WEBVTT 00:00:05.729 --> 00:00:16.730 If I could find the right words to say to tell 00:00:16.730 --> 00:00:28.890 you just what Christ means to me, I'd say he's 00:00:28.890 --> 00:00:39.869 more than I could show. And He's more than you'll 00:00:39.869 --> 00:00:52.369 ever know. Christ means more to me than you'll 00:00:52.369 --> 00:01:04.670 ever know. Christ means more to me than... could 00:01:04.670 --> 00:01:16.989 possibly show he's more he's more so much more 00:01:16.989 --> 00:01:41.739 he's more than you ever knew Just yesterday You'd 00:01:41.739 --> 00:01:51.859 know why he's life And he's breath to me You'd 00:01:51.859 --> 00:02:02.379 know why he's more Than I could show And he's 00:02:02.379 --> 00:02:36.409 more than I could possibly show. He's more. He's 00:02:36.409 --> 00:02:50.780 more. So much more. More than you ever knew. 00:02:54.300 --> 00:03:29.780 He's more. He's more. So much more. open our 00:03:29.780 --> 00:03:32.680 Bibles together to the fourth chapter of the 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:36.740 book of Ephesians, where we pick up our study 00:03:36.740 --> 00:03:42.379 on the Lord's gifts to his people. As Jesus returned 00:03:42.379 --> 00:03:46.340 to heaven in victory and glory, he imparted gifts 00:03:46.340 --> 00:03:51.719 to his people, gifts in two respects. One we 00:03:51.719 --> 00:03:55.080 talked about last week. Those were the personal 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:59.189 gifts, those given to individuals. We define 00:03:59.189 --> 00:04:02.509 them as those spirit -given abilities to serve 00:04:02.509 --> 00:04:06.870 Christ in his church with blessing and fruitful 00:04:06.870 --> 00:04:11.469 results. There are two general categories of 00:04:11.469 --> 00:04:15.030 these sorts of personal gifts. There are gifts 00:04:15.030 --> 00:04:19.410 of speaking and gifts of serving. Gifts of serving 00:04:19.410 --> 00:04:23.589 would include help, as the New Testament names 00:04:23.589 --> 00:04:27.329 it, doing very practical things to help others. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:32.420 to assist them. That is a spiritual gift, and 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:35.360 some exercise that with great blessing to the 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:40.639 body of Christ. The serving gifts would also 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:46.019 include administration or management, the gift 00:04:46.019 --> 00:04:50.500 of ruling, the gift of showing mercy, the gift 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:55.449 of giving. Speaking gifts, on the other hand, 00:04:55.470 --> 00:04:58.329 would include teaching, preaching, and exhortation. 00:05:00.050 --> 00:05:04.430 I believe that the gift of each one of us is 00:05:04.430 --> 00:05:08.610 actually a blend or a combination of those that 00:05:08.610 --> 00:05:12.870 I've just named, as well as others, with one 00:05:12.870 --> 00:05:15.569 of the gifts likely being predominant in the 00:05:15.569 --> 00:05:19.949 life. In other words, I don't think that any 00:05:19.949 --> 00:05:23.490 of us have but just one of the various spiritual 00:05:23.490 --> 00:05:29.430 gifts. But our gift, though it's singular, is 00:05:29.430 --> 00:05:33.129 nonetheless a blend of a number of gifts, with 00:05:33.129 --> 00:05:38.569 one of them likely being the dominant one. The 00:05:38.569 --> 00:05:41.649 gift package which God gives to us is given to 00:05:41.649 --> 00:05:45.180 us at salvation. And we learn in his word that 00:05:45.180 --> 00:05:49.079 it is given to us by his sovereign choice. Never 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:52.399 are we commanded as individuals to seek certain 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:57.199 gifts. We either have them or we don't have them. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:00.939 Now there is a verse in 1 Corinthians 12 that 00:06:00.939 --> 00:06:03.920 is often taken out of its context where it says 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:09.279 that the better gifts, the greater gifts, are 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:13.879 to be sought. But that is written to a church 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:17.000 as a whole, as a body of people. They were tending 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:21.199 to emphasize the lesser gifts. And so Paul said 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:24.100 to them, look, earnestly covet and emphasize 00:06:24.100 --> 00:06:27.160 the greater gifts, not the lesser ones. But he 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:29.519 was not saying that we as individuals have the 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:32.139 prerogative of choosing which gifts we have. 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:35.759 We do not. The Spirit of God gives those sovereignly, 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:40.529 as he says in that very chapter. I don't think 00:06:40.529 --> 00:06:44.050 that we need to spend a great deal of time worrying 00:06:44.050 --> 00:06:46.870 and becoming anxious about what gifts we have. 00:06:48.050 --> 00:06:51.509 What we need to do is to recognize that God has 00:06:51.509 --> 00:06:57.370 gifted us individually and then begin determining 00:06:57.370 --> 00:06:59.850 what those gifts are as we serve him. You say, 00:06:59.870 --> 00:07:01.689 well, how do I determine what the gifts are? 00:07:03.089 --> 00:07:05.470 I don't think there's a magic formula for that. 00:07:05.529 --> 00:07:10.689 There are some helpful evaluations. which you 00:07:10.689 --> 00:07:14.529 can buy as a part of books about spiritual gifts. 00:07:15.430 --> 00:07:18.470 Those explain what the gifts are, that is, those 00:07:18.470 --> 00:07:22.089 books do, and then they help you evaluate yourself 00:07:22.089 --> 00:07:25.290 so that you can sort of cross out some of the 00:07:25.290 --> 00:07:30.709 gifts and take a harder look at others. But I 00:07:30.709 --> 00:07:33.069 believe the very best way to determine what your 00:07:33.069 --> 00:07:37.350 spiritual gift is is first of all to study the 00:07:37.350 --> 00:07:41.170 Word. to gain an understanding of what the gifts 00:07:41.170 --> 00:07:45.790 are like. We should always go to the Word of 00:07:45.790 --> 00:07:48.290 God when we seek to determine something spiritually, 00:07:48.470 --> 00:07:52.790 shouldn't we? And so if we think about what gift 00:07:52.790 --> 00:07:55.089 we may have or what those abilities the Spirit 00:07:55.089 --> 00:07:57.490 of God may have blended into our lives might 00:07:57.490 --> 00:08:01.269 be, we should go to the Word of God and seek 00:08:01.269 --> 00:08:03.629 there to gain some understanding of the gifts. 00:08:03.649 --> 00:08:05.889 And then after we have done that, or indeed as 00:08:05.889 --> 00:08:09.040 we're doing that, We should begin getting busy 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:12.560 in serving the Lord, finding some spot. We don't 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.540 have to wait to be invited by somebody to join 00:08:15.540 --> 00:08:21.060 a teaching staff or to be an usher. If you have 00:08:21.060 --> 00:08:24.120 an interest in some job here at the church or 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:27.220 some aspect of the ministry, seek out somebody. 00:08:27.459 --> 00:08:29.339 And if there's not something happening here that 00:08:29.339 --> 00:08:33.919 you think you're gifted to do, then talk to somebody 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:37.570 about beginning that. It may be that God wants 00:08:37.570 --> 00:08:39.649 to use you to begin a ministry in our church. 00:08:39.730 --> 00:08:43.269 We have a slew of things that we as a local church 00:08:43.269 --> 00:08:47.769 are not doing now because up to this point, gifted 00:08:47.769 --> 00:08:50.309 people have not come forward to say, I would 00:08:50.309 --> 00:08:53.610 like to commit myself to that or at least investigate 00:08:53.610 --> 00:08:59.210 that possibility. So don't be afraid to do that. 00:08:59.950 --> 00:09:03.289 After you are studying the Word to gain some 00:09:03.289 --> 00:09:06.240 understanding of the gifts, then get busy. And 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:08.720 then after you've done that, begin looking for 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:12.820 fulfillment. What is it that brings satisfying 00:09:12.820 --> 00:09:17.460 results in your life? Where you see the blessing 00:09:17.460 --> 00:09:20.100 of God especially come in your service, that 00:09:20.100 --> 00:09:22.659 is a good indication to you that you've plugged 00:09:22.659 --> 00:09:26.340 into the right area for your gifts. Now it may 00:09:26.340 --> 00:09:29.259 be that you'll never, with complete satisfaction, 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:36.659 be able to name your gifts. Indeed, I think the 00:09:36.659 --> 00:09:38.919 list given to us in the Word of God is probably 00:09:38.919 --> 00:09:44.480 suggestive and not complete. And so there may 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:47.639 not be a biblical name for the exact gift that 00:09:47.639 --> 00:09:51.240 you have. But as you plug into the body of Christ 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:53.740 and you begin to sense fulfillment in doing a 00:09:53.740 --> 00:09:56.139 certain thing and God's blessing is on you there, 00:09:56.279 --> 00:09:59.139 that is an indication to you that you have found 00:09:59.139 --> 00:10:02.679 your niche in the body of Christ. And that whatever 00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:05.980 the gift, might be called in your life, that's 00:10:05.980 --> 00:10:08.419 how God is using it. He's exercising that gift 00:10:08.419 --> 00:10:12.860 in that particular function. Christ's personal 00:10:12.860 --> 00:10:15.419 gifts to the body are intended to promote unity 00:10:15.419 --> 00:10:19.100 within it and to strengthen it. That's why your 00:10:19.100 --> 00:10:22.639 gift is so important to this local church. Because 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:25.440 to the degree that all of us are involved, we 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:27.500 are strong. To the degree we're not involved, 00:10:27.700 --> 00:10:32.590 we are weak. As all of us become involved and 00:10:32.590 --> 00:10:36.269 are utilizing our gifts, the body is unified. 00:10:36.309 --> 00:10:37.889 It's brought together, and that certainly is 00:10:37.889 --> 00:10:41.889 the context of Ephesians 4. Now the same is true 00:10:41.889 --> 00:10:44.990 regarding the corporate gifts. I've talked about 00:10:44.990 --> 00:10:49.389 gifts with respect to personal gifts. Now let's 00:10:49.389 --> 00:10:51.509 talk about the second respect of the gifts that 00:10:51.509 --> 00:10:53.809 Christ has given to his people, and that's the 00:10:53.809 --> 00:10:56.269 corporate gifts, the gifts given to the whole 00:10:56.269 --> 00:11:00.950 body. Verse 11. And he gave some as apostles 00:11:00.950 --> 00:11:03.309 and some as prophets and some as evangelists 00:11:03.309 --> 00:11:06.429 and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping 00:11:06.429 --> 00:11:08.610 of the saints for the work of the ministry of 00:11:08.610 --> 00:11:11.789 service to the building up of the body of Christ 00:11:11.789 --> 00:11:15.330 until we all attain to the unity of the faith 00:11:15.330 --> 00:11:18.730 and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature 00:11:18.730 --> 00:11:21.789 man to the measure of the stature which belongs 00:11:21.789 --> 00:11:26.490 to the fullness of Christ. Now we want to look 00:11:26.490 --> 00:11:29.750 at these gifts that Jesus Christ has given to 00:11:29.750 --> 00:11:33.730 the whole body, to all of us to enjoy, not just 00:11:33.730 --> 00:11:36.570 our personal gifts given to us, but those that 00:11:36.570 --> 00:11:39.049 Christ, as he ascended back to heaven, provided 00:11:39.049 --> 00:11:42.190 for, for all of us who are a part of the church. 00:11:43.649 --> 00:11:47.350 Besides those personal spiritual gifts, he has 00:11:47.350 --> 00:11:51.769 given, as he says here, individuals who themselves 00:11:51.769 --> 00:11:56.600 are declared to be his gifts to his body. not 00:11:56.600 --> 00:11:59.320 because of any intrinsic worthiness on their 00:11:59.320 --> 00:12:02.440 part, but he has given them, as he always gives, 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:06.940 by grace. These individuals are called to specific 00:12:06.940 --> 00:12:10.779 offices and responsibilities in the body of Christ 00:12:10.779 --> 00:12:16.799 in order to promote strength and unity within 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:20.860 the body of our Lord. Now he names them in verse 00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:23.620 11. Notice that they are in sort of a chronological 00:12:23.620 --> 00:12:28.769 order. at least for this age. He talks about 00:12:28.769 --> 00:12:36.490 apostles. He gave some as apostles. Would you 00:12:36.490 --> 00:12:38.629 turn back with me to the Gospel of Matthew and 00:12:38.629 --> 00:12:41.830 look in the 10th chapter, please, where the word 00:12:41.830 --> 00:12:47.429 apostle is used. In verse 1, it says, And having 00:12:47.429 --> 00:12:50.230 summoned his twelve disciples, Jesus gave them 00:12:50.230 --> 00:12:53.519 authority. over unclean spirits to cast them 00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:55.779 out and to heal every kind of disease and every 00:12:55.779 --> 00:13:00.120 kind of sickness. Now notice in verse 1, it calls 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:04.940 them the twelve disciples. Look at verse 2. Now 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:10.639 the names of the twelve apostles are these, and 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:13.700 they are listed for us. And then in verse 5, 00:13:14.279 --> 00:13:18.299 yes, it says, These twelve Jesus sent out after 00:13:18.299 --> 00:13:21.330 instructing them. You notice the bridge here? 00:13:22.070 --> 00:13:26.769 He called them to himself as disciples. Now he 00:13:26.769 --> 00:13:31.509 sends them out from himself as apostles. That's 00:13:31.509 --> 00:13:35.570 what an apostle is. It is one who is sent forth 00:13:35.570 --> 00:13:40.669 on an assignment. Or it is one who bears a message 00:13:40.669 --> 00:13:45.750 for another. There were apostles of our Lord 00:13:45.750 --> 00:13:48.870 Jesus Christ appointed in the early days of this 00:13:48.870 --> 00:13:51.950 age. As the church was beginning to be formed, 00:13:52.210 --> 00:13:57.889 they had three qualifications. Number one, they 00:13:57.889 --> 00:14:02.309 had to be chosen by Jesus Christ. Now, one of 00:14:02.309 --> 00:14:05.909 the original twelve was a betrayer. He was not 00:14:05.909 --> 00:14:07.990 a child of God at all. He was a child of the 00:14:07.990 --> 00:14:12.049 devil, as was evident at the close of his life. 00:14:13.169 --> 00:14:15.929 In order for the twelve to be completed, another 00:14:15.929 --> 00:14:19.419 was chosen, as recorded in Acts chapter 1. His 00:14:19.419 --> 00:14:22.940 name was Matthias. I personally believe that 00:14:22.940 --> 00:14:26.860 he was chosen in a customary manner among the 00:14:26.860 --> 00:14:29.320 Jews and according to the will of the Lord Jesus 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:33.299 Christ. I believe that Matthias rightly belongs 00:14:33.299 --> 00:14:38.600 to the Twelve. And then, of course, there was 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:43.360 the Apostle Paul who called himself as one born 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:48.980 out of due season. The Apostle Paul is... unique 00:14:48.980 --> 00:14:52.559 in the sense that he is the apostle to the church. 00:14:55.500 --> 00:14:58.860 He too was personally chosen by Jesus Christ, 00:14:59.259 --> 00:15:02.440 as evidenced by his call on the road to Damascus. 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:05.659 So that's the first qualification. Secondly, 00:15:05.820 --> 00:15:11.659 apostles must have seen the risen Christ. Of 00:15:11.659 --> 00:15:15.340 course, the eleven saw him, as did Matthias. 00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:17.620 Because that was one of the stipulations set 00:15:17.620 --> 00:15:21.440 down in Acts 1. And the apostle Paul saw the 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:26.019 risen Christ on the road to Damascus. And then 00:15:26.019 --> 00:15:29.200 thirdly, those who were apostles had to evidence 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:34.159 or possess what are called the sign gifts of 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:38.179 the apostles in 2 Corinthians 12, 12. Signs, 00:15:38.179 --> 00:15:41.769 miracles, and wonders. We need to understand 00:15:41.769 --> 00:15:44.629 that those gifts were not commonly given to all 00:15:44.629 --> 00:15:47.149 of the believers, even in the first century. 00:15:48.429 --> 00:15:51.070 If they had been, in what sense could they ever 00:15:51.070 --> 00:15:55.669 be called sign gifts? They were unusual things. 00:15:56.029 --> 00:15:59.850 Even then they were unusual. And they are called 00:15:59.850 --> 00:16:04.149 the gifts that authenticated or signified true 00:16:04.149 --> 00:16:09.500 apostles. So the apostles had to have been chosen 00:16:09.500 --> 00:16:12.139 by Christ, have seen him personally, and had 00:16:12.139 --> 00:16:15.980 to have been given the signed gifts. They were 00:16:15.980 --> 00:16:20.179 unique to that first generation. No one today 00:16:20.179 --> 00:16:24.940 can claim to have seen the risen Christ, whether 00:16:24.940 --> 00:16:29.980 in human form or 900 feet tall. No one has seen 00:16:29.980 --> 00:16:34.440 the risen Christ today. There are not apostles 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:40.279 today. And then there are prophets listed here. 00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:45.159 Prophets who exercised their gift in specific 00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:50.659 local churches in the first century. Their purpose 00:16:50.659 --> 00:16:54.460 was, it seems, to express to bodies of believers 00:16:54.460 --> 00:16:59.139 like ours direct revelation from God. Now remember, 00:16:59.299 --> 00:17:04.859 they did not have a New Testament. As the New 00:17:04.859 --> 00:17:07.890 Testament was produced, in those early decades, 00:17:08.269 --> 00:17:13.390 eventually this gift and this office ceased, 00:17:13.589 --> 00:17:18.009 technically. There was no longer any need for 00:17:18.009 --> 00:17:20.529 a direct revelation to be given to prophets to 00:17:20.529 --> 00:17:23.390 speak to people, because God put it down in a 00:17:23.390 --> 00:17:25.690 written form so it didn't have to be given over 00:17:25.690 --> 00:17:28.069 and over again, but it's been given once and 00:17:28.069 --> 00:17:30.190 for all time to us. So this is where we have 00:17:30.190 --> 00:17:33.150 our authority today, and not from some so -called 00:17:33.150 --> 00:17:36.059 prophets who claim to have revelation from God. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:41.700 God is not giving revelation. The gift, the office 00:17:41.700 --> 00:17:44.759 of prophet, ceased in the first century, as did 00:17:44.759 --> 00:17:48.160 the office of apostle. Here in Ephesians chapter 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:52.240 2 and verse 20, it makes it clear. It says that 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:54.839 we are God's household, having been built upon 00:17:54.839 --> 00:17:58.319 the foundation of the apostles and prophets. 00:17:59.950 --> 00:18:02.589 The foundation does not need to be continuously 00:18:02.589 --> 00:18:06.009 laid. Once it is laid, it is in place, and the 00:18:06.009 --> 00:18:10.390 superstructure is built. The apostles and prophets 00:18:10.390 --> 00:18:15.230 were the foundation part of the church, and we 00:18:15.230 --> 00:18:22.609 are built upon them today. Now the third office 00:18:22.609 --> 00:18:25.349 that is listed here, the third group of people, 00:18:25.490 --> 00:18:29.480 he gave some as evangelists. That is, those who 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:32.480 proclaim good news, the bearers of the gospel 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:36.359 message. I think that we can call these people, 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:42.099 in our mission's terminology today, church planters. 00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:47.759 Especially those who went to unreached regions 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:52.019 where the gospel had never been proclaimed. They 00:18:52.019 --> 00:18:54.920 were evangelists. They told the good news of 00:18:54.920 --> 00:18:58.750 Jesus Christ. and establish churches as a result 00:18:58.750 --> 00:19:03.230 of that. We might compare them today to our missionaries. 00:19:04.049 --> 00:19:07.390 Those who are going to unreached regions of the 00:19:07.390 --> 00:19:10.930 world to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, they 00:19:10.930 --> 00:19:15.190 are gifts to the church. They are establishing 00:19:15.190 --> 00:19:19.430 beachheads throughout the world so that the body 00:19:19.430 --> 00:19:23.009 of Jesus Christ can be extended to that point. 00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:26.200 And from that point beyond that point and then 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:30.180 beyond that, that is God's plan. And that's why 00:19:30.180 --> 00:19:33.099 they are gifts to the entire body of Jesus Christ. 00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:37.380 And then he says, and some as pastors and teachers. 00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:41.259 Most Bible students believe that rather than 00:19:41.259 --> 00:19:44.240 two offices or two groups being viewed here, 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:49.039 that he's really saying, and some as pastor -teachers. 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:52.460 The word pastor means shepherd. So he's talking 00:19:52.460 --> 00:19:56.960 about teaching shepherds, teaching pastors. These 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:01.339 are those raised up by God to teach local churches 00:20:01.339 --> 00:20:05.339 after they've been established. Shepherds who 00:20:05.339 --> 00:20:08.039 care for Christ's flock by feeding, protecting, 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:11.900 and leading. Obviously, there's a great deal 00:20:11.900 --> 00:20:16.000 of variety in these offices, and particularly 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:20.400 so with those who are pastor teachers. I believe 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:23.660 that our Lord raises up pastor -teachers for 00:20:23.660 --> 00:20:26.420 a church for a period of time, and when their 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:29.019 ministry has been fulfilled in that place, he 00:20:29.019 --> 00:20:31.039 likely will take them on to another church that 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:34.420 he's prepared that needs that particular gift 00:20:34.420 --> 00:20:37.220 to the body at that time, and then from there 00:20:37.220 --> 00:20:39.839 he leads them on to another place. And no one 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:43.000 can say for himself, nor can a church claim, 00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:45.579 how long a pastor will be in a particular spot. 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:48.160 That is up to the sovereign Lord of the church. 00:20:50.250 --> 00:20:52.589 The pastor -teachers are gifts to the whole body 00:20:52.589 --> 00:20:55.470 of Christ because within the sovereign plan of 00:20:55.470 --> 00:20:58.150 God, they are occasionally moved to different 00:20:58.150 --> 00:21:02.170 places so that those gifts can be exercised and 00:21:02.170 --> 00:21:06.890 those other churches profit. I think it's important 00:21:06.890 --> 00:21:09.390 for local churches to learn to appreciate differences 00:21:09.390 --> 00:21:15.450 in the style of pastor -teachers. There are those 00:21:15.450 --> 00:21:18.509 people who... think that every pastor -teacher 00:21:18.509 --> 00:21:20.910 ought to be able to preach like Charles Swindoll 00:21:20.910 --> 00:21:26.529 or like John MacArthur. Well, of course, that 00:21:26.529 --> 00:21:28.890 is a silly thing because no one can preach like 00:21:28.890 --> 00:21:33.430 them. They are unique people. We need to appreciate 00:21:33.430 --> 00:21:36.109 the various gifts and the diversity in the body 00:21:36.109 --> 00:21:39.569 as far as pastor -teachers are concerned. I thank 00:21:39.569 --> 00:21:42.049 God, by the way, for the ministries of men like 00:21:42.049 --> 00:21:46.039 that. I'm sorry to say some of my colleagues 00:21:46.039 --> 00:21:48.279 in the ministry, I don't mean here in this church, 00:21:48.299 --> 00:21:51.740 but out yonder, some of them have different ideas. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:55.819 They don't appreciate those kinds of radio ministries, 00:21:55.819 --> 00:21:59.279 considering them to be competition. I think that's 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:03.960 very sad. For Charles Swindoll and I are not 00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:08.599 in competition, nor John MacArthur and I or any 00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:12.329 of the other media preachers. Indeed, I thank 00:22:12.329 --> 00:22:14.470 God for them because I think in the first place 00:22:14.470 --> 00:22:18.369 they establish a certain standard in churches. 00:22:19.509 --> 00:22:23.089 It does tend to keep pastors on their toes. Pastors 00:22:23.089 --> 00:22:28.130 today, if we're going to compete, we're going 00:22:28.130 --> 00:22:30.829 to lose out if we try to compete with these people. 00:22:30.910 --> 00:22:34.450 We can't do that. But what we can do is to thank 00:22:34.450 --> 00:22:38.190 God for these men and to do our very best where 00:22:38.190 --> 00:22:41.759 God has placed us. and utilize our gifts, and 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:44.559 realize that these media ministries that God 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:47.019 has raised up, at least for this time and this 00:22:47.019 --> 00:22:50.220 generation, they may not always be there. He 00:22:50.220 --> 00:22:52.220 has allowed them to be raised up now to complement 00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:56.160 the ministries of pastor -teachers. I wish that 00:22:56.160 --> 00:22:59.319 all of my brethren could see that and appreciate 00:22:59.319 --> 00:23:03.960 that. Local churches need to be patient with 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:07.349 pastor -teachers to allow for growth. I thank 00:23:07.349 --> 00:23:12.589 God for that group of people where I began. Because 00:23:12.589 --> 00:23:16.190 I tell you, I was green. I'd never pastored a 00:23:16.190 --> 00:23:17.950 church before in my life. I didn't even want 00:23:17.950 --> 00:23:20.650 to be a pastor until four months before I was 00:23:20.650 --> 00:23:23.549 called to be a senior pastor of a church of 1 00:23:23.549 --> 00:23:28.210 ,200. That's an unusual group of people who would 00:23:28.210 --> 00:23:34.029 accept a man of 26 years of age to do that. And 00:23:34.029 --> 00:23:38.319 they were patient with me. and put up with my 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:42.519 foolishness, my mistakes, forgave me of the mistakes 00:23:42.519 --> 00:23:45.420 that I made, and encouraged me along the way 00:23:45.420 --> 00:23:47.440 so that I could develop. I thank God for that 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:51.720 group of people. They will always be very special 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:55.819 in my heart because of what they gave to me, 00:23:56.019 --> 00:23:59.539 what I gained there because of their influence 00:23:59.539 --> 00:24:05.029 in my life, their patience with me. And we have 00:24:05.029 --> 00:24:07.869 young men who are coming up in our church, some 00:24:07.869 --> 00:24:10.309 who are on our staff, others who are in seminary, 00:24:10.369 --> 00:24:12.710 and some who are not even at that point yet, 00:24:12.829 --> 00:24:15.410 that we need to be encouraging along the way. 00:24:17.349 --> 00:24:19.650 They may not be able to preach like the senior 00:24:19.650 --> 00:24:22.210 pastor. They may not be able to sound like a 00:24:22.210 --> 00:24:26.470 Charles Stanley. Of course not. They haven't 00:24:26.470 --> 00:24:28.950 had that experience. But, beloved, as the body 00:24:28.950 --> 00:24:31.390 of Christ, let's encourage these men that God 00:24:31.390 --> 00:24:37.839 is raising up to be pastor teachers. Having examined 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:42.200 what the text says about the personal gifts and 00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:46.039 the corporate gifts, let's look ahead and see 00:24:46.039 --> 00:24:47.920 the goal for all of this. What has the Lord got 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:51.660 in mind? Well, notice in verses 12 and 13, he's 00:24:51.660 --> 00:24:54.019 very explicit about that. In verse 13, he gives 00:24:54.019 --> 00:24:56.460 us a description of the goal, and I think we 00:24:56.460 --> 00:24:58.400 can boil it down to those three words where he 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:02.319 says, a mature man. That is the goal of the gifts. 00:25:03.859 --> 00:25:06.980 Your gifts. and the gifts to the body as a whole, 00:25:07.059 --> 00:25:10.339 the pastor -teachers, the evangelists. It is 00:25:10.339 --> 00:25:12.759 that the body of Christ, and really he's got 00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:15.599 in view here more than just a local church, but 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:19.660 the whole body, all of us saved in this age, 00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:23.660 that the whole body, as well as a local body, 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:28.640 may be a mature man. The picture that Paul apparently 00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:33.460 has in mind here is an Olympic athlete, one who 00:25:33.460 --> 00:25:40.319 is well -developed. A man who is able to enter 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:44.619 into the race and win it because he is fully 00:25:44.619 --> 00:25:49.859 developed and complete, mature. That is the picture 00:25:49.859 --> 00:25:53.299 that he uses of the church. And he says that 00:25:53.299 --> 00:25:55.559 at the present time the church is being, as it 00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:59.819 were, worked out. Our muscles are being built. 00:25:59.880 --> 00:26:03.180 Our body is being put together so that we can 00:26:03.180 --> 00:26:07.660 grow up. to maturity. Now he further elaborates 00:26:07.660 --> 00:26:09.700 on that in the phrase that follows those three 00:26:09.700 --> 00:26:13.279 words. He says, to the measure of the stature 00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:21.279 which belongs to the fullness of Christ. It is 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:25.680 as our church acts together as a whole. It is 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:29.079 as we think together, as we relate together, 00:26:29.299 --> 00:26:33.160 as we reach out together. that we are like our 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:39.680 Lord Jesus Christ. Just one of us alone is not 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:42.140 sufficient, for we are members of the body. This 00:26:42.140 --> 00:26:46.960 extension of my hand here, my index finger, is 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:51.599 not me in my entirety. It's an important part 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:54.180 of me, especially when I smash it in a door. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:58.180 But if you cut that finger off and stuck it out 00:26:58.180 --> 00:27:01.660 here, I would hope you wouldn't feel that's me. 00:27:03.779 --> 00:27:08.539 And you see, you're a member of the body. You 00:27:08.539 --> 00:27:12.539 alone represent something of Jesus Christ. But 00:27:12.539 --> 00:27:15.180 you can't represent all that Jesus Christ is 00:27:15.180 --> 00:27:18.400 without all the rest of us. Do you understand 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:24.609 the point here? We have to be together. in serving 00:27:24.609 --> 00:27:27.009 the Lord as a local church in order for what 00:27:27.009 --> 00:27:30.130 Jesus Christ fully and really is to be understood. 00:27:31.630 --> 00:27:35.450 For we together as a body of people are the expression 00:27:35.450 --> 00:27:42.690 of his life in our community. We have to be cautious 00:27:42.690 --> 00:27:45.470 about this matter because even though we are 00:27:45.470 --> 00:27:47.970 growing to maturity, we have not arrived there 00:27:47.970 --> 00:27:52.339 yet. There are no perfect churches. There are 00:27:52.339 --> 00:27:56.380 no perfect Christians in the world, for sin still 00:27:56.380 --> 00:28:01.740 indwells us that is in our flesh. So we've not 00:28:01.740 --> 00:28:04.380 yet arrived by any means, but what we are doing 00:28:04.380 --> 00:28:09.059 is pressing on toward maturity. That's why we 00:28:09.059 --> 00:28:12.200 say that we are a worshiping community of believers 00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:17.559 in Jesus Christ, growing in our commitment to 00:28:17.559 --> 00:28:23.299 God and His Word. What will characterize a church 00:28:23.299 --> 00:28:28.140 that is mature? Well, apparently there is a certain 00:28:28.140 --> 00:28:30.420 sense in which we can arrive at that point in 00:28:30.420 --> 00:28:34.039 this world, not perfectly, but we can grow toward 00:28:34.039 --> 00:28:36.839 maturity and at some point be described as mature 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:42.779 in a relative sense. What kind of a church, rather, 00:28:42.859 --> 00:28:46.119 what will that kind of a church look like? Well, 00:28:46.140 --> 00:28:48.000 I think he tells us in the first part of this 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:51.019 verse, until we all attain to the unity, of the 00:28:51.019 --> 00:28:53.900 faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. 00:28:54.019 --> 00:28:56.559 It seems to me it says there are two characteristics 00:28:56.559 --> 00:29:00.460 that we ought to be looking for in a maturing 00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:07.700 church. One is unity of the faith, oneness of 00:29:07.700 --> 00:29:11.799 mind and fellowship in the cause that we have. 00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:18.660 That comes from the Word of God, by the way, 00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:23.619 doesn't it? That oneness of heart, the Spirit 00:29:23.619 --> 00:29:26.880 of God works in us through the Word, brings us 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:29.640 to understand who we are in Jesus Christ and 00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:32.440 who God is and what our job in the world is. 00:29:32.539 --> 00:29:35.720 And as we get together on that, we are maturing. 00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:43.119 Unity of the faith. Oneness. And then he calls 00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:46.519 it the knowledge of the Son of God. A maturing 00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:50.990 church is characterized by knowledge, full. deep 00:29:50.990 --> 00:29:54.809 knowledge of the Son of God. The idea seems to 00:29:54.809 --> 00:29:58.130 be here, intimate fellowship with the Son of 00:29:58.130 --> 00:30:01.549 God. A maturing church is one that is coming 00:30:01.549 --> 00:30:08.230 to know God, growing in fellowship with Jesus 00:30:08.230 --> 00:30:12.369 Christ as well as with one another. Someone has 00:30:12.369 --> 00:30:14.950 said it's theology that has learned to worship. 00:30:16.349 --> 00:30:19.130 It's not enough for us merely to learn academically 00:30:19.130 --> 00:30:23.359 facts. about theology, about Jesus Christ, about 00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:28.140 God. We must go beyond the facts to come to know 00:30:28.140 --> 00:30:33.119 him. That's what he's saying here. The goal that 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:35.660 God has in mind in giving you your spiritual 00:30:35.660 --> 00:30:39.720 gifts and giving me my spiritual gifts, and then 00:30:39.720 --> 00:30:42.660 in giving gifts to the body, is that the body 00:30:42.660 --> 00:30:47.660 may grow up and mature. And a mature body is 00:30:47.660 --> 00:30:50.279 one that is coming together in unity of the faith, 00:30:50.619 --> 00:30:52.859 and growing in a knowledge, a deep, intimate, 00:30:52.880 --> 00:30:56.279 personal knowledge of Jesus Christ, God's Son. 00:30:58.299 --> 00:31:00.619 Now how is that practically going to happen? 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:02.299 Well, I think he tells us something about it 00:31:02.299 --> 00:31:06.220 in verse 12. There's a certain sequence of clauses 00:31:06.220 --> 00:31:09.779 here that's important to grasp. Notice that he 00:31:09.779 --> 00:31:12.640 says in verse 7 that he has given to each of 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:18.009 us gifts. In verse 11, he says that he also has 00:31:18.009 --> 00:31:20.950 given to us as a whole, as a body of people, 00:31:21.009 --> 00:31:25.029 certain individuals to fulfill these offices. 00:31:25.630 --> 00:31:28.789 Now, why has he given them? Well, first of all, 00:31:28.809 --> 00:31:32.349 he says, for the equipping of the saints. You 00:31:32.349 --> 00:31:37.369 notice that? The word equip here means to complete, 00:31:37.549 --> 00:31:41.049 to fill out, to bring to perfection. It was a 00:31:41.049 --> 00:31:43.589 word used in that day as the Bible was being 00:31:43.589 --> 00:31:49.539 written of a home It was also used by physicians 00:31:49.539 --> 00:31:52.579 of the setting of a broken bone, by fishermen 00:31:52.579 --> 00:31:58.259 of mending of nets. He's talking here about the 00:31:58.259 --> 00:32:04.339 preparation of the body of Jesus Christ by God 00:32:04.339 --> 00:32:07.579 himself, the equipping of the saints. I think 00:32:07.579 --> 00:32:10.180 this is a good definition for the word equip, 00:32:10.339 --> 00:32:17.990 a dynamic conditioning. of the body. A dynamic 00:32:17.990 --> 00:32:21.029 conditioning of the body members, each of us, 00:32:21.069 --> 00:32:23.690 so that we can fulfill our God -given function 00:32:23.690 --> 00:32:26.950 for which we're gifted. How does this happen? 00:32:27.289 --> 00:32:29.430 Well, several ways. Through the teaching of the 00:32:29.430 --> 00:32:34.890 Word, by an example that is laid before people, 00:32:35.069 --> 00:32:38.109 saying, here is how you do it. The Word tells 00:32:38.109 --> 00:32:40.509 us what, but here, follow me. This is how to 00:32:40.509 --> 00:32:43.640 do it, by setting an example. By restoring the 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:46.920 fallen, Galatians 6 .1 tells us that we equip 00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:50.200 people. We're bringing them to this point of 00:32:50.200 --> 00:32:54.220 being conditioned. So he tells us that gifts 00:32:54.220 --> 00:32:57.220 are given for the equipping of the saints. That's 00:32:57.220 --> 00:33:01.500 you. That's my primary purpose here in the church. 00:33:03.059 --> 00:33:06.680 We live in a day when pastors are, in especially 00:33:06.680 --> 00:33:11.000 smaller churches, thought to be jacks of all 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:13.920 trade. In fact, Dr. Earl Rodmacher has written 00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:16.960 a little pamphlet about that entitled Jacks of 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:20.180 All Trade. And some of you come from smaller 00:33:20.180 --> 00:33:22.259 churches where the pastor has been expected to 00:33:22.259 --> 00:33:24.960 clean the bathrooms and publish the bulletin 00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:30.039 and visit the sick and visit everybody's home 00:33:30.039 --> 00:33:35.799 in the church and sweep the floor and, oh, by 00:33:35.799 --> 00:33:40.119 the way, preach a sermon, too, and study to do 00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:43.559 that. I want you to know that that isn't God's 00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:47.180 plan even in a small church. That is not the 00:33:47.180 --> 00:33:51.380 plan of God. The reason that God gives pastor 00:33:51.380 --> 00:33:56.900 -teachers to a church is primarily to equip the 00:33:56.900 --> 00:34:00.359 saints through the teaching of the word, through 00:34:00.359 --> 00:34:03.039 the setting of an example, and by restoring those 00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:07.099 who are fallen. That is my primary job in the 00:34:07.099 --> 00:34:11.119 church. As the elders have outlined it, my job 00:34:11.119 --> 00:34:13.480 is to spend a lot of time in the study preparing 00:34:13.480 --> 00:34:16.500 to speak to you. And I believe that's what God 00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:20.139 has called me to do. You say, when is all this 00:34:20.139 --> 00:34:23.659 other stuff going to get done? When are the windows 00:34:23.659 --> 00:34:26.579 going to get washed? When are the sick going 00:34:26.579 --> 00:34:29.500 to get called on? When are homes going to be 00:34:29.500 --> 00:34:33.340 called on? I'll tell you when. When the saints 00:34:33.340 --> 00:34:35.440 are equipped for the work of service. That's 00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:38.380 the next phrase. Because, you see, all of those 00:34:38.380 --> 00:34:45.639 things are the responsibility of all of us. All 00:34:45.639 --> 00:34:50.760 of us. Each of us needs to function in a healthy, 00:34:50.820 --> 00:34:53.079 wholesome manner in the body, and that includes 00:34:53.079 --> 00:34:56.519 visiting the sick, the shut -in, counseling, 00:34:56.920 --> 00:35:00.340 encouraging, leading, freeing others to do what 00:35:00.340 --> 00:35:02.739 they're gifted to do, providing for the needy, 00:35:02.760 --> 00:35:06.050 praying, sharing the gospel. All of those things 00:35:06.050 --> 00:35:10.670 are the ministry. We are all the ministers of 00:35:10.670 --> 00:35:15.130 Jesus Christ. Now, it's because that has been 00:35:15.130 --> 00:35:18.230 so misunderstood in some churches that there 00:35:18.230 --> 00:35:24.610 are churches that are dying. God's plan is not 00:35:24.610 --> 00:35:28.429 for there to be a professional staff that does 00:35:28.429 --> 00:35:33.440 the work of the ministry. If there is a staff 00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:36.400 member hired at our church, his primary job has 00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:39.280 to in some way include equipping the saints of 00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:44.920 God for the work of the ministry. All of us have 00:35:44.920 --> 00:35:48.320 a work to do. And the purpose of our work is 00:35:48.320 --> 00:35:50.760 that the body may be built up. Do you notice 00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:53.860 that's the next phrase there? That there might 00:35:53.860 --> 00:35:59.809 be a harmonious, mature body. That as we as individuals 00:35:59.809 --> 00:36:04.909 minister to each other, we grow. We grow because 00:36:04.909 --> 00:36:07.269 we minister, and people grow because we minister 00:36:07.269 --> 00:36:10.610 to them. And as the body is built up, new people 00:36:10.610 --> 00:36:12.969 are saved. They're brought into the body, and 00:36:12.969 --> 00:36:14.710 then they are built up, and they're incorporated. 00:36:15.130 --> 00:36:18.110 And then new people are added. There's this continuous 00:36:18.110 --> 00:36:23.090 cycle of the body being built up. That is God's 00:36:23.090 --> 00:36:29.480 plan. John MacArthur has written some helpful 00:36:29.480 --> 00:36:38.719 words regarding this. He says, The dynamic of 00:36:38.719 --> 00:36:42.219 the early church came from a proper understanding 00:36:42.219 --> 00:36:45.320 of roles in the body. Gifted men building up 00:36:45.320 --> 00:36:48.880 the saints who in turn exercise spiritual ministries 00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:52.280 throughout the body. The local church essentially 00:36:52.280 --> 00:36:56.230 is a training place. to equip Christians to carry 00:36:56.230 --> 00:36:59.130 out their ministries. Unfortunately for many 00:36:59.130 --> 00:37:02.030 Christians, the church is a place to go to watch 00:37:02.030 --> 00:37:05.170 professionals perform and to pay the professionals 00:37:05.170 --> 00:37:08.730 to carry out the church program. In many quarters, 00:37:08.789 --> 00:37:11.269 Christianity has deteriorated into professional 00:37:11.269 --> 00:37:15.670 pulpitism financed by lay spectators. The church 00:37:15.670 --> 00:37:18.230 hires a staff of ministers to do all the Christian 00:37:18.230 --> 00:37:21.090 service. This scheme is not only a violation 00:37:21.090 --> 00:37:24.119 of God's plan, but an absolute detriment. to 00:37:24.119 --> 00:37:26.239 the growth of the body and the vitality of the 00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:29.099 members of the body. Every member needs to find 00:37:29.099 --> 00:37:32.500 a significant place of service. Unless you think 00:37:32.500 --> 00:37:34.940 that Dr. MacArthur is saying there should not 00:37:34.940 --> 00:37:39.000 be a staff hired at a church, I can tell you 00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:42.380 he has 50 pastors on the staff of his church. 00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:47.800 What he's saying is that those men are hired 00:37:47.800 --> 00:37:51.800 by the church to be overseers and to be equipers 00:37:51.800 --> 00:37:55.880 of the body. And as they equip the body, the 00:37:55.880 --> 00:37:59.780 individual saints, those individual saints then 00:37:59.780 --> 00:38:01.820 are involved in ministry and they're growing. 00:38:02.300 --> 00:38:05.179 And the result of that is the body is being built 00:38:05.179 --> 00:38:16.760 up and matured. Are you being equipped? If you 00:38:16.760 --> 00:38:21.340 are not, part of the failure may be mine. Because 00:38:21.340 --> 00:38:29.590 that is my job here. Part of it may be you, because 00:38:29.590 --> 00:38:33.010 in order for you to be equipped, there has to 00:38:33.010 --> 00:38:36.510 be a certain commitment on your part, too. It's 00:38:36.510 --> 00:38:38.670 not enough for a pastor to commit himself to 00:38:38.670 --> 00:38:40.909 go to a study and spend hours there during the 00:38:40.909 --> 00:38:43.550 week studying the Word and seeking the mind of 00:38:43.550 --> 00:38:47.909 God regarding a message. If equipping is going 00:38:47.909 --> 00:38:50.750 to take place, there's responsibility in the 00:38:50.750 --> 00:38:55.460 hearer, too. A responsibility not only to hear 00:38:55.460 --> 00:39:00.039 the Word, but to act on it. And a responsibility 00:39:00.039 --> 00:39:08.099 to be where the Word is being preached. The prerequisite 00:39:08.099 --> 00:39:11.780 for being equipped for all of us is the Lordship 00:39:11.780 --> 00:39:19.230 of Jesus Christ. God's purpose for you, my friend, 00:39:19.309 --> 00:39:21.090 is that you might be equipped and that those 00:39:21.090 --> 00:39:23.989 gifts that God has given you may be developed, 00:39:24.130 --> 00:39:28.070 that you as a person may grow, and as a result 00:39:28.070 --> 00:39:30.510 of your growth and your maturity and the things 00:39:30.510 --> 00:39:33.369 of God you're equipping, then the whole body 00:39:33.369 --> 00:39:36.489 is strengthened. And as the body functions together 00:39:36.489 --> 00:39:39.670 in harmony and unity, it extends and others are 00:39:39.670 --> 00:39:42.849 incorporated into the body. And that is a continuous 00:39:42.849 --> 00:39:47.050 cycle. But for that to happen, For that to really 00:39:47.050 --> 00:39:51.429 happen, the members of the body have to be sure 00:39:51.429 --> 00:39:56.469 that Jesus Christ is Lord. And to make whatever 00:39:56.469 --> 00:39:59.809 changes are necessary, to reorder whatever priorities, 00:39:59.909 --> 00:40:04.789 so that that dynamic conditioning can take place 00:40:04.789 --> 00:40:10.789 truly and really and genuinely in the life. I 00:40:10.789 --> 00:40:13.389 believe that the most exciting thing in the world 00:40:13.389 --> 00:40:16.880 for a Christian is to grow in his understanding 00:40:16.880 --> 00:40:21.519 of who he is in Jesus Christ and of how he fits 00:40:21.519 --> 00:40:25.199 into the eternal purpose of God and what he can 00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:29.719 do right now to experience that God -given function 00:40:29.719 --> 00:40:36.619 and fulfillment in the body of Christ. But I 00:40:36.619 --> 00:40:39.340 repeat, we cannot experience that excitement 00:40:39.340 --> 00:40:43.679 unless we are rightly related to our head, our 00:40:43.679 --> 00:40:49.719 Lord. Jesus Christ? Is your life under his control 00:40:49.719 --> 00:40:55.739 today? Are your priorities where they ought to 00:40:55.739 --> 00:40:58.320 be, where you know Jesus Christ wants them to 00:40:58.320 --> 00:41:05.519 be? Can you be equipped? Have you made the essential 00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:07.719 commitments in your own life so that you can 00:41:07.719 --> 00:41:14.059 be equipped as a member of this church? And those 00:41:14.059 --> 00:41:17.780 are basic. Even the basic commitment of being 00:41:17.780 --> 00:41:23.360 here faithfully. If not, then that's where we 00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:27.519 need to start. By making that commitment to the 00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:32.760 Lordship of Christ. This last week, a dear saint 00:41:32.760 --> 00:41:36.360 of God went to heaven. Mrs. R .G. Letourneau 00:41:36.360 --> 00:41:41.880 died in her rocking chair. She and her husband 00:41:43.050 --> 00:41:45.309 who died a number of years ago now, were faithful 00:41:45.309 --> 00:41:51.409 servants of the Lord in the business world. At 00:41:51.409 --> 00:41:55.070 a moment of crisis earlier on, together they 00:41:55.070 --> 00:41:58.369 declared Jesus Christ to be the Lord of everything 00:41:58.369 --> 00:42:04.590 that they had and that they were. At that moment 00:42:04.590 --> 00:42:07.530 in their life, they established certain priorities. 00:42:10.059 --> 00:42:13.119 And as a result of those priorities, under the 00:42:13.119 --> 00:42:17.019 lordship of Jesus Christ, God blessed them. They 00:42:17.019 --> 00:42:19.300 experienced the blessing of God in an unusual 00:42:19.300 --> 00:42:23.619 way. And when they each died, they died fulfilled. 00:42:25.179 --> 00:42:27.260 Knowing that while they were here in the world, 00:42:27.320 --> 00:42:29.559 they had fulfilled their function in the body. 00:42:30.320 --> 00:42:33.000 They had exercised that function with diligence 00:42:33.000 --> 00:42:43.650 and faithfulness. What about when you die? Are 00:42:43.650 --> 00:42:45.670 you going to be able to face Jesus Christ that 00:42:45.670 --> 00:42:49.610 way? There are some people who are afraid to 00:42:49.610 --> 00:42:54.949 give everything to Jesus Christ. But I want to 00:42:54.949 --> 00:42:56.949 remind you, when we give everything to Jesus 00:42:56.949 --> 00:43:03.329 Christ, we lose nothing. And we gain everything. 00:43:05.230 --> 00:43:12.449 Let's pray. With your head bowed, your eyes closed, 00:43:12.849 --> 00:43:17.349 the Spirit of God I trust is working in your 00:43:17.349 --> 00:43:26.050 heart. If you are not being equipped, if you 00:43:26.050 --> 00:43:30.050 don't sense that you're maturing, if you don't 00:43:30.050 --> 00:43:33.550 have that sense of fulfillment and purpose in 00:43:33.550 --> 00:43:38.050 the church of Jesus Christ, you need to ask yourself 00:43:38.050 --> 00:43:45.230 a question. Why is that? If that's the plan of 00:43:45.230 --> 00:43:47.570 God, if that's God's purpose, why aren't you 00:43:47.570 --> 00:43:52.369 experiencing it? It may be because you're not 00:43:52.369 --> 00:43:57.610 saved at all. You need to look at that. The apostle 00:43:57.610 --> 00:43:59.849 says examine yourselves whether you be in the 00:43:59.849 --> 00:44:07.230 faith. If you pass that test, then you need to 00:44:07.230 --> 00:44:10.789 say, Lord, is there something going on in my 00:44:10.789 --> 00:44:15.860 life that doesn't please you? He'll tell you. 00:44:20.159 --> 00:44:22.860 And when he does, will you give that to him? 00:44:26.440 --> 00:44:28.619 Will you bring it under his lordship and make 00:44:28.619 --> 00:44:31.400 your priorities what they ought to be? Let him 00:44:31.400 --> 00:44:37.039 be the Lord of all. Would you tell him about 00:44:37.039 --> 00:44:47.030 it right now? Father, you have established your 00:44:47.030 --> 00:44:51.730 Son as the head of the church. And as our victorious 00:44:51.730 --> 00:44:57.829 and glorious ascended Lord, Jesus has a plan 00:44:57.829 --> 00:45:04.130 for us, which we see in Ephesians 4. I pray that 00:45:04.130 --> 00:45:10.710 none of us will be robbed of the excitement and 00:45:10.710 --> 00:45:13.690 the fulfillment of seeing that plan realized 00:45:13.690 --> 00:45:20.650 in our own lives. As many of us have talked with 00:45:20.650 --> 00:45:25.590 you today and perhaps made new commitments or 00:45:25.590 --> 00:45:29.250 decisions for change, we pray that you will give 00:45:29.250 --> 00:45:36.130 us all that we need to carry through. For you 00:45:36.130 --> 00:45:42.130 are Lord and you're worthy. You're worthy of 00:45:42.130 --> 00:45:44.429 all the sacrifice that we can bring.