THE PURPOSES FOR SERVING CHRIST - EPH 4:13

Good morning, and welcome to the preaching ministry of Dillingham Moravian Church.

My name is Pastor Simon, and we have the immense joy to hear from God's Word

today so that we can learn to grow in serving the Lord together.

When I first got hired as pastor here at Dillingham Moravian Church,

I came equipped with a few good conversations about the congregation and about

Dillingham that I had with the elders.

And I'd also read the job description about what the elders required from their pastor.

However, even with seminary training, when I started pastoring here in Dillingham,

I realized very quickly that I didn't quite know what I was doing.

So in the first week on the job, I was called to pick up the body of a person

for whom I was supposed to do a funeral for.

I did not have a vehicle capable of carrying a coffin, so I called Ron Bowers,

who is one of the congregation members, and he went with me to pick up the coffin in his truck.

Now, when we got the coffin to the family's house in HUD, we were supposed to

put the coffin inside the living room.

Now, the house was unlocked, but when we tried to carry the coffin through the entrance doorway.

No matter which way we tried, we could not get that coffin inside that house.

Just then, a neighborhood teen who knew Ron, and everybody knew Ron,

he showed up and he asked to help.

We asked the teenager if he knew another way to get into the house.

The young man responded, yes, and proceeded to tell us that he'd broken into

that house a number of times and therefore knew how to dismantle the front window from the outside.

By taking out the front window, we were able to get to the coffin safely and

get it into the family's living room.

My point with the story is that to pastor, and I hope successfully,

in Dillingham for almost 15 years, I've had to learn not just theological and

biblical head knowledge.

But I had to learn about all of those who were in my flock.

I had to learn the waves of the Yupik and other cultures that live here.

And there's so many more things than people that I had to get to know, the community.

And that takes time. It takes experience and a whole lot of prayer and trust in Christ.

And of course, I couldn't have gotten this far without my wife,

Abigail, and her support and my church family teaching and loving me through thick and thin.

And in order for us as Christians to be one in Christ and to grow to complete

maturity in Christ, we are called not just to know about Christ in our head,

in our cognitive of knowledge,

but to know Christ our Lord personally and intimately as we serve Him together. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we come before You with gratitude that we get to hear from

You, hear from Your Word. Teach us today, Lord.

Use us as I speak and as You interact through me to those who are listening.

May your Holy Spirit work in us, Lord, so that your truth is proclaimed and

your life is being grown in all of us here and those who are listening.

We praise you. We bless you. May you work in us for your mighty glory and honor.

In your precious Son's name, Jesus Christ, we pray in the power of the Spirit. Amen.

Here at Dillingham Moravian Church, we have been studying Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

And the focus of Paul's letter is the unity of God displayed through the Church of Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians chapter 4, where we have been studying, Paul taught the Ephesian

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

believers in Christ and us that the unity or oneness of Christ's church is based

upon and based in the oneness of God.

Last week, we learned that God gives generously and immeasurably specific gifts

or graces to us to enable us as Christians to live in the oneness that spiritually

from God's perspective we already are living in.

We are also taught that Christ is the victorious King who has generously lavished

His spiritual gifts upon us.

In gratitude to Christ, we are to wholeheartedly use the gifts we have been

given by God for the building up of Christ's glorious kingdom.

Additionally, the members of Christ's Church are to be equipped by those gifted with church,

offices to be servants to each other in Christ Jesus and in His church and in

the world for the purpose of building up the body of Christ.

Today, we are going to continue on in our teaching series in Ephesians 4,

Ephesians 4:11–13

verses 11-13, where Paul taught Ephesians. Here's verse 11.

And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists,

and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work

of service to the building up of the body of Christ.

And here's where we are today in verse 13. until we attain to the unity of the

faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man,

to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

There are three timeless truths that I see God through Paul teaching us today.

The first main truth that I want to bring to your attention is that God is equipping

you and I and all Christ believers to do the service of the ministry to build up the body of Christ.

As we study this verse, we must understand that it is in the context of Christ's

church living in and out the unity that we have in God.

To live out the oneness of God in the church, Christ has given His church,

out of His immeasurable kindness and generosity, gifts or specific graces to

be used in the service of the ministry.

God also has given offices to the church, apostles, prophets, evangelists,

pastors, and teachers, to equip Christ's body for work of service to Christ,

and in Christ to others so that Christ's body would be built up.

The question to ask is, how long does the Lord want those in church offices

to equip believers, and how long are believers called to do the service of the ministry?

And Paul answered this question by writing, until we attain to the unity of the faith.

The word that Paul used for attain meant to reach a certain point in time or a certain level of.

Faith meant the trust in Jesus as contained in the content of the gospel,

meaning that Christians are to keep equipping and doing the work of the ministry

until all Christ's church reaches the level of oneness as we trust in Christ.

Now, are we completely living in oneness or unity in our local churches?

The Lord is working us strong here at DMC, but we still have a way to go, don't we?

Are we completely unified with other Christians in their congregations?

Is there still disunity in the universal church? Yes.

Is there still need to proclaim the gospel to raise up new believers,

therefore strengthening Christian unity?

Of course there is. My point is that there will always be the need for the church

offices to equip congregations,

and there will always be the need for individual congregation members to serve in ministry. Why?

Because we are saints who still sin.

It will not be until we are given new transformed bodies that sin will be removed,

and then we'll be completely unified in Christ.

Until then, the church offices will need to equip, and each member of Christ's

body will still need to serve Lord by serving others for Christ.

Yet Paul also had in mind a certain level of unity that is attainable in this

life, because Paul went on in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 14 to 15.

Ephesians 4:14–15

As a result, we are no longer to be children tossed here and there by the waves

and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men,

by craftiness and these deceitful scheming.

By speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who

is the Head, even Christ.

And thus Paul was instructing the congregation that there is a definite level

here that we as Christ followers can live together in the unity of the faith of Christ.

How then do we as Christians attain to the oneness of the faith that Paul wrote to the Ephesians about?

First off, by being open to being taught and equipped by those who have been

given church offices and by being obedient to the scriptures to serve your fellow

Christ believers and those outside the church.

Because the more you and I obey the Lord and by faith fulfill our roles that

Christ has given us in the church, then the more we grow in unity.

Secondly, we must learn to grow in faith in Christ by intentionally and moment

by moment trusting in Christ as our only Lord,

surrendering to His rule and love for us, and trusting what His Word is teaching,

and then joyfully obeying God's teaching.

If you're here today and you're listening to this message and you have realized

that your local church is struggling with unity, then I want to give you courage

to be the change that Christ wants you to see or wants to see.

Not the change that you want to see, but what Christ wants to see.

Trust Christ and then step out in faith to serve your church wherever and anywhere you can.

Use the gifts Christ has so generously given you, but remember that you are

Christ's gift to serve His people.

You are Christ's gift to serve your communities and to share the gospel of the

love of Christ wherever you go.

As Jesus Himself taught in Matthew 20-26-28, It is not this way among you,

but whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant,

and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

So far we've learned from Paul that those gifted by Christ with church offices

are to keep equipping and believers are to keep doing the work of the ministry,

until all Christ's church reaches oneness in Christ as we trust in Jesus together.

The second principle I want to show you from this verse is that God is equipping

us as Christ's believers to do the service of the ministry until we attain to

the knowledge of the Son of God.

Paul, in Ephesians 4, verse 11, verse 13, taught this.

Ephesians 4:11

And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists,

some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints,

for the work of the service,

to the building up of the body of Christ until we attain to the unity of faith, and here it is,

of the knowledge of the Son of God.

This part of verse 13 is, in my opinion, the key to living in the unity of faith.

What Paul was teaching the Ephesian congregations was that God,

equipping the body of Christ to do the service of the ministry, using the,

those gifted with church offices, so that Christ's church will not only attain

to the unity of faith, but know the Son of God Himself.

The word that Paul used for knowledge in this verse referred to personal recognition,

coming to understand something clearly and distinctly, or as true and valid,

often with a personal acquaintance that necessitates a positive or negative reaction.

The Greek word that is used here is epikonosko, or experiential knowledge.

And I bring this word to your attention because the purpose of being equipped

for ministry and serving Christ is so that we may know Christ personally and intimately.

We know that what God's Word says is true, not just that we've learned head

knowledge about Christ, but also because since we know Christ,

that we know His nature, we know His love, we truly trust that He is our only

Lord, and we trust His words.

Paul in Philippians 3, verse 8-11 explained, More than that,

Philippians 3:8–11

I count all these things to be lost,

because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,

for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish

so that I may gain Christ and be found in him,

not having a righteousness of my own, which is from the law,

but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness,

which is from God upon faith. And here's what I want you to hear.

I may know him. All of that before was so that Paul may know Christ.

And he goes on, and know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of

his sufferings being conformed to his death in order that I may attain to the

resurrection from the dead.

For Paul knowing Christ, that had more value than any other honor on earth.

Paul was willing to suffer any

torture, even death itself, to know Christ and to be found in him. Why?

Because it was the process of knowing Christ through faith that Paul would know

the resurrection power and be identified with Christ in suffering, in imitation of Christ.

I want you to see in Philippians chapter 3, Paul knew that to truly know Christ,

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

he had to serve like Christ did, sacrificially suffering for faith in Christ.

The more Paul served the Lord and suffered for Christ, the more he knew Christ.

The more Paul knew Christ, the more Christ's resurrection power worked through Paul.

Paul's life on earth was just the training period or the formation time for

eternal life so that he could be with Christ forever.

We need to understand that being with Christ forever was the reward that Paul

desired more than anything.

Back in Ephesians 4, verse 13, Paul was instructing the Ephesian Christ believers

Ephesians 4:13

that the purpose for being trained to serve Christ was so that they could know

Christ and experience a relationship with Him,

and all the power and life that the Son of God gives.

How then can we learn to experientially know the Son of God from this verse?

By faith-filled joy, trusting in the love of Christ.

We embrace serving Christ in whatever situation God puts us in and wherever He puts us.

The context of this verse is growing in oneness with Christ's church because God is one.

And how we live in God's oneness is by putting on the characteristics of Christ

and displaying them with our lives.

And as we come to serve others in Christ, we do so with the virtues of Christ

and by living in His infinite love.

And this is essential because the more we, by faith in Christ and faith in His love,

serve the church with our lives, including with our specific gifts that God

has given us, the more we abide in Christ and the more we know Christ.

Yet I want to caution us regarding our spiritual gifts.

We are called to serve Christ with our gifts. But how do we know what gifts

we have unless we serve with them?

How do we know that we just have one gift or one focus in ministry?

God can give us gifts for a period of time and take them away or give us others.

Many of our gifts, we only realize we have been given them when we've gone through

perseverance and trials as God stretches us and molds us more into the image of His Son.

I want to strongly encourage us that when severe trials come,

and they do, and they will, especially in persecution.

We may not have the luxury to specialize with one or a few gifts,

but rather we, you and I, will be called to give our lives, every aspect of

it, in service to our precious Lord.

And maybe one day we will be honored to give our lives in death for the sake

of Christ's glorious gospel.

The third principle I want to show you from this verse is that God is equipping

us as part of Christ's body in the unity of God to do the service of the ministry,

until we attain to the maturity which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

When I was in high school, I was assistant coach for the ladies' soccer team.

When the practice season started, all of the girls promised to work hard,

but they also committed themselves to learning from the head coach with the

goal of becoming a better soccer player and a better team player.

Similar to playing a sport and learning from the coach to be a better player,

so also we as Christians, as we submit to Christ,

are to commit ourselves to be instructed and trained under our church leaders

to serve God and others with the goal of becoming complete in Christ.

Paul finished up in Ephesians 4, verse 13.

Ephesians 4:13

By teaching to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

I want you to notice in this passage that Paul was teaching that God is equipping

us as part of Christ's body in the unity of God to do the service of the ministry,

not only to know Christ, the Son of God, but also to reach to the level of maturity

of one who is full of Christ.

The word that Paul used for fullness meant completeness.

To be mature referred to being perfect.

And thus, Christ's believers are to be equipped to do the service of the ministry

until we become perfect to the level of completely full of Christ or be complete in Christ.

Paul in Colossians 1, verse 27 to 29 instructed, to whom God willed to make

Colossians 1:27–29

known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,

which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom,

so that we may present every man, here it is, complete in Christ.

For this purpose I also labor, striving according to his working,

which he works in me in power.

I want you to see the goal of equipping and teaching and training in Christ

is so that every Christ believer would be presented as complete in Jesus Christ.

Paul also went so far to say that he and Timothy would be the ones presenting

the Colossian Christ believers that they had taught and had equipped.

That means that I and other Bible teachers here at Dillingham Ravian Church

and other pastors and quippers that you've had over the years will get the privilege

of one day presenting each of you complete before God Almighty.

And that is something that I am definitely looking forward to.

There are two ways that I see that we can apply this last part of verse 13 to us as Christians.

First off, If the goal is to be mature in Christ and to be mature,

we have to be equipped to serve Christ.

And then you and I must wholeheartedly commit to be trained,

taught, and discipled to serve Christ.

I think this is one of the big issues facing the church today.

Social media, television, even books are teaching us to be more and more self-reliant

and to do things our own way. And yet in Christ, we are called to be interdependent

on one another as we rely on Christ.

Secondly, we, you and I, as we surrender to Christ, must take what we have learned

of God's Word from those who equipped us to serve and continually strive to put it into practice.

Again, this takes constant surrendering to Christ, continually trusting that

He loves us and loves those we are to serve.

It also takes cultivating a servant heart by considering those around us as

more important or more valuable than ourselves.

Paul in Philippians 2, verse 2-8 wrote, Doing nothing from selfish ambition

Philippians 2:2–8

or vainglory, but with humility of mind, regarding one another as more important than yourselves.

Not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Why? Have this thinking in yourselves, which also was in Christ Jesus,

who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God

a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a slave,

by being made in the likeness of men,

being found in appearance as a man.

He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

What then has God been teaching us through Paul today. The first truth that

God has taught us is that God had given offices to the church,

the apostles, the prophets,

evangelists, pastors, teachers, to equip Christ's body for the work of the service

to Christ until Christ's church reaches oneness in Christ as we trust in Christ together.

We have also learned that the purpose for being equipped to serve Christ is

so that we can know Christ and experience a relationship with Him filled with

the power and life of the Son of God.

Lastly, God is equipping us as part of Christ's body to do the service of ministry

to reach to the level of maturity of one who is full of Christ.

And I want to encourage you today.

Christ has chosen you to serve Him by serving others in the church and outside

the church. How are you going to respond?

How are you going to serve him today? Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for the great joy it is to be in you, to be in your presence

along with all the body of Christ,

that we are one spiritually before your eyes.

And yet, in our sin, we're not always one.

And I pray for unity in our local congregations, Lord, here in Dillingham,

in the Bush, Alaska, Lord, also Alaska as a whole, and around the world.

May we be one in you based upon your word.

May we serve, Lord, I pray for all Christians here in Dillingham and in the

Bush, Alaska, all around the world.

I pray that we would use our gifts, Lord.

Please, Lord, use them to serve you.

But most of all, I pray that we would have your heart, Lord.

Grant us your heart of service towards others as we serve you.

Thank you, precious Father. In your Son, Jesus Christ's name we pray this.

Amen. I'll leave you with Romans chapter 15, verse 5 through 6.

Romans 15:5–6

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony

with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father for Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have a wonderful Sunday. May the Lord bless you.