1. The Lord has given many blessings to the Church
2. All that we would ever need to grow as a Church, He has supplied
GOD’S GRACIOUS PROVISION TO HAVE ONENESS
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in [c]you all.
Ephesians 4:1-6
1. Plea of the Apostle Paul
a) To walk worthy of the Lord’s calling
b) To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
2. Provision of God for Oneness
a) One body (Church)
b) One Spirit
c) One Hope
d) One Lord
e) One Faith
f) One Baptism
g) One God and Father of all
GOD’S PROVISION FOR THE CHURCH
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
Ephesians 4:7-11
1. The Gift of Grace
2. Grace-Gifts given to all
3. Gifts of servants of God
a) Apostles
b) Prophets
c) Evangelists
d) Pastors-teachers
THE PURPOSE OF THESE GIFTS
12 For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:12-16
1. For equipping the church
2. For edifying of the Church
3. Till we come to the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ
4. Features of a spiritually mature church
a) No longer children
b) Growing well
c) Speaking the truth in love
d) Every part doing its share
PROBLEMS THAT CAN HINDER THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:25-32
1. Sins will hinder the Church
2. Satan will attack the Church from within and from without
3. When the Spirit of God is grieved
OUR CHALLENGE
1. To appreciate Gifts of God
2. To apply ourselves to cultivating these Gifts from God
3. To adore the Lord for all that He has blessed the Church with