THE MATURE CHURCH (EPHESIANS 4:1-14)
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A friend who immigrated to the United States a few years ago had breakfast with me on Wednesday (September 28, 2018) in Hong Kong. He told me how unstable in the East Coast the last two years had been for four churches within the greater region. One of the biggest churches fired the pastor who succeeded a renowned pastor. The pastor promptly took the case to the denomination who sided with the church. When the matter could not be resolved, the pastor led 40% of the church members away and stated their own church not too far away.
Another pastor unhappily left the church after the church had finished its building project. Still another unfortunately left the church after the church had a bought a piece of land for expansion. The final one without notice whatsoever, leaving the church is a mess.
What do you think of the church? Weak or strong? Healthy or unhealthy? United or divided?
Who are the people who attend church? What church fascinates or frightens newcomers? What are her long term plans?
Beseech the Church to Grow
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
There was a king who sent his son to a far away place to learn first hand how the peasants lived. The prince was told to let no one else know his true identity. During the time he would live among the simple folk, he was to dress and act in all ways as they do.
But the king was afraid his son might forget who he really was. When he would act and speak like the peasants, he might lose his royal identity and absorb their faults into his personality. For this reason the king told his son to put aside time each day to remember that he was the king’s son. (Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, Gateway to Happiness, pp. 124-5)
Paul tackles the passage by talking about attitudes before action. To live a life worthy (v 1) is to “walk worthy” in Greek. It means that our conduct, character, and conversation, among other things, to be compatible, congruent and consistent with our calling, not contradicted, controversial or criticized.
Verse 2 is not a new sentence but a continuation “with” humble and gentleness. Humble and gentle and patient (v 2) are all attitudes of the thinking (tapeino-phrosune = humble), heart (gentle), temperament (makro-thumia = patient). The Christian life is not lived in a vacuum, all talk and no test. Humble and gentle, patient and forbearing (v 2) are all attitudes of the thinking (tapeino-phrosune = humble), heart (gentle), temperament (makro-thumia = patient). They cannot be lived in a vacuum, all talk and no test.
The two practical ways (participles) are forbearing one another in love and making every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit. One is to relate to others and the other is in the Spirit. Why? Because our testimony cannot be lived in a fable, fiction or fantasy, without people, their messy personality and problems. Church is about helping weaker, wayward or wishy washy people. It’s about if you can live with me when I’m sick, sad, stuck and short, then you understand what it is to be patient and gentle.
Bind the Church to Grow
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 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 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 took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
The last four seasons (2014-18) in NBA basketball were dominated by two teams, Golden State Warriors with NBA’s third best player Stephen Curry, and Cleveland Cavaliers with NBA’s biggest star, LeBron James, nicknamed King James. In 2014 the Warriors won the first series when LeBron just signed with the Cavaliers. In the second year Warriors were no match for the Cavaliers.
After their oss the Warriors knew King James and the other star Kyrie Irving were unstoppable from now on, so they made a signing that made the difference – Kevin Durant, the second best player, unfortunately not in the finals. The Warriors knew their egos have to give way to the new Signing, Durant. Durant also accepted he will never be as popular as the hometown favorite, Curry.
After winning two straight years Durant sacrificed $10 million in his new contract – from $35 million to $25 million so that the team can keep him and his new teammates together, Durant said, “Basketball, to me, isn’t everybody revolving around what I do and how I feel. That's never how I wanted to play and that's never how I wanted to approach a team. So to be one of guys, that's what I always wanted. That's how I was brought up as a basketball player, as being one of the guys. I think it's more special when you do it with people who support you and love you, care about what you do as a ball player. It's not always just about you. And that's the reason why I came here - an unselfish environment where they just care about the game. All that other stuff doesn't matter.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/two-time-champ-kevin-durant-174419073.html
One All One another
Heis:
4:4 2x
4:5 2x
4:6
4:7
Mia:
4:4
4:5 16x
This chapter an incredible 16 times for “all.” There is no “I” in the “one” passage from verses 4-17 but only “us” (v 7), specifically. Daniel Whedon says
‘seven unities” – seven for completeness.
V 4 one body Fellowship/ family Co-walk Saints
V 4one Spirit Fruitfulness
Comforter Seal
V 4 one hope Future /frontier Certainty Solace
V 5 one Lord Following Christ Savior
V 5 one faith Foundation Confession Scriptures
V 5 one baptism Flock Commitment Sharing
6 one God and Father Father Creator Supremacy
You might think “one: is the most repeated word in the chapter, but this chapter has an incredible 16 times for “all.” There is no “I” in the one passage from verse 4-17 but only “us” (v 7). We have no lack or limitation when we pat our talents, time and treasures together, no matter the size, the location or pastor, with or without. “All” means it is a collective, corporate and cooperative effort.
The best formula for team work is not “us,” but “each of us” – each before us (v 7). “Each/every one of us” grace is given (v 7) implies resourcefulness, respect and responsibility. Each of us means out of our commitment conviction and camaraderie, not out of constrain, compulsion or censure, It is uniqueness in unity, not one but one another as well, to be distinct, different and diverse.
Like a good parent, his concern is for the church’s independence and interdependence, not dependence on him.
Build the Church to Grow
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 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. 14 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 people in their deceitful scheming.
I accepted Christ when I was 17 in a church with less than 300 members. I did not have much of an impression of what a pastor did early in my Christian life because our church did not have a pastor then for several years. I was baptized by an invited former pastor who had left for another church. The church did not have a pastor until the third year of my faith when a pastor traveled from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur on the weekends and leave Sunday night, On every other week he would be in town. A new pastor would take over the year I left for seminary in my fourth year of conversion.
My preparation for service was mostly on the job training, learning on the fly, from choir to Sunday school and Bible study. The choir leader was a year younger than me. The Tyndale New Testament Commentary on acts was the text of choice passed from one young people to another as each was expected to lead one week. When my turn came I just explained what the commentary wrote and invited others to comment. Sometimes others sneak in a question but others usually come to the rescue.
By the tune I was nineteen I became the first Sunday school student to the 10-12 years old. I was in charge of selecting and buying the books. We each took a chair and to the tree by the parking lot for our lessons. There was no back up or contingency plan. As long as I can remember I was never sick those days.
What would you do without a pastor?
Three things are important to a church: testimony, teamwork and teaching. The word “prepare” (v 12) in Greek is not a verb, but a noun, the only instance of “prepare” in noun form in the Bible. The NASB translation is “for the equipping” and the KJV is “for the perfecting.” Its verb in the Bible comes with the practical application for “mending nets” (Matt 4:21, Mark 1:19) and restoring the lapsed (Gal 6:1). From the text equation, the pastor’s role is to equip God’s people for works of service, not to execute all the work by himself; not to expand his empire, but empower God’s people; not to electrify the congregation, but equip the body. The presence of a full-time pastor does not mean members can fold their hands, shake their legs and doze to sleep. The pastor is to provide believers the training, give them the tools and teach them the trade. A good pastor works himself out of a job, so to speak.
God’s priority is not building up the pastor but the parishioners, not the clergy but the church, who is His body, His bride and beloved. In that sense, the bigger the pastor is in people’s eyes, the smaller is he in God’s eyes. The more indispensable he is in church, the more ignorant he is about ministry. While the pastor is crucial to the church, he is not central in the church.
12 to equip his people for works of service 13 until we all reach unity in the faith 14 no longer be infants
Building them up Binding them up Bringing them up
Transformation Teamwork Truth
Service Synergy Stability
Not dull Not divided Not deceived
Untrained Uncooperative Unripe
The analogy for “building up” (oiko-dome) is always structural, architectural and residential. It comes from two words, “house” (oikos) and “doma,” an edifice or a roof. A house, unlike a hut or a shed, is strong, stable and secured, not a house of cards, built on sticks or built with straws.
The second (“mature”) refers to members’ mental and moral character. A pastor’s success is not measured by church programs, church property or church parking, but by the progress of the members in their sanctification, steadfastness and surrender to Christ, and the stride they made in loving God, learning God’s word and listening in obedience. To be mature is to reach one’s potential, make good progress, and choose right priorities. There is no point leading a church where there is no qualitative and quantitative growth, where people are deadened to sin, dull of hearing and drunk with power.
The third is to grow in Christlikeness. To be Christlike is to show Christ in our attitude, behavior and commitment. It is to live a life that is offered to Him, obedient to Him and ordered by Him.
There is a greater purpose for God’s gift of pastors and teachers (v 11), as indicated by the “hina” purpose clause - that the members are no longer children. Children are used in the context of having to cherish, coddle and cuddle them, not merely care for them (1 Thess 2:7) and in the context of requiring milk, rejecting solid food (Heb 5:13). As my nephew says, “Eat, cry, sleep.”
The result of leaving babyhood is qualified by two Greek participles (“how”), the child is “tossing” back and forth and “blowing” here and there. Tossed back and forth refers to the raging sea; blown here and there refers to the howling wind. The winds sway you, but the waves sink you.
Conclusion: Are you in a church as a participant or passenger, contributor or complainer, serving or sleeping. Do you support your pastor in prayer? Do you encourage or discourage your pastor? Are you doing your part by attending meetings, obtaining training and volunteering service? Are you growing in maturity or stagnant in maturity?
VS
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children,
Eph 4:15 may grow up into him in all things
