We live in a world of diversity, one of choice. Looking around the room we see people of difference, men and women, different ethnic backgrounds, differences in appearance and in personality. When God finished creating man and woman he said, it was good. We can be thankful we are not all the same, how boring life would be.
I want us to talk about diversity and why we have such differences in our world.
Turn to Ephesians 4:7-11 as we continue our study through the book of Ephesians. Lets look at Point 1…
I. God’s Gift to Believers.
“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 very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 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.” (Ephesians 4:9-11)
Each of us have been given gifts by the grace of God, the New Testament has several places one can look at the spiritual gifts which God gave, and I might add, the list is a diverse as this room full of people and I don’t think it is exhaustive in its descriptions.
It is important for believers to gain insight in the area of spiritual gifts. The church as an institution of society is in the throes of rapid change. George Barna, a Christian researcher and futurists, speaking in a seminar on the revolution taking place within the church, indicates the local church, as we have come to know it, is about to undergo major transformation. He points out that in the year 2000, 65-70% of Americans found their faith experience and expression in the local church but by the year 2025, that number will be reduced they project to 30-35% while alternative church experiences which were at 5% of the American population will climb to 30-35%. The traditional church has been experiencing decline and will continue to if these projections hold up, by 50%. Barna points out it is not a withdrawal from Christianity, just the means by which Christianity has been assimilated into people’s lives.
There is a paradigm shift in the way Christianity is spreading throughout our culture and the cultures of the world. This shift Barna said will be hardest for those who are over 55 years of age. The place of the traditional church needs to be redefined in light of the coming revolution, which is right now sweeping across the world, America being one of the last holdouts to tradition.
When we look at the rest of the world we see traditional churches, especially those in Westernized Europe, being more museums than centers of worship. Does it mean their usefulness is non-existent? By no means, they need to join the revolution of faith currently underway and allow transformation, Biblical transformation, to sweep through its empty doors, just as we do here in America.
The Apostle Paul states God has gifted us, Jesus Christ, who descended into the depths to take back what was stolen from mankind through sin, the keys to hell and death, now ascends and sets into place the spiritual gifting of mankind, not so we can have a glorious bless me club, but so we can step outside out walls and become the church in action, the church without walls, that transforms society.
We have a choice. To be spiritual morticians, preparing people for an earthly death and passage to heaven, or we can be spiritual mentors, utilizing our gifts to transform the society around us and the society at large which is not objecting to the Christian faith, in fact, Christianity would be embraced except they have run into to many spiritual morticians and have not seen the true life Christ brings to those truly on fire for him. It is time for a revolution. It is time to start a revolution, to be a revolution.
In the 20th century we have seen the restoration of the five-fold ministry, now it is time for those who walk in these gifts to begin to exercise their giftedness. Lets look at verse 11 again…
2. God’s 5-Fold Plan
“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.” (Ephesians 4:11)
Paul said, after Christ has ascended and he was called to be an apostle of the faith, there are 5 gifts God is going to give for the purpose of keeping the ministry of the church flowing. What are the 5?
a. Apostles. These are visionaries who don’t sit in one place and flourish; they are like Johnny Appleseed, planting as they go. The Apostle Paul said there are some who plant, some who water, and God, who gives the increase. An example of an apostle would be the late John Wimber who pioneered the Vineyard Church movement. Apostles are mentors to the pastors and teachers, to the evangelists and prophets, like the early church Fathers were to the beginning movement of Christianity. Most of the apostles who are doing pioneering work today you will never know. The reporters are not knocking on their doors and writing articles concerning their work; they labor in the light of Christ because they have made a true spiritual connection. The Apostle Paul said God has gifted people as…
b. Prophets. There are still prophets today in the church and a need for those who have the gift to work toward its development. Prophets don’t foretell the future, they forth tell the word of God. Prophets can either bless you, or they can cause you to do some serious soul searching. They are in tune with the situations around them, and often will weep and lament, as they know in their spirit the struggles God has with a somewhat stubborn generation. We have apostles, prophets and we have…
c. Evangelists. Timothy, when he was starting out in pastoral ministry, we told to do the work of the evangelist. I wonder, was that because the evangelist was not using his or her gifts to their potential? The evangelist is the spreader of the Good News and can be either in a local area or on the global scene. When I was in youth ministry I had an evangelist on my adult leadership team. She could not stop sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and as a result, she was taking several trips in the church van to get kids to youth services on Monday and Thursday nights and several trips to get them all home. Her efforts saw many people come to know Jesus who would not have otherwise. Today she works for a national ministry, continuing in the field of evangelism. Evangelists have this knack to turn every situation and conversation into one for the kingdom. Unfortunately it is an under-developed gift for far too many that has it. We have apostles, prophets, evangelists and fourth…
d. Pastors. Some lump pastors and teachers together because pastors do teach but not all teachers are pastors so I am making that distinction. Pastors are called to be overseers of the believers in their local congregation. Of the 5 gifts, with personal experience, I would say the most difficult because sheep are difficult animals to herd. Of course, I am speaking of pastors in other pastures who have all the difficult sheep to shepherd, we don’t have that problem here, and we are all full of agape and would never do anything to cause our pastor heartache, right? The 5th gift given to lead the church is…
e. Teachers. These are gifted people who can take a life situation and bring life to it with Scriptural clarity. I remember attending a class taught by Brother Washington when I had just came on staff in Lynnwood. He was teaching on the Scripture where there was this young man who was with the prophet and the enemy was coming and he could not see the host of the Lord around the camp until the prophet prayed his eyes be open. When Brother Washington told the story, I felt like I was looking through the eyes of the young man. He had the gift of teaching beyond any other teacher I have experienced. He was a man of prayer, a man of the Word and a man humbled by the knowledge God would work through him. Teacher’s education the next generation to a great degree and a good teacher will cause generational blessings while a bad teacher will bring generation curses. I am speaking not only of the Christian teachers, but the teachers who education our children from Kindergarten through college.
Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Lets look at Ephesians 4:12-16 to find out their purpose…
3. God’s Ministry Purpose. "12 to prepare God’s 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 men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 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." (Ephesians 4:12-16)
There are three things Paul says need to happen when the 5 fold ministry is in operation.
1. Believers will be equipped. Verse 12 tells us the place of those operating in the 5-fold ministry is 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. There has to be a response to what is invested in believers and in order for that response to happen, believers need to be equipped so they can do the work of service necessary to fulfill the Great Commission. Secondly…
2. Believers will be mature. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4 verse 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."
Their needs to be a maturity of believers, which only takes place when they put into, practice what they have learned. Finally…
3. Believers will be solid. Verses Ephesians 4:14-16: "14Then 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. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From 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."
There is a need for a new revolution in the church, a revolution that draws men and women, boys and girls into maturity so they can become solid believers. Today we find generations of people being aimlessly tossed to and fro by various winds of doctrine, some true, far too many false as they are being blown around everywhere without making a true connection to Jesus Christ.
Today, you and I can make a decision, a decision, which says I will follow Jesus no matter what the cost because I want to mature and I want to be solid. As the revolution spreads, lifestyle changes will occur and the hunger, which becomes present, will exceed the desire for all the things, which have formerly kept us from connecting solidly with Christ. In this coming revolution we will set aside our priorities for the priorities of God and in doing so the Holy Spirit will lift us on His wings to a higher level of understanding and life. Then we will see, not dimly, but with greater clarity, Gods plans and purposes, as they become the sole driving force of our lives.
Do we have any revolutionaries in the house today? I want to pray with you and for you as you come to the foot of the altar today and make a fresh declaration, not my will but your will God, not my life but your life Christ, lead me into the way of solid Christian maturity.
Altar
Prayer
