New Hope Daily SOAP: Ephesians 4

Pastor Vicki Harrison

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Ephesians 4:11-13, 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.

Paul has been discussing the new life we have in Christ and the new faith community that is created, what we call the church.  The church, as the body of Christ, is an entirely new kind of community - a family of people who belong to Jesus and to one another AND love one another with the extravagant love of Christ.  But this unique community has standards.  Look at verses 2-4.  This body of believers should be humble, gentle, patient, and bear one another in love.  There should be unity among them as a demonstration of to whom they belong.

While there is unity, there is diversity in gifts and strengths.  Jesus has made sure that his church has everything it needs to become mature and effective.  Thus, some people are given the gifts and graces to become apostles, others prophets, still others evangelists, pastors, and teachers.  Jesus obviously excelled in all of these categories but we don't.  Thus, we need one another desperately to build up and strengthen the body of Christ.

Historically, the church has focused more on pastors and teachers than the apostles, prophets, and evangelists.  If we look at the state of the Western church, you can see how badly this has hurt us.  We are incomplete which can lead to being ineffective.  We need everyone to build up the church:

·      Apostles are the entrepreneurs of the church, starting new mission and ministries, leading the church into new territory.  Without apostles, we get stuck in the same place, not responding to the changing needs of our world. 

·      Prophets often stand on the fringes of the church, as God's messengers, speaking hard words into the family of faith.  We have pushed the prophets aside because we tend to not like hard words. 

·      Evangelists are the salespeople of the faith.  They are particularly gifted at sharing the Good News of Jesus with people who don't get know him.  We are ALL called to be evangelistic but certain people are truly gifted in leading new people to Christ.  We need them. 

·      Pastors are shepherds of the flock.  They nurture and protect the congregation.  They are essentially the caregivers of the flock, ensuring and guarding the spiritual health of the people.

·      Teachers are the communicators of the faith.  They help the people remain Biblically grounded, teach the next generation about Jesus, and ensure that the church is faithful to God's Word and grows in their knowledge of Scripture and doctrine.

Think about your unique gifts.  Are you an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a pastor, or a teacher?  How can you use your gifts to build up Jesus' church?

Let's pray...Lord Jesus, Thank you for providing everything needed for our church.  Help us use the gifts of all the people so that we can build up your church and make a difference for your Kingdom.  In Your Name, Amen.