Read -Study Notes – Ephesians Chapter 4:11-20

• So today we continue in Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts within the body
  • We’re studying how spiritual gifts contribute to the unity of the body
    • Unity has been Paul’s topic since Chapter 3
    • And God’s call for unity in the church is a wonderful example of God’s sense of humor
    • In the church, God has taken people from every walk of life, from different cultures, different languages, different perspectives…
    • And He has told us we are united into one group
    • This is a unity that defies human nature, which is exactly the point since God unites us spiritually despite our natural differences
  • In that way the body of Christ is an opposite to the nation of Israel
    • In the case of Israel, the Lord created a people out of nothing
    • They began as a single family created by covenant and set apart from all other people
    • Israel was like box of Cheerios…
    • Almost identical to one another
    • But unique in the world
  • On the other hand, God made His church to be like a box of Fruit Loops…
    • The body of Christ comes in a rainbow of colors and flavors
    • Each of us very different from another
    • But God has knit us together into a common gathering, a body of believers who reflect the world’s diversity
    • We too were set apart as was Israel, but we’re set apart spiritually
• And key to maintaining our oxymoronic unity-through-diversity are the spiritual gifts Christ has given to His body
  • Last week we learned that the Lord took great steps to connect the church saints to things before and things to come
    • Jesus descended into the lower parts of the earth to preach to the captives before setting them free to enter Heaven
    • And at that time, Christ also gave gifts to His Bride, the Church
    • He did this to communicate that Church saints are just as much a part of His family as those who came before
    • And He did it to ensure we would enjoy the same unity that Jews knew in the days prior to the Church
  • So now Paul explains exactly how these gifts function to create unity, beginning in v.11

Eph. 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
Eph. 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
Eph. 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

• In this passage we find one of three lists of spiritual gifts found in the New Testament
  • All three lists are written by Paul
    • In addition to the one here, we have lists in 1 Corinthians and in Romans
    • All three lists differ at least a little from one another
  • And the context of each passage makes clear Paul provided these lists as examples to make a larger point
    • Each list of examples support a different perspective on spiritual gifts
    • In 1 Corinthians, Paul was explaining the proper regulation of gifts within the corporate gathering
    • In Romans, Paul explains the proper attitude toward spiritual gifts in the body
    • And here in Ephesians, Paul explains the purpose of gifts in the body
  • Therefore, Paul’s lists were not intended to be comprehensive inventories of spiritual gifts
    • In fact, there is no list of all spiritual gifts in the Bible
    • Even if we were to combine all three of Paul’s lists, we still wouldn’t have a complete list of gifts available within the body
    • Furthermore, some spiritual gifts in Paul’s lists are no longer present in the body
    • While others are only available under certain circumstances
    • So let’s keep an open mind about God’s potential to gift members of the body yet remain grounded by scripture
• Turning to the details, Paul is explaining the central purpose of spiritual gifts in the body of Christ
  • But he begins with three important words: He gave some
    • These three words each have theological importance
    • And if we overlook them, we’re likely to come to wrong conclusions about spiritual gifts
  • The first word is He
    • Obviously, that pronoun refers to Christ, as it refers back to the person in v.10 who descended and then ascended
    • Christ is the One in charge of spiritual gifts
  • Spiritual gifts aren’t under our control or the control of another person like a pastor
    • In 1 Corinthians Paul teaches that spiritual gifts are according to the will of God
    • So the Bible teaches consistently that Christ forever remains in control of spiritual gifts
• Which brings us to the second word…gave
  • Christ gave us our spiritual gift
    • We didn’t lobby for it, request it or earn it
    • God made a sovereign choice to equip us a certain way
  • You noticed that the first gift on Paul’s list is that of apostle, and of course we know this was Paul’s spiritual gift
    • But do you remember how Paul obtained his gift?
    • According to Acts, Paul received his gift in the same moment the Lord brought Paul to faith
    • It’s obvious, the Lord already had Paul’s gift in mind before Paul even knew Him
    • So Christ gave Paul the gift of apostle, and there was never a point when the Lord asked Paul what he wanted
    • Just as Paul had no choice in joining the body of Christ, he had no choice in the gift he would receive
  • Similarly, your gift was appointed for you at the moment of your faith
    • Most of us don’t receive a clear word from the Lord concerning our gift
    • So we must come to know our gift through experience and trial and error
    • Nevertheless, you received a Christ-given, Spirit-enabled ability to serve the body of Christ
    • And it came to you at the moment you believed
• Finally, Paul says some…
  • Everyone in the body of Christ receives a spiritual gift according to the will of God
    • But we don’t all receive the same gift
    • Paul says that the Lord gave “some” to be apostle, some to be prophet, etc.
    • Meaning God doesn’t give everyone in the body of Christ a common spiritual gift
  • So taken together these three words establish our theological understanding of how spiritual gifts come to the body
    • Christ selects and controls the gifts each believer receives
    • He delivers the gift to us by means of His Spirit at the moment of our faith according to His will
    • And He diversifies gifts within the body by assigning different gifts to different people
    • There is no common spiritual gift that all believers share
  • You may encounter some who teach that certain spiritual gifts lie within our grasp
    • That every believer can obtain these gifts either by praying for them, mimicking someone else or learning them ourselves
    • This teaching presumes that spiritual gifts are handed out continuously by Christ in response to our petitions
    • And they may even claim that every believer must demonstrate a common spiritual gift or they aren’t truly saved
    • But as you can see, the opening words of this passage (among other scripture) denies this teaching plainly
• Turning to Paul’s short list of gifts, this list is unique compared to the other two
  • His list emphasizes those spiritual gifts key to unity in the body
    • These are some of the most important gifts God can give
    • And for that reason, they are commonly associated with leadership roles
    • But with the exception of the gift of apostle, these gifts are not automatically offices in the body
    • They are spiritual abilities that may or may not lead to a leadership position in the church
  • The one exception is the gift of apostle
    • The word apostle means “one sent with a message”
    • It refers to being the first to bring the Good News into a place
  • Apostles were the men appointed by Christ to bring the message of the Messiah to the world in the first century
    • They had a uniquely difficult mission
    • They traveled into areas of the world preaching a Jewish Messiah and the opportunity for Gentiles to know Him
    • They entered into cultures that knew nothing and cared even less about Jewish teachings of a Messiah
    • In fact, many of these cultures were hostile toward the teachings of Judaism
  • Even worse, these men preached without the benefit of 2,000 years of church history supporting their claims
    • There was no New Testament scripture, and no one had heard of Jesus
    • They had no allies waiting to receive them
    • And enemies followed them everywhere
• Under these circumstances, an ordinary evangelist wouldn’t have stood a chance
  • So the Lord equipped certain men in special ways to reach the world and establish the church
    • The gift of apostle included two key qualities
    • First, these men were given supernatural insight into the word of God
    • They received supernatural understanding of Old Testament prophecies that had long alluded others
    • And they received new revelation from God, which eventually became the New Testament canon of scripture
  • Secondly, these men received authority to establish the church in unreached places and dictate proper church practice
    • Every apostle was appointed by Christ through a personal appearing, like Paul on the road to Damascus
    • Each one was a representative of Christ to the early church
    • Therefore, they had supreme authority over the flock
  • And each man received supernatural abilities to demonstrate and validate their authority
    • In the Bible we see examples of these men performing supernatural healings, sometimes using nothing more than their shadow
    • They could pronounce a judgment against a believer and see that judgment carried out supernaturally even from a distance
    • They could be bitten by poisonous snakes and live
    • And they even raised the dead to life
    • These supernatural abilities were a part of how Jesus validated each apostle’s right to teach and lead the church
• Therefore, apostle was the highest gift God gave to the church – but Jesus only gave it for a time
  • By the end of the first century, the church was well-established and the New Testament canon was complete
    • Therefore, the church had no more need for the office of apostle
    • So when the last apostle, the Apostle John, died near the end of the first century, the gift of apostle died with him
  • It’s obvious how Jesus used the gift of apostle to bring unity to the early church
    • They unified the church through a common understanding of the creeds and doctrines of the faith
    • And by their authority they advanced the Good News around the world even as they protected the church from those who attacked the faith
    • It’s fair to say that without apostles, the church would not have survived at all
• And as the last apostle died, the most powerful unifying gift shifted to the next gift on Paul’s list
  • Even after the apostles were gone, prophets continued to guide the church in understanding the word of God
    • The revelation of God was complete in apostles, but the early church still needed help to understand the meaning of scripture
    • Remember, access to copies of scripture remained limited for many centuries
    • And even literacy was not universal
    • So God equipped some with a gift to relate scripture to the church
  • We know the prophetic gift is different than the apostolic gift since it’s listed separately here
    • But we also know the Apostles were prophets too, since they delivered the New Testament to the church
    • So what’s the difference?
  • The difference is the gift of prophecy doesn’t involve revealing new scripture
    • Scripture itself says that no one may add or subtract from the words God gave to the final apostle, John
    • Therefore, the gift of prophecy provides supernatural understanding of God’s word
    • A prophet will reveal the proper meaning of scripture to a generation where that understanding was lost (like during the Reformation)
    • Or a prophet may bring the knowledge of scripture to places where the word of God itself is restricted (like in China)
  • So unlike the gift of apostle, prophecy may continue on even today
    • Particularly in areas of the world where access to God’s word is limited, the Lord may move through prophets to bring a knowledge of Himself
    • Their prophetic speech doesn’t add to scripture or compete with scripture
    • It echoes scripture by bringing it to life in the hearts of those who lack understanding or access to God’s word otherwise
• Once again, it’s easy to see how this gift promotes unity in the body
  • Unity always begins with a correct understanding of God’s word
    • The word of God is THE sanctifying, unifying force in the body of Christ
    • As Jesus Himself prayed to the Father on our behalf

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
John 17:18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
John 17:19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

• The church is sanctified (made holy) and united by the truth
• So gifts that promote an understanding of God’s word are of first importance in bringing unity to the body
• As we look at the rest of the list, we see this principle at work
  • The next gift is evangelist
    • The word in Greek means someone who brings glad tidings or good news
    • This gift involves more than merely witnessing Christ to the world
    • Anyone can evangelize, and in fact, everyone should evangelize to some degree
    • But the gift of evangelist is something beyond the norm
  • The gift of evangelism is a supernatural combination of courage, boldness, tactfulness and apologetics
    • This a potent and yet rare combination of skills, which is why it relies on a supernatural gifting
    • Someone with a gift of evangelism will initiate conversations about Christ when others couldn’t find the courage
    • They will enter dangerous places without hesitation
    • They will endure persecution without backing down
  • And most importantly, they will bring a solid, biblical defense of Jesus to the world
    • The gift of evangelism includes a supernatural ability to communicate the Good News accurately
    • The person understands salvation by grace through faith inside and out
    • They aren’t necessarily scholars or even very well studied
    • Instead, the Spirit in them gives them the defense they need to explain the truth accurately before kings and authorities
• Once more we can see how the Lord uses evangelists to unite the church
  • Evangelists unite us in mission and purpose
    • We see them moving and feel courage to follow
    • Together, they lead the church to new converts to strengthen our numbers
    • And they ensure that the growth of the church is set on a proper theological foundation
  • The gift of evangelist usually shows itself in style and results
    • A gifted evangelist is “wired” to talk about Jesus
    • If you or I stand in the checkout line at the grocery store, we think to ourselves, “I should mention Jesus to the clerk”
    • But usually the moment comes and goes and we leave the store having said nothing
  • Before the gifted evangelist leaves the checkout line, he’s presented the Gospel, received a response and made an appointment for a baptism
    • He or she is bold, willing to speak
    • And having spoken, the Lord then brings great fruit
    • This gift is not a replacement for our individual efforts to witness Christ to the world
    • Instead, evangelists inspire and lead us in that work, creating unity in the accomplishment of the mission of the church
• Finally, Paul lists pastors and teachers, but in the Greek language the construct of this phrase suggests a single compound title
  • So Paul seems to be talking about a single gift called pastor-teacher
    • In Romans Paul lists a gift of “teacher” without mentioning pastor
    • So it’s possible that there are separate gifts of pastor-teacher vs. just teacher
  • But in my view, it’s not necessary or even possible to separate these gifts practically speaking
    • Biblically speaking, all pastors must be able to teach
    • And all teachers are engaged in shepherding the flock
    • So in my experience, the gift is pastor-teacher with some being given a greater ability for one aspect than the other
  • Remember, these gifts are not the same as roles or positions of authority
    • A person with the gift of pastor-teacher is not necessarily an authority figure in the church
    • We receive our spiritual gift from the moment we are saved, but a person cannot become an authority in the church on Day 1
    • And some who have this gift never aspire to a leadership role
    • They serve as a Sunday School teacher or in some other way
    • Yet all the while they are shepherding God’s people through their skills of teaching, counseling and exhortation
• This final gift is obviously the most common among those in the list, and one that we still depend upon today
  • But notice how all these gifts center on building up the body of Christ through a knowledge of the word of God
    • Simply put, there is no substitute for unifying believers in their understanding of God’s word
    • We can’t truly be unified if we don’t share a common understanding of the truth
  • Unity is important, but unity is a means to a greater end
    • Notice in v.12 these gifts come to the church for the purpose of equipping you and me
    • Paul says it was for the equipping of the saints
  • Obviously, you and I are the saints who are to be equipped
    • And the word equipping can be translated training
    • So a primary reason we gather once a week is to be trained by those who possess these gifts
    • That’s why Paul says elsewhere that the gathering is for believers, not unbelievers
• We come to the gathering expecting to be trained, to be built up as a body
  • At the end of v.12 Paul says our equipping should strengthen us corporately
    • Don’t overlook that point
    • Christianity is a team sport
    • We must seek to be strengthened together such that if someone is dragging behind, we should close ranks to bring them along
  • Don’t take personal satisfaction in your own knowledge of scripture if at the same time others around you remain ignorant
    • In particular, the gifts like pastor-teacher are supposed to identify any such discrepancies and address them
    • In that way, we can see even more clearly how pastor and teacher work together
    • It’s similar to the way shepherding is a combination of leading and feeding a flock
    • A shepherd can’t feed just some of the flock or lead just some…he must lead and feed all without losing any
  • And this must be our corporate goal as well, both old and young, new and mature Christians
    • We share a corporate responsibility to seek for this outcome
    • It’s not merely the responsibility of the evangelist or pastor-teacher
    • In fact, if a single person is doing too much of the heavy lifting for the church, the opportunity for others to be strengthened is lost
  • One time, renown evangelist and preacher, Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, was preaching and leading the worship choir in his church
    • After one service, a dear old lady came up to Chafer and said you are doing too much
    • You ought not have to preach and lead the worship choir also
    • So she said, “Why don’t you find someone else to preach?”
    • Since everyone has a stake in the outcome, everyone has a role in achieving that goal
• And we shall continue in this corporate pursuit until we arrive, Paul says
  • In v.13, Paul says we are seeking to attain to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God
    • He’s describing arriving at a faith equal to Christ’s faith
    • And a spiritual knowledge equal to Christ’s knowledge
    • Christ’s faith never doubted, never acted contrary to the will of God
    • And His knowledge of God’s word never failed so that He always had a proper response for the devil and his agents
  • Obviously, these goals are lofty, so Paul isn’t suggesting that we will become Christ’s equal this side of Heaven
    • Paul is simply setting the right goal, the high standard that we are all called to seek in a daily walk: Christ
    • Paul calls our goal attaining to the mature man
    • The Greek word translated mature is literally complete or perfect
  • That’s our true goal
    • We want to become as perfect or complete spiritually as we can
    • Through the training we receive from a unified body made possible by these gifts
• As we all seek to grow in these areas by setting our sights on Christ, then we will begin to move toward Him
  • And as each of us is doing the same things, equipped by the gifts of those in the body, we grow closer together
    • Our bond of unity grows stronger
    • A.W. Tozer described this process elegantly using an example of a room full of pianos
    • He said:

Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same [tuning] fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. [Likewise,] one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to…turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship [in some other way].

• That’s our goal, Paul says…to measure up to the statue, to the height, of Christ’s fullness and perfection
  • We are all called to strive for that standard individually
  • But we can only achieve it through the unity of the body of Christ
• Many Christians aren’t even striving, and still others strive alone thinking they can make the trip alone
  • But the scriptures tell us something different
  • We all must strive to equal Christ in faith and knowledge
  • For that is the command of our Lord
  • It is what pleases Him and what allows us to accomplish the mission He gave us
• But we are to strive together, as a body, with the gifts of the body working to our advantage in that regard
  • So come to the gathering regularly
  • And come to be trained and to train others for the glory of Christ

There comes a time in every church family when tough words must be spoken

• • Times when our leaders give us direct counsel, admonishing us to live up to our calling in Christ
    • After all no one in the body of Christ is perfect
    • No one is above correction
  • Yet in polite society, we usually shy away from confrontations and difficult conversations
    • We worry about perceptions, hurt feelings, losing friendships
    • Polite company overlooks flaws and avoids sharp words
  • And there is no society more “polite” than church society
    • Now, it’s a good thing to be concerned with preserving relationships
    • And it’s an act of love to overlook someone’s flaws or idiosyncratic behaviors
  • But when those flaws stand in the way of our corporate pursuit of godliness or the mission of the church, then we must respond
    • Our leaders must confront issues
    • And the body must rally around the weaker members and support them
    • But if things don’t improve, the leadership ultimately has a responsibility to the larger body to take action
    • We must rebuke, expel or otherwise discipline the offending member or members
• In the New Testament, we have a number of letters focused on misbehaving or spiritually immature churches
  • Typically, our thoughts turn to the letters to Corinth
    • This church had a reputation for carnality
    • And Paul’s letters record the many shortcomings in the way that church operated, including their misuse of spiritual gifts
  • So Paul wrote to correct the church, and as you read those letters you find Paul moving between encouragement and admonishment
    • But Corinth did corner the market on carnality and immaturity
    • There was another church in the first century that struggled with rising above their pagan culture
    • And that church has not two but three letters written to it
  • Of course, I’m speaking of the church of Ephesus
    • Besides the letter of Ephesians, we have two letters Paul wrote to the pastor of that church, Timothy
    • And add to those Jesus’ short letter to Ephesus in Revelation and we begin to see how important this early church is in scripture
• By the midpoint of Chapter 4, Paul has explained the purpose of spiritual gifts in the body to this church
  • He told us that the Lord has gifted the body of Christ with a diversity of special abilities
    • And He intended that we put our spiritual ability to use in service  to Him by strengthening the body of Christ
    • As we serve others in our spiritual gift, we make others spiritually stronger, so they, in turn, can serve better
    • And so the cycle continues
  • But this process only works if we all participate in such a way that we preserve the intended purpose and usefulness of our gift
    • Gifts must be developed before they reach their full potential
    • I may have the gift of teaching, but I can’t teach effectively until I’ve applied myself to developing my knowledge and skills
    • This process doesn’t deny the supernatural origins of my gift
    • It merely reflects God’s purpose in equipping me
    • He wants me to spend time working in me by His Spirit so I will develop into a mature man in Christ even as I help others
  • Secondly, these gifts must be regulated in the body so they work together in harmony
    • We can’t have everyone doing everything simultaneously
    • We have times and places and even seasons when particular individuals serve the body
    • If we regulate gifts properly, everyone has a place and role, everyone is growing, everyone is maturing together in unity
• But when some are left behind or everyone is left to do things their own way, the gathering of the body deteriorates rapidly into anarchy and confusion
  • In the letters Paul wrote to Corinth we can see that outcome, which is why Paul commands them to “grow up” spiritually
    • He calls them to stop thinking and acting like children but to begin to mature in their understanding and behaviors
    • Child-like behavior in the church means thinking and acting like the unbelieving world
    • Holding to the same bad thinking and false teaching
    • Conceding to the same temptations
    • Embroiled in the same disputes, exhibiting the same pride, contempt and jealousies
  • And these same problems existed in Ephesus
    • So now in Chapter 4, Paul’s letter takes on a decidedly negative tone, at least for a moment
    • Having explained spiritual gifts as tools to strengthen and mature the body, he now admonishes the church for failing to use their gifts to this appointed outcome

Eph. 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
Eph. 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
Eph. 4:16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

• Paul begins v.14 with the Greek word hina, which means “in order that” or “as a result” as my Bible said
  • The church’s spiritual gifts were given to the church to drive our spiritual maturity
    • And God accommodated our spiritual growth as Christians through this gift in order that we would stop acting like children
    • Simply put, spiritual maturity is supposed to result from the proper operation of spiritual gifts
    • And proper behavior is supposed to result from spiritual maturity
  • At the end of the day, it matters little how much spiritual maturity someone gains through study or serving if in the end they don’t act the part
    • If we can talk the theological talk but aren’t walking the walk, it’s nothing more than vanity
    • Notice Paul defines being “children” in the body of Christ as being tossed in waves and carried about by the wind
• Paul’s metaphors emphasize two aspects or qualities to child-like living
  • First, the immature Christian has a spiritual life that’s out of control
    • When I say “out of control” I don’t mean crazy or bizarre
    • I mean it the way Paul does…someone who has not gained control over their own spiritual growth
  • They are “tossed” and “carried” by others
    • They don’t determine their spiritual course in life
    • They haven’t determined their strengths and put those to work in service to Christ
    • And they have no insight into their spiritual weaknesses and they aren’t seeking the help of other gifts in the body to grow
  • They are floating along, jumping from one thing to another
    • Paul says they become victims of the trickery of men scheming deceitfully to entrap the ignorant believer
    • Such was the case in Ephesus, where false teachers were contending with the leaders like Timothy
    • And they were gaining a foothold by recruiting the spiritually immature within the church
  • These spiritual children weren’t grounded by a firm appreciation of biblical truth, so they were constantly tossed
    • The Greek word translated “tossed here and there by waves” is a euphemism for confusion
    • So when a new, false teaching comes along to tickle their ears, these children follow after it in ignorance
    • They are so confused in their understanding of their own faith, they have no hope to stay on course
• Or if a new spiritual book (like “The Shack”) or some program (like “40 Days of Purpose”) captures their attention, they quickly flock to it
  • Paul says they are carried away by every wind of doctrine
    • “Wind” suggests something fleeting, lacking substance, something that’s here one moment and gone the next
    • Lacking maturity, these children of the faith chase after the latest spiritual fad like a child chases leaves blown by the wind
    • And these fads come and go because they make no meaningful impact on the spiritual maturity of the body of Christ
    • Even worse, these winds of doctrine distract the body from a proper study of God’s word which produces lasting change in our hearts
  • The root problem for every spiritual child is they have no plan for where they’re going in their spiritual life
    • They don’t understand the big picture of what God is doing in their life
    • So they don’t know where they’re trying to go
    • They volunteer sporadically to serve in the church and often in places where they have no spiritual gifting
    • At the same time, they pass by the very opportunities to serve or learn that God prepared for them and they desperately need
  • They participate in their faith like someone rooting for a sports team
    • You may have heard that football is a game played by 22 men who desperately need rest
    • And it’s watched by 50,000 people who desperately need exercise
    • Similarly, the spiritually immature children watch others at work in their spiritual gifts when they desperately need to get in the game themselves
• Obviously, Paul wouldn’t have said these things to the church in Ephesus if not for the fact that they weren’t taking advantage of spiritual gifts in the body
  • So in v.15 he calls for the church to speak the truth in love
    • What “truth” needed to be spoken in love?
    • By the context, we can only assume Paul is talking about correcting, admonishing and exhorting those who needed it
    • Those in the body who aren’t participating at all
    • Or aren’t doing the right things, or are simply working in the wrong ways or in the wrong places…need to know
  • Someone needs to speak this truth to them, though in love
    • We encourage those who have self-doubt
    • We teach those who are acting in ignorance
    • We exhort those who are lazy or hesitant
    • We admonish those who are acting sinfully
  • The only thing we can’t do is remain silent or speak absent a sincere love for the person
    • If we love one another, we want each other to grow up into a mature reflection of Christ, as Paul says at the end of v.15
    • We want to be like the one Who leads His church
    • Or at least that should be our goal
    • And so we serve one another in our gift, we receive service from others and we speak up in love when necessary to ensure this body is working as God intended
• If you want a preview of how this process is supposed to work, consider Paul’s analogy in v.16
  • When everything is working in the right way, you have first a “whole body”
    • We use the term “body of Christ” commonly, but sometimes I think we think of the work merely as a synonym for collection
    • Like I might say Mozart had a large body of work
    • But in the Bible, the term body points to a different collection
  • We’re not merely a collection of Christians…ideally we’ll work together as if we were a single organism
    • A single, like-minded body moving in the same direction with a common purpose
    • Like the human body, each part plays an essential role together
  • But Paul says we will be fitted and held together
    • These two Greek words are reminiscent of a description of a stone mason’s handiwork
    • Fitting stones means selecting the right one for a particular use
    • Sizing it up and then shaping it gently until it’s perfectly suited to serve a place in the building
  • Then it’s put in place and held together
    • The stone would be held in place not by mortar but by the support of the surrounding stones
    • It was held together by the other stones that were equally well-fitted to their places
• That’s the goal for this body of Christ
  • Our spiritual gifts are tools in the Hand of the Master Carpenter, Jesus
    • He knows where we are best suited to serve Him in this body
    • And He uses the gifts of others around us in the body to gently knock off our rough edges, spiritually speaking
    • So that we fit into place perfectly
  • And then He holds us there by surrounding us by other believers who are fitted to their respective places as well
    • They teach us to strengthen us for the walk ahead
    • They encourage us through trials
    • They pray for us continually
    • They perform music to help us worship
    • They cook and clean, mow and paint to nurture and comfort us
    • And they call us when we’re absent and correct us when we’re in error
  • And yet these things must be regulated, according to the proper working of each part, Paul says
    • That phrase is so beautifully worded in the Greek
    • The Greek word translated “proper” means literally poetic meter
    • And the word “working” can mean energy or action
    • So Paul is comparing the functioning of everyone together as like poetry in motion
    • Like all the instruments in a symphony playing in harmony
  • I see glimpses of that ideal at times here at Oak Hill Bible Church
    • When we work together in service to a family in need
    • Or when we come together for a work day at the church
    • Or when we rally to support a missionary in need
    • It’s poetry in motion
• But every church knows times when things aren’t quite in sync
  • When some parts are moving, but some are still
    • Some instruments are in tune, some not so much
    • Some of our works rhyme while others are poorly chosen
  • When everything is in sync, Paul says it causes the body to grow
    • I believe he is speaking primarily about the individual spiritual growth of each individual
    • Each of us move further away from child-like spirituality and toward a mature perspective
    • More importantly, we adopt mature behaviors and become stronger followers of Christ
  • But I think Paul is also speaking implying numerical growth
    • Because the world is naturally attracted to symphonies and poetry
    • Because the immature believer will take note of a mature, stable Christian who isn’t tossed about by the fads in other churches
    • Because mature Christians will flock to those communities that reflect their values and grow
    • And because mature, strong Christians naturally multiply by witnessing to the world around them
  • In other words, the very things we want so badly, to grow and reach a wider audience, are best accomplished by how we grow one another here
    • As Paul says at the end of v.16, we need to build each member of our body up in love to get where we want
    • Speaking truth in love about what needs to change, about how each of us may become a more mature member of this body
• Friends, that’s what it looks like when every joint in our body is supplying what we were designed to contribute
  • It’s a beautiful thing, but it only works in a culture where we’re willing to roll up our sleeves and get to work
    • We need to drop the pretense of our perfect lives which is only possible when we maintain superficial relationships
    • We need to look and speak honestly about where we go as a body
    • We need to speak in humility and listen with patience
  • And the biggest threat to this unity is sin within the members of our body
    • By sin, I don’t mean the occasional personal sins that everyone battles daily
    • I mean lifestyles of sin, adopted patterns of ungodliness that are condoned and even encouraged in the body
    • Often these sins fly below our radar, because they are common in worldly life
    • Paul addresses this enemy in the rest of Chapter 4, which we’ll just step a little way into today

Eph. 4:17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
Eph. 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
Eph. 4:19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

• After teaching on the purpose of spiritual gifts and exhorting the church to seek to live as mature Christians, he then calls them out for failing in this regard
  • Here’s an example of Paul speaking the truth to the church in love
    • He says the church must no longer walk as Gentiles walk
    • In this context Gentiles is a euphemism for unbelievers, those Gentiles of Ephesus who are not a part of the body of Christ
  • These Gentiles represent the past for those in the church
    • Once before, the believers in the church in Ephesus lived like the rest of the city
    • They walked as those Gentiles walked, Paul says
    • They lived in the futility of their mind
    • The Greek word for futility means emptiness or vanity
  • Unbelievers live vain, empty lives, no matter how they may try to fill it with meaning or joy
    • They climb social and economic ladders that lead nowhere
    • They contend with one another in jealousy, anger and greed
    • They indulge their flesh in various ways and reap the fruit of their sins
  • Paul says they become callous to sin and its consequences, so they give themselves over to sensuality
    • Sensuality is a pursuit of any stimulation of our flesh
    • It’s not merely sexual, though it includes sexual sin
    • It’s hedonism in all forms
    • Prompted by an emptiness in the spirit, they compensate by overstimulating the flesh, which is sin
  • So they practice every kind of impurity with a greediness that can’t be satisfied
    • A little drink isn’t enough, so they need more
    • A little shopping isn’t enough, so they max out the credit card
    • A little pornography isn’t enough after a while, so they seek for something even more offensive
    • A little money or power or recognition isn’t enough, so they do anything to get more
    • When it all falls apart, they shake their fists at God
• Paul says unbelievers are darkened in their understanding and excluded from the life of God because of this pattern
  • They think they understand the world and themselves but they have no clue
    • They don’t understand how far they are from God
    • They don’t realize they’re putting their faith in a world that is going to be destroyed
    • And they don’t have a hope to avoid the eternal punishment awaiting them at death
  • The unbeliever’s sin, which is present from birth, hardens their heart to the love of God
    • So they ignore the Gospel message even when it finds its way to them
    • Only if and when the Lord chooses to penetrate their heart with His word can they be woken from this spiritual slumber
    • Praise the Lord that His grace worked in this way for our sake!
• Which is why Paul demands that the church in Ephesus stop living as if that wake up call had never come to them
  • We don’t know exactly what sins were predominant in this church
    • But whatever they were, it’s clear they weren’t mature and they weren’t maturing
    • They seemed to have a problem with honesty and with coveting and greed, as you’ll see later in this letter
  • All in all, they hadn’t made the transition yet from merely a person who knows Christ to a person who follows after Christ
    • Their misuse or lack of use of spiritual gifts was robbing them of that opportunity
    • And their continuing pursuit of the world was sapping their energy
• Do Paul’s words sound like they were written to you?
  • Do you feel the tug-of-war Paul is describing?
    • Are you still searching for that place God wants to “fit” you into the body of Christ?
    • Or maybe you’re serving but it hasn’t lit a fire under your walk with Christ?
    • Or maybe that life you had before Christ is still the life you’re leading now
  • If that’s you, then don’t keep doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result
    • Rethink your priorities
    • Rework your schedule
    • Refocus on participating in the growth of this body so that you may serve the purpose God has for you in His body
    • If someone speaks truth to you in love, hear them and ask if the Lord is speaking to you through them before reacting
    • And let’s all grow together in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ

n our previous study, Paul asked the believers in Ephesus not to walk as they once did when they lived as unbelievers

• • Paul uses the metaphor of a journey by foot, a “walk”, to represent the course of an earthly life
    • In vs.17-19 Paul described the walk of an unbeliever from God’s point of view
    • “Gentiles,” Paul called unbelievers, walk in futility of mind
    • Their thinking is vain, futile
    • Because they assume they understand life’s purpose and meaning, but they walk in the dark
  • The world chases wrong things in wrong ways out of ignorance, and after all is said and done, they just return to dust
    • Paul said their minds are darkened in their understanding of truth
    • Which is a way of describing the spiritual blindness that all people possess at birth, which prevents them from knowing God
    • They are excluded from eternal life, because of their blindness
    • And over the course of their lives, their conscience becomes increasingly callous, increasingly greedy for sensuality in all forms
  • Paul moved his audience through this progression to make a point of how thinking drives behavior
    • The world’s ignorance of God and their callous hearts explains their wanton life of sin
    • An unbeliever’s mind is trapped by a perspective; a view of self and the world that justifies pursuing a lifestyle of greed, violence, lust and hatred
    • They walk according to what they know
    • Unless God intervenes to bring a person to a knowledge of the truth, they will remain in the darkness
• On the other hand, a person who has received the truth by means of the Spirit gains an understanding of God that can transform their walk of life
  • Which is where Paul goes next…speaking of how believers should live

Eph. 4:20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,

Paul opens saying the church did not learn Christ “in this way”

• He’s speaking of the way the unbelieving learn their walk of life
  • Unbelievers walk by stumbling in spiritual darkness
  • They learn their walk according to the flesh, which drives them from one lustful desire to another
  • They have no spiritual compass, so the flesh rules
  • And this was our walk prior to faith too