Chapter 4, this morning, verse 11. And he gave some apostles, and
some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in
the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more
children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind
of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby
they lie in wait to deceive, but speaking the truth in love
may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ,
from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted
by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working
in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto
the edifying of itself in love." Now within the general context
here of God dealing with his church this is how God has equipped
and blessed and uses his church and how he has given them each
as we saw previously he gives them each individually various
gifts and gives them grace according to the measure of the gift of
Christ grace to to use that gift to be equipped in that gift to
minister by that gift or gifts and keeping in mind the comparison
of his church to a body of which Christ himself is the
head. We have in verse 11 certain gifts
mentioned particularly singled out as we mentioned before their
most important in the church because of our commission from
Christ. And because of what these gifts are given for, these ones
mentioned here, what they accomplish in God's purpose and by His providence,
by His working in us and through us. What all of these have in
common here, these ones, these mentioned apostles, teachers,
preachers, is the gift from God to preach His gospel. If you look at the very definitions
of these words, you'll see what God gave them for. What God gave
these people, these gifts, for and sent them to do. An apostle,
the word apostle means a delegate or messenger sent forth with
orders. That's pretty clear. Paul said
we're ambassadors of Jesus Christ. We have a message from the king. The word prophet is from a root
word which means to make known one's thoughts. To declare. And the prophets didn't make
known their own thoughts. That's not what it means. They're
making known somebody's thoughts, but not theirs. God's. What God thinks is what matters. Evangelist means a bringer of
good tidings. So I think we get the point,
don't we? A teacher has to have something to teach. And then,
the declaration of God's thoughts, His truth, the teaching of what
God said, results in these three things in verse 12. Look at it
together again. For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ. Each of God's saints are matured.
That's the word perfecting, matured. It means to come of age, to grow.
They are furnished. The word has this definition
also, to furnish or equip the saints. That has to do with the
gifts in the context here, that we're equipped to use these gifts,
we're given these gifts. to minister in God's church,
each one of us, equipped for the work. And then the second
thing, the work of the ministry, the work itself is accomplished.
God's doing something. He's doing something. He hasn't
just established his church so that we could feel good, although
I'm glad that's part of it, don't you? I feel a whole lot better
about this than I do about that. But he's accomplishing something.
Same thing he sent his son to accomplish. This is just the
furtherance of that. The continued accomplishment
of that. He finished it on the cross, of course, but this is
the manifestation of it through time and his providence and his
power. The preaching of the cross. It's still the work of his cross. And then God's sheep, that third
thing, there God's sheep are fed and comforted and taught.
His elect who do not know him are called out by the sound of
his voice going forth in the gospel. That's part of the work,
but also the whole church is built up. Those who know him
and those who don't. The church is added to by him. He adds to the church such as
should be saved. And he also builds each one of
us up. We've seen this here. It's interesting to see here
in this small local church, this little church in College Grove,
Tennessee, to see what he's talking about. I've watched it happen. You have too, many of you. We
know it's true of the whole church all over the world because we
see it happening here. We know that that's what he's
doing everywhere in his church. When I first went over to Dean
Christie's new house, I never could have imagined. They would,
you know, I saw the plans and all that. I never could have
imagined what I see when I go over there now, when I was just
there a few days ago. I couldn't have ever pictured
it. And when I first came to this
church 12 years ago, I never could have imagined what I'm
looking at right now. All of it. And not just with
these eyes, but heart to heart what we experience. There are those who are here
now that I can't imagine the church without. It's part of
us. And us who have been here all
along, we've grown, haven't we, by God's grace. God is still
doing all of that here. We may look back ten years from
now And so who could have ever imagined? And everywhere his
church is gathered around this world, he's doing this, he's
accomplishing this. And he gave these gifts in order
to accomplish that. It's by the ministry of his word
and ministered through these gifts. And you take all of these gifts,
especially those which have to do with the Declaration of the
gospel because that's primary. That's what he sent us all to
do. We're all in on that aren't we? Just because it's one voice
doesn't mean it's one man You see some progress in these
three things in verse 12 And you can know this that there's
an end to all of that. Why is he doing those three things?
That's what verse 13 deals with till we all come together in
the unity of the faith. Whatever God's doing in His church,
faith is a big part of it. Us believing on Him. We say,
well, the church does believe on Him. True. But we're all going to come wherever
we're going. Wherever we're going. We're going
to see that in a minute. We're going somewhere. You see that word
come? We're going somewhere. God's
taking us somewhere. And we're going to come in the
unity of faith. We're all going to believe. We're
all going to have one object of faith. And that's going to
take us where we're going. By God's design. In His great
purpose. By His working in us and through
us. Where is it we're coming to? The last word in that verse. We're coming to a person. Always
have been. The law was bringing us to a
person, wasn't it? Before we ever knew who he was.
That's what he just read. We've always been coming here.
We're still looking unto Jesus. The author and finisher of our
faith. Of our faith. He authored faith. He gave it
to us. He originated it. And he's going to finish it.
And when it's finished, where are we going to be? where we've
been going all along. We're gonna be, we will have
arrived then. Right now, what did Paul say
in Philippians 3? He was pursuing after it. Oh,
the prize of the gift of the high calling of God, which is
in Christ Jesus. I haven't arrived yet. When we
do, where are we gonna be? We're gonna be where we're going
now. Christ. How do we get there? By faith. Believe in Him. Faith is the eye that beholds
His beauty and causes us to move ever toward Him. Faith is the
evidence of things not seen. We don't see Him with these eyes.
But He said, blessed are they which have not seen. And yet
what? Believe. They've seen in a different way.
By faith. Faith is the evidence of things
of Christ which are not seen with our natural eye and is the
substance of all that we hope for in Him. Faith is the ear
which hears His voice and follows Him. He said, my sheep hear my
voice. How? Blessed are their ears for
they hear and they follow Him by faith. Faith is increased
as we hear of Christ And as faith is increased, the more we want
to hear of Christ. It is by faith that we find His
flesh to be need indeed and His blood drink indeed. That's not some physical outward
ritual that we do. We're coming in the unity of
faith. We feed upon Him by faith. Upon His body, His incarnation,
God with us. Our high priest who is touched
with the feeling of our infirmities and whom it behooved to be made
like unto his brethren. And his blood, his death on the
cross, his atonement, his propitiation for our sins. By faith we feast upon Christ
and we grow. Living things grow. All of them
do. And they have to feed on something. By faith, as Moses did, we choose
what we do. Moses chose a person. By faith, as Noah was, we are
moved with fear to do what we do. They're not exemplary in
that. They're just examples of it. So we understand what God's doing
with us. By faith, as Abraham did, we
believe God. We believe that he's able, that
whatever he said he would do, he's able to perform it. By faith,
as Enoch did, we walk with him. And so we're coming in the unity
of the faith. And that next phrase, and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, As we come to Him, we're saying
all the while, isn't this what we've been saying for the past
12 years and before that, some of you? Oh, that I may know Him. What are we here for this morning?
To know how to act? You don't know how to act? We want to know Him. He is how to act. He is what to do. He's our righteousness. He's our sin offering. He's our
comfort. He's our teacher. He's our hope.
He's our all. Religious people write how-to
books on all that they think we need to know as Christians.
I just had to look up a few, you know. I don't do this very
often. You'll have to indulge me a little
bit this morning. Here's a few that I saw. current ones online. How to be a world-class Christian. How to thrive in the last days.
Anybody want to order that one? Here's a good one. A confident
heart. How to stop doubting yourself. How to stop doubting Yourself
that's a Christian book How to recognize when God is speaking Do you think if God has something
to say to you you're not going to know whether it's him or not The purpose of all that God is
doing in and for and giving to his church Is that we might know
his son? We need to know Him. It's the
answer to all of our problems. It's the cure for all of our
ills. It'll be the calming of all of our storms if we just
might know Him. Unto a perfect man. This word means complete, full
grown, of age, mature, that we might grow up spiritually. Paul
said, when I became a man, I put away childish things. That's
what he's talking about. Put away childish things. Now
there are things about children that we envy as adults, don't
we? There are ways in which we want to be like them spiritually,
and that's in the scriptures too. But there's other things. Children's priorities aren't
always real good, are they? The things
that are big to them, you know, they're not that big once you
grow up. Some of them are. But you see what I'm saying?
To mature, to grow up spiritually, unto the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ. Now all of these words are similar,
including the word perfect, mature. Mature, measure, stature, and
fullness, all of these words have to do with arriving at a
fulfillment, a completeness, a maturity. And that begs a question, doesn't
it? When are we mature? When have
we arrived? What's the answer to the question,
what is that completeness? When are we full? When are we
done? What is the measurement that
we come to when we can say, finally, we've arrived? It's Christ. All
of these words point to the last word in the verse. This is what Paul said in Philippians
3, turn over there with me just a few pages over. Philippians
chapter 3, verse 12. Now think about this in the context
of our passage. What we're talking about, the
measure of the fullness of Christ. The maturity, the growth, the
arrival, the accomplishment, the completion. Philippians 3.12, not as though
I had already attained, neither were already perfect, but I follow
after. if that I may apprehend that
for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Do you see that?
You see how perfectly that describes, that it sheds light on what we're
looking at, doesn't it? Paul said, I'm arriving. I haven't
come of age yet, I'm not mature, and I don't know that we'll ever
be able to say in this life, we're there. You think we can't?
Can you say that now? Paul said, I haven't, I can't.
I think he might have been further along than we are. He said, I'm not there yet, but
I'm heading that way. Not of my own will, not of my
own power, but he's bringing me there. He's already apprehended
me, and now he's got me where I'm trying to apprehend him.
You see that? That's such a beautiful verse
of scripture right there. I'm trying to lay hold of the
one that lay hold of me. And brethren, I don't count myself
to have apprehended, verse 13, but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, that's just going to slow you
down. Your sins, yes, but you know what? You know what he's
talking about here? He's talking about his righteousnesses. That's
our sins. Our sins are not the bad things
we've done. Our sins are the good things that we do, that
we trusted in. They're both, of course, but
he's focusing here. What kept me from Christ was
not my sin. It was my righteousness. You
read that whole chapter and tell me that's not right. Forgetting
those things which are behind. and reaching forth unto those
things which are before. I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God. And it's in a person. It's
not in a place with pearly gates and streets of gold. It's in
a person. Let us therefore as many as be
perfect. This is what we're talking about.
Mature, grown up, but not there yet. Not where we're going yet. Be thus minded and if anything
you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
He's saying every one of you who are mature, don't count yourself
to have arrived. He's saying you be thus minded
as I am by God's grace. That you're still pressing toward
Christ just as hard as you did when you first started. Are you mature in the faith?
Don't count yourself to have apprehended. Oh no. Be thus minded,
and if you're not, God will reveal it to you. Nevertheless, whereto we have
already attained, God has brought us somewhere. Hitherto hath the
Lord helped me. Here I raise mine Ebenezer. He's
brought me from where I was. But where to we have already
attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same
thing, let us still keep pressing toward Him. Brethren, be followers together
of me, and mark them which walk so as you have for us an example.
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell
you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
If you are going anywhere else, whose end is destruction, whose
God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who
mind earthly things." You're either pressing toward Him or
you're pressing for this world. It really shouldn't be that hard
to tell, should it? Be honest with yourselves. May I be honest
with myself? For our conduct is in heaven,
from whence also we look for the Savior. We look for the Savior. We're pressing toward the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we go where He is, when
He takes us to be with Him forever, we can say then, we've arrived. We've apprehended. And here's when we can say that.
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is
able even to subdue all things unto Himself. Our ultimate goal, that toward
which we work and long and strive as a church, as a believer, is
Him and to be like Him. I want to be just like Him. He's going to accomplish that.
He authored it. He's going to finish it. And
what does that say about everything in between those two? It's going
to be Him. That's what it says about it.
It's going to be Him. We strive to be with Him. We
strive to be in Him. We strive that I might be found
in Him, He said in that saying. That we strive to lay hold of
Him. That I might apprehend the One. And we strive to be like
Him. I want Him to change this vile
body. How about you? And make it like His glorious body. We want to continue to
strive to be like Him, but we understand, we see it right here,
that us being like Him is not a function of us getting better
and better in this flesh. If you have arrived to a certain
place, He said, if you've come along a little way, Keep looking
to Him. Don't start looking to yourself
and say, look how far I've come. Keep looking to Him. Keep pursuing
Him. Keep trusting Him. Keep all your
eggs in the same basket. It's not a function of us getting
better and better in this flesh. It will be accomplished when
He changes us. When He makes us something that
we're not. That's salvation. That's the ultimate salvation
right there. That's the fulfilling, the completion of his work of
salvation. He shall change us. He's already
changed us. Hasn't he? If any man be in Christ,
he's a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. You say, well, not everything's
new. My flesh is still the same. Yeah, but you as a person, there's
nothing about you that hasn't changed because of him. Nothing. There's nothing, there's
nothing that we do or say or think that's not affected by
the flesh, but I'll tell you this, there's nothing that we
do or say or think that's not affected by Christ either. That's
what he means. Everything's new. Everything's
different now. He's changed us, but one day,
He shall change our vile bodies. O wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. We're going to be like you. That's the goal. That's what
we're pressing toward. That's perfection. If we've arrived at some place
now in between what we used to be and what we will be, just keep looking to Him. The one that made you what you
are, changed you from what you were, and will one day make you
everything you're not. We're going to be like Him. Let's just keep our eyes right
there by His grace and do everything we do for His glory. Because everything, everything
God does is for His glory. And that's all I have in my message
this morning, but let me Just kind of continue that same thought
by talking about our conferences coming up.