The DNA of Unity – Eph 4:7-16
Eph 4:7 “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
- The first word is a conjunction tying what came before to this new series of thoughts – What came before is the “Calling” we each have individually
- Grace = God’s empowering to accomplish His assignment
- Gift = the ministry gift that we individually are to the Body of Christ
- Measure = how much power you will need in your gifting
Eph 4:8-10 “Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)”
- Therefore = “This is why…” – Ps 68:18 – He completed the payment for our debt, set the OT prisoners [waiting in the bosom of Abraham] free, sat down at the right hand of the Father and poured out His HS to fill us to be the Church – (Eph1:23 “which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”)
- Everyone of us is a “gift” given by Jesus, empowered by the HS to minister/serve
Eph 4:11 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,”
- This is a short list of ministry gifts He has given the Church – a longer list is found in 1 Cor 12:28 “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” — this is followed by 1 Cor 12:31 “But earnestly desire the best gifts…” = earnestly desire to be the best gift you can be – this is not to compare yourself with others – that is dealt with in prior verses… eye can’t say to the ear…
- This is the only list put in order… the “Apostle” is the best only in that he has served in all the other offices; start where you are and be the best gift to the Body and God will continue to use you in greater ways – “Promotion comes from the Lord”
- “Some” = not all!
Eph 4:12 “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,”
- Our goal for each of us is to help each other be better and do better… and in this way we all grow
Eph 4:13 “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”
- Our bottom-line goal is that we all become more like Jesus – individually and corporately – This Glorifies God!
- In her book, “Love Revolution”, Joyce Meyer sites and example of a hurting young women that finally braved entering the doors of a church but walked away hurt and more broken than when she started because corporately and individually the church did not characterize Jesus – She then compares this to a later experience of the same girl going to a church that open-heartedly accepted, loved, served, reached out to… and her life was changed!
Eph 4:14 “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”
- Disconnected, uniformed, non-functioning Christians are like ‘small children who are an easy mark for imposters’ (Message translation)
- There will always be voices peddling ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes and ‘short-cuts’ to success
Eph 4:15 “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—“
- We need to be connected with strong enough relationships within the church that friends will speak the truth to us when we need to hear it – Pr 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful”
Eph 4:16 “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.”
- The very interesting thing about a cell within a complicated organism such as a human being, is that its individual development has been hardwired within it since conception (DNA) yet, it is wholly dependant on the environment of cells around it as to its final development. Each individual cell has the capacity to become whatever is best for the whole body. (stem cell research)
- The path of development each cell takes is ultimately determined by the need of the whole… its future is secure only in serving the whole… the greatness of the species is dependant on each cell’s resigning to serve the whole.
- This is what Church is made of… the resigning attitude of each to serve the other.
How are you serving? How are you helping others in the Church to be better and do better? How could you serve better? As a result, what developments have you seen in the person you are becoming?
Nxt Wk Vs – Eph 4:24 “and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
