How the Church Grows Up

• I’m optimistic about the future of the church.
• That’s because in Eph 4, God says that we’re moving out of childhood and into maturity.
• But how do we reach “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”?
• It must be connected with the phrase ‘As each one does its part, the body grows in love’.

Play Audio:

Eph 4:1–6

v.1–3

• Paul has just been talking about what Christ has done for them on the cross
• Is this a guilt trip? “Earn it!” ?
  • no, it could also be translated “as appropriately”
• what kind of lifestyle is appropriate to our new position in Christ?
  • v.2 love and kindness
  • v.3 unity
    • A Spirit filled church is not just about power

v.4 —quite striking in the Greek because there are these 7 ones.

• And three of them are special—can you see what they are?
• This is an expansion of the unity in v.3
  • one body: “If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.” (1 Cor 12:15)
  • one Spirit: notice trinity
  • one hope: we all have the same destiny, we’ll be together for eternity!
  • one Lord (Jesus)
  • one faith: The truth we believe.
  • one baptism: We all died to the power of the old life and rose again as part of the New Creation
  • one God and Father: brothers and sisters

Eph 4:7–10

v.7–10

• the key word here is measure, (lit metron in Greek from which we get metre)
• The idea is that Jesus has given a measure of gift to each of us
  • image of a Roman general in ancient times who is returning from victory
    • If it were a particularly amazing victory, then the Roman Senate would grant them what they called a “triumph” (only 320 given)
    • Throw gold coins into the crowd!

Roman Triumph

• Here is today’s million $ question: Who here is building the church?

• When I say “Greek has no commas” I mean that because they had no punctuation marks, they had to show breaks in another way.
• Today scholars virtually 100% agree that the old translation is wrong
  The specially gifted ones do not build the church directly
  They equip the whole body of believers to build it

• Why is this important
  • It led to a top-down hierarchical church structure
  • Most people just sat in their seats and did no more than give their money
  • All the work was done by the leaders
  • Often they feel threatened by gifted people
• Clergy and Laity
  • the Clergy/Laity distinction
• What do you think about this??

v.11–13

• Five roles listed as people who are equipers
• Then it talks about the work of the ministry. Who is to do this work?
  • Who are saints...?
  • Very often in the church, these 5 groups are the people who do it, not equip others to do it!
  • They don’t do the ministry of building up, but equip every person to do it
• have we arrived?
  • We see the word measure again

measuring a boy

Image source: Virin

• Like someone stood up against the wall and we drew around them
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outline

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• growing up into the shape of Jesus
• Extraordinary that we, as a church, should be growing up into that measure
  • This is not Newlife, but the global church wherever it is faithful
  • We are nowhere near there yet, but I am optimistic!

The following is an animation you can click on to expand:

Ephesians 4:12–16

v.14–16

• This is the climax to the whole passage
• v.14 & 15 are opposites
  • Growth and maturity or wave-tossed and wind-blown
  • deceitfulness or love (truth is not just words, but actions as well)
• So we can grow up to match the measure of Jesus
  • There seems to be a progress in time through the years and centuries
• v.16 take clause by clause
  • note the word measure again—we each have our role, our assignment
  • Can you tell me from v.16, what is it that will make the church grow up into the shape of Jesus?
  • ligament: without them we would be a heap of bones on the floor
  • the body grows by gifts exercised in love
• We won’t reach our measure unless we all do our parts, our measures
• The early church grew so fast. If it had continued the growth another 2 or three generations…
  • Towards the end of the “apostolic era” Bishops

• Is is exciting, God is doing something
  • How much do you want to be part of it?
• We need every single Christian to do this!
  • If you come to Newlife, God has brought you here for a purpose!
  • I want to challenge you
  • Are you that committed to using what God has given you?