Equipping the Church for Unity and Growth

Devotional

Day 1: Equipping the Saints for Ministry

God has given the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers to equip the saints for ministry and build up the body of Christ. These roles are essential for fostering unity, knowledge, and Christ-likeness within the church community. Each of these roles serves a unique purpose in guiding and nurturing the congregation, ensuring that every member is prepared to contribute to the church's mission. The ultimate goal is to create a community that reflects the character and love of Christ, growing together in faith and service.

The church is not just a place for passive attendance but a dynamic community where every believer is called to participate actively. By embracing the roles that God has provided, the church can function as a unified body, each part working together to achieve a common purpose. This unity and collaboration are vital for the church to thrive and fulfill its mission in the world. [39:33]

Ephesians 4:11-12 (ESV): "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."

Reflection: How can you actively participate in your church community to help build up the body of Christ? What specific role or ministry can you commit to this week?

Day 2: The Coach Analogy

Pastors and teachers are like coaches who equip the congregation for ministry and spiritual growth. Their job is not to do all the ministry themselves but to prepare and empower the church members to serve and grow. Just as a coach trains and guides athletes to perform at their best, pastors and teachers provide the necessary tools, knowledge, and encouragement for the congregation to fulfill their God-given roles.

This analogy highlights the importance of mutual responsibility within the church. While pastors and teachers have a significant role in guiding and equipping, every member of the congregation is called to take an active part in ministry. This collaborative effort ensures that the church can effectively carry out its mission and grow in spiritual maturity. [57:47]

1 Corinthians 12:27-28 (ESV): "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues."

Reflection: In what ways can you support and encourage your pastors and teachers as they equip you for ministry? How can you take ownership of your spiritual growth and service?

Day 3: Serving and Growing Together

Every member of the church is called to serve and grow. This collective effort leads to a unified and flourishing gospel community. Practical ways to serve include joining branch groups, helping in children's ministry, or simply building relationships within the church. By actively participating in these activities, members can contribute to the overall health and growth of the church.

Serving together fosters a sense of community and belonging, as each person uses their unique gifts and talents to support one another. This collaborative environment encourages spiritual growth and helps the church to function as a cohesive unit, reflecting the love and unity of Christ. [59:28]

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: What specific area of ministry or service can you commit to this week? How can you use your unique gifts to support and build up your church community?

Day 4: Speaking the Truth in Love

Confessing the truth to one another in love is crucial for spiritual growth. This involves both giving and receiving correction with a heart motivated by love, not just a desire to be right. Speaking the truth in love helps to build trust and foster healthy relationships within the church, allowing for honest and open communication.

This practice is essential for maintaining unity and promoting spiritual maturity. By addressing issues and concerns with love and compassion, members can help one another grow and avoid the pitfalls of false doctrines and deceitful schemes. This commitment to truth and love strengthens the church and helps it to fulfill its mission. [01:07:50]

Ephesians 4:15-16 (ESV): "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 love."

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you needed to speak the truth in love. How can you approach similar situations in the future with a heart motivated by love and compassion?

Day 5: Building Up in Love

The ultimate goal is to mature in faith, avoiding false doctrines and deceitful schemes. By committing to serving and growing, the church can build itself up in love, fulfilling Christ's purpose for His body. This process involves every member working together, each contributing their unique gifts and talents to support the overall mission of the church.

Building up in love requires a commitment to unity, truth, and mutual support. As members grow in their faith and service, they help to create a strong and vibrant church community that reflects the love and character of Christ. This collective effort ensures that the church can effectively carry out its mission and impact the world for God's glory. [01:13:55]

Colossians 2:6-7 (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."

Reflection: How can you contribute to building up your church community in love? What specific actions can you take this week to support and encourage your fellow believers?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we gathered to worship and reflect on the gifts that God has given to His church, particularly focusing on the roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers as outlined in Ephesians 4:11-16. These roles are not just titles but are essential for equipping the saints for ministry and building up the body of Christ. The sermon emphasized that the purpose of these gifts is to foster unity, knowledge of the Son of God, and Christ-likeness within the church community.

We explored the idea that just as a coach equips players for a game, pastors and teachers are given to the church to equip the congregation for ministry and spiritual growth. This process involves everyone in the church, not just the leaders. Each member is called to serve and grow, contributing to a flourishing gospel community. The sermon also highlighted the importance of speaking the truth in love, encouraging one another, and working together as a unified body.

The ultimate goal is to mature in faith, avoiding the pitfalls of false doctrines and deceitful schemes. By committing to this process, the church can grow in love and fulfill Christ's purpose for His body. Practical steps were suggested, such as joining branch groups, serving in various ministries, and building relationships within the church. The message concluded with a call to embrace these roles and responsibilities, trusting that God has provided everything needed for the church to grow and flourish.

###

Key Takeaways

1. likeness within the church community. [39:33]
2. The Role of Pastors and Teachers: Pastors and teachers are like coaches who equip the congregation for ministry and spiritual growth. Their job is not to do all the ministry themselves but to prepare and empower the church members to serve and grow.

3. Serving and Growing Together: Every member of the church is called to serve and grow. This collective effort leads to a unified and flourishing gospel community. Practical ways to serve include joining branch groups, helping in children's ministry, or simply building relationships within the church.

4. Speaking the Truth in Love: Confessing the truth to one another in love is crucial for spiritual growth. This involves both giving and receiving correction with a heart motivated by love, not just a desire to be right.

5. Christ's Purpose for the Church: The ultimate goal is to mature in faith, avoiding false doctrines and deceitful schemes. By committing to serving and growing, the church can build itself up in love, fulfilling Christ's purpose for His body.

### [39:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:31] - Announcements and Upcoming Events
[04:50] - Church History Highlights
[05:31] - Fall Kickoff and Ministry Start Dates
[06:21] - Opening Prayer
[37:46] - Prayer Before the Sermon
[39:33] - Introduction to Ephesians 4:11-16
[41:09] - The Perfect Gift Giver
[42:52] - Transition from Indicatives to Imperatives
[44:39] - Christ's Provision
[46:23] - The Role of Apostles and Prophets
[49:38] - The Role of Evangelists and Pastor-Teachers
[51:12] - Equipping the Saints for Ministry
[57:47] - The Coach Analogy
[59:28] - Are You Serving the Body?
[61:05] - The Product of Serving and Growing
[62:49] - Unity, Knowledge, and Christ-likeness
[64:01] - Encouraging One Another
[67:50] - Speaking the Truth in Love
[70:39] - Receiving and Giving Correction
[72:17] - The Whole Body Working Together
[73:55] - Building Up in Love
[75:38] - Examples of Love in the Church
[77:31] - The Challenge to Grow
[78:58] - Practical Steps to Serve and Grow
[80:24] - God's Invitation to Participate
[81:56] - Closing Prayer and Invitation to Respond

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What roles are mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, and what is their purpose according to the passage?
How does the sermon compare pastors and teachers to coaches? What is their role in the church? [57:47]
What are the practical steps mentioned in the sermon for serving and growing within the church community? [59:28]
According to Ephesians 4:14, what are the dangers of not maturing in faith?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize the need for unity and knowledge of the Son of God in Ephesians 4:13? How does this contribute to the maturity of the church?
The sermon mentions "speaking the truth in love" as crucial for spiritual growth. How can this be practiced in a church setting? [01:07:50]
What does it mean to be "tossed to and fro by the waves" in the context of Ephesians 4:14? How can the church avoid this?
How does the concept of each member serving and growing contribute to the overall health and unity of the church as described in Ephesians 4:16?

Application Questions

Reflect on your own spiritual gifts. How can you use them to serve and build up the body of Christ in your church? [49:38]
The sermon encourages joining branch groups and other ministries. Are you currently involved in any church activities? If not, what steps can you take to get involved? [59:28]
How can you practice "speaking the truth in love" in your daily interactions with fellow church members? Can you think of a recent situation where this could have been applied? [01:07:50]
What are some practical ways you can contribute to fostering unity and Christ-likeness within your church community?
The sermon highlights the importance of avoiding false doctrines and deceitful schemes. How can you stay grounded in true doctrine and help others do the same? [01:05:46]
Think of a time when you received correction in love. How did it impact your spiritual growth? How can you be open to receiving and giving such correction in the future? [01:10:39]
Identify one area in your life where you feel you need to grow in Christ-likeness. What specific steps can you take this week to work on that area? [01:02:49]

Sermon Clips

1. "Today we're considering the gifts that are given by the perfect gift giver, God, the one who gives perfect gifts to his people, the one who gives the gifts that his people need. We're in the middle of this series on Ephesians where we've been considering our identity defined and now we've transitioned to our identity embraced." [41:09] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "As we collectively engage in ministry and dedicate ourselves to spiritual growth, our church will be a gospel community that flourishes. Jesus is going to give gifts with the purpose of fostering ministry and spiritual growth so that a body of believers, our body of believers, flourishes and grows." [42:52] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Friends, your pastors are a great gift to you and you know what I love about our church is that I'm hearing amen right now because let's be honest there are some churches in some places that don't see their pastors as gifts to them. They view their pastors with suspicion or antagonism or animosity. They don't view them as gifts." [54:29] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The process, the reason God gave pastors and teachers is to equip the saints. Pastors, teachers' job is to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for the building up of the body. So our job as pastors, our purpose, the reason God gives pastors to the church is to equip y'all to ministry, to y'all to growing." [56:19] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "If you call this church your home, part of the reason you are here is to serve the body. If you call this church your home, part of the reason you are here is to serve the body. If you raise your hand, I want you to consider how and if you're serving. What does that look like? We have needs, we have ministries that there are open opportunities to serve." [59:28] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "As we collectively pursue those things of ministering and growing, we will all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, and to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of fullness of Christ. There will become unity, amongst the body. There will be a greater knowledge of the Son of God, and there will be more Christ-likeness." [01:02:49] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "We need to help each other with this. It's not something that one person does, but it's something that we all do. I can think of examples of individuals in this congregation that have encouraged me to these things, have encouraged me to greater faith, have encouraged me to a deeper understanding and knowledge, and have encouraged me to Christ-likeness." [01:04:01] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "We need each other. If you call this place your home, your church home, guess what? We need you to be participating. We need you to be growing. We need you to be serving because this is your church home, and when the body is working properly, it makes the body grow. When the parts are fulfilling, their function, it's God using it to help them grow." [01:12:17] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "As a church commits to this process of building one another up and serving one another, it will produce a church that grows in love. It grows in love by means of love as the body does these things together. In love. And that's Christ's purpose. One of the things I love about our church is I think this is true already. That we already do these things." [01:13:55] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Friends, if the Lord has put on your heart any way you want to respond to his word this morning, you can see myself, Pastor Joel, Pastor Alan, Pastor Craig. We would love to help you figure out ways you can serve the body and be growing in your faith." [01:22:48] (12 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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