Sermon Tone Analysis

Sunday, August 17, 2008

*How the church family is built up**! *

Ephesians 4:11-16

/15 //Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

16 //From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work./

Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV

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*This morning we continue* in our 5 week study of the *4th chapter of Ephesians*.

My intention for *focusing on this chapter* at this time is that I believe it has instructions that, if followed, will *prepare us as a congregation* for effective ministry this fall.

*September* is really the *start of new beginnings in a church*.

A *church year* tends to follow the pattern of the *school year* of our children.

As our students *return to the classroom* in September, there is a *renewed* sense of *adventure* and *new beginnings*.

*Among those fresh starts* that a new school year provides are the *re-formations of athletic teams*.

With the passage of the *previous* school year, *graduates have moved on* and *under-classmen* have *moved up*.

*Coaches* of various teams are *planning*, *strategizing* and *recruiting* for their particular teams in hopes that *this fall* they will *field successful programs* and maybe even a *winning record*.

These *athletic teams provide* us an *illustration* of much of *what church is about*.

We, too, are *a team of* *players* coming together in a *common purpose* so that we will *grow together* in our *love for Jesus Christ*, in our *love for each other* and *give ourselves to the mission* of introducing and winning *people to Jesus Christ*.

*Our Vision* as a church is to: *Influence individuals and communities* to *begin*, *sustain* and *grow* a personal and corporate *relationship with Christ* by developing a *worshipping*, *supportive* and *evangelistic fellowship*.

As I mentioned last week, *our effectiveness* in doing ministry *depends on* a few very important factors like being *faithful*, being *available* and being *teachable*.

But *the glue* that binds those factors together is *commitment*.

And so again this morning, I want you to *know my purpose* in preaching *these sermons* from Ephesians 4. It is to *call us* as a congregation to a re-commitment to *Christ*, a re-commitment to *His church* and a re-commitment to *the work of Christ* in this world.

*September* begins a *new season* for us as a church.

*Some* of the *players we counted on last year* have moved on.

Most football coaches would love to *have their seniors return*.

But, *rarely* do coaches spend much *time in that dream world*.

They have a *task* ahead of them.

They have *many return players* and a goodly number of *new and young players*.

It is with *that assembly of athletes* that the coach will *field a team*.

And, if the players *buy into the coach’s plan* and *work hard*, the entire team will come to the *end of the season* with many *accomplishments to show *for their hard work.

Paul in this *4th chapter of Ephesians* has outlined a *strategy* for how a *local church family* is able to *grow* and *build itself up* in love.

We will see that *his strategy* calls for a *very intentional focus* on Jesus Christ, the owner of the team.

Therefore, I am *urging you to recommit yourself* *to Christ* as your *highest* and *most valued priority*.

I am challenging you to *take control of your calendar* so that your days and your weeks *reflect* that *Jesus Christ truly is your Lord*, the Head of His Church.

We will also see that *Paul’s strategy* calls for a *very intentional effort* to maintain the *unity of the team* by expressing *support and encouragement *at every turn and in every situation.

We may *like to choose our own teammates*.

But, to *play that game* is to *call into question* the wisdom of *our* *Head* for it is Christ who has *put this team together*.

As a result, each of us are *brothers and sisters* called to humbly serve our Lord *side by side* in worship and evangelism.

I *unashamedly am challenging you* to an even *higher view* of the *local church* than you may presently hold.

For I believe the *Scriptures tell us* that it is *through the local body of Christ* where the rubber meets the road, where *our love for Christ* is given the *best opportunity* to develop and be *employed*.

It is in the context of a *local assembly* of believers where our *faith is best lived out*, not in isolation from the world, but in its *most effective impact* on the world.

For I am *convinced* that *faithful, obedient, loving Christians*, who are committed to the mission of a local church that is faithfully serving Christ, have the *greatest potential for impacting the unbelieving world* that surrounds them.

And, I hope to *persuade you* through the *truth of Ephesians 4* and through the *work of the Holy Spirit* applying the truth to your life, that *there is not one thing* that you would want to *commit yourself to more* than to *Christ*, to *His Church* and to *His work* in the world.

And Paul is giving us *a strategy* to make that *happen right here* at New Heights Christian Church.

I would like us to *read together* our text, going back to *include the earlier verses* of chapter 4. I would like the *men* to read *verses 1-3*.

The *women* to read *verses 4-6*.

I will read *verses 7-10*.

Then, I would like us *all to read verses 11-16*.

Would you please *stand with me* as we *read from God’s Word?*

*Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV) – [men] **/1 /**/As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received./*/

2 //Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

3 //Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

/

*Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV) – [women] */4 //There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 //one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 //one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

/

*Ephesians 4:7-10 (NIV) – [Pastor Dan] */7 //But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

8 //This is why it says: /

/“When He ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to men.”/

/9 //(What does “He ascended” mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 //He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

/

*Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV) – [Congregation]*

/11 //It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 //to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 //until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

/

/ /

/14 //Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

*15 */*/Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

16 /**/From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work./*/

/

Paul likely wrote this letter *while imprisoned in **Rome* for having *too effectively* *proclaimed the Gospel* of Jesus Christ.

Roman *leadership thought* they could *stop the spread of Christianity* if they *silenced* its leaders.

Sometimes that strategy *works*.

But, very commonly, it *backfires.*

*Paul writes* to a church of which he *had served* as the founding *pastor-teacher* a few years earlier and urges them to *live up to the calling* to which they had been *called by Christ*.

All throughout this letter he has *drawn his readers* to *look again at Christ*, to see Him as the *source of every spiritual blessing*, to understand that it was *Christ* who *made it possible* for us to be *adopted* as *sons and daughters* into God’s family, to be *overwhelmed** with gratitude* for the gift of salvation made possible through *Christ’s death* on the cross.

Paul reminded his readers that *because of the mercy* of God, Christ had obtained for us *an inheritance* reserved only for *the truly righteous* and, as a *seal of this promise* to us, God gave us *His Holy Spirit* to continue His work of *transformation* in our lives.

How could anyone *reading Paul’s letter* to the Ephesian believers *not respond with overflowing gratitude* to God? Surely we would *take heed*, then, *to his admonishments*.

We would *value his instructions*.

We would *welcome his warnings*.

Why would we *treat these God-inspired words* with an attitude of *nonchalance*, of *non-importance* or of “*we know better*?”

No, *God has a word for us* and He intends that *we pay close attention to it*.

He has given it to us *through His servant Paul*.

Let’s start with *the promised outcome* of Paul’s instructions *if we obey them*.

Look at verse 16.

*/16 /**/From Him (Christ) the whole body/**/, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work./*

*The promise* is that *the local church*, the local expression of the larger body of Christ, *will grow and will build itself up in love*.

There appear to be *two conditions to the fulfillment* of this promise.

*First*, the *source of the life* that causes the *growth* and the *building up* is *Christ*.

Our Lord *cannot be divorced* from His church without *taking the life out* of the church.

He is *the source of life* and *growth* and *health* and *love*.

*Look again *at the text in verse 16.

Do you *see what I see*?

Is there not *a second condition* to the promise God makes through Paul?

*/16 /**/From Him (Christ) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, /**/as/**/ each part does its work/**/./*

What’s the second condition?

That *each part *of the body *must do its work*.

*God promises* that His body, the church, *will grow* and *build itself up* as each part *does its work*.

Each of us has a *responsibility* to the *local congregation* in which God has placed us.

Each of us is to *do his or her part*, make his or her *contribution* as God has intended.

*We’ll get back to that* soon.

But, first, let’s *see clearly* that God has promised that His body will grow and will build itself up in love.

That’s *the outcome* God has in mind for His church.

*Apart from* the issue of *winning and losing* ball games, such a *promise* from God *parallels* what most *coaches desire* for their football teams.

They want their *teams* to be *well bonded* and *strong in team spirit.*

They want each player to be *supportive and encouraging* of all the other players.

They want each player to *make the contribution* they are *trained for* and *practice for.*

They want each player *committed to following the assignments* they are given.

And *the promise* these coaches will make *to their players*, if they, the players, *commit to the team vision* and the *team goals* and *give themselves* heart and soul *to them*, follow the *instructions* of the coaches and *encourage and support* their fellow players, their *team will grow* and *build itself up* in love.

O, *guys might not use* the word “*love*,” but they will *be committed *to doing *what is best* for the team and what is *best for each player*.