Introduction The Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for his Church. He who knew no sin became guilty of sin, so that we could become the righteousness of God. The Lord Jesus rose up for his Church. Through the resurrection, his Church has newness of life. He ascended to the throne of heaven in order to rule over his Church. As the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the great King eternal, the good King, the Lord Jesus gives gifts to his Church. These gifts are good gifts. Jam. 1:16-17 – Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. The Lord Jesus gives gifts to each individual in the Church (v.7) and to the Church collective (v.11). All gifts are for the maturing of the Church. Two weeks ago, we saw that the shepherd-teachers are gifts from Christ himself to equip the saints. Today, I would like for us to consider the nature of the equipping (how it happens) and goal of the equipping (equipped for what?). I. The Whole Passage at Once before Breaking It Down. A. The shepherd- teacher of v. 11 was to the church to equip her. 1. The word equip includes the word for bringing to an end, to finish. "… to make someone completely adequate or sufficient for something…." Louw-Nida 2. The shepherd-teacher equip the saints for two things – the first for should be for and the next two for should be unto. a. To do the work of ministry (service). b. To build up the body of Christ. 3. Notice that both things the shepherd-teacher (pastor) is to equip the saints to do are relational – they can't do by themselves or to themselves. B. The saints build up (edify) the body of Christ till the body is fully mature. 1. Maturity is described as… a. unity of faith and knowledge concerning the Son of God. c. the stature of the fullness of Christ. 2. The result of the building up the saints are doing is that we put off instability in doctrine (tossed to and fro). 3. Another result of the building up the saints do is putting on speaking truth in love that produces growth in all areas of living. a. This growth is the outworking of every member of the body doing its part. b. When that happens, the whole body grows in love. II. How Does This Equipping Happen? A. The words teachers and perfect (complete, mature) help us answer the how question. B. At the risk of being absurdly obvious, teachers teach. 1. So, this equipping happens by teaching. 2. This answer actually leads us to another question: teach what? a. Paul's words to a pastor of the Ephesian church will help us answer the question (plus the word perfect, mature). 2 Tim. 3:16-17 – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. b. The inspired Word of God produces complete (mature) people of God (or godly people). c. These godly people are equipped through and by the Word of God to do every good work (deeds, actions). d. That's why Paul tells Timothy to spend himself in the preaching and teaching of the inspired Word of God. 2 Tim. 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. e. That's the very model of ministry Paul followed while in Ephesus. Acts 20:18-21, 27 – And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ…. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. f. This teaching unto equipping also includes modeling. 1 Thess. 1:6-7 – And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 1 Cor. 10:31-11:1 – Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. 11 Imitate me, just as I also imitateChrist. 3. Paul didn't by it, "listen to a podcast or an on-line sermon," though it is profitable to do so. 4. He meant, "Be with God's people, in God's house. Listen to the ones appointed to be your shepherds. Learn together with the saints." a. In order for the shepherd-teacher to equip the saints, the saints must be present. b. Look at all the let us's in Heb. 10 specially the last one. Heb 10:19-25 – Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. III. The Goal of the Equipping – Equipped for What? A. As we saw earlier, the saints are to be equipped to do tow things in this passage and these two things encompass all of life in community. B. Saints are to be equipped so that they can do the work of the ministry (this word simply means service). 1. Ministry/service – "… to render assistance or help by performing duties, often of a humble or menial nature." Louw-Nida 2. Simply put, the preached and taught Word of God equips the church to service. 3. It would be nice if there was a list of what these works of service were, but there isn't one… and that's on purpose. a. Anything that is consistent with the moral law of God can be a work of service. b. Think of the 10 commandments as the boundary of the park where we serve. 4. One element that is part of this work of ministry/service is the physicality of it. a. It is work done in and to flesh and blood. b. But it is a physicality with spiritual purpose – the growth in Christ of those around us. c. That's why the Bible often uses this word to describe all ministry because all ministry is done in connection with this physical world. 5. Though there is no list of what actions qualify as works of service, Jesus does give us some examples as he describes the judgment of the nations at his second coming. Mt. 25:31-40 – When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides hissheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give Youdrink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" c. Welcoming the stranger (hospitality) f. Visiting the imprisoned for the faith. 6. We can include also what Paul says in 1 Thess. 5:14-15. 1 Thess. 5:14-15 – Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. a. Help the lazy to see they need to work. b. Put your arm around the discouraged ones. c. Help the weak stand up. d. Make sure that justice prevails. 7. At the end of the day, only our creativity (or lack of it) will limit what these works of service are. a. We shouldn't think of these as services that the church as an organization should necessarily be creating for every member b. It is better to think of them in terms of each member finding a way to serve. c. Though the church should fund ways to engage its members in service, the members should not hide behind the "the church didn't give me anything to do" excuse. 8. The works of service unite the least and the greatest together. 1 Cor. 12:20-23a – But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty…. 9. And it is the result of hearing the inspired Word of God taught and preached. a. Hearing how Christ served you on the cross prepares you to serve others. b. The physicality of his ministry on earth with all the healing, touching, washing of feet is our example. C. The second thing that the shepherd-teacher equips the saints to do through the teaching and preaching of the inspired Word of God is to build up the body of Christ (to make it better), 12-16. 1. The whole church, not just the elders, is responsible for the growth of everyone in the church, 16. 2. The goal of building up the body of Christ is maturity, 13. a. Our translation uses the word perfect, but it actually means mature (or complete which is another way of saying mature). b. The measure of that maturity is the fullness of Christ, that is, growing into being all that Christ has for us (the fullness that comes from Christ). 3. Description of maturity: stability and truthfulness, 14-15. a. As we minister to one another, we will be established in right doctrine. 1) The immature is unstable, following whatever is the flavor of month – today he goes this way tomorrow he goes that way. 2) Notice that maturity involves the whole person and it is not simply a matter of knowledge. Heb. 5:13-14 – For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 3) Paul had warned the elders of the church a few years before he wrote this passage that there would be wolves among them in sheep's clothing who were going to bring all kinds of false doctrine into the church. 4) Here he tells them that not only the elders need to protect them from the wolves, but also each member of the church is doing that as they build each other up. 5) One last thing on this point, an immature Christian who has been a Christian for a while is guilty of sin. a) Immaturity is not neutral. b) We are either growing or dying. b. We build each other up by speaking the truth in love. 1) There is a lot more on this later on in the chapter. 2) To speak the truth in love is to speak with the good of the other person in mind. 3) The primary way we build others up is through our speaking to and with them, 4:29 As the saints do these two things, serve each other and build each other up, the very things that they are equipped to do by the preaching and teaching of the whole Bible, the whole body of Christ matures. How are you going to serve someone in the church this week? How are you going to build up the body of Christ this week?
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2019/10/equipped-to-serve-eph-411-16.html
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