1.25.26 This We Believe: Ascension Ministries by Ps John Sparrow

Christ's ascension is portrayed as the decisive act that sets the church’s life and leadership. Because Jesus has been raised and seated above all authorities, he continues to govern his body by giving relational gifts—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—so the whole church might be equipped, mature, and unified. These offices are described not as status markers or managerial systems but as people-gifts whose primary function is to prepare every believer for service. When these ministries work together, they reflect Christ’s fullness: the apostle builds and sends, the prophet calls the community back to God’s heart, the evangelist keeps the church outward-facing, the pastor shepherds and protects, and the teacher grounds the body in doctrine and understanding.

The argument resists both personality-driven movements and consumer Christianity. Authority in the church is framed as Christ-initiated and recognized by credible structures rather than self-appointed or celebrity-driven claims. Leadership is called to serve—to provoke, to equip, and to release—so that participation replaces passivity, formation replaces spectatorship, and maturity replaces dependency. The ultimate measure of success is not numerical success or charismatic influence but a body that is healthy, growing, and full of love.

Practically, this theology insists on shared responsibility: no member is superfluous, and no ministry functions in isolation. Unity in the faith and intentional, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations are necessary for discipleship and cohesion. The church is presented as God’s kind provision—an environment where people are shaped, healed, and sent—requiring the Spirit’s fruit and mutual submission to Christ’s headship. The teaching concludes in a pastoral appeal to recommit to Christ’s design for the church: submit to his headship, engage in the mission, and take up the work each believer has been equipped to perform so that the body matures into the full stature of Christ.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Christ is the church’s ruling Head Christ’s ascension is not abandonment but enthronement; he reigns above every power and actively leads the body by gifting people and guiding by Spirit and Word. This means the church’s authority is derivative of Christ’s headship, not of cultural influence or individual charisma. Recognizing Christ as head reshapes expectations of leadership and discipleship toward obedience to his revealed will. [06:59]
• 2. Gifts are people, not programs The scriptures present leadership as relational gifts rather than structures, strategies, or institutional products; this emphasizes formation over function. When leadership is embodied in people, pastoral care, doctrinal clarity, prophetic alignment, apostolic sending, and evangelistic zeal become personal and transformative. That reality guards the church from reducing discipleship to a checklist and instead orients it toward communal transformation. [07:55]
• 3. Leadership equips, not replaces Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers exist to prepare the whole people of God for ministry, not to monopolize it. True leadership produces participation, training the saints to serve rather than cultivating a dependent laity. This counters consumer Christianity and cultivates a mature church where each member contributes. [18:10]
• 4. Shared responsibility fosters maturity A healthy church redistributes ministry so that no member is sidelined and no ministry works in isolation, creating an ecosystem of growth. Shared responsibility produces resilience: gifts correct, send, care, teach, and proclaim in ways that reinforce one another toward Christlikeness. The end goal is communal maturity that measures up to Christ’s fullness. [20:04]
• 5. Unity requires uncomfortable, faithful conversations Unity in the faith is pursued through hard and honest conversations aimed at alignment with God’s revealed truth, not easy consensus. Such discipline protects the church from being swayed by clever falsehoods and preserves its witness. Pursuing unity sacrificially is part of the church’s obedience to Christ and a necessary context for spiritual formation. [23:09]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:18] - Foundations vs. cultural sand
• [00:59] - Name and vision: Equippers
• [02:06] - Ephesians 4: ascension and gifts
• [07:55] - Gifts are people, not programs
• [12:39] - Apostolic ministry defined
• [15:09] - Evangelists, pastors, teachers explained
• [17:39] - Purpose: equip the saints
• [20:04] - Vision: healthy, growing, full of love
• [23:09] - Unity, maturity, and participation
• [32:16] - Prayer and benediction

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary and transcript:

Bible Reading

Ephesians 4:7-16 (ESV)
> 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high, he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." 9 (In saying "he ascended," what does it mean but that he also descended into the lower earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is made to work, promotes the growth of the body as it is built up in love.

Ephesians 1:20-23 (ESV)
> 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Observation questions

1. According to Ephesians 4:7-16, what is the purpose of the gifts Christ gave to the church? [17:39]
2. The sermon mentions that Christ's ascension declares that Jesus reigns. What does Ephesians 1:20-23 say about Christ's position and authority after his ascension? [06:59]
3. The scripture states that Christ gave gifts to the church. What are these gifts described as in Ephesians 4:11? [07:55]
4. What is the ultimate outcome for the church when each part works together, as described in Ephesians 4:16? [20:04]

Interpretation questions

1. The sermon emphasizes that Christ's ascension is not about his absence but about his authority and active reign. How does understanding Christ as the enthroned King change our perspective on the church's leadership and authority? [06:16]
2. The teaching highlights that the gifts Christ gave are people, not just strategies or structures. What does it mean for leadership in the church to be "Christ initiated, not self-appointed"? [09:04]
3. The sermon contrasts "consumer Christianity" with a model where leaders equip the saints for ministry. What are the key differences between these two approaches, and how do they impact the church's health and growth? [19:15]
4. The idea of "shared responsibility" is presented as crucial for a healthy church. How does the concept of shared responsibility challenge the notion of passive spectatorship in the life of faith? [20:37]

Application questions

1. The sermon stresses that Christ is the ruling Head of the church, and his authority is the source of all other authority. In what specific ways can you actively submit to Christ's headship in your daily life and in your participation within the church community?
2. We are told that the five-fold ministries (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers) are given to equip the saints for ministry, not to replace them. How can you identify the unique ways God has equipped you for service, and what steps can you take to engage in that ministry? [17:39]
3. The teaching emphasizes that leadership's role is to equip, provoke, and release believers into their God-given work. How can you, in your own sphere of influence, encourage and empower others to step into their God-given responsibilities? [19:26]
4. The vision for the church is a body that is healthy, growing, and full of love, achieved through shared responsibility. What is one practical way you can contribute to the health, growth, or love within our church community this week? [20:04]
5. Unity in the faith is pursued through intentional, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations. How can you personally commit to engaging in faithful, truthful, and loving conversations that foster unity within the body of Christ, even when it's difficult? [23:09]
6. The sermon presents the church as God's provision for shaping, healing, and sending people. In what areas of your life do you need to be shaped, healed, or sent by God through the community of faith?