Building Up The Body of Christ

Building Up The Body of Christ

Introduction

This will be my 3rd time preaching this text on a Sunday Morning.  My 2nd time preaching it here at Celebration.  Despite this being my third go at this sermon, I guarantee you that we will not have time to adequately cover all that is contained within.  

Ephesians 4:1-16

Application!!!!

• walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.  This has built upon the calling we have been given in the first 3 chapters… (3-blessed, 4-chosen, 5-adopted, 6-Favored, 7-Redeemed/Forgiven, 9-Enlightened, 11-Heirs, 13-Sealed,  2:5-Alive, 6-Raised Up, 8-Saved, 13-Brought Near, 16-Reconciled, 18-Given access, 19-Citizens, 22-Built up)  

Seek to Build Godly Relationships (vs 1-6)

• • Explain
    • What is worthy walking?  Paul gives us a list!  But all of these are in relationship to one another.  There is a fundamental assumption here that believers are already living together.  
      • 9 Reasons I Don’t Go to Sporting Events Anymore
        • 1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
        • 2. The people sitting in my row didn’t seem very friendly.
        • 3. The seats were very hard.
        • 4. The coach never came to visit me.
        • 5. The referees made a decision I didn’t agree with.
        • 6. I was sitting with hypocrites—they only came when it was convenient for them!
        • 7. Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.
        • 8. The band played some songs I had never heard before.
        • 9. The games are scheduled on my only day to sleep in and run errands.
      • You can’t have a high view of God without a high view of God’s Bride. Walking worthy requires walking together.
    • What does walking worthy look like?

• Humility

• • • • • In Greek culture, pride was more highly valued than humility.  Humility was scoffed at.  The same is true today.  We are surrounded by pride.  It assaults us at every turn, but Christ says, “be humble instead” when everyone else is waving their flags and saying look how great we are, We say, “I am nothing, look how great God is!”
        • What Paul is saying is that those who walk in arrogance, will never be walking worthy of God’s call.   Why? Because there is no boasting for the believer, at least not in ourselves!  We boast in our weaknesses so we can display His strength in our lives!

• Gentleness

• • • • • Christians are not to be Jerks for Jesus.  We don’t approach people with theological shotguns, blasting people away with scripture.  We are to be gentle and self controlled as we deal with people both inside and outside the church.
          • Speak the truth IN LOVE!

• Patience

• • • • • Long suffering
          • Dance Partners – Stepping on one another’s toes.  
        • I don’t know about you, but If I had to put up with myself, all my issues and problems and selfishness, one of us would have to die.

• Bearing with One another in Love

• • • • • 1st Peter 4:8 – above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
        • It is easy to be gentle towards yourself, to have unity and peace and patience with yourself.  But bring in the screaming toddler onto the airplane.  Bring in the christian that’s on the opposite end of the worship spectrum from you. Bring in the know it all, bring in the constant victim, bring in the Karen and God says, “Bear with them! Love them! Help them!”

• Peace

• • • • • Unshakable in your circumstances.

• Unity (summarizes)

• • • • Why are we to be unified?  Read Vs 4-6
        • Because God is unified, we are to be unified
        • Count others as more significant than yourself (worship songs, Where you sit, personal preferences)
  • Colossians 3:12-14 – Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 

Seek to Use Your Gift (vs 7-12)

• Descended – Ascended
  • Basically a quick recap of Jesus’ ministry.  He started in heaven, he descended to earth, Born of a virgin, He was God, Mankind hated him, Murdered him on a cross, Died for your sins, He rose again, And ascended back into heaven 
    • It said, He “Led a host of captives”  Ever wonder what happened to those believers from the old testament who died before Jesus?  Their sins were not atoned for, so they couldn’t enter into the presence of God, their souls were waiting for Christ to pay for them.  When Christ ascended, He took them with Him!
• “He gave gifts to men”
  • Spiritual Gifts
    • There are four places in the New Testament that talk about spiritual gifts. (1st Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1st Peter 4)  None of the lists are the same, and each one adds more spiritual gifts to the list.  There are a total of 19 named, But because of how they have been listed, I am of the opinion that these 19 are not an exhaustive list, but that there are a great many spiritual gifting’s that God gives to believers.  To say otherwise would be limiting the ability of God. And because I am not a big fan of putting God in a box, I like to believe that there are a lot of Spiritual Gifts.  But for the sake scripture, Here are a list of the 19 that are mentioned in the Bible
      • Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Discernment, Apostles, Teaching, Service, Administration, Evangelism, Shepherding, Encouragement, Giving, Leadership, Mercy, Hospitality, Tongues, Prophecy
        • Miraculous gifts – Continuationists vs Cessacionists. – I am not going to fight that battle today, except to say that we at Celebration Church welcome both sides of the debate.  We do not, and will not be dividing fellowship over different beliefs on spiritual gifts. If you want to know my personal opinion, come see me after!
    • We mystify our gifting’s of God all the time but let me just say, it doesn’t really matter if you are using a natural talent, or a spiritual gift.  You have both of those by the grace of God.  He gave you both.  And He expects you to use them for His glory. 
      • So you have maybe been able to sing for all your life.  When you become a Christian, that is to be used for God’s glory.  Maybe your an accountant.  Its not on the list of spiritual gifts I have, but maybe you should use that gift for the kingdom! Graphic Designer = use it for God!
    • You learn your gifts by trial and error. (no good, don’t like, others say stop)
• What is the purpose of the gifts? 
  • 1. “To equip the saints for the work of ministry”
    • I was speaking to another pastor in town this week, and he was lamenting how his church expected him to do every aspect of ministry and it was burning him out.  He was talking about how excited he was for an upcoming time of sabbatical.
      • A common church mentality – The pastor does the work of ministry.  But it is the pastor’s job to equip the saints for the work of ministry.  (visitation, evangelism, discipleship, kingdom advancement)
        • I get calls all the time – Can you come ________
  • 2. “for the building up of the body of Christ”
    • Romans 12:4-5 – For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
    • Is church a priority for you?  It is for Jesus.
      • You may be in school, but your school will not be here in two thousand years. You may have a job, but in two thousand years, your company will no longer exist. You may love your nation, but in two thousand years, your nation will be a footnote in history. But in two thousand years, there will still be the church of Jesus Christ.
      • The church of Jesus Christ is the most amazing group of people in the history of the world. Nations come and go, circumstances come and go, and the people of God continue moving forward. Across all cultures, through opposition, persecution, ostracism, There are a few billion people on the earth today who claim to be part of the church.  It is the largest organization in the world.  The longest lasting organization in the world?  The church.  How?  Because God makes it so.  
        • Is the church a priority for you?  You want to get near to God? You want to be in His will?  Be in His Church.  Use your gifts for it’s benefit.
• How does this play out in the church?
  • Our hope is to help you find your place, and raise you up and equip you to the fullness of God’s calling for your life. (Whether holding infants in the nursery, or teaching a Bible study class, or stepping into full time pastoral ministry) Our job is to help you get there.  This is why I want to introduce something totally new that we have been working on for the last several months now. 
• Pastoral Institute of the Western Slope – We are starting something new… Something amazing here in Montrose.  Celebration Church leadership has been working alongside several other like minded churches to start a program to raise up and train pastors on the western slope.  
  • Roughly ⅓ of churches within 2 hours of us are pastor less.  “Sheep without a shepherd.
  • No seminaries within 5 hours of Montrose.
  • There are over 600,000 people who live on the western slope of Colorado.  “The Harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.”
  • Is God calling you to be a laborer?  For the first time, We are creating a program to equip pastors for the work.   
    • 2 years – Theology, Preaching, Leadership, Pastoral Care

Seek to Grow in Maturity (Vs 13-16) (Conclusion)

• If you are a rule follower, I already know your temptation in this passage.  You want to create a list of do’s and don’ts.  You want the checklist of how to live the perfect life.  
  • Humility, gentleness, patience, love, unity, peace.  
    • Focus on the finish line (Christ) “keep your eye on the prize” and you will find that your life is characterized by these things. 
      • Don’t focus on patience, focus on Jesus, and you will have patience.  Not peace, Jesus. And you will have peace.
• Christ is our greatest gift, everything beyond that is just icing on the cake.
  • The greatest gift my wife ever gave me is herself. (Not a Computer, car, children)
  • Christ has given Himself.  What will be your grateful response?  
    • This is my church. It is composed of people just like me. It will be friendly if I am. It will do a great work if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes if I am generous. It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them. Its seats will be filled if I fill them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service. If I who make it what it is, am filled with these, Therefore, with God’s help, I dedicate myself to the task of being all these things I want my church to be.