Beyond the Lone Ranger: The Biblical Mandate for Church Commitment

• Church as Christ's Body [00:07:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that being part of Christ means being part of His body (the church), rejecting the idea of a solitary Christian life.
• Commitment to Local Church [00:08:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > He emphasizes that believers should be committed to a church that faithfully preaches God's Word, comparing it to the commitment in marriage.
• Unity and Interdependence [00:12:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > He explains that the unity of the Spirit connects believers, making it natural to unite with others who are united in Christ.
• Humility and Pride [00:17:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > He discusses the necessity of humility and emptying oneself of pride to walk worthy of the calling, contrasting it with the world's desire for control.
• Humility and Pride [00:17:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that realizing one's nothingness without God is the starting point for growth, contrasting this with the world's desire for control, and emphasizing that plans must align with God's truth.
• Lowliness, Meekness, and Forbearance [00:18:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > Defining meekness as 'gentleness with strength' and forbearance as 'enduring pain and annoyance with self-control,' the pastor explains these are necessary for walking worthily and dealing with sinners in the church.
• Unity of the Spirit vs. Relative Truth [00:20:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor distinguishes true biblical unity (based on the Holy Spirit and God's Word) from false peace (acquiescing to avoid rocking the boat), warning that without absolute truth, the church falls into relative truth and selfish ambition.
• The One Body and Spiritual Gifts [00:23:18 ▶️ 📄]
  > Explaining that there is one body and one Spirit, the pastor transitions to how the church operates through supernatural spiritual gifts given by Christ, which believers must actively seek to identify and use.
• The Trinity and Baptism [00:28:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > Clarifying the doctrine of one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, the pastor corrects the misconception that baptismal mode (sprinkle vs. immerse) determines salvation, asserting it points to Christ's death and resurrection.
• Spiritual Gifts [00:32:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines spiritual gifts as supernatural gifts from God given according to His will, distinct from natural abilities, and lists various gifts from Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.
• Purpose of Gifts [00:36:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor emphasizes that gifts are given 'to profit with all' or for the benefit of the whole body, not for individual prestige, warning against isolating oneself from the church.
• Church Leadership Roles [00:43:12 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor distinguishes between foundational gifts (apostles/prophets) which have passed, and ongoing leadership roles (pastors/teachers/elders) responsible for training the saints.
• The Work of the Ministry [00:45:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that the primary job of leaders is to train the saints to do the work of the ministry, emphasizing that this is a collective responsibility of the entire church body.
• Unity and Maturity [00:48:56 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor connects the work of ministry to achieving unity in the faith and growing into the 'measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ' to resist false teaching.
• Unity and the Body of Christ [00:49:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that believers must be unified in faith and purpose, growing together into the 'perfect man' (Christ), emphasizing that we cannot grow alone.
• Resistance to False Teaching [00:50:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor warns that false teaching tears churches apart, urging believers to speak truth in love to avoid being 'tossed to and fro' by deceitful men.
• Church Damage and Healing [00:51:47 ▶️ 📄]
  > Acknowledging that some are 'church damaged,' the pastor asserts that only the Gospel and Christ provide true healing, which is found within the context of the church community.
• Servant Leadership and Spiritual Gifts [00:54:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines 'minister' as 'servant,' calling the congregation to use their spiritual gifts to edify the body and serve others, highlighting God's design for collective growth.

• Sermon Illustration [00:07:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor jokes that if he had $20 for every time someone says 'I'll see you in church' without intending to go, he would be a millionaire.
• Sermon Illustration [00:09:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > He uses an analogy of dating versus marriage to explain the difference between being a visitor and being a committed member of the church body.
• Sermon Illustration [00:12:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > He describes the experience of meeting a stranger who turns out to be a Christian and feeling an immediate, lifelong connection due to the unity of the Spirit.
• Sermon Illustration [00:24:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years to describe the feeling of spiritual dryness or waiting, noting that even in these 'desert' times, God's command to draw near remains the same.
• Sermon Illustration [00:28:47 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a humorous anecdote about the internal unity of the Trinity, joking that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not need to stop for a 'planning meeting' because they are perfectly one and know each other's actions instantly.
• Sermon Illustration [00:47:47 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of a bodybuilder on memory cards for Bible books to illustrate that the church should be working, growing, and becoming stronger in faith and truth, rather than remaining static.
• Sermon Illustration [00:50:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references his observation of other churches being torn apart by humanitarian or worldly teachings that contradict Scripture, contrasting this with the current church's relative stability.
• Sermon Illustration [00:51:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of 'lone ranger' Christians to illustrate the biblical truth that there are no isolated believers; salvation and growth happen collectively through the church.

• Pastoral Charge [00:08:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > Commit to and put down roots in a local church that faithfully preaches Scripture.
• Pastoral Charge [00:21:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > Pray for the unity of the Spirit within the church.
• Pastoral Charge [00:26:57 ▶️ 📄]
  > Seek a different church if the current one does not preach the Word of God without compromise.
• Pastoral Charge [00:34:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > Study Scripture (specifically Romans 12) to identify one's spiritual gifts.
• Pastoral Charge [00:34:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > Study Scripture to identify spiritual gifts
• Pastoral Charge [00:48:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > Demonstrate God's love, be ready to give a reason for hope, build up believers, and evangelize non-believers
• Pastoral Charge [00:54:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > To actively join God's plan for the church and participate in bringing salvation to the ends of the earth.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] To Ephesians chapter 4. It's a pretty long chapter. We'll see how far we get in the sense of all of it, but we're going to read all of it at first, and we're going to really, like I said, be focusing on the church as Christ's body, and seeing that really come alive in the fourth chapter.
[00:00:26] The Apostle Paul says, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech ye that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love,
[00:00:50] endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
[00:00:55] There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.
[00:01:18] But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
[00:01:25] wherefore he saith he or 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
[00:01:45] parts of the earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things.
[00:01:57] 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.
[00:02:13] 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 statue of the fullness of Christ that we henceforth be no more children
[00:02:30] tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight 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,
[00:02:50] which is the head, even Christ, and 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
[00:03:16] in love. This I say therefore and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart,
[00:03:41] who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness but ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus
[00:04:05] that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man
[00:04:24] which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness wherefore put away lying speak every man truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another be ye angry and sin not let not the sun go down upon your wrath
[00:04:47] neither give place to the devil neither let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give him that needeth
[00:05:08] let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption
[00:05:29] let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's
[00:05:49] sake hath forgiven you now in reading that it makes me want to go by myself somewhere just get away from everybody fall on my knees and say Lord forgive me forgive me for being so
[00:06:06] selfish so single-minded so worried about myself and what i'm doing and how i feel and not running to christ and grabbing on to him and wanting to do what pleases him because we are part of his body
[00:06:23] and he has saved us in his mercy when he did not have to and so therefore the grace that he gives us our lives should be marked by that grace and we should live within the body as the church
[00:06:42] so as this is talking about the church in being Christ's body with him being the head I want us to kind of go through and see as many references as we can because it's in about almost every verse
[00:07:00] and talking about the church and who we are and that our identity as believers can only be wrapped up in the church because we are part of Christ, right?
[00:07:17] If we're part of Christ, then we are part of his body, and that is the church.
[00:07:25] So the hard truth here is, whether it is for us or for other people, because you hear people say a lot of things.
[00:07:32] I mean, as a pastor, Pastor Joseph and I have kind of joked about this.
[00:07:39] If we had, say, $20 for everybody that said, hey, I'll see you in church.
[00:07:43] I'm coming.
[00:07:45] We would be millionaires.
[00:07:47] So when it comes to being in church and being a part of church, for some people on a regular basis, it can be hard.
[00:07:58] But one of the things we see, it's like if we are in Christ and we are absolutely without any contradiction or misunderstanding or of it being untrue, we are a part of Christ's body, which is the church.
[00:08:22] So therefore, what this is speaking of is that if you are a believer, you should be in a church.
[00:08:32] You should be committed to a church.
[00:08:35] Because being committed in the church is being committed to Christ.
[00:08:43] And so God calls us to put down roots in a church that is faithfully preaching God's Word.
[00:08:51] That is a part of His body.
[00:08:55] It is great to be a visitor.
[00:08:57] It is great to be a part of the body in that sense, but also in the sense of being members of really committing, right?
[00:09:08] It's kind of like in a marriage.
[00:09:11] Two people are together and they are just dating or they might be living together and they have not been married and committed to each other.
[00:09:26] Then they're not really committed.
[00:09:29] See what I'm saying?
[00:09:29] Those lines and those connections are not there.
[00:09:33] In today's world, that's kind of hard to say.
[00:09:37] But you know, there's this great verse even in this chapter in Ephesians 4.15.
[00:09:42] It says that we are to speak the truth in love because it's the truth of God's Word.
[00:09:51] And so the great news that we see here is that the Lord Jesus will bless us as we are a part of His church, as we are a part of the body.
[00:10:05] It means that when we hear people say, hey, it's just me and Jesus.
[00:10:10] I can read the Bible on my own and I can know God and he can work in my life.
[00:10:16] And, you know, to a certain extent, there is truth to that.
[00:10:20] But what it means is that a person who calls themselves a Christian, instead of getting this much of God, they're only getting this much because we are to know Christ through his body.
[00:10:35] He is the head.
[00:10:36] It's not like we can just be like a little freckle and, you know, like attach ourselves to the head and that's it.
[00:10:42] It doesn't matter about the rest of the body.
[00:10:46] all I need is Jesus. That's not what we see. And so that is a hard truth for today's people, is that we need to be in the church. And you know, there's all kind of things that we're
[00:11:03] going to see in here, that when you get a bunch of people together, sometimes it can be hard, right? Sometimes people can be offended. Sometimes people can, sometimes you can offend people, I could offend people.
[00:11:18] Ah, but there's this great verse at the end.
[00:11:21] The very last verse of Ephesians 4 says, And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
[00:11:39] The church teaches us, being in the church teaches us in what Christ has done for us, that we are to show grace to other people.
[00:11:49] It even says in, let's see, where it talks about forbearing.
[00:12:01] Where is it? Long-suffering.
[00:12:03] Anyway, I'll get to it as I'm going through.
[00:12:06] But it talks about that we are to have long-suffering toward each other.
[00:12:10] We're to have patience with each other.
[00:12:12] We are to actually help each other grow in our relationship with Christ.
[00:12:17] And why is that?
[00:12:20] Because we're part of a body.
[00:12:23] Us and other believers.
[00:12:25] Have you ever been around somebody who you've never met before and you find out that they're a Christian and suddenly it's like you've known each other all your life?
[00:12:35] That is only through Christ.
[00:12:37] That is the unity of the Spirit.
[00:12:40] That is what the church is.
[00:12:42] So it makes sense that we would want to be united with people who are united in Christ.
[00:12:54] And, you know, there are people who will tell me, who will say, well, you know, I just can't, I just always have problems when I go to a church.
[00:13:04] I say this in love, and I say this to myself.
[00:13:07] Sometimes you have to look in the mirror and say, are you the problem?
[00:13:16] But, all right, why don't we jump in?
[00:13:23] As Pastor Joseph says, he'll tell me, he'll say, Andy, when you just get going and you get off, he said, that's where you get lost.
[00:13:36] All right, so looking at verse one, Paul says, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord, because he's in prison writing this, beseech ye that you that ye walk worthy of the vocation where ye are called now that ye what does that mean y'all you all you wins well however you
[00:14:05] would say it it's plural this whole chapter is in the plural i mean again we're not making this stuff up this relates to the church to the body of christ so when he says i beseech you that ye
[00:14:30] walk worthy that the church walk worthy of the vocation or of the by the of the relationship that god has called us into and we walk worthy of that of this salvation and in how we are to
[00:14:44] live for christ because of what he has done for us wherewith you all are called now that sense that god has called you again being the church being the body of christ god has not called us
[00:15:02] into a single relationship with himself he has called us to be with other believers to worship together. And so this is part of what is talked about in Ephesians 1, where the Holy Spirit is
[00:15:19] given to us as a earnest, as a down payment, as a guarantee of the inheritance that is coming that God has for us. Of all the things that we have talked about so far, knowing God, being with
[00:15:36] him being in his presence and for all eternity and what he has for us in heaven and the spiritual blessings of knowing him being used by him and being able to serve and and invest in in other
[00:15:54] believers and in other people and in bringing people to christ it is kind of all of the above But that calling kind of really points to the fact of that earnest and that deposit, that down payment that God has for us,
[00:16:13] that it is essentially that it is that legally binding pledge that God's not going to be like, oh, well, that inheritance is for others, but it's not for you.
[00:16:28] know if he has saved us that inheritance is coming to us and it starts by the fact that christ has saved us has made us to be more than than what we think that we're supposed to be
[00:16:44] christ calls us it's like to to to grab on to that promise to to grow in it to learn about what all it is that the eyes of our understanding might be open, that He might fill us with that wisdom,
[00:17:01] that we might know the hope of the calling that He has for us.
[00:17:05] It means that we have to humble ourselves before Him.
[00:17:11] It means that we have to get rid of pride.
[00:17:15] Essentially, it means that we have to realize that we know nothing, that we are nothing, and that without God, we would have no hope.
[00:17:23] that is a really good starting point although the world would disagree with you and be like oh no no it is it's like we have to be in control we have to to have an idea of what we're doing and you
[00:17:38] know there is a certain thing of that that it's like that you have to have goals you have to have a plan but the big thing is is that you want your plan to line up with with god's word and his truth
[00:17:48] and what he wants for you, and that calls for humility and for you to empty yourself of pride.
[00:18:01] Ah, the verse I'm looking for, long-suffering, forbearing, it's in verse 2.
[00:18:05] Why didn't somebody tell me?
[00:18:07] All right.
[00:18:14] Thank you, Pastor Joseph.
[00:18:19] So Paul says, where he says that we are to walk in the worthy of vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness and longsuffering and forbearing one another in love.
[00:18:34] Well, I mean, we just didn't talk about getting rid of pride.
[00:18:38] That is it right there, that we are to walk in lowliness and meekness.
[00:18:43] And meekness is an interesting word.
[00:18:46] It is gentleness with strength.
[00:18:50] It doesn't mean that you're a doormat, but it means that you are fixed on the Word of God.
[00:18:56] there is certainty that is there and you can deal gently with people and firmly when you need to but still in treating people with love and then long-suffering and forbearing one another in love now forbearing is being patient it is like like ultimate patience it is like eternal patience
[00:19:23] that we are to have with each other and you have to have that when you have any group of sinners together, right? Which is all of us. We're going to have days that are rough. We're going to
[00:19:35] have days when we're tired. You're going to have days when you feel like somebody hit you with a truck or just, you know, kicked you. And it's going to affect how you act because your focus
[00:19:48] is going to be on yourself and what you're dealing with and not other people. And we are to come alongside each other and encourage one another and help one another. And we are to forbear
[00:20:00] with one another in love.
[00:20:02] Great definition that I heard of forbear.
[00:20:05] Ernie has a good definition, but I heard a different one, so I'm going to share this.
[00:20:12] This is enduring pain and annoyance with self-control.
[00:20:18] Wow.
[00:20:19] How many of y'all have forbeared with me?
[00:20:22] You don't have to answer that.
[00:20:23] verse three that we are should be endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace we are to be united in the spirit and brothers and sisters i can tell you if you are not
[00:20:45] actively working to have the unity of the spirit within the church and with all of us with each other, to accomplish what God's purposes are for us collectively as the church, you will not have
[00:21:01] it. You have to be praying for it. And our sin does not want us to be unified with other people and to be unified on the truth. Because at the end of the day, we want to feel like us and our
[00:21:21] perception is right, right? Well, guess what? Sometimes it might be, but there are other times that it is not. You got the whole subjective, objective thing going on. Many times we are too subjective about our points of view. Well, if you're getting rid of your pride, then you're
[00:21:44] also getting rid of your point of view, right? It needs to be based on the word and on grace and on the forgiving love of Christ.
[00:21:56] But it also says that we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
[00:22:03] Now some people want to have peace within the church by just acquiescing and just letting people do kind of what they're going to do and not rock the boat.
[00:22:16] Well, that is not what Paul's talking about.
[00:22:19] Peace in the church is only based on the Holy Spirit and the unity of the Spirit, and it's based on the truth of God's Word.
[00:22:29] If you don't have that, then there's no way that you have absolute truth.
[00:22:36] Then that means that people can decide what they want to be true, and you have relative truth.
[00:22:44] And then people are doing all kinds of things, and then people get into selfish ambitions.
[00:22:48] You kind of see what I'm talking about?
[00:22:50] So the bond of peace means that it is based on the truth of God's word.
[00:22:57] And it is based only on the unity of the spirit.
[00:23:03] In verse 4, there is one body and one spirit, even as ye, you all, were called in one hope of your calling.
[00:23:18] And there it is again, that hope of our calling.
[00:23:22] It is not an individual calling.
[00:23:25] It is for all of us as the church.
[00:23:28] So important.
[00:23:31] It is an amazing thing when you see people come into a church or even people who have been here for a long time and you see them really start drawing close to God and getting in God's word
[00:23:47] and wanting to be filled with the power of God, which only comes as you are still and quiet before God, as you submit to Him, as you bow before Him and He raises you up
[00:24:04] and we are in God's Word.
[00:24:07] But when we are filled with that power and you see people grow, it is such an amazing thing because you know it is what God is doing them and not themselves.
[00:24:20] And then there's the times where you or others might feel like you're in the desert.
[00:24:25] You're just, you know, you feel like the Israelites.
[00:24:27] You're wondering, 40 years?
[00:24:28] You feel like Moses?
[00:24:29] You're just going for 40 years, even though it's only a month, or maybe a year, maybe longer.
[00:24:39] And yet, the same thing still applies.
[00:24:44] God says, draw near to me, and I will draw near to you.
[00:24:51] For there is one body, and if we're part of this body, that we are part of Christ that means that every single thing that we do even the bad stuff that we have to repent of
[00:25:06] that God is with us as we are going to do it I mean if you knew and stopped to realize because it is how it is that God sees everything you do that He is with you no matter where you go
[00:25:22] and what you do would it change how you act?
[00:25:28] No.
[00:25:30] I mean, by and large, it should and it can.
[00:25:35] But in our sinful selves, there are times where we're like, I'm doing this.
[00:25:40] I'm doing this my way.
[00:25:41] I want to do this.
[00:25:43] I feel like this will fulfill me.
[00:25:46] But yet we are part of the body.
[00:25:49] And it's almost like that's like a built-in restraint and break on us to keep us focused on Christ.
[00:26:00] There's one body and one spirit that the same Holy Spirit that is in you as a believer, is in me, is in all of us.
[00:26:11] The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is that same power living in us.
[00:26:18] It is one Spirit binding us together.
[00:26:21] That's why it is one church.
[00:26:25] Of course, then people will get in, well, why are there all kinds of different denominations and whatever else?
[00:26:31] Why do we split hairs like that?
[00:26:33] Listen, whatever church that we are a part of, whether it's this church or other churches, be sure that they are preaching the Word of God without compromise.
[00:26:48] And if there is anything that you read in the Word that a church is just not doing, it might be time to look for another church.
[00:26:57] in the sense of where they are preaching the Word in its pure form, using Scripture to interpret Scripture, not just taking one verse and then making it whatever you want it to be.
[00:27:15] There are a lot of encouraging things about the Word, but there's a lot of Scripture that the Lord has and a lot of truths that hit us between the eyes because God is trying to make us into His holy people.
[00:27:37] And the only way that that happens is when we are converted, when He changes our hearts, when He gives us another will, a will to want Him, to obey Him, to seek Him, to fall on our knees and confess our sins
[00:27:54] and to receive Christ as our Savior.
[00:27:57] that has to be the starting point and when that happens it's still only about god father son and holy spirit and following him there's one body and one spirit that binds us together even as ye
[00:28:14] are called in one hope of your calling and then verse five one lord one faith one baptism there's only one Lord the Lord God Almighty exists in three persons the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
[00:28:31] the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God and they all make up the one true God as they exist in three different persons they are connected together like Pastor Joseph said this morning
[00:28:47] nothing catches God by surprise they don't suddenly have to stop and have a planning meeting.
[00:28:55] They already know.
[00:28:57] They have planned it out.
[00:28:59] They are in each other and know what the other is doing because they are God.
[00:29:10] He is God.
[00:29:12] His Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
[00:29:14] I think when I said they, I meant He.
[00:29:16] In three persons there.
[00:29:24] One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
[00:29:28] And one faith is in Christ alone and one baptism in the sense points to Christ's death and resurrection for us.
[00:29:38] And then people will get into, oh, well, do you sprinkle or do you immerse?
[00:29:43] And the answer can be yes.
[00:29:49] And then, you know, then you come to, you know, like in 1 Peter 1, where it says, unless you're sprinkled, then you are not saved.
[00:30:00] You are not going to heaven.
[00:30:01] but it's talking about being sprinkled with the blood of Christ.
[00:30:10] But it's amazing how baptism points to the death and resurrection of Christ.
[00:30:16] That is what it means.
[00:30:20] It shows that in the sense that he died for our sins, that he was raised up, that we are forgiven in him, that we are following him with all of our hearts.
[00:30:33] we are pledging ourselves from our old life, the old man, as it says here in Ephesians 4, to the new man and following him.
[00:30:45] Verse 6, One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.
[00:30:54] I mean, how much more explicit can it be?
[00:30:56] He doesn't even use the word ye.
[00:30:58] It says you all.
[00:31:02] That's the God and Father.
[00:31:04] that he is above all, he is in all, and he is in us all by the Holy Spirit and by the salvation of Christ.
[00:31:19] And so in verse 7, But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
[00:31:28] This is where it really gets good.
[00:31:30] This is where it makes a turn here.
[00:31:36] Up through verse 6, it's just talking about kind of almost conceptually, theologically, what is happening in the church as Christ's body.
[00:31:45] But here it kind of, you start getting a little bit of traction here in how the church is to operate.
[00:31:54] That every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, according to the will of God, He gives to us spiritual gifts, gifts of the Holy Spirit.
[00:32:08] Things that we didn't have before.
[00:32:12] Things that might be supported by our maybe natural gifts and abilities, but really, excuse me, more so, it is supernatural gifts that God gives to us.
[00:32:30] And so we see in verse 8, I want to talk more about spiritual gifts, but let's move on to 8 first.
[00:32:41] Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high He led captivity captive And he gave gifts unto men So when Christ came and died for us Died for our sins Paid the penalty for our sins
[00:33:06] Had God's wrath against sin poured out on him Even though he was perfect Even though he had never sinned He took our sin upon himself and he died for it and because he was perfect he would and because he was god he was able
[00:33:26] to to rise from the dead to defeat sin and death and so when he ascended into heaven then he then the holy spirit sent gifts to us to his church so it's like each one of us
[00:33:41] every believer in the past, present, and in the future has had or will have or does have now a spiritual gift.
[00:33:55] Sometimes it's one, sometimes it's several.
[00:33:59] It takes work to find out what your spiritual gift is.
[00:34:05] And there are places in the Scripture that talk about it.
[00:34:09] So it would behoove us to look at that and see.
[00:34:14] there is in Romans chapter 12, verses 6 through 8.
[00:34:39] Verse 6 says, or let's actually start, let's see, let's start at verse 4.
[00:34:45] For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
[00:35:01] again that's talking about the church we are connected having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophecy let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith or ministry or service
[00:35:24] let us wait on our ministering or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth or encourages on exhortation.
[00:35:36] He that giveth, let him do with all simplicity.
[00:35:39] He that ruleth or leadeth or lead with diligence.
[00:35:44] He that showeth mercy with cheerfulness.
[00:35:49] And that's part of those gifts that are there.
[00:35:53] It mentions prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving leading and mercy but there are others first corinthians 12 in verse 1 says now concerning spiritual gifts brethren i would not have you ignorant then jump down to verse 7 says but the
[00:36:32] manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit with all or to profit for us all You see, spiritual gifts are not just for ourselves, they're for the body.
[00:36:46] If you are not in a church, if you are not part of the church in a body of believers on a regular basis, you are not benefiting from the gifts that God has to benefit the whole body.
[00:37:03] That is why this is so important.
[00:37:05] Verse 8, For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit,
[00:37:22] to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, which would be discernment, to another divers kinds of tongues, speaking in tongues, to another interpretation of tongues.
[00:37:38] But all these worketh that one in the selfsame spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
[00:37:47] So in 1 Corinthians 12, it talks about the gift of wisdom, gift of knowledge, the gift of faith, of healing, of miracles, of prophecy, of discernment, of speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues.
[00:38:05] Now, we don't have time to get into each and every single one of these, But I wanted to show you where these are.
[00:38:11] This is about 15 gifts that are here.
[00:38:13] Some people will add other gifts, but from Scripture, this is what we have in talking about spiritual gifts or the gifts of the Spirit.
[00:38:25] I will say that Paul is very clear when he talks that he does not, he says like the church in Corinth is making too big a deal of speaking in tongues.
[00:38:39] and of the more, of what you would call today, more the charismatic gifts.
[00:38:46] And he is saying, listen, teaching and prophecy, which in the sense of prophecy when it came to Scripture was writers that God used to help write the Bible.
[00:39:03] Prophecy now, after the Scriptures were complete, was in a sense of taking the word of God and being able to teach and apply in a very specific way in using God's word to direct people.
[00:39:19] That kind of picks up on that in that sense of an understanding of prophecy after the scripture was completed.
[00:39:31] But what Paul is saying there, he is saying, don't focus on much on these gifts that kind of are more individual, like speaking in tongues, like interpretation, but focus rather on teaching and wisdom and in leading and giving and prophecy
[00:39:53] and all these sorts of things for the good of the body, for the growth of the body.
[00:39:58] Do you see that?
[00:40:00] All right, that's probably about as much time as we're going to spend on gifts there.
[00:40:05] but the big thing is that we wouldn't have these if Christ did not come down and become human and die for us and die in our place for the punishment that we deserve and in defeating sin and death and going up to heaven
[00:40:29] then he was able, it says that he took captivity captive in the sense that the Lord Jesus was able to bind anything that would bind us and he poured out his gifts upon us so that we could live godly lives
[00:40:49] and encourage one another and do the work of the church which I'm wanting to get to in the scripture here before we end.
[00:41:03] Verse 9 says, Now he that ascended and speaking of Christ, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth and speaking of Him defeating sin and death for us.
[00:41:20] Verse 10, He that descended is the same One that ascended up far above all heavens that He might fill all things.
[00:41:31] And so in filling all things, it takes us back to Ephesians 1 at the end of the first chapter, starting in verse 20, talking about the Father, that the Father wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead
[00:41:54] and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.
[00:41:58] So Christ ascends and He sits at the right hand of the Father.
[00:42:03] And Christ is far above all principality and power and might and dominion.
[00:42:08] So of all beings and rulers and anybody that would be great in the whole universe physically and spiritually Christ is over them he has might and dominion in every name that is named not only in this
[00:42:27] world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him that filleth all
[00:42:41] in all and this is who Jesus is and he is the one that loves you with an everlasting love that has called you to himself that wants to work in and through you by his Holy Spirit
[00:42:54] but not just for your benefit but for the benefit of the whole church that you might be a blessing to others that they might be a blessing to you takes us to verse 11 and he gave some apostles
[00:43:12] and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers Now, these are gifts that Ephesians 4 is talking about.
[00:43:22] But we do know in the sense of, because what it says in Ephesians 2, let's turn there, when it talks about apostles and prophets, we heard that this morning, right?
[00:43:37] That kind of ringing any bells?
[00:43:40] In Ephesians 2.20, it says that, let's see, I guess we need to back up verse 19.
[00:43:53] Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, and that we as the church are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
[00:44:06] Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
[00:44:09] So the apostles and prophets is talking about the word of God.
[00:44:14] The men who wrote the Old Testament and New Testament.
[00:44:17] So if the apostles were those who were eyewitnesses of Christ, then that gift for the church is kind of ended as well as the prophets in giving holy scripture and so and then and then when it comes to evangelists you know there are people even
[00:44:35] today that want to exalt themselves and say hey i'm an evangelist god has given me the gift to be an evangelist do you know how many evangelists were in the new testament two talks about philip the evangelist and in i think it's acts 21 and it and paul calls
[00:44:58] paul calls timothy an evangelist he says do the work of an evangelist so that gift is kind of passed in the sense of of how the church is led and ordered and now it comes to pastors and
[00:45:11] teachers does that that kind of make sense i'm not yeah pastors and teachers but but also like as in elders as well.
[00:45:20] So pastors, elders, and them being teachers.
[00:45:24] That's how the church has functioned from like once Paul died and the apostles died out, from then on, from then to now, till when Christ comes.
[00:45:35] The church is led by pastors, teachers, elders.
[00:45:40] And what are they to do?
[00:45:42] In verse 12.
[00:45:44] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
[00:45:54] So pastors and teachers are to help teach and train God's people to do the work of the ministry.
[00:46:05] All I can say is hallelujah.
[00:46:08] That is not all on me.
[00:46:10] It's not all on Pastor Joseph.
[00:46:12] You know what?
[00:46:13] The work of the church is on all of us together.
[00:46:17] And it is my job, and Pastor Joseph's and Elder Allen's job and all of church leaders.
[00:46:24] It is our job to train people to do the work of the ministry.
[00:46:31] As we've talked about before, that is a big job that we are accountable for.
[00:46:39] But it is a very rewarding job when you see people getting excited about living for Christ and wanting to follow him and doing that in the church.
[00:46:51] So for the perfecting of the saints, for the maturing of the saints, of the people of God, and, you know, when we are called saints, that's not something that you're supposed to look behind you.
[00:47:05] You're supposed to look over your shoulder like, you know, like who are you talking about?
[00:47:09] I know you're not talking to me.
[00:47:11] If we are saved, if we believe in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we have confessed our sins in His name and the Holy Spirit lives within us, then we are saints.
[00:47:24] We are His saints.
[00:47:29] And so we are to do the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ, for the building up of the body of Christ.
[00:47:40] Some of you all have seen the memory cards that I have for books of the Bible that I have shown in learning those for Ephesians.
[00:47:47] It has a bodybuilder on there.
[00:47:50] that the church is to that we are to be as god's people that we are to be like bodybuilders we are to be we are to be be working and growing and becoming stronger in the faith
[00:48:02] and stronger in god's truth and living for christ and in doing the ministry in living and teaching and preaching the gospel all on our own so while it is the leader's job to help train
[00:48:21] people to do this it is all of our jobs to go out to show god's love to people in the church and outside the church to always be ready to have a reason for the hope that we have
[00:48:39] to build people up in christ to bring people into the church verse 13 it's like you know then why are we to do this?
[00:48:53] Why is it important?
[00:48:54] Verse 13.
[00:48:56] Till we all come in the unity of the faith.
[00:49:00] There's that word unity.
[00:49:02] We are to be unified in the Spirit.
[00:49:04] Have unity of faith and purpose and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
[00:49:18] so if we are to be a perfect man it doesn't mean that we're the head right? because Christ is the head but we as his body as his members that it is together with Christ
[00:49:35] that we are growing in the knowledge of the son of God we are united in the faith that the truth that God has given to us and we grow into that perfect man because ultimately Christ is the perfect
[00:49:47] man right? and he is the head of the body he is who we are aspiring to please and to live for and to serve unto the measure of the statue of the fullness of christ and so when we do this then we are able to resist false
[00:50:07] teaching false teaching will kill a church whenever false teaching can come into a church and I've seen it happen many times.
[00:50:18] Not as much in this church.
[00:50:21] I'm not saying that.
[00:50:22] But in other churches I've been in, you see where people will bring in things that are contrary to the Scripture, that are more humanitarian, that are more of what the world teaches, and it can tear the church apart.
[00:50:37] That's what it talks about in 14.
[00:50:40] That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight or the deceitfulness of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie and wait to deceive.
[00:50:57] Verse 15, But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ.
[00:51:06] And we are to be like Christ.
[00:51:08] But we are to do it together because we can't do it by ourselves.
[00:51:13] that is the that this is the hope of the gospel this is how god works salvation on earth which is through the church which is through all of us together it is why there are no lone ranger
[00:51:29] christians people can think that they are but as god only saves us one way and he saves through the church and for us to be part of the church and i had i had meant to say earlier but you know
[00:51:47] I do realize that there are some people that are in the category of being church damaged.
[00:51:54] I understand that.
[00:51:56] The church is where there's supposed to be healing and grace and forgiveness and truth.
[00:52:03] And the truth is to be spoken in love and not in trying to tear somebody down.
[00:52:11] But the truth that we need to know tonight, even in the midst of that, it is only the gospel that heals.
[00:52:18] It is only Christ that heals.
[00:52:20] And you really only find that in the church.
[00:52:25] And you have to trust people.
[00:52:27] You have to trust the Word that we are to speak the truth in love.
[00:52:36] There are times where we can and will disagree with other people.
[00:52:43] But we can do it in love and still love and truly care about them and want people to come closer to Christ and to His truth and to show God's grace.
[00:53:00] All right.
[00:53:01] Well, that takes us through, tell you what, we'll end with verse 16.
[00:53:06] How's that?
[00:53:08] For 17 on, you can go and study that more.
[00:53:12] It'll give more material to Pastor Joseph when he feels like he's running out of something.
[00:53:17] All right.
[00:53:21] Verse 16.
[00:53:23] From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, the body working together, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love,
[00:53:44] so that the body will build itself together in love and the effectual working of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.
[00:53:53] what this says and what God's desire for the church is we are to all be servants of God we are to serve other people do you know that the word for minister is the same word as servant
[00:54:11] we are to all be ministers in the sense of serving other people of taking Christ to them of wanting for all of us to be joined in Christ in His body and to bring others in
[00:54:29] to use spiritual gifts that He has given to us for the edification, the building up and the strengthening of the body so that we grow in faith.
[00:54:39] God has an amazing and great design for the church and the thing is, do you want to be a part of it?
[00:54:48] Because God is calling all of us to be a part of His plan, to be a part of the church, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth so that people will know Christ and come to Him
[00:55:01] and what God's design is in bringing His people to Himself.
[00:55:08] God uses us, sinful men and women, who struggle, who fail, but who also, by the grace and power and mercy of God, He works through us in helping us to do what is greater than ourselves.
[00:55:26] but it is him working through us it is us emptying our ourself of ourself so that we can serve him so that we can go where he wants us to go we can be built on his truth amen all right well let's uh
[00:55:44] let's go to the lord in prayer father oh lord well we thank you for what you have done for us in christ lord we thank you for as we have believed in him as our savior for filling us
[00:55:58] with the holy spirit lord we thank you for washing us of our sins as we have repented of our sins in the name of jesus and lord we thank you for making the church the body of christ that jesus is our
[00:56:14] head that we are to to grow into the the head and grow into christ that as you call us to be holy that we are to strive to be holy we are to strive to please you that we are to walk worthy
[00:56:31] of the of the vocation or the calling in which you have called us that we are to show people how you have changed us by the good news of Jesus.
[00:56:43] You have transformed us by the gospel.
[00:56:48] When people see us, they should see Jesus shining through us.
[00:56:52] And it is only as we are together as his body that we are strengthening one another, encouraging one another, and growing together in the Lord Jesus Christ.
[00:57:03] So Lord, please help us in all of this.
[00:57:06] Please forgive our shortcomings.
[00:57:07] and Lord please fill us with your grace and with your power to walk with you and to live boldly for you because of what Jesus has done for us and we ask all of these things
[00:57:20] in his great name, amen our final hymn is the solid rock it's number 92, it's on the screens