COVID-19 (7): Equip The Saints Part 2

COVID: Church At Home

Passage: Ephesians 4:11-16

CSB Version

And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.

16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Pray: (Pause 3-5 seconds)

Main Points:

1. The Goal of The Church Leader
   1. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
   2. Gifts to the Church
      1. Apostle: Commissioned to pioneer and establish new work and new leaders. Many church planters have an apostolic gift.
      2. Prophet: Speaks the truth of God’s Word to inspire, encourage, and correct. Preachers are to operate in the prophetic when they preach God’s Word.
      3. Evangelist: Shares the “Good News” to the lost and equips others to do the same. All believers are called to be a witness, but not all have the gift of evangelism.
      4. Pastor: Shepherds, guides, and protects the people of God as they serve. This is the
      5. Teacher:
      6. APEST for short.
   3. Spiritual gifts are not natural abilities, but aptitudes made supernatural through Holy Spirit work in us for God's kingdom
      1. And Scripture tells us in 1 Cor 12:1-12 that this gift that God has given is to be used for the building up and edifying of the body.
      2. “4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
      3. “27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27

   4. Acknowledge your the “grace given”

      1. “3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:3-8

         5. Question: What gift has God given you in the body of Christ?

      2. “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’ – Matthew 25:21

      3. Serving God is about being faithful with what is in your hand.

      4. True servant leadership is about growing a people, not getting a promotion. It’s about serving not status.

         6. Question: How do I discover my gift?

      5. Ask God to reveal it to you

      6. Read about the different types of gifts in Scripture
      7. Ask others in your local church what gift they see on your life
      8. Serve in different types of roles as you discover your unique gift and calling (*Plug Growth Track on May 3rd)
      9. The Goal of The Body of Christ
         1. 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

      10. The Result: Grounded in Truth & Growing in Christ

          1. Grounded in Truth

      11. “Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching…”

          2. When you are grounded you have the potential to grow

      12. You can only grow as high as the foundation that supports it.

          3. Christ is the head

      13. He tells us what to do, we don’t tell Him.

      14. When Christ is the head of the church then the church is submissive to His plan, His vision, His direction, His guidance, His leadership, His rule and reign.
          4. Question: How can you become grounded in truth?
          5. Growing in Christ

      15. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

          6. Growth doesn’t happen in isolation

      16. Nobody grows in isolation. This is why in leadership you have a mentor, coach, board, and a team.

          7. Illust: Fundamentals of a business

      17. General Manager, accounting, marketing, administration, IT, HR, and sales. If just one of the individual members on the teams fails to do their part, the whole team suffers.

      18. If the IT fails to create email addresses for the team then how can they communicate? If they fail to hook up the internet, how can they communicate and increase sales?
      19. If the sales representative fails to gain new clients, how long will the company last? How will they increase revenue for the company?
      20. All successful businesses are started and become established by acknowledging that not one person is able to grow and sustain a healthy business in isolation. Teamwork truly does make the dream work… and put food on the table.
          8. Healthy things grow. Healthy leaders grow in community. Healthy churches grow when they realize this principle in Scripture. We are individual members, but one body in Christ!