Building the Church in Love Through Spiritual Gifts
Summary
In this message, the focus is on the profound responsibility and privilege of using the spiritual gifts God has given us to build up the church in love. The idea is that each believer is uniquely gifted by God to contribute to the body of Christ, and this is part of a divine plan that was established before the foundation of the world. This plan involves uniting all things under Christ, and we are active participants in this eternal purpose. The weight of this responsibility is significant, as it involves equipping others to reach maturity in Christ, protecting them from being swayed by false doctrines, and fostering unity within the church.
The message emphasizes the importance of taking our God-given tasks seriously, much like completing an assignment at work or school. It challenges us to consider whether we are truly committed to the task God has given us, which is to help others grow in their faith and become more like Christ. This involves not only using our gifts but also ensuring that we are grounded in the truth of God's Word, so we are not easily swayed by the latest trends or teachings.
The passage also highlights the roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers in the church. These roles are not about titles or power but about responsibility and service. The goal is to equip the church to build itself up in love, with each member contributing to the growth and maturity of the body. This is a communal effort, where everyone plays a part in helping each other grow in faith and love.
Ultimately, the message calls us to focus on love as the foundation of our actions and interactions within the church. Love is the more excellent way, and it is through love that the church is built up and unified. This is not about seeking recognition for our gifts but about genuinely caring for one another and striving to become more like Christ in our character and actions.
Key Takeaways:
1. Divine Purpose and Responsibility: Each believer is part of an eternal plan to unite all things under Christ. This involves using our God-given gifts to build up the church in love, a task that carries significant responsibility and requires serious commitment. [07:37]
2. Grounded in Truth: To protect ourselves and others from being swayed by false doctrines, we must be deeply rooted in the truth of God's Word. This involves a commitment to understanding and living out biblical teachings, ensuring we are not easily influenced by the latest trends or ideas. [09:24]
3. Roles and Responsibilities in the Church: The roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers are about responsibility and service, not titles or power. These roles are meant to equip the church to build itself up in love, with each member contributing to the growth and maturity of the body. [10:21]
4. Unity and Maturity in Christ: The goal is to attain unity in the faith and maturity in Christ, where believers are not tossed by every wind of doctrine but are steadfast in their faith. This is a communal effort, where everyone plays a part in helping each other grow in faith and love. [17:15]
5. The Primacy of Love: Love is the foundation of our actions and interactions within the church. It is the more excellent way, and through love, the church is built up and unified. This involves genuinely caring for one another and striving to become more like Christ in our character and actions. [52:57]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[04:54] - Gifts for Building the Body
[05:34] - The Weight of Divine Union
[07:00] - Part of an Eternal Plan
[08:43] - Taking God's Task Seriously
[09:24] - Protecting Against False Doctrines
[10:21] - Roles in the Church
[12:11] - The Body Builds Itself in Love
[14:14] - Walking Worthy of the Calling
[17:15] - Goal of Unity and Maturity
[19:03] - Attaining Maturity in Christ
[21:26] - Knowing the Biblical Jesus
[24:00] - Becoming Like Jesus
[27:37] - The Power of God's Filling
[30:25] - The Possibility of Transformation
[36:23] - Prophecy and Spiritual Gifts
[43:16] - The Role of Prophecy
[52:57] - The Primacy of Love
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Ephesians 4:11-16
2. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
3. 1 Corinthians 13:1-7
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Observation Questions:
1. What roles are mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, and what is their purpose according to the passage? [10:21]
2. How does the sermon describe the responsibility of using spiritual gifts within the church? [12:11]
3. According to 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, what is the source of the spiritual gifts, and how are they distributed among believers?
4. In the sermon, what is emphasized as the foundation of our actions and interactions within the church? [52:57]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of being "grounded in truth" protect believers from false doctrines, as discussed in the sermon? [09:24]
2. What does it mean to "equip the church to build itself up in love," and how does this relate to the roles mentioned in Ephesians 4:11? [12:11]
3. How does the sermon interpret the idea of "unity and maturity in Christ," and why is it considered a communal effort? [17:15]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that love is the "more excellent way" for building up the church? [52:57]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the spiritual gifts you believe you have. How are you currently using them to build up the church in love? What steps can you take to be more intentional in this area? [05:09]
2. Consider a time when you were swayed by a new trend or teaching. How can you ensure that you are more deeply rooted in the truth of God's Word moving forward? [09:24]
3. How can you contribute to fostering unity and maturity within your church community? Identify one specific action you can take this week to support this goal. [17:15]
4. Think about the roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. How do you view your role in the church, and how can you embrace the responsibility and service it entails? [10:21]
5. Reflect on your interactions within the church. How can you prioritize love as the foundation of your actions? Identify one relationship where you can demonstrate more love this week. [52:57]
6. The sermon challenges us to take God's tasks seriously, much like an assignment at work or school. How can you apply this mindset to your spiritual responsibilities? [08:43]
7. Identify a person in your church community who may need encouragement or support. How can you use your gifts to help them grow in their faith and become more like Christ? [12:11]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Our Divine Role
Each believer is uniquely gifted by God to contribute to the body of Christ, and this is part of a divine plan that was established before the foundation of the world. This plan involves uniting all things under Christ, and we are active participants in this eternal purpose. The weight of this responsibility is significant, as it involves equipping others to reach maturity in Christ, protecting them from being swayed by false doctrines, and fostering unity within the church. We are called to take our God-given tasks seriously, much like completing an assignment at work or school. It challenges us to consider whether we are truly committed to the task God has given us, which is to help others grow in their faith and become more like Christ. [07:37]
Ephesians 1:9-10 (ESV): "making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."
Reflection: What specific spiritual gift has God given you, and how can you use it this week to contribute to the unity and growth of your church community?
Day 2: Anchored in Truth
To protect ourselves and others from being swayed by false doctrines, we must be deeply rooted in the truth of God's Word. This involves a commitment to understanding and living out biblical teachings, ensuring we are not easily influenced by the latest trends or ideas. Being grounded in truth is essential for spiritual maturity and discernment. It requires a disciplined approach to studying Scripture and applying its principles to our lives. By doing so, we safeguard our faith and help others remain steadfast in their beliefs. [09:24]
Colossians 2:6-8 (ESV): "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."
Reflection: What steps can you take today to deepen your understanding of God's Word and ensure you are not swayed by false teachings?
Day 3: Serving Through Our Roles
The roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers are about responsibility and service, not titles or power. These roles are meant to equip the church to build itself up in love, with each member contributing to the growth and maturity of the body. This is a communal effort, where everyone plays a part in helping each other grow in faith and love. The focus is on serving others and fostering an environment where spiritual gifts are used for the benefit of the entire church community. [10:21]
1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."
Reflection: How can you use your role or position in the church to serve others and contribute to their spiritual growth this week?
Day 4: Pursuing Unity and Maturity
The goal is to attain unity in the faith and maturity in Christ, where believers are not tossed by every wind of doctrine but are steadfast in their faith. This is a communal effort, where everyone plays a part in helping each other grow in faith and love. Unity and maturity in Christ are achieved through intentional relationships and accountability within the church. By supporting one another and encouraging spiritual growth, the church becomes a strong and unified body that reflects the character of Christ. [17:15]
Ephesians 4:13-14 (ESV): "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, 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."
Reflection: Who in your church community can you reach out to this week to encourage and support in their journey towards spiritual maturity?
Day 5: Love as Our Foundation
Love is the foundation of our actions and interactions within the church. It is the more excellent way, and through love, the church is built up and unified. This involves genuinely caring for one another and striving to become more like Christ in our character and actions. Love is not about seeking recognition for our gifts but about selflessly serving others and prioritizing their needs above our own. By embodying Christ's love, we create a church environment that is welcoming, nurturing, and reflective of God's heart. [52:57]
1 John 4:11-12 (ESV): "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."
Reflection: How can you demonstrate Christ-like love to someone in your church community today, especially someone you may not know well or have differences with?
Quotes
God Jesus here says he went up there to fill all things to give gifts to some of us remember we talked about this how you said I I I need to go because when I go then I can send the spirit down to you and then the spirit gives you these these different gifts he is so that you can build yourselves up so the body can be built up in love so his desire is that everyone in this room everyone who calls himself a part of the church uses their god-given gifts to build the body up in love. [00:04:50]
God fills me to equip you so that you can build each other up that's massive to me I mean we're talking about Yahweh the Creator in fact they wouldn't even say Yahweh they would say Hashem that just means the name you know who I'm talking about the one on the throne him he right now is filling that guy on the stage to accomplish an eternal plan something that he designed before the foundation of the world that's why this is so weighty. [00:06:41]
God was showing me like have you taken my task seriously I'm in heaven filling you giving you some sort of gift and I have a task I want every person in that room to reach the maturity of Christ I want that room to be unified in the faith I want those people to really know me I I want them to the point where they don't get blown and tossed by every wind of Doctrine because there's new ideas and new thought patterns that come out every day. [00:08:39]
The roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers in the modern Christian World sometimes I've seen seen people like love these titles like hey can you guys start calling me Apostle you know like just just respect or or the Apostle of East Palo Alto Francis Chan okay is going to give a prophetic word tonight you that's what we think when we hear these but I'm I'm looking at it the last thing I'm thinking is pride I'm thinking about responsibility. [00:10:21]
He says when all of them are equipped and using their gift he goes then the body will actually build itself up in love I I I was looking at that phrase today I was thinking that's that's interesting he says the body builds itself up in love CU a lot of times I pray and I just go God would you just make the church mature would you just get everyone to be convicted about Sin would you get everyone feeling this weight of wow I've been given a gift for the body. [00:12:15]
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 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 so this is the goal okay so sometimes it's easier just go okay here's the finished product okay when we're done this is how we should look. [00:17:15]
I want you to attain to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ The Measure you know those of you who bake you have these measuring cups and you're like okay this is a a half cup and so let me measure and and here he says the measure I want of you is here's Christ and who he is I want you to measure up to that and there's some way that if the church is working and building itself up properly we can get there we can get to this measure of the stature the fullness of Christ. [00:19:48]
Unity is so so big it's on the Father's Heart this is what a father wants of his family I want you guys perfectly unified I want you perfectly one this is why Jesus died on the cross according to Ephesians 2 so that there would not be these two separate people but that you become one new man doesn't matter what nationality you are what gender you are you become one somehow we can become United in the faith and this is what causes the world to believe that Jesus is the messiah according to John 17 is the unity the Oneness of the Believers. [00:20:17]
The leaders in the church to equip you so that you're not like this little kid that just okay I'll believe you okay I'll believe you you want some candy okay you know it's just not no we don't want you BL we want we want to know that at some point it doesn't matter what they say out there you're not going anywhere you know who Jesus is you know what his word says and all this teaching out there and all these he goes cunning is the word cleverness I mean there's so much clever teaching out in the world. [00:25:18]
He says rather speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in in love don't get obsessed with figuring out your gift get obsessed with being a loving person that actually walks into our house Gatherings or these larger Gatherings and you just become a person of love. [00:49:07]
He says let me show you a more excellent way cuz you guys are boasting about gifts you have this that guy that he goes I'm just telling you love each other because it doesn't matter if you have faith to move mountains I don't care if you have knowledge you can solve every Ministry mystery if you don't have love love it profits you nothing and I don't care how well you speak if you don't have love you're just making a bunch of noise see and somehow we've undervalued love and we overvalue these gifts. [00:50:39]
Love is patient love is kind doesn't Envy it doesn't boast isn't proud it's not self-seeking it doesn't keep a record of wrongs it believes it hopes so we don't want to lose that. [00:52:57]
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