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What is God's the Purpose for a Church? Ephesians 4:11-16 by Cooper Abrams |
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What is God's the Purpose for a Church? Ephesians 4:11-16 by Cooper Abrams |
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The word translated "vocation" is the noun "klesis" (clay'-sis) which means "to call anyone, invite, summon, to which you are (kale ) "called." "Klesis" is used in the NT of that of a "calling" the origin, nature and destiny of which one is called to by God." "Kaleo" ( kal-eh'-o) is God summoning His child to the task He has called us too.
The Lord then explains that each and every believer as a special measure of Grace which is a talent or ability to serve Him. This is a proof text that God has a purpose for every believer and a plan and will for that believer to live. He wants to use the Christian in His eternal plan.
After expressing this truth, God then explains that He calls pastor or shepherd His flock and tells us the pastor's part of the plan. Note that he did not use the word "Bishop," which means a "overseer," but the word "pastor" which means one who shepherds. One who cares and devotes himself to the flock.
2. The use of the term "pastor"stresses that God gives a local church a "caretaker" which ministers to the congregation like a shepherd does sheep. The shepherd has a personal relationship with the sheep. God has given him that talent the pastor needs to care for the welfare of each sheep. God also by using the title "pastor" notes that He give with the talent a love for the sheep.
3. Note that the pastor, who is the "under shepherd of the sheep, must take his example from, Jesus who is the "Great Shepherd." "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." (Hebrews 13:20)
4. Twice Jesus calls Himself the "Good Shepherd."
5. Note in John 10, the personal relationship and the comparison of the good shepherd with the hireling. The hireling is a professional sheep tender. Both the shepherd and the hireling have taken a job, have receive instruction and taken the job. The difference is there attitude. Jesus uses the term to describe the hireling as someone who not care personally for the sheep. He will use them to his own benefit....until problems or danger comes and then will abandon them. He is interested in his personal welfare...not that of the sheep. The true pastor or shepherd will give his life for the sheep. As Christ is preeminent in his life so will be his calling to tend God's sheep.
Who you abandon someone you loved in the face of danger to save yourself? If you love someone you will stand with them whose love will cause him to given give his life for his sheep.
We fight sin in our lives in the power of God. God explains to us that He is actively working to help us overcome sin.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
The way we fight sin and grow into mature believers able to overcome temptations and sin is to know and obey the word of God.
It refers to the facts which is the heart of the Gospel, that is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is in the application of these facts as stated,
"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17)
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel" (Galatians 1:6)
2. Sadly, many have tried and often successfully mislead people. The devil does not want to see people come to a saving knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ, nor to see them grow in the Lord and therefore mature towards a more perfect life. The wolves that Jesus spoke of are always around, seeking to destroy the sheep and lead them astray. They do it with false gospels. The teach false ideas, the philosophies of man rather than the word of God.
3. Some churches and individuals teach that in order to go to heaven you must work your way there. The Gospel is perverted to teach that church membership, baptism, good works, sacraments and that by a host of other things a man can work his way to heaven.
Most times they tell you that you hath to join their church. They tell people they have to do good works, do rituals, ceremonies in order to please God. All these things are contrary to God's own word. The Bible says:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
4. God could not have made it clearer. Good works cannot save us. A man is saved by God's grace that is freely given to those that believe in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 11:6 says it is impossible to please God without faith. You see you and I are born sinners. We have no righteousness of our own. As sinners, we are under the condemnation of our sins and separated from Jesus Christ and salvation. Therefore, we cannot save ourselves. We need a Savior, someone who is perfect, and who will pay our sin debt and redeem us from our sins. No man can do that...only God can do that and that is why God came to earth, incarnate in Jesus Christ. God came and submitted Himself to sinful mankind and suffered and died for our sins. Being God, after He paid the full price for our sins, He arose from the grave. He as a man overcame sin and death. He did that so that you and I who have no righteousness, no way to remove our sins....accept His free offer of forgiveness. You see, it was God we sinned against...it was God to whom we owed out debt.
5. God then did not make salvation complicated but simple. Simple enough that even a little child could understand. God used the Apostle John to tell us this truth:
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)
6. God then has provided the way that a person can become perfected and that is by believing in Jesus Christ. You see the saints of God can only become "saints" when they are born again and receive eternal life from God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
7. After a person believes, God then continues the work in their lives to perfect them. Every person who is saved if forgiven of their sins, but they are still have the old nature and we all know that Christians will and do sin. The old adage is truth which says "Christians aren't perfect, they are forgiven."
2. God's stated purpose is has called each of us to serve or minister to others. Many people really do not have a purpose for their lives beyond...simply living and taking things as they come. We word, train and strive for a better material live and ignore the fact that God has a plan and purpose of each of us.
3. God has made each of us with a void inside. Only when that void is filled is life complete. Without a relationship with our God and Creator, there is a void, a vacuum in our lives. Many people, even those who are well-known, can attest to that void.
Ralph Barton, one of the top cartoonists of the nations, left this note pinned to his pillow before taking his own life: "I have had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone from wife to wife, from house to house, visited great countries of the world, ...... but I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day."
You see the void in our lives cannot be filled with earth pursuits and pleasures. It can only be filled by God coming into our lives and making us whole!
I know. That day at the funeral for the first time in my life I saw where I was headed. I had seen a lot of dead people. I spend a year in Vietnam, but it never touched me. That day In January 1972 it became personal. God touched me. He showed me the reality of living a life apart from God.
That day God saved me, forgave my sins. I now had a purpose in life. It was God's purpose....and eternal purpose and the void and emptiness I hid so well from others was filled. That day I became a child of God and everything in my life changed for the better. I thank God every day for saving me, for suffering and dying for my sins and giving me true life.
2. It is God's plan that those who believe in Jesus Christ are to join themselves with other believers in a local church so they might grow strong in the faith and in their service to the Lord.
3. In Ephesians 5:25 God tells us how important the local church is to Jesus Christ : "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25) You see Jesus is said here to have given Himself for the "ekklesia" which every time the word is used in the New Testament means a local group of believers and local assembly. God's plan is that every believer be a part of a local congregation. Every believer is to be within the fold joined together for the cause of Christ.
"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3)
Note what Jesus said, "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)
2. God wants each believer to come to a knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man. It is God's plan that we grow toward fully understanding who Jesus Christ is truly and by that knowledge we grow into a mature believer.
The more we understand of who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us the more thankful we are and the more we understand the wonderful truth of living a pure life and honoring Him.
To this very church less that forty year later Jesus Himself wrote to them and as Revelation 2:4 states, "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." (Revelation 2:4)
Knowing Jesus Christ is a personal matter and that is why we often say that a saved person has received Jesus Christ as their "personal Savior." Knowing Jesus is not some abstract idea, such as the "force" of Star Wars, or as the Oriental religions teach. Jesus Christ is our God and Creator and we who believe are His sons and daughters.
3. The last phrase in verse 13 is part of the preceding phrase. God wants us to come to a " knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ"
In other words God wants us to be mature and sound in our faith and love of Him.
God tells us in James speaking of having trials in our lives. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1:5-8)
2. Many Christians are not much help to the lost because they have not matured and learn to witness to the unsaved. Many Christians cannot help other Christians because of all the unsolved problems they have which they have not learned to deal with in Christ.
B. V16. READ. This means God wants every Christian that is a member of this church to be an active part of the work of this whole church. That means we are dedicated in a mutual relationship which each person using their God given talents for the Lord in the context of the work of the whole church.
C. The word "compacted" means each person has made a firm and sure commitment to the work of the whole. It means we have consolidated our work together to get the job done as Christ would want. Every member sees him or herself as a joint in the whole of the body.....necessary and doing their function effectively.
D. "According to the effectual working of in the measure of every part." "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power" (Ephesians 1:19) Effectual working, means working in the power of the grace of God.
E. "maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love"
A body or anything will grow when all its parts are working properly together. When even one part is not working the whole is hindered and its function is lessen or even killed.
God's desire is that each member of a church have the privilege to be a part of God's eternal plan. He gives us the ability and the instruction to carry out His work.
But God will not force us to let Him use us! We are not robots but have a mind, intelligence and a will. He wants us to know the truth of who is truly is and how much He loves us. He wishes the best for us and wants to use us.
The question then is this? Will we allow God to use us to be a part of something more wonderful that words.
He wants to fill the void you have in your life and give you an eternal purpose. He is your Creator and He did not create you in vain. He has a purpose for you. That is why you are here this morning. This is why this church was established and this is the purpose for its existence.
In Revelation 3:20 Jesus expressed that He was seeking each of us saying: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)
Jesus is knocking at your heart's door even now. But He will not force His way in or force Himself on you. You must believe and open the door.
God says, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
God has a purpose for each of us and that is to be saved, and serving the Lord together. Heaven is real and it offered freely to all who will believe and receive it. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
Would you come this morning....right now and believe in Jesus Christ. Would you put your faith in Him and let Him do for you what you cannot do for yourself. That is to forgive your sins, give you eternal life and heaven when you die so that you will be will your Creator forever.
Introduction: As we have seen in the past two messages on Ephesians 4 mentions first believers are to "walk worthy of the vocation in wherewith you are called." In verse 7, God explains that he God gives every believer a talent or talents to serve Him in that vacation. "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." (Ephesians 4:7)
1. The difference in the use of these two words is that the title "bishop" stresses the task of overseeing and being in charge.
I. God states His Purpose of Giving a church shepherd-teacher . Verse 12 expresses that God gives three tasks of for those He sends. This states the reasons or purposes for a local church. This is God's plan for believers in a local congregation.
"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." (John 10:11-14)
ILLUS: Recently I saw an example of this when talking to a pastor in Virginia. He was telling some of the history of the church. Several pastors had left the church in confusion. He told me about some of the members and their short coming, but he added that they are not perfect, they have a long way to go, and they have been hurt, but they have come a long way in the three years he had been there. Clearly, he loved the sheep, the mixed lot they were, with all their short comings and failures. But he was optimistic that in time they would grow into mature Christians. The church has had several "hireling" leading them, and now God has sent them a "Shepherd" to care for them, tend their spiritual wounds, and help them to grow in Christ.
"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
6. The point is clear. Jesus repeatedly said that wolves would come in to destroy the sheep. That means mislead them with false doctrine, and practices. Wolves feed on sheep.
A. For the perfecting of the saints. The word used means "correcting all deficiencies." None of us is perfect or even close to being perfect. Every person on this earth is born a sinner. We all sin as 1 John 1:8,10 clearly state. Every man thus needs his life corrected. Every believer is to be constantly on guard to reject sin in his life. The question is how? The answer is simple.
II. God wants believers and their assembly to present a united front to the world. Ephesians 4:13-16
1. This is expressed in the Greek word "euaggelion (yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on)" which means "Good or Glad Tidings or News." It is the equivalent of the English word "evangel." It is the good news that God has provided a way that a man/woman/boy or girl can be forgiven of their sins and receive eternal life. That is plainly stated in 1 Corinthians 15:1-3.
B. "For the work of the Ministry." The word ministry means "service." No one can serve God without serving others! To be a Christian is to be a minister.
1. The word is "diakonia." In our English Bibles the word same root word which is transliterated often as "deacon." Is the same word used in 1 Timothy 3:8. The word in verse 12 refers to the work to be done....which is to "attend" to others or serve them.
C. The Edifying of the Body of Christ. The word "edify" is the Greek word "oikodome ( oy-kod-om-ay'). It means to build something. Here it means to build up the Body of Christ...meaning to build up Christians in faith, service and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
ILLUS: For example, H.G. Wells, famous historian and philosopher, said at age 61: "I have no peace. All life is at the end of the tether." The poet Byron said, "My days are in yellow leaf, the flowers and fruits of life are gone, the worm and the canker, and the grief are mine alone." The literary genius Thoreau speaking of his own evaluation of his life said, "Most men live lives of quiet desperation."
1. When a baby is born into a family he is shown love and he is adored by his parents and family. When a person believes in Jesus Christ he become a child of God. The Bible says that all God's children make up the "body of Christ." This church is made up of a body or congregation of baptized believers in Jesus Christ.
A. God desires three goals to be achieved in the life of a believer and therefore be reflected in the life of a church.
III. The Pastor and each believer who is to walk worthy of their vocation and seek to mature in Christ.
1. God wants there to be a unity of faith. Have you ever thought about why we have a constitution and the first part of that constitution is our "Statement of Faith."
B. V14. The Christian that is weak in his faith is immature. He is like a ship tossed to and fro on a rough sea. He shows himself not to be mature in Christ, because when God tries us it is to mature us and give us the backbone of faith to weather the trials of live and bring honor to the Lord Jesus. We are to be a testimony to other of God's grace...and yet, we cannot be an example until we allow God to mature us.
1. Folks if a person fell in the water and was drowning you could not help them if you do not know how to swim. People have choked to death, because those that saw them choked did not know how to administer the Heimlich maneuver.
A. We are to instruct others teaching them God's word in love. A mature believer will which the best for others and therefore seek to help the unsaved and other believers. That means they will make it a priority in their life to study the word of God and learn its truth. That is why we have SS, Preaching and Bible Study. Our church is to be a place of learning and growing in Christ.
Conclusion:
1. Can we not see that God has a plan. Dear friends, you are not here today by chance. You may not be aware of it, but your God and Creator is seeking to bring you unto Himself. He wants to save you, forgive your sins and make you His child.
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