Live Out Loud – Our GIFTS June 3, 2007
Ephesians 4:7-16
Video: Church of One – www.sermonspice.com
Trans: It is amazing how many people attend the church of one where they believe everything revolves around them. I could tell you stories of the shenanigans people have attempted to ensure the church is about them.
Funny: This week I heard of a pastor who went on a cruise, accidentally fell of the boat and washed up on a deserted island where he remained for some six months before getting rescued. When the helicopter arrived, they noticed three huts and curiously inquired. The pastor explained that the first hut was his house, the second hut was his church, and the third hut was the church he used to pastor that split b/c they couldn’t agree on anything.
Trans: So let me set the record straight? The ministries and priorities of the church aren’t intended to revolve you or me – but around God, His mission, and the lost world in need of a Savior.
Trans: I realize this might be a hard pill to swallow w/ our lazy boy church mentality that feels entitled to sit in our spiritual recliners sipping iced tea and doing nothing but watching the show, all the while expecting someone else to do all the heavy lifting for Jesus. But I can assure you that Jesus never intended for His church to become a spiritual country club where membership has its privileges. He has called His people and expects them to sacrifice their lives for His glory.
Insert: Do you think the brand of Christianity we live today would’ve produced the Book of Acts in the 1st century? Why not? What are the barriers preventing us from experiencing such impact in the world?
Insert: I recently heard a sermon on church growth by a consultant at NAMB. He said pastors are always asking, “What do we need to do to grow?” He said the question is – what are the barriers preventing growth? If we can determine what they are and change them, then we would grow.
Note: I think we have an ignorance barrier – we don’t understand Jesus life, death, resurrection and mandate. We have a following barrier – we don’t want to follow the leaders God has given us b/c it would require a life change. And we have a maturity barrier – we don’t want to grow up b/c if we do, then we’ll have to get busy about the Father’s business. We have a priorities barrier – we want things done our way.
Note: The issue isn’t b/c we don’t have the right resources, medium, need, or ability – it is b/c we don’t have the right focus and priorities. We have a, “I’ll have it my way” Burger King, mentality. But Jesus expects us to have a, “I’ll do it God’s way,” Savior King, mentality.
Insert: Pull out a piece of paper – what is the purpose of the church? What is the pastor’s job? What style of music should we have? What kinds of events and programs? What would make you happy? Wad it up! What matters more – what we want or what God needs us to be?
Trans: I came across an interesting poem from a 9-year-old entitled, “If I Were in Charge of the World.” Listen and see if you can relate to it.
Insert: If I were in charge of the world, I’d cancel oatmeal, Monday mornings and allergy shots. If I were in charge of the world, there would be brighter night-lights, healthier hamsters, and basketball goals five feet high. If I were in charge of the world you wouldn’t have lonely, you wouldn’t have clean, you wouldn’t have bedtime and you wouldn’t have “Don’t punch your sister.” In fact, you wouldn’t have sisters at all! If I were in charge of the world, a chocolate sundae w/ whipped cream and nuts would be a vegetable, all movies would be rated “G”, and a person who sometimes forgot to brush, and sometimes forgot to flush would still be allowed to be in charge of the world.
Trans: I thought that was cute, but poignant. I think if I were in charge of the world, one of the things I would change would be people’s idea about church. I would want people to see church as God intended rather than as a consumer through the stained glassed sunglasses. I would want them to understand God’s design and determination for His people.
Trans: We’ve been looking at the elements involved in experiencing unity w/ God’s church. So far we’ve seen that we are to be unified in God’s call that we are each to live in a manner worthy of His sacrifice. Second, we’re to be unified in the foundational convictions God has given us in His (7) pillars of grace, that we are one body, in one Spirit, w/ one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father. Today we’re going to look at the next item we’re to unite around – God’s appointed leadership to His people. God has given us His H.S. and His Word, and Paul points out that He has also given His church a grace gift of gifted leaders that they might be used to grow us up in our understanding of the faith and unite us in accomplishing His mission.
I The GRACE of God to His Church 4:7-10
Text: 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." 9 (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, to fill the whole universe.)
Note: The focus here is on the grace and the giver. God gives us His grace as He determines we need it. This is a sovereign decision and act.
Word: grace (charis) God’s self-motivated, self-generated, sovereign act of giving. It is unmerited, unearned, and undeserved and depends solely on the One who gives it and not on the ones who receive it.
Note: In this instance, Paul is saying that the amazing grace that saves us also enables us serve God’s church according to His divine determination. In particular, while He gives special spiritual gifts to all men for the effective ministry of the church, He has given specially gifted men to lead and equip His church in this mission.
Note: Thus the gifts here are actually gifted leaders called of God and empowered by the H.S. to effectively lead God’s church to fulfill the Father’s mandate and mission.
Note: This text is often missed interpreted and misappropriated b/c preachers and teachers don’t look at the Greek words. The words associated w/ spiritual gifts are charismata and pneumatikon. But the they are not in this text.
Word: gifts (dorea) a divine donation – God made a donation to His church by calling out, gifting, and releasing the gifted men to lead His body to maturity and effectiveness in ministry.
Note: To authenticate His right to give such a gift and expect His people to follow their leadership, Jesus descended from the Father’s right hand to become flesh, die on the cross, and resurrect from the grave for the forgiveness of sin. Then He ascended to the Father’s right hand where He intercedes on our behalf and where He transcends all humanity as the Savior of the world who is worthy of all praise and glory.
II The GIFTS of God to His Church 4:11
Text: 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
A The Gifts of APOSTLES
Word: apostle (apostolos) one sent away on a mission.
Note: In the most technical sense, an apostle included only those men who were eye witnesses and disciples of Jesus including Matthias who replaced Judas and Paul who received a special call to the Gentiles.
B The Gifts of PROPHETS
Word: prophet – forth-teller more than a fore-teller. He was a truth-sayer; not a soothsayer. He was charged w/ proclaiming God’s truth w/ boldness to call and confront the sinful people to repentance and to warn them of judgment.
Trans: There are many Biblical scholar and teachers, including myself, who believe that the formal office and function of the apostles and prophets have ceased. These men had a very specific call to lay a solid foundation for the church, to receive and declare the Word of God, and to perform signs and miracles to confirm their message and their authority.
Note: Nonetheless, while the office of apostles and prophets might not exist, their function and responsibility in ministry are still viable. Someone who works w/ multiple churches like a rep from NAMB, Lifeway or the state convention, perform the duties of an apostle.
Note: These people serve alongside of pastors and churches to support, supply, and encourage them in the mission. While they don’t have the authority or signs and miracles of an apostle, they serve an apostolic function in assisting churches in accomplishing their mandate around the world.
Note: A prophet would be like a man who goes from church to church preaching crusades and revivals to reach the lost and challenge the saved. You ask, but isn’t that an evangelist? No. Let me explain.
C The Gifts of EVANGELIST
Word: evangelist – one who spreads the good news.
Note: An evangelist is to preach and teach the good news of Jesus to those who have yet to hear and believe. Personally, I believe an evangelist refers to what we would consider to be a missionary or church planter today. The evangelist goes where people have yet to hear and share the good news, establish churches, and hand them of to pastors to lead and feed.
Note: In many ways, the evangelist serves a similar function of the apostles did in the early church. In fact, the pastor/teacher serves a similar function that the prophets fulfilled – the share and explain the truth to God’s people challenging them to follow and serve the one and only God.
C The Gifts of PASTOR/TEACHER
Word: pastor (poimen) shepherd – one who leads and feeds the flock.
Insert: Can I be honest w/ you. I normally wouldn’t say anything, but today’s text implores me to step up and tell you the truth. The vast majority of churches don’t have a clue how to take care of the gift of their pastors.
Stats: Average work week is 55-60 hours
7 of 10 pastors and families say they have no close relationships
9 of 10 say the ministry has had a negative impact on their families.
8 of 10 say they have at least 1 major conflict w/ a member monthly.
Stat: No wonder nearly 1000 pastors a day are quitting the ministry and over 7200 SBC churches are w/out pastors. Why? B/c church members expect too much, pay too little, and complain too often. Churches don’t treat their pastors and staff as gifts from God, but as goats to goad.
Funny: A young couple invited their elderly preacher for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having. "Goat," the boy replied. "Goat?" asked the pastor. "Are you sure about that?" “Yep," he replied. "I heard Dad say to Mom, ’Today is just as good as any to have the old goat for dinner.’"
Insert: Five Ways to Encourage Your Pastor
1 Pray. Lift him up t God. If he is God’s man, then he is God’s problem first. If you don’t agree w/ him remember – the best way to your pastor’s ear is through the voice of God.
2 Be an Encourager and not a discourager. If you so feel the need to complain, make sure eternity hangs in the balance. Let me give you some advice, the next time you feel the urge to complain or murmur, do it to yourself in the mirror until you can’t take it any more.
3 Take care of His family. The best way to love someone is to love and care for the people they love. Shower them w/ blessings. They are a gift to you from God.
4 Desire to grow in the faith. Nothing goes further to encourage a pastor than a genuine desire to grow under his instruction. Bring your body, your Bible and a book to take notes.
5 Desire to share the load of ministry. Engage in the ministry and don’t sit back waiting for the pastor to do it all.
Trans: I want to explain to you the ministry of the pastor and dispel many of the faulty ideas and expectation men like myself face.
II The GOAL of God for His Church 4:12-16
Trans: The purpose of these gifted men is to build up the body and release them into the Great Commission ministry throughout the world.
Note: In particular, I want to speak for a few minutes on the role of the pastor. His job is not to be a chaplain who marries and buries and tickles your ears w/ nice sermons that make you feel good about yourself. His job is to lead and feed the flock, challenging you to grow to maturity in your faith and to mobilize you to reach the world for Christ.
A To EQUIP God’s People for MINISTRY
Text: … to prepare God’s people for works of service,
Word: equip (kartartismos) to thoroughly furnish and to make complete. The word origin refers to setting a broken bone that it will heal so that you can walk on it. The pastor equips the saints that they may walk w/ God and fulfill the mandate He has called them to serve.
Note: This means pastor’s job is to disciple and to teach believers how to be disciple-makers. It isn’t to throw together a nice morning of entertainment on the love boat, but to prepare God’s people for battle.
Note: Certainly this is done in a loving and encouraging manner, yet never w/ compromise. I am charged w/ spurring you along towards love and good deeds through your knowledge of the Word, your commitment to the mission, and your intimacy and obedience to the H.S.
How? The pastor equips by proclaiming God’s Word, praying, and by leading.
Verse: 2 Timothy 2:15
Note: My charge isn’t to entertain you; it is to rightly divide (cut a straight line) and accurately deliver God’s truth. Accuracy must supersede creativity. That’s not to say that a dynamic deliver isn’t appreciated.
B To ENLARGE God’s People for MATURITY
Text: … so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Insert: Do you know when you can tell when people have reach maturity in the faith? They have unity in diversity and impact in ministry.
Word: built up (oikodome) refers to the building of a house. The pastors job is to instruct believers to completeness in the faith – that the church and each believer is mature in the faith – lacking nothing and able to stand for Christ on their own two feet.
Note: The result of a mature faith is unity in priorities and mission. We don’t fight over the petty, but seek first together God’s kingdom and righteousness.
C To EMPLOY God’s People in MISSION
Text: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
G - Would our brand of Christianity incited the Book of Acts in the 1st Century?
R - What has happened in the modern church to cause us to have little impact?
O - What gift has God given the church in leaders and what are we do w/ them?
W - What can you do to help spread the God’s love throughout the world?
Additional Text:
Matthew 28:19-20 Acts 1:8 Acts 2:41-47 1 Cor. 12:4-31 Romans 12:3-12 1 Peter 4:10-11
Text for Next Sunday:
Ephesians 4:17-32 Romans 6:1-14 Colossians 3:1-17
