Let's turn to Matthew chapter
16 again. I will read one verse again but
it will not actually be in my text. Matthew chapter 16 and
verse 18. Our Lord is speaking here. And
I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will
build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it. The thought I want to try to concentrate on this morning
from actually another passage is this. I, I Christ said, will
build, that's the main word, I of course, I will build my
church. It is no coincidence that Jesus
Christ was born of Mary who was married to Joseph who was a carpenter. It was not coincidence. It's
not a coincidence of any human being of the parents to which
they were born. But specifically of Jesus Christ. He said, I will build. I want
you to notice that. This is a statement of sovereign
fiat. But it is not an act of sovereign
fiat. You hear what I said? It's a
statement of sovereign fiat. I will build my church. He's
the one responsible that it gets built. But it isn't built merely
by sovereign fiat. No one should think that Jesus
Christ is haphazardly sewing together a slipshod shack. No one should think that. I think
this pseudo or the pseudo Christianity that we're so surrounded by believes
this is what Christ is doing the best He can. Just doing the
best He can. Trying to build a church. That's
not it. The church is an organism. Not an organization. It's an
organism. Although here he speaks of it
as a building. I will build my church of course.
But the church is not a, the church is an organism. Not an
organization. But, even nature reveals to us
that every organism has organization. Does it not? We've now This is
what they tell us anyway, I suppose it's true. Men have been convicted
and sent to prison because of it. They now tell us because
they have discovered our DNA and the genome sequence that they can map out all these
things. But even the smallest of particles
in this world, organisms, have organization. God did not just create this
thing haphazardly or slipshod. And neither is Jesus Christ building
His church in such a manner. What I want to try to talk about
for the next couple of Sundays at least, Lord willing, is the
church's organization. Not the church as an organization,
that is not it. If you're not grasping the difference,
then I can't help you any further than that. The church is organization,
but this week I want to look at the organization as oneness. Oneness. The church is Christ's
body. Christ is not the head of some
freak of nature. I'm using some physical illustrations.
Paul calls the church body. As a matter of fact to you, as
we will read, he goes on to say there is one body. We don't believe there is one
body simply because Christ never mentioned, or it's never mentioned
simply as body. He says there is one body. Paul calls the church body. He
calls the church building. He calls the church bride. He
calls the church God's husbandry and God's building. Thus the
church exists in Christ and under Christ. Both at the same time. Again I say, the church, and
when I'm talking about the church here, I'm talking about the New
Testament, New Covenant church. They're of the same family. as
Israel of old who were elect of God. But Israel of old who
were the elect of God, especially after Sinai, were not a part
of the new covenant church. They were under the old covenant
and forced to operate under its constraints. We are not. And
this deliverance is to such a degree that now we are told that there
is in this body, in this church, there is neither Jew nor Greek. Bond nor free. Male nor female. Though all those distinctions
still exist in nature, they don't exist in the new covenant church. So Paul calls the church body,
building, bride, God's husbandry, God's building. Thus the church
exists in Christ and under Christ. That's his body. We're part of
his body. That means we're in him. But
we're also, he's the head, therefore we're under him. Not just directionally,
but in subjection to him. Head has to do with being over. Sovereignty over. Preeminence
over. Christ builds the church. And his wisdom and his skill
is unrivaled. No building's ever been built
like this building. The church has intimate union
with Christ. Thus the church is referred to
as His bride. There is no closer union. The Apostle Paul uses in Ephesians
5 the illustration that the two, that is one man and one woman,
two, that's it, that's God's ordained order no matter how
much man's distorted it, no matter how much they try to justify
it based upon practices even found in the Old Testament and
even in the New Testament for that matter. One woman and one
man joined together become what? One flesh. That is the closest
and most intimate union that is known to man. That could be
experienced by man, and I mean mankind by that. The church is
God's garden. Right? God's husbandry. You're God's husbandry. The church
is not God's forest where everything just grows wild. And you just
find this here and that there. In other words, there is order
and organization here. This organism, the church, has
its organization manifested in its local aspect. Let me say
that again. This organism, one organism,
it's one body. Go ahead and turn to Ephesians
4. That's where we'll park for the next several minutes. It is no coincidence that Mack
was moved to give us an outline of Ephesians. It is no coincidence
that Joe spoke from Ephesians chapter 3. It is no coincidence
that I'm now speaking from Ephesians chapter 4. I don't believe in
coincidence. Even though sometimes I may not
conduct myself that way, I do not believe in coincidence. This
organism, the church, has its organization manifested in its
local aspect. That's local churches. There
are local churches. But there is but one church.
And I can't, I don't know if it's my inability to say it the
way I wish I could say it, or what it is, or maybe it's just
one of those things you just, you can't, use illustrations
because there probably are none. There are local churches, but
there is but one church. So much so that even Paul says
there is but one body. Therefore, we cannot say there
are many bodies. There is but one because it specifically
says that. And you remember when we went
to Ephesians chapter 5 in my first message, I said pay attention
to the way the Apostle Paul uses these phrases, singular and plural. It's not haphazard. It has design
built into it by the Master Carpenter. We should constantly cry out unto God in our Lord Jesus Christ. I changed that after hearing
Joe's message this morning. I said we should constantly cry
out unto Christ. That's true. But what Joe said
is true. We cry out unto God, the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what we cry out. We should
constantly cry out unto God through Christ that we never fall prey
to pragmatism. We are surrounded by pragmatism. Now let me try to explain to
you what I mean by pragmatism, what pragmatism means and explain
it in a way that applies to what I'm talking about. In other words,
pragmatism is this. Whatever seems to work is good
even without the warrant of scripture for it. This is why we see the so-called
church in the state that it's in today. It's because of pragmatism. Now let me try to apply this.
Pragmatism is unbelief thriving on quantity with blatant disregard
for quality. In other words, pseudo-Christianity
has its total impetus on how many they can get in, rather
on the true quality of the so-called salvation that the many they
want to get in have once they're in. They don't care so much about
the quality of it as long as they have a quantity to it. because
the whole mindset of pseudo-Christianity is that God loves everybody and
is trying to save as many as he can. According to the Apostle Paul
in Romans chapter 9, when it concerns the Jews, it's a short
work that the Lord will make on the earth. It is a remnant,
a very small number compared to the whole. And there, that's
what he said, a short work. If God hadn't left us a seed,
we'd have been like Sodom and Gomorrah. But it's a short work
amongst even the Jews. And concerning Gentiles, even
James, that Jewish leader in the church of Jerusalem, says
God did at first visit the Gentiles to do what? To call out of them
a people for his name. It's not about quantity, it's
about quality. Pragmatism, again, so let me
say it, pragmatism is nothing more than unbelief using religious
language and emotion. Pragmatism is unbelief thriving
on quantity with blatant disregard for quality. They don't care
about how good the salvation you have is, as long as you claim
you got it. You know, to them it don't even
really matter if it's real because they suppose it's got to be real
because God's trying to save everybody, don't you know? It's
pragmatism. And therefore, no matter what
God says in His Word, if it brings in numbers, let's use it. Right? That's pragmatism. No matter what God's organization
is, not an organization, but no matter what God's organization
is, If it works in getting people into the church, use it. That's what I'm talking about.
Unbelief, which people like to make it sound like we're pragmatic.
Sounds good, don't it? Pragmatic. If you don't know
what that means, you think, oh, what's that mean? It must be
something. Unbelief, pragmatism is nothing
more than unbelief hiding under a veil. Unbelief distrusts Christ's
ordained, simple organization as archaic and mundane. What we do here in this place
and what others do in a few other places, there are more than I
know about, but I do know of a few others that do things very
similar to the way we do them. And because our numbers are so
small, we're limited in what we can do. by the very fact of
that matter, right? It's hard to have a choir when
you ain't got but 15, 20 people, everybody be in the choir. You
understand what I'm saying by that? By the mere thing for us.
But what I'm saying is there are places locally manifested
where people gather together and do the exact same thing we're
doing here this morning, that which we try to do every Sunday
morning, and that's all we do. You understand what I'm saying?
That's all we do. unbelief, that is, this pragmatism,
distrust Christ's ordained simple organization as archaic, well,
that might have been fine back then, but things have changed.
I want to tell you something, Solomon's still true today. There
is nothing new under the sun. There might be a little bit more
of it because there's more of us, but it's all still the same.
Fallen, corrupt, Adamic humanity that will take the truth of God
and exchange it for a lie at every opportunity we get apart
from the Spirit of God. So unbelief, distrust Christ's
ordained simple organization is archaic and mundane. Faith,
on the other hand, trusts Christ to build. He said, I will build my church.
Do you believe him or not? He said, I will build my church.
I will build my church. That's a statement of sovereign
fiat. But then he shows us in the New Testament how he purposed
to do it. Shows it being done. And still,
some odd 2,000 years later, some of us are still doing that same
simple organization. And it still works today. Granted,
it doesn't work in the eyes of the world. Look at the groups
you have. We all are so small and insignificant. Fine. So were the eight, and
eight only, that God saved during the great deluge of Noah's time. Eight saved compared to probably
millions who drowned under the judgment of God, yet God was
just as much glorified in saving those eight as He would have
been if He had saved the whole thing. As a matter of fact, God
manifests all He is at all times, and He is wrath and judgment
as well as mercy and compassion. So again, I say unbelief, distrust,
Christ-ordained simple organization. If you or I think, if we start
to think, well if we just added this, or we just added that,
and maybe the this and the that really isn't all that big a thing. But if we just add this or that,
we can call it pragmatism, but it's nothing more than unbelief.
It's nothing more than distrusting Christ in the way He ordained
to build His church. And of course, the saying still
is true, a little leaven leavens the whole lump. That little bit
we may allow here, the next person allows David a little bit more.
The next pastor will come along, the next set of deacons, and
the next younger generation will say, well they allowed this,
and they allowed that, and it was quite insignificant, but
it seemed to help, so then we can add our this, and our that,
and now you see why the church, put that in quotes, is in the
state it's in today. People don't care about who man
really is and who God really is, all they care about is do
we have a good time at church today. Did we have fun today? Did I get something out of it?
Did I get something out of it? Let me tell you something, whether
you and I get anything out of it or not, if Jesus Christ is
glorified, that's worth everything. That's worth everything. Faith,
again I say, faith trusts Christ to build and it submits to the
absolute efficiency and sufficiency of Christ's ordained way. Efficiency and sufficiency both. Now let's read a few verses from
Ephesians chapter 4. I therefore the prisoner of the
Lord. Now you think about that. That's
not a, it's kind of metaphorical but it has a reality. He was
locked up in prison for preaching the gospel. I therefore the prisoner
of the Lord beseech you. And his beseeching here is not
begging a bunch of rebels to do what they ought to do. But
it is cried out unto those who have been brought unto submission
to Jesus Christ to do what? I beseech you that you walk worthy
of the vocation wherewith ye are called. Now that word called
right there is one of the New Testament Greek words that Paul
uses when he describes, there's two words, when he uses the word
church, when our Lord used the word church, this word called
is one of them. Because it means to be called
out into an assembly. So we are beseeched that we would
walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called. Does this not
imply to us in the most direct of language, and I know that's
a little bit of oxymoron, but yet subjection, submission, and
honor? But it's based upon something
that's already a reality to us. Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
ye are taught. Now, if you haven't been called
in that manner, then what I have to say, what I'm going to repeat
from Paul this morning, will make no matter to you. There
will be thousands, no doubt, thousands upon thousands that
can care less about what I'm going to say this morning. But
it matters to everyone who's had experience, rather, this
calling. This calling. The calling. So you walk worthy. So in other
words, this is not just what we practice on Sundays, this
is a part of our lives. To walk worthy. You know, a lot
of people talk about doing, Earl pointed this out years ago, and
thank God he gave me eyes way back there to see it. We walk
in good works, we don't just do them. Good works, the ones
that God before ordained that we should walk in them, He ordained
that we walk in them, not just do them. A good work is not just
something you throw out here or there, Jack. It's a part of
your very way of existence in this world. It's a part of who
you are. Because it has to do with subjection
to God, submission to God, and honor to God. We like it that
way. I don't mind it being this way.
Granted, I must fight against my flesh, and it's every turn
to rebel against the truth of God, but there is that part in
me, created by God Almighty, by His Spirit, that says, I love
it that way. I want it that way. I like it
that way. I rejoice in having it that way.
I'm glad He said, I will build my church, not you all will build
my church. But, we'll see that you all are
not totally out of the equation. Look, with all loneliness and
meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love. Why did he say that? Because
we've got to be that way toward one another. We've got to put
up with one another a lot and in a long time. Forbearing one
another in love. Endeavoring, that has to do with
the word just cries out with effort, don't it? Endeavoring. Now this is not a casual thought. Did you give a thought to it
every once in a while? No. To walk worthy, what endeavoring? To keep the unity of the Spirit. Not to make it. That's part of
our problem. When we're trying to make peace,
Christ made peace. We're to endeavor to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The unity's there. The problem lies with us. Endeavoring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body. Now the there is doesn't
destroy anything but immediately after he says endeavoring to
keep the unity of the spirit. The unity is already there. It's
there in essence. Okay. Endeavoring to keep the
unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and then he starts off
with this oneness. And isn't it amazing that the
first thing he mentions is one what? Body. I mean he didn't
even start off with one Lord. Does he? Because he's not Joe
now at this present place. He's not working this organization
from the top down. But he's speaking of it, we might
say, from the bottom up. You see? One body. Now the one is there. There is
is not there, but one body. Not many bodies. Not a lot of
bodies. Christ's body is one. He's not building. He's not the
head of a freak of nature. The DNA that's in my head is
the same DNA that's in my little toe. That's a body. I'm made up of
the same DNA. A hair from my head and a hair
off my big toe is going to have the exact same DNA. My body is
one in essence, though it looks Completely different if you look
at one part of it, but it's still what? one you see Why did God
create us like he did to show us his truth? Why do we have
a body like we have to show us his truth? one body And one spirit,
even as you're called in one hope of your calling. One Lord. One faith. One baptism. One God. It's like, is Paul stuck
on one? Yes. Because the most simple organization
of the New Testament Church is its oneness. It's oneness. one body, one spirit, one hope
of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God,
and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you
all. What a statement. Now, we're
not done yet with the passage, but I'll stop there for a moment. Again, let me say this. Faith
trusts Christ. to build and it submits to the
absolute efficiency and sufficiency of Christ's way. Now, either
I and you, and this includes everybody
else in this world, if I profess to be a part of the one body,
then it has to be also one spirit, one hope of your calling. One
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. It
all has to be the same. God's not saving people several
different ways. God's not making several different
bodies. All roads don't lead to Christ. You know, all roads lead to Rome. We're all after the same goal.
No, that's just not so. It's a oneness of essence here. I don't care. Yes, this oneness,
when you look at the local assembly and you look at other local assemblies,
you say, how can that be called oneness? Because it's through
the head. It starts off with what? One
body. And the body has how many heads?
This body. We're not some freak of nature,
it has one head, that's Jesus Christ. Therefore the, and I
use a physical illustration, the DNA of Christ is my DNA. That's what I mean by oneness
of essence. Because we've been joined to
him. We're his body, we're his bride,
we're his building, we're his husbandry. And I just know by
the preponderant testimony of scripture that the all-wise God
was organizing this by a specific way and in a specific manner.
And he goes on to say this. Now first of all, this church,
this is the first point. Well, that says one o'clock. You're all really late. We didn't
change that clock, did we? Here's the first point, the church
is built on oneness. Local assemblies may not always
manifest the oneness, but that's the only place you're going to
see this oneness at all, is in the local assembly. Because you
can't see the church universal, because as many have adequately
said, the church universal is the church invisible. You just, you don't see it. I
mean, you go out there and look, you don't look around and say,
all right, God's got a mark on this one. That's a member of
the church. God's got a mark on, how do you know who's the
member of the church? Only those who've been called
by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's where it's
at. Yes, regeneration must take place first. But regeneration
is manifested by gospel calling and only by gospel calling. Until
a person's called by the gospel, they got no reason to believe
they're a part of the church. Because it has to do with calling.
So this church is built on oneness. But, now Paul begins to move
into something here. Notice, one body, one spirit,
one, even as you're called and one hope you're called, and one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who
is above all and through all and in you all. Now either you're
a part of that or you're not. And everybody's not a part of
that. Or I should say not everybody is a part of that. But, verse
seven, But, that's that conjunction, but unto every one of us is given
grace according to the measure of the gift, singular, I added,
of Christ. Wherefore, he saith, when he
ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts, plural,
unto men. Do you see that now? I read this, and first of all,
okay, You ever done that, read the scriptures and say, okay,
okay, where am I at? First of all, remember Ephesians
chapter four verses one through six, the church is built on oneness. That's the organization Christ
ordained to be. It's on oneness, singularity. But now he states in the first
part of verse seven, there is individual grace given. See it? But unto every one of us. Everyone. That not only means
all, Joe, but it means all individually. Unto every one. He could have
said unto all, but with unto every one of us. Do you see it? Was Paul just
filling in language? Well, this epistle's gotta be
so long. You know, every word means something. So in the first
part of verse seven, he says this, there is individual grace
given, but individual grace given is never given outside of a view
or no, let's say it wrong. There is individual grace given,
chapter four, verse seven, first part, but it's never with a view
to personal independence. God didn't call you to be just
one of His. God called you into a one body. You see that? A body. And a body, Paul says in 1 Corinthians
12, has many members. So there is individual grace
given. No doubt it must be. It must be. He calls His sheep
how? By name. But it's never with a view to
personal independence. The reason I know that's true
is because the rest of it. But unto every one of us is given
grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. That's
singular. Wherefore, he saith, when he
ascended up on high, he let captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. And now, just for the moment,
let's bypass the parentheses. What's he talking about? And
he gave, here's the gifts, right? Here's the gifts. And he gave,
verse 11, some apostles. In other words, not everybody
was an apostle. And he gave some apostles. These
are the gifts, plural now. And some, what? Prophets. And
some, what? Evangelists. And some, pastors
and teachers. Thus, there are public gifts
given On top of and connection with the individual grace gift,
singular, that is given, right? Thus there are public gifts given
for the collective good of the body. Verses 12 through 16. You see it? In other words, God
didn't save you just for you. Basically, one, God saved you
for His own glory. But God saved you. He called
you and put you in a body. And you and I have responsibilities
and privileges in that body. Do you see it? Here is the organization
of the church. But it starts out with never
forget it's oneness. It's not meant to glorify or
even just for me so I can go out and do my own thing for Jesus.
No. Even the apostles, after the
ascension of the Lord, went out at least by twos. Even the apostles. Paul took, first of all, Barnabas
with him, wasn't he? They had a little rift, right? You remember that? Over Mark?
They had a little rift over Mark, but still yet, what did Paul
say? Well, I'll go do it on my own now. No. God brought along Silas. And
then it was Paul and Silas and others. Always at least by twos. It's never about personal independence. Never! If you think of it in
that view, you're self-centered. It's a question mark. It's a
big red flag. Are you really a part of a one
body? That is a part of one spirit?
And maybe you weren't called in that one hope of your calling.
One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all. So we see there is simple organization
of the church. Apostles, prophets, evangelists,
what we call missionaries. I was so brainwashed in religion
that I thought an evangelist was a revival preacher. That's the term we gave him.
He's an evangelist. That's pastor so-and-so. Then
you got an evangelist. He goes to different churches
and preaches revivals. I thought that's what an evangelist
was. No, an evangelist is what we would call today a missionary.
Now, I'm not going into the details of some of these. That's for
later discussion or whatever. I'm not going to preach about
that. But there are extraordinary gifts here. And then there are the ordinary
gifts. But all of these gifts of Christ to men are what? Men. Men! Men! Isn't that what this says?
Wherefore, he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity
captive, and gave gifts unto men. But now, so there's no misunderstanding,
Paul says, now he that ascended, talking about Christ, what is
it? But that he also descended first into the lower parts of
the earth. He that descended is the same
also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill
all things, and gave, what? Men to men. Isn't that what it
says? Yes, sir. is Christ's ordained
way of building the church. That's the organization. Somebody
says, I don't like that. Then you've got a problem with
Him. This gift of men to men is no
less gracious than the very gift of your salvation to your soul. It's a totally a matter. It ain't
because the church, the church, the saints in general deserve
this. This is because this is the way
God ordained it to be. And as I've said, I've tried
to concentrate on this one thing over and over, even where I work
to men. At work, God Almighty will take
one sinner and send that one sinner to another sinner to declare
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He is not coming
to men now as He did to Abram in the Ur of the Chaldees. You know that? He's not. He's
not doing that now. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. This is the way he's
building the church. Now, primarily here, he's talking
about the organization of the local assembly. These are public
gifts. in public offices for public
assembly. Nobody has their own personal
pastor. Now you remember in the Old Testament some people had
their own personal prophet. Did you know that? Go back and
look. But that ain't so today. It ain't
so today. There is this simple organization
of the church. Apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastor-teachers, saints. That's what it says. This is
the organization of the church. Now I will say this without going
into backing it up by scripture, but there are no apostles, directly
so called, there are no prophets, and there are no evangelists
today in the strictest sense of the word. We may be told,
just like Paul told Timothy, do the work of an evangelist,
but he didn't say he was one. But he said do the work of one.
But be that as it may, we could argue all day long about those
things. Apostle so-and-so, you're full
of it. So-and-so's a prophet, well you're
full of it. Now evangelist, you want to argue with me on that?
You might get to argue with me on that a little. I'll have to
give you, I don't know that for sure. But let me tell you, the
primary thing we know today, the primary gift we know today,
and the primary gift only we know today, in person, is pastor
teachers. The apostles and prophets are
still with us in this world. The evangelists, in this world. And though the evangelists may
still be here today, I'll give you that one. But let me tell
you, the only thing we deal with in the local assembly today is
pastor teachers. That's where it's at. There is
no need for pulpit committees. I mean, one fellow said pulpit
committees is nothing more than talent scouts. That's what they
are. When I was in religion, we had
in the church, put that in quotes again, big ones, parentheses
and exclamation points. Our church had its pulpit committee.
What that meant is if the pastor messed up, you had to fire him,
you had to go hire another one. So you chose, voted in people
who would be the pulpit committee and find you another pastor.
Who gives the gifts to men? Jesus Christ does. You see it? Jesus Christ does. There's no
need for pulpit committees. No need for music ministers.
A need for music, yes. We're to sing. We're commanded
to sing. Psalms, hymns, spiritual psalms.
We don't need a music minister. We don't need Sunday school superintendents. We don't need sports directors,
etc., etc., etc., etc. This building right here is sufficient
and efficient, period. It's worked for 2,000 years.
We're still here. Small in number as we may be,
we're still here. God's still calling men and women
out the same way by the preaching of the gospel, and they're gathering
together in local assemblies and seeking to manifest forth
the glory of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. After 2,000
years, David, Nothing is lacking in Christ's
organization of the church he is building. Nothing is lacking. If it was sufficient from the
get-go when there was no New Testament, Joe, that was one of the reasons for
apostles and prophets. They were the men who were given
the gift to be able to read the Old Testament and say, now here's
how it applies. I don't even have to do that. I have the New
Testament now to base it all on, don't I? But be that as may,
nothing is lacking in Christ's organization of the church that
he is building. Faith not only acknowledges the
truth of Christ's personal work in redemption, faith submits
to Christ's manner of building his church and it rejoices in
it. Nothing lacking. We don't have
to have more. Now if all we're worried about
is numbers, maybe we need more. But that's not the point, is
it? As a matter of fact, using the
illustration again of Noah, Noah knew from the get-go he wasn't
going to have the seven others with him. For 120 years he was
a preacher of righteousness, but he had already been told
by God, I will save you and your house and some animals. Isn't
that what he's already told him? And for 120 years he built that
ark knowing this was it. He didn't even have the hope
of tomorrow somebody may be listening to him. Yet faith by faith Noah
moved with fear and built an ark to the saving of his house. House. It was good enough. In other words, even back then,
before no one knew a lot about predestination, Joe, and election,
and adoption, and how all these things fit together, even then,
a true, the true one, God-given faith was enough to submit, Christ's
way of doing this thing is good enough. Even if it's just seven
others with me. Let us not be like the prophet
who says, I'm all left alone. At least I'm here. That's basically
what he was, huh? Oh yeah, at least I'm here. God said I got 7,000 more. You don't even know that. I got 7,000 more. Faith not only acknowledges the
truth of Christ's personal work in redemption, it submits to
Christ's manner of building His church and it rejoices in it. I'm glad he purposed to do it
this way and I don't have to worry about it getting done.
I don't have to worry about it. I have responsibilities in it,
under it, but I don't have to worry about it. He said, I'll
build my church. Now he gave these, the gifts of God are perfect,
yet God gave gifts of imperfect men. Think about that. These apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastor, teachers, they are not perfected
men. Are they? No. Let me just give
you, let me look at it here. Nine things, and I'll try to
be brief. I'm going to make these statements, show you where it
comes from, where these statements come from that I'm making right
here in our Ephesians 4, and then I'll give a summary and
statement. Number one, why were these gifts given? And these
gifts were men given, right? This is God's organization. Why?
For the perfecting of the saints. Notice that comes first. Before,
for the work of the ministry. In other words, you better take
more concern about what you already got. I know it could be said
better. You better take more concern,
or primary concern with what you got and not worry about everything
you don't have. Huh? God's called out these,
deal with them first. Do you see that? For the perfecting
of the saints, that's number one. In other words, full preparation
of the saints. This Word is sufficient for everything
we believe and the way we live. It's sufficient for all of it. whether it's my secular life
or my religious life if you want to try to separate the two. If
you want to try. Because when you're a part of
this oneness, you can't get away from any of it. No matter where
you are or what circumstance you're in. For the perfecting
of the saints. Number two, for the work of the
ministry. Let me just put it this way. The Great Commission.
Gospel preaching. That's the primary work of the
ministry. To preach Christ. Preach Christ. Number three, for the edifying,
that is the building up of the what? For the protecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ. In other words, to erect this
thing soundly. Right? Build it up soundly. Correctly. Properly. Number four,
till, you see four, four, four, till. See it? Four, four, four,
there's your organization. Four, four, four, till. Till,
we all come in the unity of the faith. Now, people read that,
in other words, is that saying that you got all these different
denominations and what we all try to be doing is get all the
different denominations to believe the same thing. See, they're
wet behind the ears because they're starting from a presupposed Concluded
or presupposed idea and coming to a false conclusion There are
people There are people who are a part of this body by purpose
and blood who've not yet been called into that body That's
what he's talking about. He's talking about the lost sheep
Till we all come in the unity of the he's talking to people
who are already called, but there's still others out there We're
part of that We're a part of that. Till we all come in the
unity of the faith. And what? In other words, and,
there's number 5 rather, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God. The 4-4-4 teal is directed toward
what? Jesus Christ and knowing Him. Paul said it to the Philippians,
didn't he? That I might know Him. All that other stuff, especially
stuff I relied my soul on, I count that but done. Why? That I might
know Him. That I might win Him. That I
might be found where? In Him. That's number five, knowing
Christ. Number six, full grown, and of
full age. Verse 13, till we all come to
unity of faith, knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. You and I know that there are
some people in this world, children, that they reach this full grown-ness
early. But that don't mean they're mature.
We've all seen some of these strapping young boys Sixteen,
seventeen years old Joe and he's six foot four, two hundred pound,
full of vim and vigor and you can say right there, there's
somebody that's full grown. But I don't mean he's mature.
See he talks about both, full grown and of full age. True spiritual
maturity. You don't just look like you're
that old. You really are that old. You know? so to speak. Number seven, this manner, this
organization protects against deception. Verse 14, that we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, carried about
with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cutting
craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. So this ordained
way is what? It protects against deception,
does it not? You know, this is the best way it's always happened.
Because when you try to start adding or taking away from, taking
away from either one. When you try to start adding
to or taking away from this organization, not an organization, but this
organization by Christ, what happens? Deception becomes rampant. Look around us today. These churches
that are filled with people are filled with deception. There
are, I don't personally know of any really large local assemblies
where the truth is taught. I'm not saying there are none,
but I don't even personally know of one. Most of them are small,
especially compared to earlier days. You know Spurgeon had how
many? A couple thousand people that came? That don't mean they
were all saved of course. But you understand what I'm saying?
You don't look at it from the quantity perspective. You've
got to look at it from the quality. And one of the qualities is what?
So that you're not deceived. So that you're protected from
deception. Because men are out there, as Earl used to say, they're
pulling the old spiritual shell game on you. They're trying to
hoodoo you and trick you into some lie. So it protects against
deception. Number eight. It directs us all
to the proper person. Verse 15, but speaking the truth
in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head,
even Christ. So again, he goes right back
to it. What's it all for? To honor him who we're what? In and under. He's the head. That means we're in him because
we're his body and we're also under him. He's the head. Number
eight, as I said, it directs us all to the proper person.
There's true growth. There's true growth. It's not
about how I'm a lot more moral now than I used to be when God
first saved me. There's times when I wonder about that. Now
granted, there are some things I used to do years ago before
God saved me. I don't do it all now. But there
are some things I do after God saved me I've been doing that
I never did before that are still sitting in. But the whole point
is not that. That's not true spiritual growth.
It's being bowed down before Jesus Christ. I want to know
Him. To be found in Him. To win Him. That is true spiritual growth.
How much do these churches out there in quotes feel that way
today? They want to know what the next big music thing is going
on. They want to know when the next
basketball game in the gymnasium is going on. They're not worried
about the personal work of Christ. They don't think of Him as their
head, do they? You know this is true. Sadly,
they don't know. But they think they're a part
of the oneness. But they're not a part of the oneness. So number
eight, it directs us all to the proper person. Now here's number
nine. It will have its intended effect A-F-F-E-C-T. It will have its intended effect
by union to Christ and one another in its effect. Look at it, verse
16, from whom That's Christ, the head, from whom the whole
body fitly joined together and compacted. That's like, you know,
squished right in there, man. When you look at it, it's like,
where does this start and that end, you know? from the whole,
from whom, from whom, never forget from whom, from whom the whole
body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every
joint supplies, you see it? Just like the body receives nourishment
from what? All different points. It goes
to all different places. from whom the whole body fitly
joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplied,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
In other words, we're back to point one. God didn't save you
so you could be personally independent. God saved you and you are absolutely
dependent on Jesus Christ. But you're also dependent upon
your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as well. Because why? God's ordained it that way. If you fight against it, you
will to some degree lose out. To some degree. Maybe not lose
your soul, but you will lose out if you fight against this.
You see what I'm saying? Why? Because Christ said, I will
build my church. And He's doing it this way. He's
doing it this way. So in summary, Nothing but the
deception of unbelief would seek to take away or to add to that
kind of order and that manner of organization, would it? It would have to be unbelief,
right? Christ, the Lord of glory says,
I will build my church. Paul says, here's the way he's
been doing it. And we know even now, 2,000 years and it still
works. It still works. So nothing but
unbelief. It's nothing but unbelief and
deception that says, well, we need to add to it a little. Or,
that's old and archaic. Let's take away from it a little.
Now, right here is where it's at. But I don't want to end on
that negative point. Faith is more than being content
with this. Faith counts on it. Faith counts
on it. I trust God for it. I trust Him
to do it. It don't matter what I see here.
I look here and I think, man, but I've got to be constantly
reminded we're not the only small group that's ever been. We're
not the only small group that's ever been. I mean, God took Philip
out of a big revival meeting as we used to say years ago.
Took Philip out of this big meeting where people were being baptized,
making professions, David, and moved him out here down to the
Gaza Strip. where there was an Ethiopian
eunuch, just one man, reading Isaiah chapter 53, just one man,
took him out of that big revival, sent him over there to the Gaza
Strip. He says, alright, here's one to preach to. Faith says,
I'm content with that. Now, you know what that lets
me know, David? Sometimes how much unbelief I
really have. But yet I know, I know this is
God's ordained way, and Mason, this is not only the best way,
it's the only way. Father, teach us these things,
not just in doctrine, not just as a matter of having the facts
within our heads, but make them true and real to our hearts,
and Lord, make us love them. Make us, Lord. Forgive us of
our shortcomings, our additions and subtractions. Forgive us,
Lord. Lead us and guide us and direct
us by your spirit and through your word. I ask it in Christ's
name.