TEXT:
"[11] And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
SERMON MANUSCRIPT:
Depending upon your upbringing, sports can get a good or bad rap. Sports can undoubtedly become an idol we worship, leading to multiple painful memories. But sports can also be a good gift from the Lord, a common grace of God that teaches us many valuable lessons about work, life, and God.
Sports teach us the importance of hard work, they teach us how to handle success and failure, and they teach us the importance of teamwork. Sports teach us that we need our teammates just as much as our teammates need us.
Think about baseball or football for a moment. For a baseball team to be successful, you need nine players to play nine different positions well. Even though everyone might want to play shortstop, you can't have everyone play shortstop. Just as much as you need someone to play shortstop, you need someone to play the not-so-glamorous position of right field.
The same is true with football, as well. For a football team to be successful, you need 22 players playing 22 different positions. Even though everyone wants to be the quarterback, you can't have everyone play quarterback. If everyone played quarterback, you would have no one to throw the ball to. With a team full of quarterbacks, you would have no one to block the opposing defense or stop the opposing offense.
For a team to succeed, you need a group of individuals who are uniquely gifted in various ways who are committed to playing their position to the best of their ability. Well, the same is true of the church. For the church to function correctly, it needs to consist of a group of individuals who are uniquely gifted in various ways and who are committed to playing their position to the best of their ability. Today, we will look at how God has uniquely gifted different members of the body of Christ for the glory of God and the good of the church.
But, before we do so, I want to give us a brief overview of spiritual gifts in the Bible. The word "gift" is the Hebrew word "charisma." It's a word that is directly tied to grace. Perhaps it could best be understood as God's undeserved favor extended to his people. At times, this word is directly tied to the gospel and the free gift of salvation.
For example, Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift [charisma] of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." So, where we deserve death, God has extended the undeserved gift of eternal life through his Son, Jesus. Salvation is not something you earn through merit; it is not something you deserve through effort. It is something you receive through faith, an underserved gift [charisma] from God.
In addition to salvation, charisma is also used to describe spiritual gifts within the church. So, this isn't a saving grace but a ministry grace. A spiritual gift is a Holy Spirit-empowered ability given to a believer that they should use to build up the body of Christ.
There are four instances in the New Testament where spiritual gifts are mentioned: Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Peter 4:11. In looking at these different passages, you'll notice some overlap in the described gifts. But, in addition to this overlap, significant differences are found among these lists.
The book of Romans and 1 Peter seem to lay out several essential and basic functions performed in the church. 1 Corinthians seems to be more of a matter of special abilities found within the church, and Ephesians 4:11 is a list of various offices within the church. Our passage today, therefore, teaches us that God has given unique leaders to the church for the purpose of equipping the church to be the church.
So, let's dive in.
"[11] And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
I want to spend our first few minutes unpacking the various gifts Christ gives the church to equip the body of Christ.
APOSTLES.
The first gift mentioned is the apostles. The word "apostle" simply means "one who is sent." So, in a very general sense, an apostle is a specific messenger with a specific title, taking a specific message to a specific people. In this general sense, all Christians everywhere are apostles because we have been sent into the world as Christ's ambassadors proclaiming his message.
But, in a more specific sense, the Bible speaks of [A]postles of Christ. These were a small group of men chosen and commissioned by Christ to proclaim his message to the world (the twelve disciples of Jesus). So, where Jesus had many disciples who followed him, he chose twelve apostles responsible for preaching his message.
We see this in Luke 6:13 and Mark 3:14.
"And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles…" — Luke 6:13
"And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach…" — Mark 3:14
In chapter 2, Paul tells us that the apostles and prophets were the foundation of the church-- you and I are "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." This tells us that the apostles and prophets are profoundly important to the church.
Let's now try to put a definition to the term apostle for a moment. An apostle was someone who was personally taught and sent by Jesus into the world to teach his message. An apostle was an appointed messenger of Jesus. These were men who personally walked with Jesus, who were personally called by Jesus, who were personally taught by Jesus, and who were personally sent out by Jesus to preach the message of Jesus.
Now, due to Judas' betrayal, we see Mathias become one of the twelve apostles in Acts 1. And, in Acts 2:42, we see the early church devoted themselves "to the apostles teaching…." So, the apostles were teaching, the church was listening, and the church was doing what the apostles were teaching them.
In addition to Mathias, we also see Jesus appear before Paul, save Paul, call Paul, and send Paul out as an apostle. So, at the beginning of many of Paul's letters, you find Paul introducing himself as an apostle of Jesus. In doing so, he's saying, "Hey, I have God's message for you."
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were taught, commissioned, and sent by Jesus to proclaim his message. This was a small group of men who received authority to teach God's people God's message, which led to the church embracing their teaching.
With that being said, I believe that the gift of apostleship is still being enjoyed within the church today. But, I do not believe the gift of apostleship is still being distributed amongst the church today.
There's a fundamental difference between those two statements that I want us to understand.
In general, yes, we're all called to be [a]postles, meaning we're all sent into the world to be Christ's ambassador, proclaiming his message. But, in the specific sense of the word being used here, no one today has an apostolic authority to come and proclaim a direct and unique message of Jesus. Only a handful of apostles were sent to proclaim God's message in which the church would be built. So, church, you should politely run out of the building if I come to you next Sunday and say, "Church, close your Bibles. The Lord has given me a new message for you today."
Well, if the gift of apostleship isn't being distributed, how is it still being enjoyed? In God's providential goodness, we still can enjoy God's written message proclaimed through the apostles. In God's grace, the message of the apostles was written down and recorded. Therefore, we can still be equipped and edified by God's word spoken through the apostles.
PROPHECY
Like the apostles, the term prophet has varying degrees of application. In using the definition John Stott gives in his commentary on Ephesians, a prophet was "a person who 'stood in the council of God,' who heard and even 'saw' his word, and who in consequence 'spoke from the mouth of the Lord' and spoke his word 'faithfully.'" In other words, a prophet was a "mouthpiece or spokesman of God, a vehicle of his direct revelation." Like an apostle, a prophet proclaimed a direct message from God, saying, "Thus says the LORD."
Similar to an apostle, I do not think, in this formal sense, there are [P]rophets today. Like the apostles, the prophets served as the church's foundation, and fortunately, we still have their words available today that we can study and know. But, with that being said, I do think the gift of prophecy is different than the gift of apostleship in the sense that it is a gift still being given to the church today. When you look at the list of spiritual gifts in Romans and 1 Corinthians, you will find prophecy listed in both. So, although I do not think there are [P]rophets, I certainly believe there are [p]rophets.
But what does the gift of prophecy look like today?
Perhaps this could be demonstrated through a believer's ability to study God's word and then apply God's word to a specific person, people, or context.
Generally, we should all strive to handle the Bible carefully. And as we study the Scriptures, after we learn what the text means in its immediate context, we should ask the question, "What does God have to say to me (and us) today?" We should all seek to contextualize the Bible to our immediate life and context. But, there are undoubtedly some of us whom God has uniquely gifted to do this better than others. Some of us have a special gift for taking the Word of God and contextualizing it to where we are today. Some of us will be reading the Bible and feel the Spirit lead us to text someone and say, "Hey, as I was reading this morning, God laid you on my heart, and I want to let you know ______."
EVANGELIST
At the root of the word "evangelist" is the word "evangelize." In his book on Evangelism, Alvin Reid defines evangelism as "sharing the good news of Jesus Christ by word and life in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that unbelievers become followers of Jesus Christ in His church and in the culture."
As believers, we're all called to evangelize. We're all expected to share our faith with the lost. But, an Evangelist is gifted with a unique ability to proclaim the gospel and share their faith with the lost. An evangelist is someone gifted with the ability to share their faith with the lost.
As we all seek to share the hope of the gospel, there are undoubtedly some of us here today who have a special ability and passion to reach the lost. These are individuals who are more hardwired to think outward than inward. These are individuals who are always thinking through the lens of how to win the lost to Christ. These are individuals who can carefully walk with the lost without jeopardizing biblical conviction. These are individuals who can proclaim Christ crucified in a manner that is compelling and not abrasive.
A healthy church needs men and women who are using their gifts, talents, and resources to reach their neighbors for Christ. The church needs men and women to be praying, "Lord, help me leverage my entire life to make your name great in the world!"
SHEPHERDS AND TEACHERS
Next, Paul mentions shepherds and teachers. There's a difference of opinions here regarding whether or not this is one or two positions described. Some try to divide these into two roles or gifts (the gift of a shepherd and the gift of a teacher), while others lump them into the same role.
Those who put them in the same category point to the fact that there's just one definitive article separating in Greek here, indicating they're in the same position— "the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers." They would then say that one of the primary ways a shepherd takes care of his flock is by feeding his flock, and the way a shepherd feeds his flock is through the teaching of the word.
Others, however, would respond by saying, "Yes, all shepherds should teach. But not all teachers are shepherds. Some are gifted in teaching and will not be responsible for shepherding the flock in a pastoral role."
There are certainly valid arguments either way. And I, honestly, went back and forth on which camp I landed in this week. But I want to spend the next few moments discussing the role of a pastor/shepherd here.
Depending on your translation, your Bible will say "shepherd" or "pastor." The Greek word for shepherd here is "poimēn." It describes the act of overseeing and caring for the flock. So, a pastor is responsible for caring for God's flock, the church.
When you read throughout the New Testament, you'll find three different terms used to describe this same office of a pastor: presbuteros (elder), episkopos (overseer), and poimēn (pastor/shepherd). At Harbor, we will hold to the idea that these three terms are used interchangeably to describe the same office. So, an elder is an overseer, an overseer is a pastor, and a pastor is an elder.
Why do we think this?
We come to this conclusion because of passages like Acts 20:17-28. Here, Paul gathers the elders (presbuteros) of the church of Ephesus to give them a farewell message. Well, in verse 28, as he's giving a final commission to the elders, he says, "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (episkopos), to care for (poimaino) the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." So, the elders of the church of Ephesus were to watch over and care for the flock that God had made them overseers of.
I want you to notice that Paul addresses the elder[s], plural, of the church of Ephesus. Passages like this make us believe a local church shouldn't have one pastor. We hold to the belief that a church is best shepherded through a plurality of elders/pastors. So, as long as the Lord has me here, I will always be one of the pastors here at Harbor; I will never be the pastor. We have three elders/pastors here at Harbor: Wayne Cunningham, Brady King, and myself.
But why? Why a plurality of pastors?
Well, I can think of a multitude of reasons. For one, the Bible talks about wisdom coming through many counselors. So, pastors shepherd best with other pastors. But the fundamental reason why I think a plurality of elders is so important is this: it allows your pastors to be pastored.
Look back at that passage in Acts, "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock…" Before you find a call to shepherd the flock, you find a call to shepherd each other, themselves. A plurality of elders provides accountability to those who need accountability. It provides comfort to those who need comforting. It provides wisdom to those who need counsel. It provides prayer for those who need prayer. A plurality of elders keeps your elders grounded.
Although I am the pastor you see the most, I am no different than Wayne and Brady. This is not my church, and I am not the pastor. This is God's church, which he obtained by his own blood. I am simply one of the men God entrusted to shepherd his flock, and in that same breath, I am a part of the flock that the pastors of this church are shepherding.
As pastors, it's our responsibility to pay close attention to ourselves and to the flock God has entrusted us to shepherd. It's our responsibility to lovingly care for you and seek your growth in Christ (Heb 13:17; 1 Th 5:12). It's our responsibility to provide teaching, preaching, and counsel from the whole counsel of God (Gal 6:6; 1 Tim 5:17-18). It's our responsibility to help you in times of need (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35; Jas 2:14-17; Gal. 6:1-5). It's our responsibility to pray for you regularly (Jas 5:14). It's our responsibility to be on guard against false teachers/teaching (Acts 20:28-31). It's our responsibility to exercise redemptive church discipline when necessary (Mt 18:15-20; 1 Co 5; Gal 6:1). It's our responsibility to help you become equipped to serve Christ and his church well (Ep 4:11-13).
Look at verse 12, "he gave these gifts... to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain the the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."
It's not the pastor's responsibility to do the work of the ministry; it is the pastor's responsibility to equip the church for the work of the ministry. To be clear, that doesn't mean the pastors do nothing within the church. No, we ought to serve and be actively involved in the life of the church. But what I mean by that is this: the church is best served whenever the pastors are equipping the church to do the work of the ministry because we are all ministers.
The word used here for "ministry" is the Greek word "diakonia." It means attending to the needs of another. It's the idea of serving another by applying relief to them. It's the same word used in Luke 10:40 to describe Martha. When Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, her sister (Mary) was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching. While Mary was listening, "Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Jesus and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?"
This teaches us that we are all called to ministry, and ministry is humble service. Ministry is a term of action. It's a term of selfless service. We are all called to empty our tanks, using our gifts to serve one another selflessly.