Sermon Notes: KDSC – Church – Ephesians 4:1-16
The gospel of the kingdom makes disciples who hear and obey.
These disciples work and function everywhere all the time in all domains of society.
From Jesus’ created domains of society, Jesus is building his church, and his church is made up of committed disciples who see the whole of creation as their field of disciple-making and church multiplication.
Every disciple, everywhere, all the time.
The church does not have a domain where she stays isolated to herself.
The church is designed, as the people of God, to be on mission in every domain of society everywhere all the time.
The local church is an embassy, an outpost, of ambassadors who carry the message of Jesus and represent the reign of Jesus everywhere they go.
The church is who Jesus says he is building In Matthew 16, “I will build my church…”
As you are reading through the New Testament note that the church is the context of the entire New Testament. There is no single book, chapter, or verse that defines and fully describes the church. The church is simply the context of the entire New Testament, so we must learn about the church from every page of Scripture.
Since this is the case, we need a good working definition of the church. So, let’s give it a shot:
“A church is a group of Christians who assemble as an earthly embassy of Christ’s heavenly kingdom to proclaim the good news and commands of Christ the King; to affirm one another as his citizens through the ordinances (Lord’s Supper and Baptism); and to display God’s own holiness and love through a unified and diverse people in all the world, following the teaching and example of elders.” – Jonathan Leeman and Collin Hansen, Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ is Essential, p. 124.
What does this look like in everyday life?
Ephesians 4:1-16 answers this question.
Let’s Read it: Ephesians 4:1-16
Ephesians 4 marks a shift in Paul’s writing as he moves from his rich theological declaration to its application. This is what Paul usually does. He teaches theology and moves to its application for his audience.
The apostle states in Ephesians 3:10 that the Lord is putting his multi-faceted wisdom on display to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms through the church.
With that truth happening through the local church, Paul shifts to what it looks like for the local church to put the Lord’s multi-faceted wisdom on display to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Think about what is happening right now as we gather, Jesus’ gifts are being used to serve one another all over the building, the elements are taken, worship is being offered to the Lord with our mind’s attention and heart’s affection, and his word is taught. This moment is super-natural.
So, HOW does the Lord put his wisdom on display through the church he is building?
Jesus gives his church grace according to his created and missional intent for each member of the local church. 4:7
Grace is often used to speak about “second chances” or “mediated consequences”, and this is simply not the primary way the Bible uses the word “grace”.
Grace is the gift of the power of God toward his people and for his people.
Jesus has taken his church to himself and given them grace as gifts. 4:8
The grace given here is the power of Jesus displayed through gifts given to the members of his church in such a way that the church becomes his physical presence in the world.
Jesus’ gifts to the church are designed to make the church his body, his real and tangible presence in the world.
Paul cites Psalm 68:18 as the text that communicates this truth.
Psalm 68:18 depicts the Lord coming as the conquering king while receiving praise and gifts from the people he has taken for himself.
Paul interprets this Psalm through the lens of the gospel as Jesus being the conquering king of Psalm 68 receiving his people he redeemed through his work on the cross.
Paul interprets and applies Psalm 68:18 with its gospel fullness by depicting Jesus as giving gifts to the people he has redeemed rather than taking gifts for himself from them.
NOTE: We must learn from the New Testament authors how they apply Jesus’ interpretive hermeneutic in Luke 24 to the Old Testament, and it takes some time and practice.
Jesus has atoned for sin, has ascended to the Father’s right hand, and filled the heavenly places. 4:9-10
The Ephesians, due to their history in the worship of Artemis and use of magic and sorcery, were fearful of spiritual powers in the unseen world.
So, Paul proclaims the truth of Jesus’ ascension over all of creation seen and unseen.
This is important, and more than I have time to explain right now. But suffice it to say that when Paul preaches Jesus’ ascension and filling of the heavenly places, he is speaking to Jesus’ presence, authority, sovereignty, him being the source of all blessing and power, and the fulfillment of the eternal plan of salvation as he has put his heal on the head of the Serpent just like Genesis 3:15 promised.
This truth is vital for the Ephesians so they can know that the evil powers dwelling in the unseen places no longer have dominion over them like they used to even though these powers may harass them at times, and Paul will address how to combat that in Ephesians 6:10-20.
Since Jesus himself fills the heavenly places, there is nothing for his people to fear, and they don’t have to live fearfully as they battle a defeated enemy.
Now that Jesus fills the heavenly places, he distributes the gift of himself to his church. 4:11
Two realities are going on here.
First, since Jesus fills the heavenly places, we no longer fear the evil forces at work.
Second, since Jesus rules the heavenly places, he dispenses supernatural power for us in the gift of himself to his church.
We know these gifts are the presence of Jesus himself because these five gifts are everything the eternal Son of God is in his person, and thus the authors of the New Testament refer to the church who receive these gifts from Jesus as the “body of Christ”.
These 5 gifts of Jesus to his church are the gift of himself to his church in such a way that the church becomes the body of Christ.
These gifts are not Spirit gifts like the other gifts listed in the New Testament.
These are gifts the Lord Jesus himself gives, which makes them unique, and, again, they are the gift of himself to his church.
These gifts are not “leadership” gifts.
These gifts are brought to full life in the whole local church for Jesus’ glory and for us to joyfully receive and apply on mission.
NOTE: I personally believe these gifts are given to humanity as part of the Lord’s image in mankind and specifically animated in the church as people believe and are baptized and taught in the local church how to apply Jesus’ gifts to the Genesis 1:26-30 creation mandate. See appendix at the end for more discussion on this point.
Paul tells the whole church how to apply Jesus’ gift of himself to the whole church on mission in verses 12-16. What does that look like?
We (the whole local church) equip the saints (the whole local church) for the work of the ministry of building up the body of Christ. 4:12
Every saint uses Jesus’ gifts as their ministry to build up the whole local church.
The idea of “build up” means that a church in its existence is not yet where Jesus intends it to be at his appointed day in the future, and thus the local church needs work to get there, and he appointed us as his gifted means to get there.
There is no indication from the text that any elder or group of elders or other group of set apart leaders are the only ones equipping.
It is Jesus’ intent that every gifted disciple/church member should be doing the equipping.
Every gifted disciple/church member does this under the leadership of elders in the local church.
When we allow one saint or a group of saints to do what everyone should be doing, we rob the whole church of exercising their gift(s) for the rest of the church.
Radical Kids is an intentional ministry tactic to practice being the body of Christ to each other and for our city as each parent gets to participate in putting the full spectrum of the body of Christ to work for and in the lives of our little ones in training them for mission.
Saints equipping saints is the whole gifted church’s job.
One of the ways local churches bypass this glory is by “over-hiring” ministry positions in the local church or by isolating their family from other families in their practice of equipping their children.
There is a place to acknowledge the need for full-time work in the church and the home’s job to train, but too often local churches default to hiring what everyone should do and following a brand of family-centric model that rejects the role of the whole local church in each other’s lives.
There is a delicate balance in leading the local church to be who Jesus says we are in what we do.
Every gifted saint equipping every saint ensures the church is equipping each other 24/7.
We equip the saints of the local church for unity. 4:13
We must equip one another for unity in the local church.
The unity Paul has in mind is unity among all the diversity of a local church (Ephesians 2:11-22).
As a local church, we learn unity in great diversity by applying Romans 14 in love and concern for others and their needs.
We become who or what we admire.
When we gain the knowledge of God in Jesus and worship him, we will begin to grow into being like him as we admire him in worship.
Jesus was in unity with the Father and the Spirit, and he is bringing his church into that kind of unity inside the local church.
This often looks like us laying aside many preferences in non-essential doctrines and ideas for the sake of staying together on mission for the duration of our lives.
We grow in maturity in all things and stop being tossed around by every human, crafty, and deceitfully scheming doctrines. 4:14
Part of a Christian’s maturity is learning one’s Bible well enough, being in fellowship enough, being preached to enough by being present to know what essential doctrine is and what is not as well as being able to discern the teachings of demons.
We speak God’s truth in love. 5:15a
Truth in love looks like a commitment to the good and wholeness of the person who needs truth.
This requires knowledge, self-control, discernment to know truth from “my truth”, and gentle boldness.
We grow up into Christ by the means of a whole local church contributing Jesus’ gifts for each other in love. 5:15b-16
There are no inactive church members when we are doing this.
Application
Are you connected to the lives of other TRC members in such a way that you in a position to experience the Holy Spirit animate Jesus’ gifts for others through you?
What might that look like?
Are you gifted with the apostolic?
The apostle is connected to the mission of God. Apostles are driven by the mission.
The apostolic looks like forward movement. It’s a burning passion to move toward the vision, and it’s painful for the apostle to stand still or go backward.
Apostles are fueled by innovating means to move forward and are the kind who always want to “get after it”.
Are you gifted with the prophetic?
The prophet is connected to the heart of God in his word.
The prophet has a Holy Spirit fire in their bones for knowing and speaking God’s word and making application.
Prophet does not look like an angry and mean-spirited jerk.
Jeremiah 20:9 describes this prophet:
Jeremiah 20:9 (ESV) 9 If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
Are you gifted with the evangelistic?
The evangelist is connected to the gospel of the kingdom in all its facets, and making it as understandable without leaving any of it out for those who don’t know.
Evangelists are the includers who are passionate about making sure the outsiders are invited to come in by preaching the good news and brining outsiders to the inside functions so they can taste and see the goodness of God’s kingdom.
Evangelists are frantic to rescue those perishing.
Evangelists are also able to tell the difference between wheat and weeds.
Are you gifted with being a shepherd?
The shepherd is connected to the people of God and their well-being.
Shepherds are always concerned about how people are doing and making sure their needs are taken care of, and they are always learning about the human and how to get humans as restored human as they can.
I’m convinced that the TBRI folks in our church are obsessed with seeing humans restored to fully human in that pre-fall Edenic restored state, and that is a shepherding gift. Its pastoring a soul.
Are you gifted with the skill and opportunity to teach?
The teacher is connected to the truths of God in his word and creation and has the ability to explain those truths to others in a way that people enjoy and learn from.
The teacher can explain the simple and the complex in understandable and enjoyable ways.
Teachers like to hang out in the theological weeds of explaining the nuances of why and how and who and when.
Believe that everyone in this room who is a follower of Jesus is gifted to help everyone in the fellowship grow up into Jesus to disciple the nations for the Father’s glory.
Do whichever of these gifts or whichever combination of these gifts Jesus has graced you with inside the fellowship and in the world.
Don’t fight against Jesus’ empowering gift(s).
Work with Holy Spirit and each other for the refinement of his grace to you.
Don’t envy what grace Jesus has given others and don’t try to be something you are not or perceive is honored more by others.
Too many people want to be teachers because they think it’s glamourous and they might become the next Christian superstar. That’s evil.
Do with joy what Jesus has graced you with for his honor and reward to you for faithfulness on the last day.
Don’t wait on anyone else to do what you are gifted to do by Jesus supernaturally.
Listen to those you are in covenant fellowship with for affirmation and help in growth with Jesus’ grace to you.
The only way to see this is to engage in what you’ve been led to and work it out together with open Bibles on mission.
Let’s worship the Lord Jesus together.
Appendix
Jesus’ ascension gifts are part of what it means to be created in God’s image.
I would argue that being created in God’s image is being created in the image of the eternal Son of God, Jesus. That means that every human has these gifts available but muted due to the curse of sin, and these gifts are only maximized and displayed redemptively when a person believes the gospel and receives the Holy Spirit.
NOTE: If you want a deep exegetical dive into Ephesians 4:11-16, pick up Alan Hirsch’s book called “5Q”.
If you look carefully, you can see these components of the image of God in human beings as they function in domains, as I just said.
Your apostles are entrepreneurs only when not empowered by the Spirit.
Your prophets proclaim the metanarrative.
The dark kingdom has prophets who can proclaim a dark metanarrative, but only Spirit empowered prophets can tell the truth.
Your evangelists are your recruiters who seek to win folks to what is being proclaimed.
The dark kingdom has evangelists.
Your shepherds are those who seek to keep the sheep in the fold of God’s care.
Your teachers are those who can explain the intricacies of what God has said.
Pick any religious ideology and see if you can identify its leaders by these precious parts of the Lord that the rebellion has hijacked for evil.
At his ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit, these gifts are specifically and redemptively animated and applied by the Holy Spirit’s presence in Christians when he saves them.
These gifts are animated in the church and applied by the church to display the manifold wisdom of God through the redemption of the world.
What are these gifts and their use?
Jesus is the apostle – He is the Sent One on mission.
The Christian apostle is connected to the mission of God.
Jesus is the prophet – He speaks his word rightly, fully connected to the heart of the Father and the Spirit.
The Christian prophet is connected to the heart of God in his word.
Jesus is the evangelist – He preaches the gospel of the kingdom inviting people to repent and come to him in faith.
The Christian evangelist is connected to the good news, the message of God.
Jesus is the Shepherd – He is the Chief Shepherd who tenderly and with rod and staff leads his people to green pastures (see Psalm 23). Jesus is firmly connected to his people.
The Christian shepherd is connected to the people of God.
Jesus is the Teacher – He is the master teacher, and he teaches with authority as the one who gave the word he teaches. Jesus is firmly connected to the truth.
The Christian teacher is connected to the truths of God.