yep let's get into the Word of God our text today is going to be chapter 4 in
Ephesians and verses 7 through 16 I'll have you turn there if you're not there
already and once you do if you're able I'll ask you to stand if not that's
alright but you can follow along as I read the text the Apostle Paul is
writing by the Holy Spirit to the church in Ephesus and says verse 7 but to each
one of us Grace has been given as Christ apportioned it this is why it says verse
8 when he ascended on high he took many captives and gave gifts to his people
what does he ascended mean except that he also descended to the lower earthly
regions he who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens
in order to fill the whole universe so Christ Himself gave the Apostles the
prophets the evangelists the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works
of service so that the body of Christ may be built up 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 then verse 14 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 people in their deceitful
scheming instead speaking the truth in love we will grow to become in every
respect the mature body of him who is the head that is Christ
from him verse 16 the whole body joined and held together by every supporting
ligament grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work
let's pray if you would join with me loving Heavenly Father will You settle
us and enable us to focus and give you our undivided attention Lord we don't
want there to be anything that would distract us or keep us from that which
You have for us we don't want to miss anything that's here for us today Lord
that's why we're here today we want to hear You speak into our lives as You
always do in that still small refining voice of the Holy Spirit in ways that we
know it's You because only You know that about us so Lord very personally if need
be very powerfully speak Your servants are listening we ask You for this in
Jesus' name Amen you can be seated thank you so I want to talk with you today
about why it is that we need each other as the body of Christ here in our text
the Apostle Paul explains just how important every single one of us is in
order for the body to function in a healthy way
just as with our bodies functioning in a healthy way physically so to do we all
play a part in the body of Christ functioning in a healthy way spiritually
that's what I want to talk about today this is why Paul in our text today draws
this comparison and in so doing provides us with an understanding of how we're
all different parts of the same body we're all different yet we're all a part
of the same body of Christ we're all diverse in our function but we're all
the same in our unity and perhaps more importantly we're all the same in our
importance that's the problem and I want to talk about that here more in a moment
last week we talked about how that there's unity in diversity which is
where we get our word for university it's a university made up of people that
are very diverse yet united you unity in diversity and when it comes to the body
of Christ no truer words could be spoken I mean I look out at you as is my
privilege to do here in this wonderful church and I see such unity you're all
very different you kind of look different too but but
there's such diversity yet there's unity because we're one in Christ as Paul
mentioned prior one body one Christ one baptism one Spirit we're all
and though very diverse Paul here details three key reasons I found three
maybe you'll find more but three reasons as to why it is that we really need each
other one of the problems is admitting that we need other people and that's a
pride thing I mean if we're honest with ourselves we're sometimes too proud to
admit that we need help but the fact of the matter is we need other people in
our diversity and we need other people in our diversity so as to function in
unity as a healthy body one thing that I just absolutely love about this church
is that we are of one mind and one Accord this is a healthy church body and
that's why I often say quite often I say that it is my privilege to be the pastor
of such a church I hope you know that most pastors cannot say that and the
ones who do are very few and far between I heard a statistic it's actually been
updated it used to be that one thousand five hundred pastors a month a month
left the ministry now it's up to 1,700 pastors a month every month leave the
ministry for one reason or another so I hope you know that whenever I share that
I mean it comes from the bottom of my heart and I mean it with all my heart
that I am so blessed to be the pastor of such a wonderful and healthy church we
have a healthy Church let's look at our first one it's in verses 7 through 10
and it's simply that all of us every single one of us have been given one
gift at one gift we've all been given at least
one talent if you prefer here Paul begins by writing that each one of us
has been given gifts as Christ apportioned it when he descended and
then also ascended let me just mention briefly that he's referring to the
fulfillment of a prophecy that's found in Psalm 68 verse 18 about how Jesus
first descended into what was known as Hades it's also a fulfillment of Matthew
chapter 16 verse 4 where Jesus said the only sign for a wicked generation is
that of Jonah being three days in the belly of a fish as he would be three
days in the belly of the earth here's how I see it and here's how I'll say it
so that maybe it'll be helpful to you I know it was helpful for me I see this as
Jesus purchasing the gifts that He's going to freely give us I mean that's maybe
an oversimplification but that's what He did He purchased us when He went to the
cross was crucified then buried and then descended into Hades and then
resurrected from the dead now this is foundational because it ties into our
second one in verses 11 through 13 which is that the gifts we're given are to
equip God's people that's the purpose though not exhaustive Paul mentions many
of the gifts in his other epistles but here he's listing four of them I see
them as the four legs on the table so to speak but the common denominator is that
the purpose of all the gifts is for the works of service why so the body of
Christ may be both built up and grow up that's the purpose of the
gift that He's given you as such He gave apostles again these are only four not
exhaustive prophets evangelists and the pastors teachers in order to attain both
unity and wholeness fullness I love how one commentator delineated it
he says the prophetic ministry is a guiding ministry and refers to those who
speak the word of the Lord in the Spirit the evangelistic ministry is a gathering
ministry and refers to those who bring people to the kingdom the pastoral
ministry is a guarding ministry and refers to those who protect the flock
from the wolves who seek to destroy them and the teaching ministry is a grounding
ministry and refers to those who ground God's people in the truths of His word
well this brings us to the third one in verses 14 through 16 which is that we're
all joined together and even held together by every supporting ligament
again using this comparison to the body physically so too are we joined together
spiritually as a body as well Paul is describing what a healthy and whole body
that's joined together in this way will actually look like and function like you
know we talked about in our families how well I was raised in a dysfunctional
family I think that all of us were I've never in fact I have yet to meet any if
this is you here today would you see me afterwards I have yet to have anybody
come to me and say you know I was raised in a very functional family
you were are you kidding me wow but in a way I think we're all you
know dysfunctional in that sense but when you understand it and see it
through the lens of a healthy body than what you understand is this when a body
does not function in a healthy way they have a word for it you know what it's
called cancer that's when parts of the body attack other parts of the body
cells in the body don't function correctly and they malfunction I guess
for lack of a better way of saying it and that is an unhealthy body and that's
deadly and I suppose in some ways you could carry that metaphor as far as you
want into the body of Christ I find it rather interesting that the Apostle Paul
would refer to those who are immature young in the faith being vulnerable to
those who are cunning and crafty and deceiving that won't spare the flock as
he cries out he says in Acts 20 he cried day and night for three years knowing
that after he left there would come in from amongst them in their midst
these wolves in sheep's clothing that would not spare the flock dare I say
that that is a spiritual cancer and left unchecked it will be deadly that's how
serious the stakes are and that's why Paul is emphasizing what he's
emphasizing here in our text today he's saying that a healthy body will no
longer be like that infant immature tossed
back and forth by every wave blown here and there by every wind of teaching and
the deceitful scheming of crafty and cunning people in the church in the
church instead he says a healthy body will speak the truth in love as a result
of our maturity and unity joined together and built up as each part does
its work and please don't be dismissive of that last part about each part doing
its work because absent each part doing its work it ain't going to happen I know
that's not proper English don't email me may I trouble you to join me in First
Corinthians the twelfth chapter I want to read verses 12 through 27 and i think
you'll see why here in a moment the apostle Paul is writing to the
Corinthian church concerning the body of Christ listen to what he says he says
verse 12 just as a body though one has many parts but all its many parts form one
body so it is with Christ for we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form
one body whether Jews or Gentiles slave or free and we were all given the one
spirit to drink even so the body is not made up of one part but of many now if
the foot should say because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body it
would not for that reason stop being a part of the body and if the
ear should say because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body it would not
for that reason stop being a part of the body if the
whole body were an eye that would be very freaky
okay that's it doesn't say that that was I added that but whatever so if the
whole body were an eye there would where would the sense of hearing be we need
the ear the eye needs the ear and the ear needs the eye the hand needs the
foot and the foot needs the eye I mean the hand well they need each other
anyway okay maybe that'll be better second
service so he goes on if the whole body were an ear where would the sense of
smell be but in fact God has placed the parts in the body every one of them just
as He wanted them to be if they were all one part where would the body be as it is verse
20 there are many parts but one body the eye cannot say to the hand talk about
freaky how weird would this be your eye says to the hand I don't need you oh
yeah oh really you don't need me huh okay I don't want to get too far off here but I mean it's kind of
a humorous passage isn't it I mean just the imagery of it how how ludicrous it
is how ridiculous it is but that's the point so the eye cannot say to the hand
I don't need you and the head cannot say to the feet I don't need you
that would be fun I don't need you boom down you go on the contrary those parts of
the body that seemed to be weaker listen please listen are indispensable
indispensable maybe that's a word for somebody here today you are
indispensable to this body of believers at this church we need you
you have no idea we need you are indispensable yeah but I'm just like the
armpit in the body of Christ we need the armpit yeah but sometimes I stink I
know we have deodorant but we need the armpit it kind of holds the arm is that
too is that too much maybe a little bit I could have used the better one
we need you yeah but I'm like the big toe on the body of Christ do you have
any idea how important your big toe is do you know that if you didn't have your
big toe you would not be able to walk correctly it keeps your balance in fact I
was looking back in some of my archive notes when we were in First Corinthians
and if I'm not mistaken something like 40% of the body weight is placed on that
big toe okay you're the big toe we need you because you're going to carry 40% of
the weight of this body of believers here in this church you are
indispensable indispensable he goes on verse 23 and says and the parts that we
think are less honorable we treat with special honor and the parts that are
unpresentable are treated with special modesty while our presentable parts need
no special treatment but God has put the body together giving greater honor to
the parts that lacked it so that there should be no division division there it
is in the body but that its parts should have equal concern for each other if one
part suffers every part suffers with it think about the last time you were
hammering a nail and and you hit your thumb what do you do the whole body
comes to the aid of it ooh aah oh we're trying to comfort it ease the pain you
imagine if the you hammered your thumb and your mouth
goes ha ha that's what you get take that again I know it's a little much but you get
the point right that would be a very unhealthy body right something's very
wrong so equal concern for each other if one part suffers every part
suffers with it if one part is honored every part and I love this rejoices with
it now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it whether
or not you think that you're significant or not it has no consequence that's the
problem and that's what I want to talk about in our remaining time this is the
problem in the church today many a Christian has resigned themselves to
this notion that they're inconsequential they're insignificant and as such
unimportant within the body of Christ and I think we
do err greatly when we mitigate the magnificence of those who serve so
faithfully and tirelessly ministering in obscurity and anonymity when you got
here today do you notice how clean the church was you know why on Monday
mornings there are a group of people who faithfully and tirelessly come here as
is their joy to do and they clean this church and they do it cheerfully gladly
willingly dare I say thanklessly and so we come
in here on a Thursday night for our midweek Bible study the church is clean
the bathrooms are clean the kitchen there are people who serve in that
kitchen so that when we walk up to that counter the food is there everything is
prepared and we're being served and everything is nice and delicious and the
fellowship is sweet we're all functioning together as a body
each part doing its part today after this service and before second service
we're that was meet in the children's ministry and I'm that was have the profound
privilege to thank all of the servants who serve in this area of ministry which
and you've heard me say this before is I believe the most important area of
ministry in this church the children's ministry and I've shared this as well
before that if I was not the pastor of this church this is where I would be
serving in this church is in the children's ministry but we need people
so I talked with Selu about this prior so I'll do my very best not to overdo it
I probably won't but anyway I'll try not to
so both Joel and Selu who have been serving faithfully in this church for
Joel's been on my board for over ten years right 0 years it's all a blur
right well was it that long ago yeah I think it was 2008 and this is a man my
brother who would take a bullet for me and in some ways has and
Selu has been serving in the children's ministry for about as long I think right
about maybe that long so about a year ago Selu
and Joel both had mentioned to me that you know a lot of their time now is
going to be devoted to their property on the Big Island and I told them that they
couldn't and so that we needed them Selu said you know I need to find
somebody to kind of pass the baton to in the children's ministry and I said no
you can't because I need you and so for the last year she has been faithfully
serving in the children's ministry I just asked her and Joel as well can you
guys just hang on until because I mean the church now is beginning to grow I
mean once we got into this building and we knew that it would but boy did it and
with the growth are all of these needs and priorities now that are there in
the next in the near future I should say we're going to be presenting you with very
specific opportunities for you to serve in this God's church and I want you
today to pray concerning this because we need you we need the big toes the pinky
toes we need the armpits we need every one of you to do your part as a part of
this body and so I wanted to give them a shout out because today Selu is going to
pass the baton to Donna Cottrell and Kris Ito I think is going to be here maybe
is Kris here oh she's upstairs she's upstairs serving yeah she's upstairs
serving so anyway I want to give them a shout out and I want to say to both you
Joel and Selu thank you so much for your service thank you
I asked I asked her if she'd be willing to come up she said no so how did I do
was that pretty good that was okay all right well here's how I'm going with
all this as I've sought to inquire of the Lord as to why it is that is so hard to
get people to serve especially in areas like the children's ministry what the
Lord ministered to me is that people don't think that they are important they
think they have nothing of value to give they don't see that they are
indispensable oh I'm not qualified perfect that means you're qualified what
do you mean well it's been said that God does not call the qualified He qualifies
the called are you kidding me have you seen my resume it's like one line I
graduated high school period the end that's it God chooses the weak the
foolish to confound the wise the strong why because then He alone gets the glory
because God does not share His glory with anyone and here's the thing if I
could just just bear with me you know as the pastor this is this is the
spotlight part and I never want you to think for a second that this is the most
important part of this body of believers God could replace me in a moment in an
instant of time that this is not the most important thing or the most
important position in this church do you realize that were it not for those who
so faithfully served behind the scenes I would not be standing right here right
now you understand that right we're all different parts of the same body we are
all equally important come on pastor let's be honest you're the pastor I hate
that I think you know that too I hate that that chasm that is that's not God
that's been created between the pastor and then the rest of the people really
are you kidding me
it's the behind-the-scenes servants that God takes notice of those who and
there's two sides to this either it's perceived that they don't have any value
or they on the opposite side of that think that they're more highly they
think more highly of themselves I think both extremes are equally as dangerous
some think more highly of themselves than they ought some think less of themselves
than they ought I want to encourage you today and I'll close if you have bought
into this notion that I really don't have anything to offer I say this in
love you couldn't be more wrong yeah but I don't really know what what to do
that's okay well I would love to serve in the children's
ministry but I don't how to teach that's ok you could be an assistant and
besides that we have the curriculum it's all there for you and by the way without
exception everyone who has ever served in the children's ministry in this
church has again without exception shared how much of a blessing it was to
them to serve in the children's ministry some for some life-changing
they can't imagine not having served or not be serving in the children's
ministry it is the greatest blessing you know i well anyway I'm going to get really
off but you know isn't it interesting in the Gospels that Jesus was always
surrounded by children who were always around Him I say that because I wonder
maybe that's where Jesus would be if He were to come to this church He'd be in
the children's ministry I would suspect yeah okay I think I made my point am i
beating that dead horse enough or let me ask a question lastly what is your
part in the body of Christ and a second part to that question not just what is
your part in the body of Christ but what are you doing about it
are you going to be like that one that Jesus in the parable talked about that
went and buried it everybody's been given at least one talent one gift to be
used what are you doing with that gift let's pray Father in Heaven I thank
You so much for these Your people this Your church and Lord I thank You that
You have ordained it to be this way and I pray for anyone here today that maybe
that really needed to hear this because You've been speaking to them about this
and now this is that confirmation yes I need to serve I need to use my gift
whether it's the children's ministry or the audio-video ministry where there's a
lot of need the cleaning ministry all of the ministries that take place in this
place Lord I pray that all of us would be found
faithful to do our part as a part an important part of your body in Jesus'
name Amen
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