Bible Readings:
Ephesians 4:1 – 16
Romans 12:1 – 8
1 Corinthians 12:1 – 11; 27 – 31
1 Peter 4:7 – 11
Sermon Outline:
Ephesians 4:7–8 (NKJV)
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”
Ephesians 4:11–12 (NKJV)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
I The Foundation gift of the Ascended Christ to the Church: The ministers of the Word and their Word ministry
Ephesians 4:11–12 (NKJV)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
II The purpose of the Word ministry: To lead Christ’s people to maturity and service
Ephesians 4:12–16 (NKJV)
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
III All of us are to use our own God-given gifts for service
Romans 12:8 (NKJV)
8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
God does not ask about our ability or our inability, but our availability. — Anon.
Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God. — Jim Elliot
The man who tries to do something and fails is infinitely better than the man who tries to do nothing and succeeds. — D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones