In this powerful section of Ephesians (4:1-16), we'll look at God's plan for accomplishing His work on earth: equipping all believers through church leaders to do works of service that build up the body of Christ. The sermon challenges the notion that ministry is just for the exceptionally gifted, calling every Christian to discover their spiritual gifts and join in God's world-changing mission.
BBCC Bible Study Notes
HOW JESUS WORKS TODAY - Ephesians 4: 1-16
Introduction: Where is God working???
"When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people." (Ephesians 4:8, NIV)
"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." (Ephesians 4:11-12, NIV)
Conclusion: Where is God working? God is working through all of His people (you!), equipped by leaders, to build up the Body of Christ and accomplish His mission on earth.
BBCC Verse of the Week: Ephesians 4:12–13 (NIV) to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God…attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Study/Discussion Guide
Body of Christ: The only metaphor that captures God’s plan for the church is the metaphor of a body. Christ has given his church leaders, not to bear the full ministry load of the body of Christ, but to equip each member to join in God’s work of personal transformation. Remember: no local church could hire enough staff to meet all the ministry needs of a given week! In the biblical model, much more informal, personal ministry goes on than formal ministry. The times of formal, public ministry are meant to train God’s people for the personal ministry that is the lifestyle of the body of Christ. Reflect on your own life. Isn’t it true that change has not come only through the formal ministry of the Word? Hasn’t God also used ordinary people to change your heart and transform your life? To say that God has given us each other to help us mature still doesn’t do justice to the body metaphor Paul employs. A body only grows as each part does its work. Think of all the interdependencies implied by this image. No change can take place in you that involves only one part of the body. The body metaphor also points to careful design. Think of how different a hand is from an eye, or a shoulder joint from a liver! The human body is a picture of intelligent, intentional design. Each part has been carefully crafted and placed to do its work. So is the body of Christ. Not all of God’s people are the same. Each of us has been gifted, called, and positioned to do our part in God’s kingdom work. Our histories, personalities, abilities, and maturity levels differ, which is how the Redeemer intends it. He is sovereign over it all. Most of the time, we are oblivious to this. We are too easily captivated by our self-centered little worlds. But Ephesians 4 propels us beyond a life consumed by personal happiness and achievement. Your life is much bigger than a good job, an understanding spouse, and non-delinquent kids. It is bigger than beautiful gardens, nice vacations, and fashionable clothes. In reality, you are part of something immense, something that began before you were born and will continue after you die. God is rescuing fallen humanity, transporting them into his kingdom, and progressively shaping them into his likeness—and he wants you to be a part of it.
Your life is bigger than you ever imagined. You live in one moment in time, yet you stand hand-in-hand with Enoch, Noah, Joseph, Moses, Joseph, Abraham, Isaac, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Matthew, Peter, Paul, Augustine, Calvin, Luther, and generations of unknown believers who understood their place in the kingdom and did their part in its work. Only as you keep this huge world in view will you be able to live and serve effectively in the small world where God has placed you. - Paul David Tripp
“Building up” (or “edification”) is an important theme in Ephesians (4:16, 29) and in Paul’s ecclesiology. He uses the word fifteen times in his letters (in Ephesians, Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthian).40 It is the goal of personal ethics (Rom. 14:19), of corporate worship (1 Cor. 14:26), and of Paul’s own ministry (2 Cor. 10:8). The focus is mostly on internal strengthening of the church, but building up the church by reaching out to unbelievers is also included. While the first part of verse 13 may have implications for the end times, this passage makes more sense if understood of an attainable, expected goal for Christians in the present. Otherwise the focus on Christian maturity in verses 14–16 makes no sense. Paul’s concern is that his readers will not be blown about like babies now, not after the parousia. The NIV’s “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” also points to Paul’s concern about edification and maturity in the here and now—a faith that reaches an adult wholeness. Klyne Snodgrass
Pastor Samuel Sutter // sam@BBCCOnline.org
