Ephesians 4:7-16
~26 min read
TRANSCRIPT
Our text this morning is taken once again from the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians. Please turn with me now to Ephesians chapter 4. Let me read our text from Ephesians 4:7–16: “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Amen.
As we have gone through this epistle, and especially as we have been going through this chapter, we have seen the emphasis of the Apostle Paul on unity. In this application of the doctrine of the church, God's purpose and design for the church, Jew and Gentile together in one body, we have seen how unity is essential if the church is to walk worthy of its calling.
The church is fundamentally an organism, an organic unity of members. This is the unity of the Spirit that Paul has spoken of earlier on in verse 3. A unity that comes from God. A unity with the Spirit of God as its author. A unity that is part of God's purpose. And yet we have the responsibility to keep this unity. We are to walk worthy of this divine calling. The the design is not ours. It's God's. But the duty is ours to establish that design to realize that design. Again, the energy, the power, is not ours. It is God's. But the effort is ours. The endeavour is ours, "endeavouring... to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Verse 3.
Then also, this is not a unity that subsumes each individual into some kind of amorphous collective. It is not a unity that diminishes our individual contribution or our individual persons. It's not a unity where we give up our individual personality. Rather, it is a unity that encompasses and embraces a diversity. A diversity of members, a diversity of abilities, a diversity of contributions.
There is, therefore, in this unity and diversity, growth—growth towards a definite goal, the divine end and purpose that we should all grow up together into Christ. So this oneness, this unity of the church, comprehends a diversity of gifts among the members. And if we are to walk worthy of God's calling, we must recognise both the unity, which we saw last time, and the diversity.
We are to walk worthy in unity, but also in that diversity, with each contributing according to the gifts that God has given to him or her. And this is what the Apostle Paul now turns to speak of here from verse 7. As we strive to keep the unity of the Spirit, we are to recognise the gifts that God has given to us, that Christ has given to us, and we are therefore to use these gifts for the benefit of the whole.
The unity is served by the diversity. We each have gifts, and we are to use those gifts. We are to make that individual contribution so that the unity can be established, so that the unity can grow together, grow up into Christ. These gifts must be recognised as divine gifts and used as such. They are meant not just for our own elevation, not just for our own benefit. They are meant for the body of Christ. They are meant for the whole. They are meant for the whole church so that we can all grow up together.
These are spiritual gifts given for a spiritual purpose and given to every one of us. Verse 7: "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Therefore, everyone has the duty to use those gifts. And this is what we want to consider together this morning as we go through this passage.
Four things, four points, for us to pay attention to regarding these spiritual gifts. Number one, the worthiness of Christ to give us these gifts. And then also the diversity and yet the singular purpose of these gifts. That's numbers two and three. And then number four, the glorious result of the proper use of these gifts of Christ. So again: The worthiness of Christ to give these gifts; The diversity of these gifts; Yet the singular purpose of these gifts; The glorious result of the proper use of these gifts.
I. The Worthiness Of Christ To Give These Gifts
First of all, the worthiness of Christ. And this is what Paul speaks of straight away. These gifts, Paul says, are gifts of Christ. "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." (Ephesians 4:7) And Christ is worthy to give these gifts. That is emphasised here by this quotation in verse 8: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." The point is to establish the glory and majesty of Christ as King. And that is established by this quotation which as no doubt you have noticed comes from the psalm that we read together just now. Psalm 68.
Now, if you will turn back to that psalm briefly as we go through this psalm again, you will see that it pictures God as a mighty Warrior and King leading His people to victory. Verse 1 of the psalm, Psalm 68: "Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him." God arises as a Warrior leading His army into battle, into victory. He is a good, a righteous, and a just King.
Verse 5: "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation." (Psalm 68:5) He protects and nourishes His people. He leads His people through the wilderness. He provides for them. Verse 7: "O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:" (Psalm 68:7) The earth shook. The heavens also dropped. "Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary." (Psalm 68:9) And so on.
God leads His people to victory, vanquishing His enemies. "Kings of armies," verse 12, "did flee apace." And so God establishes His kingdom. He establishes His holy city, the place that He has chosen for His own habitation. This is the hill, verse 16, which God desireth to dwell in.
And in that context, we find verse 18: "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men..." (Psalm 68:18) The picture here is of God's triumph, God's victory, and God's blessing of His people. In light of that victory, God has liberated His people. He has rescued them from captivity. He has liberated them from death.
Verse 20: "He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death." (Psalm 68:20) That is, the goings forth from death, or the deliverance from death, that belongs to God. God has rescued His people. And now He distributes the spoils of this triumph, the gifts that He has received. He distributes them to His people.
It's a glorious picture of triumph and victory, of God as a terrible Conqueror and yet as a benevolent Ruler who blesses His people, who loadeth them with benefits, who comes down from heaven to war against His enemies, to deliver His people, and to bless them with His gifts. Now, what in the psalm is ascribed to God, to Jehovah, here again in Ephesians chapter 4 is ascribed by Paul to Christ.
It is Christ who descended to gain victory, to accomplish the deliverance of His people from death. And it is Christ who distributes these gifts, the spoils, as it were, of battle, of victory. He does not fail to distribute those gifts. These were meant for His people. And so, as King, as Victor, He does not, as it were, keep all these gifts to Himself, but distributes them. His people share in that victory. They share in the blessing. They share in the benefit.
This glorious triumph is expressed not only in His own exaltation but in the blessing of His people. It's a triumph and a victory shared by all those who are in His kingdom. He ascended with a host of captives, now liberated, in His train, following Him. He leads them. They follow Him. And He gives them these gifts. This is the gift of Christ. It is the gift of the victorious King. It is the gift of the triumphant Conqueror. It is the gift of the One who is worthy to reign and worthy to bless.
And Paul goes on to establish that it is the same Christ, the same Christ who descended, the same Christ who submitted Himself to that estate of humiliation. It is the same Christ who now, in His state of glory and exaltation, continues to bless His people. "Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" (Ephesians 4:9)
There's no contradiction between that picture of glory and the picture of condescension and humiliation which we see in the Gospel accounts. It's the same Christ, because this was the plan of God. He had to descend first before ascending to glory. That victory was won by the suffering of death. By submitting Himself in His active and passive obedience, made of a woman, made under the law. e humbled Himself and became obedient even unto death, the death of the cross.
He descended into the lower parts of the earth. The lower parts—that's a description that emphasises His condescension, His humility, His humbling of Himself, His incarnation. This is the Jesus that we meet in the Gospels. But it is the same Christ who now fills all things. He has ascended, and He gives His gifts. He fills us all with His blessings. "He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things." (Ephesians 4:10) This was the purpose of God.
This is what we read also in Philippians chapter 2, verse 5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5–11)
This was God's plan. And this is the One, again, this is the One who has given these gifts to us. They come from Him. They come from Christ. These spiritual gifts that we have, that we are called upon to use, they are given by Christ Himself. It is His distribution of these gifts to us. Therefore, these gifts are to be received as most precious and wonderful things. We are not to despise these gifts. We are not to ignore them. They're given to us by Christ, by the glorious conquering King.
If some great person gives you a gift, you'll take it seriously, won't you? You received it from someone very famous, someone very well known, someone very important. Those are the kinds of things that you keep and treasure. You don't just toss them aside. You don't bury them in some corner. You display them, don't you? These are the things that people frame and put up on their walls. "This great person gave me this certificate," or "gave me this medal," or "gave me this thing."
Here we have the gifts of Christ given to us. They're not for us to ignore. They're for us to treasure and for us to use according to His purpose. That's the emphasis here. The worthiness of Christ. He has given us these gifts. The Lord who has gloriously saved us, who has come down to liberate us. Now, as we follow Him, these are the blessings that He has bestowed on us. These are the gifts that He has distributed to us. He wants us to use them. He wants us to serve Him with these gifts.
II. The Diversity Of These Gifts
There is a diversity of these gifts. This is brought out now in verse 11, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" (Ephesians 4:11) He has not given the same gifts to everyone. He has distributed them sovereignly and wisely according to His purpose. He gave some apostles—not all, some—and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.
Now, of course, all these gifts here mentioned are linked to the ministry of the Word in the body of Christ. That's the focus. We will come to see a little bit later on why this is the focus. But as we know already from reading this passage, this focus on the ministry of the Word expands to encompass all that we do as the body of Christ, all the ways in which we contribute to the body of Christ.
There's an emphasis on the diversity of the gifts. Even here, even though all these mentioned have to do with the ministry of the Word, there is a difference. The apostles have their own unique gift and purpose and function. So also do the prophets. They have their own ministry. That apostolic ministry, that prophetic ministry, is now ceased. It had its purpose. It had its function. We still have the ministry of the Word today. We have evangelists. We have especially pastors and teachers today. That's a particular gift.
But we see already in the context this is a gift of Christ. This is something that Christ has given to His people. And that already should influence our thinking. Why do we have pastors and teachers? Because this is God's purpose for His people. This is Christ's gift for His church. We are to think already in these terms. We are to receive such gifts. We are to appreciate them. We are to rejoice in them. And this is the purpose. All these gifts are given for the ministry of the Word.
III. The Singular Purpose Of These Gifts
Now verse 12: "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" (Ephesians 4:12) To perfect—to make complete, to furnish God's people. That's God's purpose in giving us His Word. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
That's the purpose of God's Word. He has given us His Word. He has given us also this ministry of teaching and preaching. Those whom He has called and gifted to be pastors and teachers, ministers of the Word, so that God's people can be built up, can be edified, can be made complete in knowledge and understanding. The perfecting of the saints. The work of the ministry. The edifying of the body of Christ.
And what does this perfection mean? What does this edifying mean? It means we are all able, verse 15, to speak the truth in love. We are all able, verse 16, to contribute the effectual working in the measure of every part. And that's the reason why the ministry of the Word is focused on, because that's the ministry that helps all of us in our ministry.
That's the gift that helps all the other gifts to function rightly, because we are all built up through the Word of God to understand His will and purpose. We are all encouraged and exhorted to use the gifts that God has given to us. The end and aim of all the gifts is that the church might grow up in unity in Christ by this mutual contribution. These gifts—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—function by helping all the other gifts to function properly as all of us are built up by this ministry of the Word.
I think this is very important for us to consider, to pause for a moment and to consider, because I fear that we are used to thinking of the church as a place where pastors and teachers serve, rather than as a place where all of us serve. The church is not the place where the minister ministers only. The church is a place where all of us minister, all of us serve, all of us are active. All of us contribute. Not all in the same way.
Some are called and gifted to be pastors and teachers. We're not all pastors and teachers. But we are all ministers, servants of God. We are all servants of one another. We are all called to minister to one another. We are all called to be active. We're all called to be contributing. That's the church. The church is not a place where I go just to get, but the church is a place where I go also to give. That must be our thinking, each one of us.
And perhaps this is one reason why, for example, the prayer meetings tend to be poorly attended. I've mentioned this several times, and, of course, I'm not picking on anyone. But perhaps this is part of the reason, because we have this thinking: "If there's nothing for me to get, then why should I go?"
But we forget that we go in order to give. We go in order to participate. We go in order to contribute. There is a need for our contribution. There is a need for our participation. Not because we are great, but because this is God's design. This is how God has designed the church. He designed it with you in mind. He designed it with your contribution in mind. This is part of the plan of God. You have a place in His church.
If He has known you and chosen you from eternity, if He has saved you, if you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for your sins and rose again, God has a place for you in His church. And that is a contributing place. Not a place of idleness, but a place of activity. We go to the church not just to be served, but to serve, to exercise the gifts that Christ has given to us. Not just to hear the Word minister to us. That's important. That's central.
But also to minister the Word to one another. The word of exhortation. The word of edification. We speak to one another. We encourage one another. We serve one another. We sing. When we sing, we are singing praises to God. We are also ministering to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. We sing with that in view. We sing to encourage one another, to praise the Lord together. We join our voices together in song. There's a ministry there in fellowship, in exhortation. This is something for us seriously to consider.
What are your spiritual gifts? And perhaps we are used to thinking, again, in this way: "What is my spiritual gift?" But I suggest maybe a better way of thinking is not just, "What is my spiritual gift?" but, "What can I do for the Lord and His people?" What can I contribute? What is there that I can do?
When I speak to people after the service, let me think of myself as ministering, as serving, as using the gifts that Christ has given to me. Has He given me understanding of His Word? Has He helped me to understand? Has He helped me to see? Then let me use that to be a blessing to others, to minister to others. Has He given me comfort through His Word? Then let me use that to comfort others.
I see someone who is downcast, someone who seems troubled. Let me speak a word for the Lord. Let me direct a brother or sister to trust in the Lord, to look to Him. Let me comfort others with the comfort that God has comforted me. I see someone is not here. Someone has not been here the past few weeks. Let me do something. Let me reach out to that person.
That's something I can do for the Lord, for His people, for His church. When there is illness, let me visit, if I can. When there is bereavement, let me be there. Let me encourage those who are sorrowing. I have the Word of God. Let me comfort others with these words. Isn't that what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4? He teaches the resurrection, the glorious hope that is awaiting us. The dead in Christ will rise first. We who are alive and remain will not prevent those who are asleep. We will have no special advantage. We will all be together with the Lord, caught up together to meet the Lord. "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
But how are we to comfort one another if we never see one another? If we just disappear after the service? If we are just faces in the crowd? We are to comfort one another. We are meant to be involved in this way. That's God's purpose for the church. That's the diversity. We're not all the same. We have different levels of maturity, different experiences. We have different abilities, capacities, but we are all to contribute what we can, what the Lord has enabled us to do. So, rather than sitting around and saying, "I don't know what my spiritual gift is," let's look for opportunities where we can serve. Be active.
Think in terms of service, and the Lord will open doors. The Lord will enable. The Lord will direct. The Lord will show how it is He wants you to serve. I think that's the picture that we have here. "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11–13)
IV. The Glorious Result Of The Proper Use Of These Gifts
There's a diversity, but this singular purpose—that the whole church should be built up, should be edified, and all of us contribute to that. All of us have a part to play in that. And then the result is most glorious. We come unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. We are made what we were meant to be by the Lord who created us and redeemed us.
There's a vibrancy and a vitality that comes from being active. Not just filling the pews. If we are not doing anything, that's when we feel unfulfilled as Christians. That's when we feel, "This is all very dull." That's because we are not active the way we ought to be. We are not doing anything. We miss out on the Christian life. We miss out on the vibrant Christian life, our own Christian life, when we are not fully engaged in using the gifts that Christ has given to us.
This is why we were saved, so that we could be active in serving the Lord and serving His people. That's the purpose. And while we are failing to realise that purpose, of course we feel unfulfilled. We feel that something is missing. We feel that some vitality is lacking. But look again at the picture here: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13)
Growing up into Him in all things. The whole body making increase of itself in love. That's a picture of growth. That's a picture of life. That's a living organism growing and flourishing. That's the way we ought to be. That's God's design. There's no defect in God's design. God's design is a wonderful design. But all too often we are the ones failing to realise that design.
The church is not what it ought to be, not what it could be, because we are not what we ought to be, what we could be. When these gifts are used rightly, responsibly, diligently, joyfully, when we are active in serving the Lord, in doing what we can, then we attain to this full mature life of the church. We grow up into Christ, more and more conformed to His image, exercising His gifts so that Christ lives in us. And His life is seen everywhere in the church. Filling the church, the life of Christ is evident everywhere we look, because all the people of Christ are following Him and using the gifts that He has distributed to them. That's a wonderful picture.
There's this spiritual maturity which is very vibrant, which is steadfast, which is reliable and stable. That's the further description here in verse 14: "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" (Ephesians 4:14) We are no more tossed about. No more deceived.
In those days, when they travelled from place to place, very often they had to travel by sea. And they knew what it meant to be tossed about by winds, to be carried to and fro. They want to go from one place to another place, when there's a contrary wind, and the ship is blown away. Of course, they know what it's like to be on the heaving sea in the middle of a storm. Not a pleasant experience. Perhaps we don't have much of that experience today, but we still know what it feels like, surely. And even in our day, when we fly about in the air, we still experience turbulence, shaking, being tossed about sometimes. That's not a pleasant experience.
Not a pleasant experience for the soul. Where there is no grounding in the truth, where there is no edifying in the truth, then things can become very unstable. It can be very disorienting. It can be very discomforting spiritually. And I think we've seen this happen. How quickly opinions can change. How quickly confusion can arise. We want to stand firmly on the truth, knowing what we believe and why. Grounded in the Scriptures.
And here again, we can help one another. There's the ministry of the Word. There is the faithful teaching by pastors and teachers whom Christ has gifted. But there is also each one of us speaking the truth in love. We speak the truth in love to counteract such errors, to give stability, so that there isn't this being tossed about. That's a contribution that we all can make.
Again, we're not all pastors and teachers. We don't all preach from the pulpit. That is reserved for those whom God has called. But we all minister the Word to one another. We all correct error where we see it clearly from the Word of God. We speak the truth in love, and thus we help the body of Christ to be stable. We help to guard against error.
We have an enemy revealed clearly in Scripture. There is an enemy who is seeking to undermine the truth, seeking to destroy the kingdom. There is an enemy who seeks to infiltrate the church. In Jude, for example, verse 4: "For there are certain men crept in unawares..." (Jude 4) Paul, in 2 Corinthians, speaks of the ministers, not of God, but of the devil. In his epistles to Timothy, he speaks of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils coming into the church. There is the enemy. There is this effort of the enemy.
What stands against the enemy? Only the pastor? It's all of us. We speak the truth in love. We earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. That's all of us. That's part of the vibrant, active life of the church. Then there is growth. Then there is stability. Then there is flourishing.
The Lord has warned us there will be false Christs, false prophets, false teachers. Many, many false prophets are gone out into the world. The Apostle John warns us. If we are idle, if we are silent, if we are not contributing, then the body of Christ is in danger. We are not doing our part in the defence of the truth, in the defence of the church.
But when we are all serving as we are meant to, when we are all active and contributing, when we are using that diversity in the service of unity, then the church as a whole is built up and strengthened. There is edification. There is correction. There is comfort. There is instruction in every part. Whenever we come together, there is benefit. Whenever Christians come together, they help one another. They bless one another. They edify one another.
This is God's design for the church, so that we all grow up into Christ. He is the Head. But from Him the whole body grows, as every part contributes, fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth. We are the joints, each one of us. We have something to supply. We have something to contribute. No one is saved to do nothing. No one is saved to be idle.
We are not like a sports team that has many people on the bench, and they're just doing nothing, just sitting there cheering from the sidelines. We're all active. We're all in the game, as it were. All on the field. All have to contribute. No one can be just sitting around doing nothing. The Lord wants us to be serving. He wants us to be active. And again, there are many ways to do this. There is a diversity. Speaking a word of comfort to another believer is contributing, is serving the body of Christ. It doesn't have to be an officially recognised ministry. This is an organic unity.
There are so many ways that we can help and bless one another. But we have to have the mind for it. We have to be thinking in these terms. We have to be asking ourselves. We have to be seeking the Lord's will. "Lord, You have saved me. You have rescued me, delivered me from death. You have brought me into this church. What is it You want me to do? How can I serve You? How can I use what You have given to me to be a blessing to those around me, to help the church?"
Every joint supplies its part. Then the whole is healthy. Then there is growth. Then there is strength against the enemy. This is the Lord's plan and design for the church. Again, it is something so wonderful, so beautiful. As we look at the world around us, we see how the Lord designs these organic things which are one, and yet composed of a diversity of parts. And yet all those parts work together in interdependence, in harmony. We see this on every scale, don't we?
You look at a single cell, and you can see all the different parts, and yet everything working together, everything supplying its own contribution so that the whole functions. And then you zoom out, as it were, and you look at an animal, and you see the same thing. All the tissues, all the organs, all different, all with a different purpose, all with different abilities, and yet all contributing to a whole that is most harmonious.
And then you zoom out further, and you look at a whole ecosystem. The same thing. Everything working together in harmony. That's the wonder of God's design. Something that we cannot approach in our designs. Our designs, by comparison, are dull and dead. But look at the life around us. And then consider the pinnacle of God's creation—the church. His people, redeemed from darkness, from sin, from death, redeemed from all walks of life, from all backgrounds, Jews and Gentiles together in one body, one harmonious whole, the unity of the Spirit.
And yet such a diversity of parts. Such a diversity of contributions. You and me. God wants us to be involved in this glorious project. And we have a part to play. This is walking worthy. Walking worthy of this beautiful design. Walking worthy of this high calling that God has for you. He wants you to be serving. He wants you to be active. He wants you to contribute. He does not want you to be idle.
Don't say, "I am nothing." We are all nothing. The point is what God wants us to do, what He enables us to do. These are the gifts that Christ has given to us. So let us use them. Use them as His gifts, for His purpose, for His body, for His glory. Neither being idle and inactive and pretending we have nothing to contribute, nor being boastful and proud and trying to draw attention to ourselves.
Let us avoid both these extremes but use the gifts that Christ has given to us to serve Him and His people. Walk worthy of this vocation, this calling wherewith we are called. May the Lord help us and bless us and use us, that we all can grow together in Christ.
Let's close with a word of prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank You for Your Word and for this glorious design that You have revealed. The church, Your people, bought by the blood of Christ, Your only begotten Son, brought together in order to serve You, to be Your witnesses to the world, to preach the gospel, to advance Your kingdom, and to serve and exhort and edify one another, that we all may grow up into Christ in all things. He is the Head, and we have our part to play.
This is Your grace. We are nothing in ourselves. And yet You have called us with this high calling, that we should not be idle but part of Your great work. And so help us to be active in seeking opportunities and making use of opportunities to use what You have given to us to serve You and to serve Your people. Help us to use the understanding that we have to minister the word of comfort or exhortation or correction to those who are in need, all in light of the teaching of the Scriptures.
Help us to use the resources that You have blessed us with also to contribute to the work of Your kingdom. Help us to be active. We know You are able to guide us. We don't know the way ourselves, but You can open our eyes. You can show us. You can lead us. Open the doors that You want us to go through and close the ones that You don't.
We desire to follow You. We desire to serve You. We desire to do Your will. We pray You would guide us and help us. So bless our church, that there may be a vibrancy and fullness of life, the life of Christ in every part, all bringing glory to Your name. We ask all this once again in the name of the Lord Jesus, and for His sake. Amen.
THE BOOK OF EPHESIANSAll Spiritual BlessingsAll Spiritual BlessingsEphesians 1:1-7
The Exceeding Greatness of His PowerThe Exceeding Greatness of His PowerEphesians 1:20-23
God’s WorkmanshipGod’s WorkmanshipEphesians 2:1-10
Message 1: Hindrances to a Personal Relationship with God (Part 1)Message 1: Hindrances to a Personal Relationship with God (Part 1)Ephesians 2:1-10
Message 1: The Nature of FaithMessage 1: The Nature of FaithEphesians 2:8, Hebrews 11:1
Message 2: Hindrances to a Personal Relationship with God (Part 2)Message 2: Hindrances to a Personal Relationship with God (Part 2)Ephesians 2:11-18
Reconciliation with GodReconciliation with GodEphesians 2:11-18
One Body, One Spirit, One BuildingOne Body, One Spirit, One BuildingEphesians 2:11-22
Unity Of The Church — Members Of The Household Of GodUnity Of The Church — Members Of The Household Of GodEphesians 2:18-19
The Amazing Prospect And Awesome Responsibility Of Being A ChristianThe Amazing Prospect And Awesome Responsibility Of Being A ChristianEphesians 2:19-22
God Is AbleGod Is AbleEphesians 3:20-21
The Glory Of God In His ChurchThe Glory Of God In His ChurchEphesians 3:21
Walking Worthy — In UnityWalking Worthy — In UnityEphesians 4:1-6
Walking Worthy — In Diversity & ActivityWalking Worthy — In Diversity & ActivityEphesians 4:7-16
Walk Not as the GentilesWalk Not as the GentilesEphesians 4:17-24
A Walk to RememberA Walk to RememberEphesians 4:17-32
Be Ye Followers Of GodBe Ye Followers Of GodEphesians 5:1-2
Be Careful How You LiveBe Careful How You LiveEphesians 5:15-17
God’s Instructions For The Family: The Christian WifeGod’s Instructions For The Family: The Christian WifeColossians 3:17-18; Ephesians 5:22-24
Message 6: What is a healthy and strong marriage? One that obeys God’s model!Message 6: What is a healthy and strong marriage? One that obeys God’s model!Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:22-33
God’s Instructions For The Family: The Christian HusbandGod’s Instructions For The Family: The Christian HusbandColossians 3:19; Ephesians 5:25-33
Honour and Obey Thy ParentsHonour and Obey Thy ParentsDeuteronomy 5:16; Ephesians 6:1-3
Message 7: What are children for? Heritage of godly seed for Christ!Message 7: What are children for? Heritage of godly seed for Christ!Psalm 127:3, Malachi 2:15, Ephesians 6:4
Be PrayerfulBe PrayerfulEphesians 6:18
