Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 22, Issue 2 January 15, 2012
What characteristics come to your mind when you think of the ideal church?
In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul gives his picture of the ideal church. “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
Notice he doesn't say anything about, buildings, although we need a place to meet. He doesn't say anything about music, although later he mentions that someone filled with the Spirit will sing in his heart to the Lord. And he doesn't say anything about programs, although these may serve the purpose of the church.
So what is Paul's picture of the ideal church?
In the ideal church those with leadership gifts are
equipping everyone, so that as each person does
his part, the whole body grows up in love into Christ,
avoiding false teaching.
That is the ideal church: equipping…. growing….exercising.
Paul says Christ himself gave leadership gifts to the church:
- apostles
- prophets
- evangelists
- pastor/teachers
Paul says the ministry of the leaders is to equip “the saints”.
Everyone who trusts in the shed blood of Jesus for salvation is a saint.
And, if you are a saint, Ephesians 4:12 says “you are to do the work of the ministry.”
The leadership gifts are given to “equip the saints” for this work.
What does equip mean?
The Greek word translated “equip” can mean:
- to make one what one ought to be
- to shape up, to complete or to perfect.
So the leadership gifts are given to the church in order to make each saint what he or she is intended to be.
Leaders are to shape up the rest of the body, so that all members of the body are then able to exercise their particular gifts.
How does this equipping take place?
Consider verse 15 “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ.”
Literally, it reads, “But truthing in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him.”
Now, certainly the leaders are to speak the truth in love.
We are to teach, to exhort,
to preach the Word faithfully and fully!
Sadly, many supposed ministers of the gospel have abandoned true biblical teaching, and instead fill Sunday mornings with moral stories which are the modern equivalent of Aesop’s fables.
Consistent, expository preaching of the word builds up the body of Christ, so that all who hear may learn these truths and put them into practice.
The leaders are:
- not only to speak the truth with their mouths, but also
- to live out the truth in their lives
Paul taught the word verbally and also lived out that word in all situations, thereby teaching the truth to Timothy and to everyone else he encountered.
Teaching and living out of the word is what equips, builds up and completes us.
Consider: “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up.” Acts 20:32
“Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, you have come to need milk, not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14
Teaching and preaching the word build up the body.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, adequately equipped for every good work. I solemnly charge you . . .preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and careful instruction.” II Timothy 3:16-17, 4:2
Do you remember Ephesians 4:14?
“As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.”
- Children tend to follow the crowd
- Children are easily diverted and distracted
- Children are easily deceived
- The saints are teaching the word of God, verbally and by example
- Where each person is being built up
- Where false teaching is unknown
- Where each person is then contributing to the building up of every other person by living out their part in the body
First…..are you feeding on the word?
Are you taking advantage of the teaching you receive here, taking notes, asking questions about things you don't understand, figuring out how to apply this Word to your life?
Second…..are you building others up by playing your unique role in the body?
Remember, that you are not equipped for ministry unless YOU are feeding on the Word and are doing your best to learn from the leaders given to you.
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