IN CHRIST, I AM…A BODY BUILDER—Ephesians 4:1-16
(Series on Ephesians: In Christ, I Am…)
Why go to church?
Some people go to church for what they can get out of it: encouragement, friendship, support, or moral direction for themselves and their family. Others, especially today, look for those things in other places. They make friends through youth sports or community activities. They find encouragement and support online, or from friends or relatives. Increasingly, people want to be free to choose their own moral compass, instead of being guided by church teaching.
To be honest, sometimes churches have failed to live up to their calling. They have been focused on putting people into seats, keeping them busy, and sharing helpful information. Seeking “success,” they have given people whatever it takes to make them happy: entertaining worship, fun activities for the kids, and messages that have people feeling good about life.
Some of those may be good things, but the purpose of the church is more than that.
A better question is, Why join with other believers? Why not do our own thing, and maybe go to a church event occasionally, when we think it will help us personally?
To answer that question, we need a bigger vision of the plans God has for us.
Read Ephesians 4:1. Paul says that we (the “you” is plural) are called by God for a purpose. It is a grand purpose, and it can only be accomplished together.
Let’s review what Paul has said about God’s plans in Christ, and the role God has for his people:
Read Ephesians 1:9-11 and Ephesians 1:22-23. Paul says that God’s plan for the end of all things is currently vested in the church, which is the body of Christ. Or to put it another way, the body of Christ is the way in which Christ, risen and reigning forever, is present and visible in the world!
Read Ephesians 2:19-22. The image of the body is supplemented by an image of a building, with the idea that “God is in the house.” Jesus Christ is foundational, and the Holy Spirit lives among the people gathered in the church.
Read Ephesians 3:10-11. The angels and heavenly beings are watching the church! God’s people together are a reminder that God plans to bring everything together under Jesus Christ.
God has a glorious plan for eternity, and his plan for now is that those who know Christ come together and find their place in his plan. His people need to grow closer to Christ, his people need to display the plan of God to the world, and his people need to support the kingdom reign of God in the world.
Are we clear on that? Then we ask,
HOW DO WE BUILD UP OUR CHURCH, TO FULFILL GOD’S CALLING?
WORK TOWARD UNITY. Ephesians 4:1-6.
Most churches appear to be unified, until you get to know them. Like any group, at work or in the community, there are people who don’t fit together too easily. Some people are drawn to each other, and they may shut others out because they don’t have a natural connection. There may even be a critical spirit, a mentality of “us” vs. “them,” or recurring conflict over leadership and decisions.
What is the basis of unity in the church? Read Ephesians 4:4-6.
The basis of our unity is in God’s call; that is the advantage of the church over other groups.
Unity does not mean that we think exactly alike, or have the same preferences; we probably don’t. Unity is not based on whether people always act nice, or treat us with care, or play well with others. It is not based on age, or education, or social status, or political views.
God provides the basis for unity in the church. We are all called by God for a purpose. We share the same Lord and the same faith, and we share a relationship with God.
It is easy to talk about unity, but it is harder to achieve it. Paul says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit…”
Paul lists four attitudes or actions that bring about unity. Read Ephesians 4:2.
• Be humble. The church does not exist to please you. It is not about your status or recognition, or your influence. It is not about getting your way all the time. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:4, 15 “Don’t we have the right…?...I have not used any of these rights.”
Of course, if you have wisdom to share, or a need to be met, or a legitimate concern, you should make that known. You are part of the body, and you have a role to play. But it is not all about you.
• Be gentle.
2 Timothy 2:25 Those who oppose [the Lord’s servant] he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
We have to learn how to talk to people in a way that they can accept. If we speak harshly, they might not be able to hear what we need to say to them. We are not responsible for their actions, but we are responsible for our communication.
• Be patient. Don’t rush to judgment, or give up quickly. Growth takes time, and we may not see results immediately.
• Bear with one another in love. Whether in the church, or work or family, there are times when we just have to cut people some slack. Why? Because we love them, God loves them, and it’s not worth making big deal about what they are doing.
BUILD ON THE STRENGTHS OF ALL. Ephesians 4:7-13.
Verse 7 is talking about the grace (Greek charis) of spiritual gifts charismata). Each Christian has something to offer the body of Christ, and God decides what gifts to give each person. That is one reason why everybody in the church is important! If anyone is missing, the church is missing those gifts. (There is a lot more about that in 1 Corinthians 12.)
In this passage, Paul is focusing on leadership gifts, which of critical importance in the church. Read Ephesians 4:11. An apostle is a visionary leader, who inspires others. An evangelist leads by sharing the good news effectively, bringing new Christians into the church, and inspiring others to share their faith. Pastors and teachers help people know and understand what God says, and prophets help them apply God’s word to their situation.
It is important for people with leadership gifts and leadership roles to understand that they must use their gifts for the good of the body, not themselves. God gives leadership gifts to build up the entire body. Read Ephesians 4:11-13. If leaders fail to lead in a godly direction, the church will flounder, or go the wrong direction.
Some people say there is a crisis of leadership in the church, which may be true. There may also be a crisis of followership. If people refuse to listen to gifted, godly leaders, those leaders will be ineffective. Or, if leaders don’t listen to those they lead, they will also be ineffective. Leadership is a two-way street.
Leaders tend to get the churches they deserve, and churches tend to get the leaders they deserve. If a leader is disappointed in the church after being there for some time, he or she needs to ask how they can grow in leadership, and what they need to do to help people grow as disciples. If a church is disappointed by the leadership of their pastors and elders, they need to ask whether they value the gifts of their leaders, and how they are encouraging them to develop and use their gifts.
The goal of leadership is clear: Ephesians 4:12-13.
SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE. Ephesians 4:14-16.
Verse 16 says that the body of Christ functions on unity and love. The primary instrument for unity and love is truth. Ephesians 4:15.
The truth that we speak is God’s truth; it comes from “the Head, that is, Christ.” Prophets, evangelists, prophets and teachers have a special role in speaking God’s truth, and they should do so in love, to protect the church from false teaching. Their goal is that people are “…not blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”
Another kind of truth is also needed in the church. People need to hear the truth about their own lives. Sometimes the truth is affirmation and encouragement, and sometimes it is warning and even rebuke. That too is God’s truth, and it is specific to them.
When someone needs to “speak the truth in love,” who is the best person to do that? People might say, “Somebody ought to tell them that what they are doing is wrong.” Who is that “somebody”?
In the church, people are inclined to say, “The pastor or the elders need to have a talk with them, and point out the error of their ways.” Of course, the pastor and elders have a role to play sometimes. But the “first responder” when a person needs to hear the truth will probably not be a pastor or elder, but a friend.
If the focus is on “speaking the truth in love,” doesn’t it make sense that a person will hear the truth best from someone who is close to them, whom they know loves them greatly? A trusted friend, who knows the truth first-hand, is in the best position to speak the truth in love.
I think that is one reason why Jesus said, in Matthew 18:15, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” Jesus went on to say that if they won’t listen, you can involve others, and eventually the church. Hopefully, that won’t need to happen.
“Speaking the truth in love” How we share truth matters!
(Preacher: It would be helpful to project a box of four squares, with a horizontal axis having an arrow for increasing truth, and a vertical axis having and arrow for increasing love. The following are the four boxes.)
• Truth without love is harsh, critical, or demeaning. Often it spills out without much thought or care, and it leaves bitterness in its wake.
• Love without truth avoids difficult truth, so as not to disturb or cause discomfort. Often, we are the ones who don’t want to be uncomfortable. Love without truth is not actually very loving, if a person needs honest feedback, or a situation needs to be changed.
• No truth and no love allows for evil to continue, and it stifles growth of people. Either people don’t care enough to risk truth, or they are saying things that are not true, to hurt others.
• Speaking the truth in love leads to growth (verses 15-16).
UNITY, BUILDING ON THE STRENGTHS OF ALL, and SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE. These are things that help us achieve God’s glorious goal: “...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.”
The church is to be “the fullness of Christ,” reaching its full potential on earth, and complete fullness when Christ returns “as head over all things, for the church, which is his body, the fullness of who fills everything in every way.”
