Leadership - H B Charles, Jr | Session 6 — 9Marks at Southeastern 2017

grace and peace be multiplied to each of you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord if you would get your Bible and turn with me to the book of Ephesians chapter 4 let me offer another prayer then we'll hear the reading of God's Word father thank you indeed for the blessings of this day and for the rich time together in your word and in fellowship with one another around your word in these closing moments of our time together we pray afresh that you would be our teacher up us to lay aside all malice deceit Envy hypocrisy and slender so that as newborn infants we will crave the pure spiritual milk of your word and grow thereby having tasted of your goodness help me to speak your word with faithfulness clarity Authority passion wisdom humility and freedom and may Christ be exalted as the word is explained we pray for your glory amen Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 through 16 I want to talk about how the Lord grows his church he gave the Apostles the prophets the evangelists the shepherds and teachers to equip the Saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God the mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine a human cunning by craftiness in deceitful schemes rather speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ from whom the whole body joined it held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love amen as Mark mentioned I served the church that I grew up in for almost 18 years year 2008 the Lord called me to serve a congregation on the other side of the country in Jacksonville Florida I had never been in a sense the new guy in my first church I had grown up there my father had served that church for some years and so even though the role was new I knew the congregation and they knew me I I didn't know anyone in Jacksonville I was new to the congregation this was a new position for me to be in and I called a friend of mine to asked for advice about what to prioritize in this new work he replied by telling me a parable parable about a group of bandits who schemed to rob a bank in a local town however the bank was well protected and they couldn't find a way to overtake it until one of the bandits came up with a great scheme few of these gangsters went to the outskirts of town and started setting barns on fire hearing the alarms the residents of the city all rushed out to the outskirts of town to put out the fires in the barns and while they were putting out the fires in the barns the bandits robbed the bank my friend wisely warned me when you get to Jacksonville whatever you do guard the bank at all costs this is the counsel I would offer you as we close our time together multiple various competing fire alarms screen for our attention in ministry but you must keep the main thing the main thing you must guard the bank if you will you must keep your priorities in order keep your priorities in order you must properly understand what the Lord has called the church to be and do we as pastors to be faithful must have both a high view of Christ and His Church you cannot have a high view of Christ and a low view of the church at the same time you must understand the meaning and the message and the mission of the church is Christ as soul ordained it Ephesians chapter four verses 11 through 16 is one of the key passages in the New Testament about what the church is to be in do it is a part of an extended passage 1 through 16 that really is a call to unity this call to unity is what begins the passage in verses 1 through 3 I therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace verses four through six then go on to present to us the grounds of Christian unity the basis of Christian unity there is one body and one spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all in Christ we have been called to spiritual unity but unity is not uniformity there is diversity amidst that unity verses 7 through 10 going to say but grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift therefore it says when he ascended on high he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men in saying he ascended what does it mean but that he had also decent it into the lower regions the earth he who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things the exalted Christ has bestowed a diversity of gifts amongst the members of his body for the sake of that body working together in spiritual unity for the growth of the body what are these gifts what are the functions of these gifts what is the purpose of these gifts verses 11 through 16 go on to answer those questions this is a long and complex statement of Paul as is typical in the book of Ephesians but the point here is really simple he is trying to show us that the spiritual unity of the church is essential for the spiritual maturity of the church and in so doing in verses 11 through 16 we get a clearer look of the role of the pastor the role of the Shepherd teacher as a gifted person God gives in Christ to the church to lead the church to spiritual maturity in Christ here we see how the Lord grows his church we also see here what the church should look like as it grows up consider those two main ideas with me the process by which the Lord rose his church and the purpose for which the Lord grows his church first in verses 11 through 13 consider the process by which the Lord grows his church the new testament does not define the church as much as it describes the church it describes the church with various word pictures the primary metaphor for the church in the new testament is the one used here in this chapter that of a of a body in fact in Fe's chapter 4 verse 3 begins by saying terms of the grounds of unity there is one body Christ is the head of the church the church is the body of Christ every believer is a member of the church and every member has been given a function to facilitate the spiritual growth of the church in Christ here Paul lays out for us how the Lord works through this process to grow the church to spiritual maturity he first says the church grows through spiritual gifts verse 11 and he gave the Apostles the prophets the evangelists the shepherds and the teachers here in this passage we see that of in verse 8 Paul claims that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the ultimate fulfillment of Psalm 68 verse 18 in verse a referring to it he says when he ascended on high he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men and going forward it is this latter part that he will place his emphasis in he gave gifts to men and when you get to verse 11 we see that these gifts the Lord has given to the church is actually gifted people he gave apostles and prophets and evangelists and Shepherd or pastor teachers first Corinthians 12 and Romans chapter 12 spiritual gifts are listed there that are given to enable the Saints to serve here these offices are presented as spiritual gifts given to the church to equip the Saints to serve the Lord has given gifted people to the church to equip the church there are apostles literally sent once and the strictest sense this refers to those who are eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and commissioned by him to proclaim the gospel and his flat established the church term is also using a broader sense for those sent by the church but the term here is the stricter sense the official sense of the term these apostles are apostles of Jesus Christ he is given a foul additional ministry to proclaim the Gospel land to established the church alongside of them are mentioned here the prophets these were God's mouthpiece more than just preachers these prophets proclaimed the Word of God by the revelation of God and twice beyond this passage in Ephesians these apostles and prophets are mentioned together though left to chapter 2 verse 20 and we see there that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone drop down to chapter 3 verse 5 where Paul speaks of the mystery of Christ which was not made known to the sons of men and other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the spirit prophets and apostles had a foundational ministry in the church and you only need to lay a foundation once we don't need apostles and prophets and a whole lot of other titles we are stuff in the church with these days Evangelos er Proclaimers of the good news the Bible describes Philip as an evangelist in Acts chapter 21 verse 8 in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 5 Paul V it's Timothy to do the work of an evangelist here we are presented evangelists as gifts the Lord gives to the church no doubt they share the good news with the loss but it is key to note that they are listed here as gifts to the church they function within the church but then he mentions here the Shepherd's and teachers or the pastors and teachers and the grammar here presents one role one office that of the pastor teacher here as has been mentioned in our time together is a different terminology for the same office there two New Testament offices the the elder which interchangeably is described as elder or overseer or pastor there is the office of the elder and then the office of the deacon elders leaks serve by leading deacons lead by serving here we see the ministry of the elder the pastor teachers of the church they are as the Texas here Shepherds they are pastors shepherds lead and feed and care for and nurture and protect the flock this is the role of the pastor's the elders of the church we are to lead the flock and we are to feed the flock the Word of God we are to oversee the flock we are to care for the flock and nurture the and protect the flock I believe these various functions require a primary commitment to prayer and the Ministry of the word in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 and 2 Paul says I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is the judge the living and the dead and by his appearing and his kingdom well that's a big setup Paul what is it that you are going to say next he doesn't tell the Timothy then and leave the meetings and visit the sick and build buildings and organize programs all of those things may have their place in the pastoral work but the primary charge of the pastor is to preach the word be ready in season and out of season reprove rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching and so the Lord Rose this church by these spiritual gifts you are pastored a gift to the church for a spiritual nurture growth and development consider also the Paul says here in Ephesians chapter 4 that the church grows through these spiritual gifts but they grow by mutual service it grows by mutual servants why does God give the pastor teachers verse 12 since the Lord doesn't give pastors and teachers to do the work of the ministry isn't a hired assassin he says they are to equip the Saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ the ministry of the pastor teacher is to equip the Saints for the ministry we have been rightly warned of the celebrity pastor who really refuses to serve among his people but there is the other extreme that must be warned against as well that the pastor who is forced to do it all there are a few celebrities but but most pastors serve under the radar without a spotlight on them and carry so many burdens and responsibilities here he says God has given the pastors teacher a strategic role in the life of the church and in his purpose to build it up but but all of the burden of responsibility is not to be on the shepherd he is to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry to equip is to make fit it's to make ready it is to make prepared our job as pastors is to get the Saints ready to serve here we are reminded of the priesthood of all believers there there is no biblical dichotomy of clergy and laity every member of the body is a minister of Jesus Christ on the old ship of Zion there are no passengers every party is a part of the crew we are all called to serve in the pastor's job to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry there to be no spectators you know spectators usually end up being more than spectators they're not just spectators they're critics we sit back and judge and measure those who are involved in the service and the work of the church here Paul says the the pastor teachers are to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry I like that broad terminology whatever work ministry requires Galatians chapter 6 verse 10 Paul says so then as you have opportunity do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the household of faith I think that's that's the st. two-word job description for the work of the ministry do good we are to Shepherd the church so that the Saints are equipped to do the work of the ministry for the building up an architectural term the edification the erecting of of the body of Christ the burden of the pastor should be the edification of the church we should be concerned at the Saints entrusted in our care our being built up through mutual service as we equip the Saints through the Ministry of the word Romans chapter 14 verse 19 says that we should pursue those things that relate to peace and mutual up building in 1st Corinthians chapter 14 verse 26 Paul says what's going on brothers when you come together everyone has a hill a lesson a revelation of tongue and interpretation let all things be done for mutual up building Fanta fication we come together as a church it's not about our gifts or our tastes or our preference it is about what will build up the body Hebrews chapter 10 verses 24 and 25 rightly be its us to consider one another while we're not together we should be considering one another find ways to stir one another up to love in good works not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some but exhorting one another and doing it all the more as we see the Day approaching the Lord rose the church the church grows through spiritual gifts by mutual service and it also grows toward perfect Christ's likeness the Shepherd teachers are to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry for building up of the body of Christ verse 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ go back up to verse 1 we are called to walk worthy of the calling that we have received the ultimate fulfillment of this calling will be an eternity but but we are to walk in it in the here and now with an eye toward since verse 13 attaining the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood to to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ consider here that there is a call to unity we are to attain the unity of the faith that there is a unity that is to be maintained verse 3 we should be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace but there is a unity that is to be attained verse 13 the unity of the faith the body of Christian truth Jude 3 beats us to contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the Saints this is about more than agreeing with the creed or confession this is doctrinal conviction rooted in personal devotion notice here that he ties the unity of the faith with the knowledge of the Son of God spiritual unity is essentially tied to spiritual devotion to Christ the sense in which he that the the closer we get to Christ the closer we should be getting to one another so there is a call to unity and then there's a call to maturity a call to mature manhood and again we are reminded by this of the role of us as as shepherds and teachers to be pointing the Saints to to maturity Paul says in Colossians chapter 1 verse 28 him we proclaim warning everyone in teaching everyone and all wisdom that we may present everyone perfect or complete or mature in Christ Jesus and a little more than a week from now my oldest child my son my namesake will turn god-willing 18 years old it's just an amazing thing to watch I remember the night he was born I was making what I thought my last trip before his birth which was more than two months away when I landed in Atlanta from Los Angeles later that evening as I sat down from preaching I got the news that my wife had gone into surgery and my son was born I caught the first flight home rushed to the hospital to check on my wife and the see my by it my son he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen most beautiful thing I'd ever say no no not literally he was barely four pounds when he was born it slipped down to three pounds 8 ounces six ounces by the time I got home we're concerned if he was going to make it there were tubes and wires everywhere but but he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen because he was mine my son now and I remember if I may I just forgive me I remember when we got home and this this little bitty frail little yellow baby and I said to Krystal this boy better get some color on him fast so we gonna we don't have lift shoe eighteen years later I love him because he's mine but but but I also love him because he looks like me and he wants to be with me I get to serve him and he serves me when I was a boy my name is HBO that's that's nothing behind it and those initials are my name it's my name and they called me everything but HB when I was my son's age so I wouldn't be embarrassed but the moment my son found out that he had his daddy's name he doesn't want to be called anything else friends when sinners repent and run to the cross and trust the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ Luke 15 says heaven rejoices once sinner that is made right with God how much in the heart of God be grieved if the church becomes this glorified nursery with on growing infants preoccupied with themselves God continues to rejoice as he see these born-again babies in Christ growing to mature manhood my son now drives me around he says here that there should be unity there should be in Christ maturity in Christ and there should be conformity in to Christ we should attain the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God summit or manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Romans 8:29 says for whom he foreknew he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be kind of firstborn among many brothers we that's the purpose of God is among the Saints and in our lives and in the church that could form us to the image of his son and we would reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ as incredible as that saying it is the will of God to have the Spirit of God use the word of God to make the children of God look like the Son of God and He has called us as pastors and teachers for strategic and sacred role in that process of growing the church and if we may move on consider the end the purpose for which the Lord grows the church verses 11 through 13 tells us if you will how the Lord grows the church and then verses 14 through 16 begins to describe what the church should be looking like as it matures what should it look like what should a grown up church look like and what led me to land here among other things is the fact that here this passage is totally devoid of so many things that we attempted to be consumed by church growth here it is not about how many people attend or how great the budget is or how wonderful the facilities are how many programs you offer or how large or quote-unquote platform is and it's about maturing to Christlikeness it's all about him here we see that a grown up church is doctrinally sounds spiritually mature and mutually equipped consider a doctrinally sound Church shifting the negative language or he says so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning and by craftiness in deceitful schemes here Paul says when the when the church is not growing to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ it is filled with believers who are as he calls them here children Christians should be child like Christians should not be child dish and the the growth of the church is hindered when we cater to self-centered babies in the church we must strive to no longer be children notice how the IMP all mixes metaphors here and to describe the instability of immaturity so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves tossed to and fro by the waves there's nautical metaphor here pictures a ship that is lost at sea and it is driven by by the storm-tossed waves our world is in a storm friends our nation is in a storm our culture is in a storm god forbid that we be as Jonah was sleep in the storm the church should not be adrift as a ship without a rudder without an anchor without a compass how do you know when the church is adrift at sea Paul says it's carried about by every wind of doctrine I'm a part of a church culture that if the if the preacher is doing it the churches don't say Amen and talk back to him in fact in my first pastor there were sister tears that were sit on the second row and if I was if I was saying it right she'd sit then she Rock and say help help us a little hard lord help us and if if I was messing up she say help him Lord help him help him love but here Paul says that the church needs to be mature enough to know what not to say a mentor in our opening time together mark I think rightly challenged us that the that your church should hear other men open the Word of God but here we are reminded that the church needs to be mature enough to know who not to listen to we need to know we need to be mature enough to know what blowing winds to stand against so that we're not Emmett or children unstable in our faith and we're caring from from one extreme to the other that that that term here carried about is used in mark chapter 6 verse 55 to describe sick persons carried on their beds this is what a church is like when it is not committed to the sound teaching of the word of God it is like little children in an unprotected nursery it is like a rudderless ship in a stormy sea it is like sick persons being carried to where they do not want to go we're not to be as children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness in deceitful schemes notice the sinister motives here some men teach error because frankly they just don't know any better it's important to sit down and learn before you stand up to teach but here are those who are not teaching out of ignorance that the church is under attack by men who in cunning and craftiness seeks to deceitfully lead the church away from the truth we mentioned in second Timothy verses 1 & 2 it's charged to preach the word but in verses 3 and 4 he begins to tell them why this charge and obedience to it is so important for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching I don't think this is people in the streets these are professing believers who are walking in a false presumption of salvation and demonstrate that fact by their unwillingness to endure sound teaching they won't put up with it but he says when they won't put up with it and leave your church they don't go home they go on and look for four four teachers having itching ears they they are killing like teachers who say what they want to hear the Bible is filled with warnings against false teaching but verses 3 & 4 here represent the other side of the coin false teachers wouldn't have influence if professing believers didn't give them a platform Marvin Vincent come and see here succinctly that when the people want a calf to worship a ministerial calf maker is readily available but in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 5 this is always the challenging and convicting part for me verse 5 begins by saying as for you let the crowd do what the crowd is going to do but asks for you let the world do what the world is going to do but asks for you always be sober-minded endure suffering do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry and so we see the universe 13 a doctor verse 14 a doctrinally sound Church but then in verse 15 we see a spiritually mature church rather speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ we're to grow up speaking the truth in love this is an important reminder for those of us who preach and teach the word of Shepards we must faithfully as verse 14 warrants speak the truth but we must speak the truth in love from the beginning of my ministry I believe I've been committed to 2nd Timothy 4 verse 2 begins preach the word as I'm growing older and I hope that means as I've been growing more mature I am also learning to prize not just the beginning of second Timothy 4 verse 2 but the end that says you to do so with complete patience and teaching we're not just to love the truths we're to love those that he has called us to shepherd but this is not just for the pulpit this is for the pew as well the teaching of God's Word from the pulpit must be reinforced in the body life as of the church as in Christian Fellowship we speak the truth to one another in love Matthew proverbs 27 verse 6 faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are profuse Wow it's better to be hurt by a friend than kissed by an enemy we're to speak the truth to one another but we're to do so in love truth without love is brutality love without truth is hypocrisy the saints we are to speak the truth in love and this is key for us you grow up this is the heart I think of what Paul is saying here the burden of the Shepherd would would be that our our congregations would grow up grow up how grow up in every way there should be no undeveloped or underdeveloped every of the life of the church Paul is saying we're to grow in the knowledge of Christ and grow in faith in Christ and grow in obedience to Christ saying grow in service to Christ and grow in witness for Christ in every way we're to grow up into him who is the head into Christ Christ here's picture as both the sphere and the standard of Christian maturity where to grow into him who is the head into Christ Peter commands second Peter 3:18 to grow in the Grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ in the knowledge he is the sphere of growth but he's also the standard olympians chapter 3 is very challenging where it's the BT mentioned Paul lays down his privilege that he may gain Christ be found in Christ that he might know Christ this is a glowing testimony but I like to he pumps the break in and admits him in Philippians chapter 3 verses 12 through 14 yet this is a great testimony but I haven't arrived yet I haven't attained it yet I have not yet attained but but this one thing I do getting those things which are behind and reaching for what lies ahead I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus I refer to that passage to remind us as shepherds we are not the standard Christ is my pastor recently retired after 42 years at the same church I love him and thank God for him I can't measure the investment he's made in my life and ministry and family but if he Chuck's his faith and turns from Christ I'm not going with him because he's not the standard price is the standard in the Matua church of him is doctrinally sound spiritual in the torah and finally it is mutually equipped from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint verse 16 verse 50 says the Christ is the sphere and the standard of maturity but but now we also see he's the source of it the whole body grows because of him and from him but it also happens here as it is joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped the joints and muscles hold the body together and equip it in strength and the churches to be that way we we are to be held together by what every joint supplies so that when each part is working properly it makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love let me note that in conclusion that final phrase there's the third reference so far in this chapter to love having called us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have called been called verse 2 says with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love verse 15 says we are to be speaking the truth in love now verse 16 speaks of how the body builds itself up in love in John 13 verse 34 and 35 Jesus says a new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you you are to love one another and by this will all men know that you are my disciples as you have love one for another but what does that look like in practical terms just drop down to the final verse of this chapter I think may be a good place to start verse 32 be kind to one another tender-hearted forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you my wife and I have a song many couples have a song but we we landed on a strange song we fell in love with this song having heard my pastor lead his church in the singing of it every pastor needs to pass them we'd visit my pastors Church in the city there he would often in the services by leading the congregation in the singing of this song and I don't know we were just bound together and the song meant so much to us we we asked him to sing it at our wedding the final service of my pastor at at the Los Angeles congregation he was there and he closed the service by leading us in that song song is written by John Fawcett now Fossett pastored the Wayans gay Baptist Church in northern England from 1765 to 1817 a long fruitful pastor it with great influence in a small impoverished Church very early in his pastoral he was just 32 years old he determined that he needed to go somewhere else he needed a larger pulpit his motivations were recorded in his diary he wrote that over the years of ministry my family has grown faster than my salary he thought his prayers was answered when he was selected to succeed the great John Gill at the Carters Lane Baptist Church he announced his departure and prepared for the transition and on his final day at the end of the service he down to the service with his family and the grieving congregation followed them to the waiting wagon where their things were packed and as they said their goodbyes there was such weeping grief and sorrow that his wife leaned over to faucet and said that I don't know how to leave I'm not able to do it he said neither am i and instead of pulling away he had them to unpack the wagon and he stayed there for the rest of his ministry until he died of a stroke they said he never made the equivalent of two hundred dollars in any year of his ministry we don't know exactly all of his reasoning but there is a strong hint and what made him stay in the sermon that he preached the next Sunday after this life-changing decision the following Sunday he preached from Luke 12 verse 15 where they're setting up the parable of the rich fool Jesus says that a man's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions the end of the message he read a poem that he had written to accompany the sermon it was later set to music bless be the ties that bind our hearts and Christian love fellowship of kindred minds is liken to that above think the verse that gets me and my wife is that last verse when we a son depart it causes inward pain but we will still be joined in heart and hope to meet again father thank you for your word thank you for your son our Savior the Lord of our lives the head of the church who has gifted and called out from among the Saints those of us who are shepherds to serve the flock as representatives of Christ's purpose to lead his people to maturity in him what an awesome task what a sacred duty what a wonderful privilege we confess Lord that there are so many distractions that we are confronted with and we confess Lord our our tendency to look away from the things that matter the most please have mercy on us and help us all the more to set our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and teach us Lord to love the church the church that you are building and that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it help us not to be preoccupied with with numbers and size and crowds and prominence but may we faithfully proclaim your word in season and out of season and may we lovingly Shepherd your people to spiritual maturity in Christ so that his will his purpose in and through the church would be fulfilled and that the church would be sign and a Herald in a foretaste of your present but not yet to Kingdom as we leave here and go homes our places of assignment we obviously present with us actively in charge and dynamically at work for your glory we pray amen

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Length: 55min 44sec (3344 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 04 2017