurrently, moving like concentric circles along cohesively to a final end:
    to the unity (henotes [noun] - the quality of becoming one, amidst diversity of gifts) of the faith (pistis [noun] - in the context, our Christian faith) and of the knowledge (epiginosis [noun] - full knowledge) of the Son of God - the idea is that the more we know Christ, the greater our faith grows, and the greater our faith grows, the more we desire to know Christ, and the more we engage in this growth it shows itself directed…
    to mature manhood extends the body metaphor used earlier for the church and contrasts with “children” in the next verse (see Heb. 5:11–14). Some people think that the learning of doctrine is inherently divisive, but it is people who divide the church, whereas the knowledge of the Son of God (both knowing Christ personally and understanding all that he did and taught) is edifying and brings about “mature manhood” when set forth in love (Phil. 3:10). Which in turn brings us closer…
    to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ - Christ Jesus is the standard of the maturity to which the church must aspire, the full expression of his divine and human perfection (see Eph. 1:23; 3:19; Col. 1:19; 2:9).
    Therefore, as we equip through our teaching, we learn more of Christ together, becoming more unified in our faith, maturing in our manhood, and thus becoming closer to the fullness of Christ.
    So we see here the the work of the gifted evangelist to preach the gospel and bring those who profess Christ into the church so that the gifted pastor-teacher can equip them through the proclamation and teaching of the word centered on Christ, and not on feel good or pragmatic teachings of their own (cf. 1 Cor. 2:2), for only then will the church be edified.
    As a natural by-product of this edification, when done properly, will cause unwavering…

    III. Maturing in Truth (14-15)

    14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
    so that - purpose of maturing to the fullness of Christ
    we may no longer be children. Immaturity in the truths of Christian doctrine makes the church like gullible children tossed helplessly by the waves and wind of cunning and deceitful schemes of false teachers (1 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 4:1–3; Jude 4; Rev. 2:2).
    15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, - when done right, …
    Rather (de [conjunction of contrast]) - in contrast to staying immature as children.
    [speaking the truth] (aletheuo [pre, act, par] - to make statements consistent with reality) - being equipped in truth and by truth, their maturity shows itself in their speaking of truth…but the caution is to always do so…
    in love (agape)- truth must not be used as a club to bludgeon people into acceptance and obedience but must always be presented in love. As a result, instead of beating down growth…
    we are to grow up - Ths truth in love leads the Christian to maturity, which is defined here as growing up into Christ.
    in every way into him who is the head, into Christ - As head, Christ leads, directs, and guides the body (see 5:23; 1 Cor. 11:3). This reminder of the headship of Christ, transitions us into a snapshot of the true church edified through the gifts presented to it by the holy Spirit and stands as an edifice of the wisdom, power, and amazing grace of our God, for as we do what He has called us to do, the church perpetuates as one who is…

    IV. Building in Love (16)

    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.
    from (ek [preposition of source]) whom (hos [relative pronoun]) - Refers back to Christ the head.
    the whole body - the entire invisible church
    joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped. When those gifted do what they have been called to do, creates a cohesive whole, which…
    when each part is working properly, - as believers use correctly the gifts they are given, not for their own private benefit, but done for the benefit of the corporate body, for no one can grow to maturity in isolation, it…
    makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. - shows us God’s plan for perpetuating His true church…it is not by our wisdom, pragmatism, or somehow tricking people into a temporary growth scheme, but by the slow, meticulous use of God’s gifts to His church, and done with God’s love for His church. This plan of God is the good seed, good soil, water, and fertilizer of church growth.

    So What?

    Do we understand that it is Christ who gave us gifts as an outcome of His victory over sin and death?
    Do we understand that the sole purpose of these gifts is that His church would grow and mature in to the fullness of Christ?
    Do we further understand that this growth plan of God to edify the saints through gifted leaders, to do the work of the ministry is the only growth plan that will work?

      • Matthew 28:16–20KJV1900

      • Matthew 28:16–18ESV

      • Daniel 7:14ESV

      • Matthew 28:19ESV

      • Genesis 12:3ESV

      • Romans 6:3–4ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 12:13ESV

      • Galatians 3:27ESV

      • Ephesians 4:4–6ESV

      • Romans 10:9–17ESV

      • Matthew 28:20ESV

      • 2 Timothy 3:16–17ESV

      • John 20:21ESV

  • Let Your Heart Be Broken
New Life Bible Fellowship Church
dick.bickings@gmail.com
(302) 945-8145
https://newlifebfcde.org
18 members • 1 follower