Andrew Fountain - How the Church Grows Up—Why every person needs to play their part

I’m optimistic about the future of the church. That’s because in Eph 4, God says that we’re moving out of childhood and into maturity. But how?

Sermon Outline - How the Church Grows Up—Why every person needs to play their part

• New mini-series on our vision for growth at Newlife

Ephesians 4

1. I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2. with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3. eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
    
4. There is
   • one body and
   • one Spirit, just as you too were called to the
   • one hope of your calling,⁵
   • one Lord,
   • one faith,
   • one baptism,⁶
   • one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
    
8. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.”
9. (Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth?
10. He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
     
11. It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12. to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,
13. until we all together arrive
    • at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
    • at mature manhood
    • at the measure of Christ’s full stature.
14. So we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of teaching
          by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.
15.       Rather, being truthful in love,
    we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, into Christ.
16. From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament.
    As each part works properly according to its measure, the body grows so that it builds itself in love.

based on NET Bible

• Video of Duanne Miller faithfully using his teaching gift with a surprising event in the middle

Updated on 2019-02-11 by Andrew Fountain