WEBVTT 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:08.060 And while you turn, let me remind you that the goal of this ongoing series, the Church Essentials Series, 00:00:08.500 --> 00:00:17.780 is to think through as a church body what the Bible says are the essentials for being a healthy church. 00:00:18.240 --> 00:00:24.679 And there's so many things that we could include with that, which is why this will be an ongoing series for a long time, 00:00:24.859 --> 00:00:26.640 Lord willing, in the life of our church. 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:33.740 This particular set of studies here through November focus on what it means to be a discipling church. 00:00:34.120 --> 00:00:35.200 A discipling church. 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:37.380 And that's a very broad topic. 00:00:37.980 --> 00:00:40.520 There's a lot of directions we could go with that. 00:00:40.659 --> 00:00:42.560 This could be a series that went on and on and on. 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:48.400 But we're really trying to narrow our focus in these three lessons. 00:00:49.240 --> 00:00:56.560 Really, when we look at the New Testament, there's a sense in which the New Testament itself is really one giant manual for discipleship. 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:57.640 And discipling. 00:00:58.280 --> 00:01:03.340 Starting with the four Gospels, and you understand what it even means to be a disciple as we're following Christ. 00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:09.500 And then you have different doctrinal treatises throughout the New Testament, like Romans and other things, 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:12.340 that help us understand the doctrinal stuff. 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:15.000 But then there's all of these letters to the churches. 00:01:15.500 --> 00:01:20.540 All these letters to the churches that the apostles were writing and compiling and sending out. 00:01:20.540 --> 00:01:23.180 And they were all about how to interact with one another. 00:01:23.300 --> 00:01:24.700 How to do the work of evangelism. 00:01:24.820 --> 00:01:29.600 How to build one another up in this church community. 00:01:29.800 --> 00:01:32.360 This covenant community of God's people. 00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:36.820 And it's all with the anticipation of what is to come. 00:01:37.540 --> 00:01:39.000 All of us looking ahead. 00:01:39.360 --> 00:01:44.400 Looking forward to the establishment of God's kingdom. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:46.160 And of course, we long for that. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:49.200 So the New Testament, really, in general, no matter where you go, you're going to find this. 00:01:49.340 --> 00:01:53.420 It's really what the New Testament does for us. 00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:59.519 But as we narrow our focus in these three lessons, there's three questions we're asking in essence. 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:04.140 First question is, is this really necessary? 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:10.439 Is it really necessary to be a discipling church or to care about discipleship or to care about those things? 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:19.099 At least in so much that we would set aside three Sunday nights to specifically come back together just to think about that. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:24.340 And of course, we answered that question last week with the mandate of discipleship. 00:02:24.460 --> 00:02:26.159 But there's two other questions we're going to ask. 00:02:26.620 --> 00:02:31.740 The next question is, who is ultimately responsible for this? 00:02:31.740 --> 00:02:38.080 When it comes to the ministry of discipling within the church, who is it actually? 00:02:38.320 --> 00:02:40.640 We see it as a necessary thing now. 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:41.840 We've seen the mandate. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:45.960 But ultimately, whose shoulders does this fall on? 00:02:46.980 --> 00:02:48.800 Is it the pastors of the church? 00:02:49.060 --> 00:02:50.800 Is it lay leaders in the church? 00:02:51.200 --> 00:02:53.240 Is it the general members of the church? 00:02:53.740 --> 00:02:56.900 Who exactly is supposed to shoulder the responsibility of this ministry? 00:02:57.020 --> 00:02:59.420 Hopefully, that's one of the questions that we'll answer tonight. 00:02:59.419 --> 00:03:04.219 And then there's a third question that we're going to get to two weeks from tonight, Lord willing, 00:03:04.739 --> 00:03:09.439 which is, what are some ways that we can actually be faithful to do this? 00:03:10.279 --> 00:03:11.739 So, is it necessary? 00:03:12.339 --> 00:03:13.819 Who's responsible for it? 00:03:14.459 --> 00:03:18.399 And if it is necessary and we're all responsible for it, how do we do it? 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:19.279 How do we do it? 00:03:19.299 --> 00:03:22.099 So, we'll put some shoe leather to it maybe here in just a couple of weeks. 00:03:22.279 --> 00:03:26.319 But before we get there and dive in, let's just review just a little bit from last week. 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:29.799 First, with our definitions that we're using throughout the series. 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:31.340 Really, two definitions. 00:03:31.519 --> 00:03:34.039 The first one is a simple definition of discipleship. 00:03:34.180 --> 00:03:34.959 Here's what it means. 00:03:35.079 --> 00:03:35.799 Mind-blowing. 00:03:36.259 --> 00:03:37.479 It means to follow Christ. 00:03:37.799 --> 00:03:37.900 Right? 00:03:38.239 --> 00:03:38.719 Simple. 00:03:40.019 --> 00:03:46.620 Discipleship is how this whole idea applies to us personally. 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:50.199 This is the noun form of the word. 00:03:50.459 --> 00:03:52.759 It is, we are disciples. 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:54.280 We follow Christ. 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:54.900 All right? 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:57.879 So, that's a simple definition we're working with in our understanding. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:03:59.439 And then there's discipling. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:00.560 Discipling. 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:06.680 That's the verb form that we're dealing with, which means to help other people follow Christ. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:08.240 Helping others follow Christ. 00:04:08.420 --> 00:04:10.020 So, both of those things are at play. 00:04:10.300 --> 00:04:13.759 You can't help other people follow Christ unless you're a follower of Christ yourself. 00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:14.939 So, it starts there. 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:16.339 Starts with the gospel. 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:21.779 Starts with Christ's mandate for discipleship in the sense of his call to discipleship. 00:04:21.779 --> 00:04:24.639 And we've talked about that a lot in Mark's gospel. 00:04:25.139 --> 00:04:32.439 But then it moves on from there to his mandate in the sense of we are responsible for helping other people follow Christ. 00:04:32.939 --> 00:04:34.439 Helping others follow Christ. 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:48.480 And we looked at that specifically last Sunday from Matthew 28 and the Great Commission where Jesus explicitly commands that we make disciples of all nations. 00:04:48.860 --> 00:04:50.339 Make disciples of all nations. 00:04:50.540 --> 00:04:55.180 And one part of that that we didn't really discuss last week is the all nations part. 00:04:55.180 --> 00:04:57.860 That's a pretty significant part of this, isn't it? 00:04:58.180 --> 00:05:00.280 And we didn't deal with it very much. 00:05:00.379 --> 00:05:01.980 And it's not my purpose tonight either. 00:05:02.300 --> 00:05:04.699 But we need to keep that in the back of our minds. 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:07.120 What is it actually that God has commanded us to do? 00:05:07.639 --> 00:05:13.579 It's fresh in my mind at the moment because I've just spent all this time at Laurel this weekend where their whole focus is on missions. 00:05:13.579 --> 00:05:27.979 And, you know, we think about mission all the time as far as our local mission, the community engagement that we have here in Cornelius and the people that are around us wherever it is that you may live. 00:05:29.379 --> 00:05:32.000 And sometimes we think a little more broadly than that. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:41.100 But we don't regularly, or at least I don't regularly, think about this responsibility in the terms of all nations. 00:05:41.779 --> 00:05:43.360 And it was just so nice. 00:05:44.420 --> 00:05:53.899 You guys met or were at least introduced to Himit Patel and Becky Patel on Friday night who have been missionaries to India, his home country. 00:05:54.339 --> 00:05:55.439 It's an amazing story. 00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:00.699 Himit came to America to serve in the United States military. 00:06:00.699 --> 00:06:02.379 He wasn't even a citizen of the United States. 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:04.079 Like it was really, I didn't even know you could do that. 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:06.000 But apparently that's how it worked. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:09.159 And he was stationed in Goldsboro, North Carolina. 00:06:09.659 --> 00:06:19.839 And as a young adult serving in the military, he was led to Christ out of Hinduism by Baptist pastor there in Goldsboro. 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:23.159 And so he stuck around and he was discipled there. 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:29.279 And then just the Lord put a burden on his heart to go back to India, the place he had escaped by actually serving in the military. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:33.039 And he spent the, since 1994 is when he went back. 00:06:33.119 --> 00:06:36.659 And he's been there since 1994 planting churches throughout the country of India. 00:06:36.799 --> 00:06:38.759 And it's just so helpful to be around people like that. 00:06:39.500 --> 00:06:46.539 You know, a couple weeks ago we read Val and Angela's most recent letter. 00:06:46.659 --> 00:06:48.579 I think it was the weekend you guys were in the mountains actually. 00:06:48.679 --> 00:06:51.639 I read their prayer letter that they had sent out. 00:06:51.859 --> 00:06:53.659 It's helpful for us to remember those things. 00:06:53.660 --> 00:06:58.740 That our responsibility in making disciples, it's not just about what we're doing here. 00:06:59.320 --> 00:07:01.160 But we need to keep the world in mind. 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:03.700 We want to have a heart for that. 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:06.040 We want to see the world one to Christ. 00:07:06.580 --> 00:07:09.340 And we want to be involved in that in whatever way that we can be. 00:07:09.900 --> 00:07:13.560 Whether it's financial or whether it's through prayer support. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:20.260 Maybe it's through asking the Lord to send us on short-term or long-term missions to go and take the gospel. 00:07:20.259 --> 00:07:22.000 But we need to keep it in mind, right? 00:07:22.180 --> 00:07:25.420 So last week we talked about that, the mandate making disciples. 00:07:26.259 --> 00:07:32.639 And we discovered that discipling is not merely a strategy for growing the church. 00:07:32.939 --> 00:07:35.920 But it's actually a command of the Lord that must be obeyed. 00:07:36.360 --> 00:07:40.180 And we said that there's four things with that in relation to the Great Commission. 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:43.599 That to make disciples requires intentionality. 00:07:44.379 --> 00:07:45.680 Nobody does it on accident. 00:07:46.159 --> 00:07:47.120 You have to do it on purpose. 00:07:47.860 --> 00:07:49.459 It involves evangelism. 00:07:49.459 --> 00:07:50.839 That's where it starts. 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:55.759 After our own conversion to Christ, it starts by actually taking the gospel to others. 00:07:56.099 --> 00:07:57.879 Winning other people to Christ. 00:07:58.039 --> 00:08:01.060 And we talked about that a lot throughout this whole weekend. 00:08:01.899 --> 00:08:03.359 But then it requires teaching. 00:08:03.500 --> 00:08:04.899 That was the third dynamic. 00:08:05.539 --> 00:08:06.899 Make disciples by going. 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:08.159 That's the intentionality. 00:08:08.859 --> 00:08:09.679 Baptizing them. 00:08:09.919 --> 00:08:11.159 That's the evangelism. 00:08:11.740 --> 00:08:12.560 Teaching them. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:15.379 Teaching them everything that I have commanded you. 00:08:15.859 --> 00:08:18.479 That's where our relationship to one another comes in. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:26.280 Because once someone has been evangelized, they are then, according to Acts 2, brought into the partnership, the koinonia of the church. 00:08:26.620 --> 00:08:29.900 And therefore, our responsibility hasn't ended just because they've accepted Christ. 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:31.340 It's actually only begun. 00:08:31.740 --> 00:08:40.480 Because it's only at that point that we actually begin to do real, long-term, hands-on, discipling work in the life of that person. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:43.620 And they, in turn, in our lives as well. 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:45.320 Of course, it's two ways there. 00:08:45.539 --> 00:08:46.180 So it's intentional. 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:47.519 There's evangelism. 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:48.340 It's evangelistic. 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:49.940 It requires teaching. 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:54.000 And then the fourth thing with that was that it's empowered by Christ. 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:56.100 And there's a great promise to that. 00:08:56.820 --> 00:09:00.580 Jesus says, I'm with you always to the end of the age. 00:09:00.580 --> 00:09:03.180 There's tremendous encouragement with them. 00:09:04.280 --> 00:09:06.340 Encouragement and peace that comes from them. 00:09:06.340 --> 00:09:20.700 Now, the reason I go through that review with you right now is because the mandate lays the foundation for everything else that we talk about tonight and then in two weeks from now for the final lesson. 00:09:20.700 --> 00:09:23.460 It's not a separate thing. 00:09:24.040 --> 00:09:32.600 These things actually build on one another so that the ministry and the methods of discipling also demand initiative. 00:09:33.280 --> 00:09:35.220 They include evangelism. 00:09:35.620 --> 00:09:37.360 They require teaching. 00:09:38.259 --> 00:09:45.480 And they're only fruitful as Christ in his grace through the power of the Holy Spirit does his work through us. 00:09:45.780 --> 00:09:45.879 Right? 00:09:46.460 --> 00:09:48.560 And so we want to work hard to do all these things. 00:09:48.640 --> 00:09:50.040 We want to come up with the right strategies. 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:51.500 We want to study the right things. 00:09:51.500 --> 00:10:00.120 I mean, I just commended a book to you that you could read that might would help you frame your mind around some of the things even in a practical sense that we need to be doing with one another and with the people around us. 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:01.959 And we can come up with all the strategies. 00:10:02.219 --> 00:10:05.339 But the strategies are really pointless without the power of God. 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:13.899 We need the Spirit of God that requires prayer, persistence, reliance, and dependence on him. 00:10:14.459 --> 00:10:17.099 And it's not the power is not in our strategy. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:18.579 It's not in our apologetics. 00:10:18.580 --> 00:10:23.700 It's not in our merely in our intellectual understanding of the scripture. 00:10:24.040 --> 00:10:34.840 The power is actually the Holy Spirit's work being accomplished through us as we commit ourselves to discipling one another and evangelizing the world and evangelizing the people around us. 00:10:34.980 --> 00:10:35.560 So it's important. 00:10:35.700 --> 00:10:37.980 These things lay that groundwork for us. 00:10:37.980 --> 00:10:44.899 So last week, the focus was really mainly on the evangelistic element of discipling. 00:10:44.940 --> 00:10:55.759 But tonight, I really want to turn the focus more on discipling one another within the context of the church. 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:56.200 Okay? 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:57.860 Within the context of the church. 00:10:58.659 --> 00:11:09.039 And so what the ministry or what is the ministry of discipling and who is responsible for it are the questions that I would like for us to try to answer. 00:11:09.179 --> 00:11:09.340 Okay? 00:11:09.779 --> 00:11:12.740 So to do that, we're going to spend some time here in Ephesians chapter 4. 00:11:12.740 --> 00:11:14.659 And I opened with a question last week. 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:16.100 I want to open with another one this week. 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:21.600 And I want you to think about the people that have impacted you the most in your walk with Christ. 00:11:21.980 --> 00:11:22.159 Okay? 00:11:22.379 --> 00:11:29.200 Just think about maybe bring to your mind, you know, maybe one or two people that you would say, 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:37.379 of all the people in my life, this is the person that has impacted me the greatest in knowing Christ. 00:11:37.680 --> 00:11:37.879 Okay? 00:11:38.259 --> 00:11:39.100 In following him. 00:11:39.280 --> 00:11:39.480 Okay? 00:11:39.940 --> 00:11:41.100 Got that person in your mind? 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:43.180 At least somebody, a general thought. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:45.860 Now, how many of you would raise your hand and you say, 00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:50.440 the person that came to my mind is or was my pastor? 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:51.560 They were my pastor. 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:52.680 That's not a trick question. 00:11:52.940 --> 00:11:53.680 I promise. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:54.560 All right. 00:11:54.920 --> 00:11:55.259 Nobody. 00:11:55.520 --> 00:11:59.040 How many of you would raise your hand and say, that person was not a pastor of mine? 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:00.100 We're not a pastor. 00:12:00.540 --> 00:12:00.879 All right? 00:12:01.460 --> 00:12:01.800 Okay. 00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:07.780 I want you to think about, everybody raised their hand that the person that's impacted the most was not a pastor. 00:12:08.140 --> 00:12:09.180 I want you to think about that. 00:12:10.560 --> 00:12:16.200 The person that has helped you follow Christ the most is not the person that we often think of 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:19.300 as being the one that's responsible for discipling. 00:12:20.800 --> 00:12:27.259 That's an amazing testimony to the way that God uses the church, other believers, 00:12:27.259 --> 00:12:30.100 to build us up in Christ. 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:33.039 It's not that our pastors don't matter. 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:35.679 And it's not that they don't have this responsibility. 00:12:36.220 --> 00:12:42.240 I have a cheat code built into my discipleship because the most impactful person in my life was my dad, 00:12:42.319 --> 00:12:44.039 but he's also my pastor, so it doesn't really count. 00:12:44.299 --> 00:12:48.500 But it wasn't really the, it wasn't dad's ministry from the pulpit that has impacted me the most. 00:12:48.500 --> 00:12:53.840 It's dad's ministry at home that has impacted me the most. 00:12:54.539 --> 00:12:58.399 And so the fact that all of us would raise our hands and say, the person that's impacted me the most 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:03.620 in terms of my walk with Christ and helping me follow Jesus the best was not actually my pastor, 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:08.580 shows us that the responsibility for this does not just rely on my shoulders. 00:13:08.580 --> 00:13:11.360 We each have this responsibility to one another. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:18.700 And don't ever underestimate the impact that you have on the person sitting next to you at church 00:13:18.700 --> 00:13:26.139 or the person that you're taking to coffee or going to lunch or just the simple conversations that you may have. 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:30.680 You never know the impact that that's helping, that it's having on someone, 00:13:30.800 --> 00:13:34.480 how you're actually helping someone follow Christ in the way that you speak to them, 00:13:34.520 --> 00:13:36.620 in the way that you encourage them. 00:13:36.620 --> 00:13:40.899 And so as we get into Ephesians 4, Paul really deals with that. 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:47.360 He's telling us about both responsibilities, the responsibility of pastors and then the responsibility of members. 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:49.259 And we're going to get to that in just a second. 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:56.299 Here at the beginning of Ephesians, the first three chapters, Paul is giving an explanation of the gospel. 00:13:56.419 --> 00:13:57.159 In fact, you're open there. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:58.879 Actually, flip back to chapter two first. 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:02.120 Of course, he's in chapter one. 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:09.240 Then there's that just glorious description of the everlasting love of God and the spiritual blessings that we have in Christ. 00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:12.159 And then there's the thanksgiving for all of that. 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:14.620 But he's really explaining the gospel and its impact. 00:14:15.240 --> 00:14:19.700 And when you get to verse 11, read with me there in chapter two, verse 11. 00:14:19.700 --> 00:14:25.960 Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:33.180 Gentiles and Jews is the dynamic here, which is made by flesh, in the flesh by hands. 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:39.340 Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, 00:14:39.680 --> 00:14:44.820 and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world. 00:14:44.820 --> 00:14:51.320 But now in Christ, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:55.640 Verse 14, for he himself is our peace who has made us both. 00:14:55.900 --> 00:14:56.760 Who's the both? 00:14:57.460 --> 00:15:05.100 The Gentiles that were far off and the circumcision, the Jews who had received the covenants and had received the promises and the works. 00:15:05.100 --> 00:15:15.680 He has made us both through Christ one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 00:15:15.680 --> 00:15:23.379 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself what? 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:27.320 One new man in place of two. 00:15:27.980 --> 00:15:29.160 So making peace. 00:15:29.159 --> 00:15:37.600 And that he might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:41.740 And he came and preached peace to you who are far off and peace to those who were near. 00:15:42.179 --> 00:15:46.100 For through him, we both have access in one spirit to the father. 00:15:46.419 --> 00:15:55.240 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. 00:15:55.740 --> 00:15:56.439 This is amazing. 00:15:56.539 --> 00:15:57.740 It's what the gospel does. 00:15:57.740 --> 00:16:04.360 Here on one end of the equation, we have the Gentiles who in the old covenant were alienated completely from the promises of God. 00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:05.919 They were on the outside of the covenant. 00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:12.580 And then there's Israel who were a little bit self-deceived by what it actually meant to be the covenant people of God. 00:16:13.220 --> 00:16:15.220 And then we see Christ come into the equation. 00:16:15.340 --> 00:16:15.980 What does he do? 00:16:16.200 --> 00:16:20.740 He brings these enemies that have this dividing wall of hostility between them. 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:24.779 He brings these enemies through the sacrifice of his flesh on the cross. 00:16:24.779 --> 00:16:31.279 He unites them together because both of them were outside of the covenant of God, the spiritual covenant that is. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:34.620 The ethnicity in and of itself doesn't mean anything. 00:16:35.399 --> 00:16:38.120 They both needed to be reconciled to God first. 00:16:38.279 --> 00:16:43.500 And that in reconciling them to God, he brought them together as we talked about this morning. 00:16:43.779 --> 00:16:45.620 It's really amazing as we think about that. 00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:47.620 He broke down the hostility. 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:51.320 He created peace in this relationship. 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:52.100 Why? 00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:55.560 In order that he could have one church. 00:16:55.860 --> 00:16:56.720 One church. 00:16:56.899 --> 00:17:01.299 And then he describes it there in verse 19. 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:09.099 As all of them being fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. 00:17:09.559 --> 00:17:11.980 There's three dynamics to this household here. 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:14.619 There's Christ the cornerstone, he says. 00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:16.200 It starts with him. 00:17:16.299 --> 00:17:17.220 It ends with him. 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:20.579 But then there's the foundation of this church. 00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:23.559 This one church, unified church that Christ is building. 00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:25.359 It starts with Christ in the gospel. 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:27.779 And then there's the foundation that is laid. 00:17:28.059 --> 00:17:31.500 And he says the foundation is laid by the apostles and the prophets. 00:17:32.539 --> 00:17:33.579 And why would he say that? 00:17:34.339 --> 00:17:37.279 Because at this point, they didn't have the completed canon of scripture. 00:17:38.099 --> 00:17:41.819 Who was it that was actually communicating this truth to the church in those times? 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:43.099 It was the apostles. 00:17:43.859 --> 00:17:51.559 It was the prophets that God had uniquely gifted in that age to speak his words before we had the scriptures completed. 00:17:51.679 --> 00:17:52.959 I think that's what prophecy was. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:56.660 Both of those things I don't think are active gifts within the church anymore. 00:17:57.140 --> 00:17:59.539 They ended, I think, at that apostolic age. 00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:01.660 Because that's where the foundation was built. 00:18:01.799 --> 00:18:03.299 And the foundation is finished. 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:04.460 It's been built. 00:18:04.620 --> 00:18:06.140 Because we have the scripture, right? 00:18:06.340 --> 00:18:07.880 And then what's the third dynamic? 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:09.940 There's the cornerstone that is Christ. 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:12.799 There's the foundation that is the apostles and the prophets. 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:18.180 And then the whole structure, the structure that's being built up, is us. 00:18:18.779 --> 00:18:19.559 That's us. 00:18:20.180 --> 00:18:21.799 We're the church being built up. 00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:24.139 This one church, unified church. 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:28.519 That's significant as we get to chapter 4 because Paul's laying all of that groundwork first. 00:18:28.639 --> 00:18:29.859 Now get to chapter 4. 00:18:30.859 --> 00:18:34.720 And he's talking about the practical outworkings of the gospel. 00:18:35.419 --> 00:18:43.500 And in the first seven verses, he is emphasizing the necessity of maintaining unity within the body. 00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:44.799 Look at verse 1. 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:52.420 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. 00:18:52.859 --> 00:18:54.640 And what does he describe that as? 00:18:54.680 --> 00:18:55.180 Verse 2. 00:18:55.940 --> 00:19:08.880 With all humility, gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:09.840 Why? 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:11.920 Because there's one body. 00:19:13.760 --> 00:19:16.800 This is, think about how hard this would have been for them. 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:19.520 Like this would have been hard. 00:19:20.800 --> 00:19:24.020 You're talking about historical enemies for thousands of years. 00:19:24.019 --> 00:19:28.639 And now you're talking about in one church. 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:32.180 The church in Colossae, for example. 00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:37.599 Where you have one person in the church who's actually the host of the church, Philemon. 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:39.420 Who's a slave owner. 00:19:40.259 --> 00:19:42.960 And he's irritated because his slave ran away on him. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:44.759 Well, he goes to Rome. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:46.660 And Paul finds him. 00:19:47.059 --> 00:19:48.000 Leads him to Christ. 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:50.099 He becomes a faithful minister of the gospel. 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:51.339 And Paul sends him back. 00:19:51.339 --> 00:19:55.459 And now existing in this same church is a slave owner named Philemon. 00:19:55.639 --> 00:20:04.199 Who now, I think probably, is submitting himself to the pastoral leadership of his slave that abandoned him and ran away. 00:20:05.899 --> 00:20:06.759 That's hard. 00:20:08.119 --> 00:20:10.079 And now you have on one side the Jews. 00:20:10.299 --> 00:20:12.759 And on the other side you have the Gentiles. 00:20:12.939 --> 00:20:14.339 These historic enemies. 00:20:14.659 --> 00:20:15.159 Active enemies. 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:16.699 Everything about them was different. 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:18.379 And yet God has brought them together. 00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:26.200 And Paul is saying, listen, because of what God has done in you in the gospel, the practical outworking of that means you need to maintain it. 00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:30.240 Maintain that spirit, the unity, the bond of peace. 00:20:30.300 --> 00:20:32.520 Because there's one church. 00:20:33.120 --> 00:20:33.680 Not two. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:34.300 One. 00:20:34.360 --> 00:20:36.280 There's not a Gentile church in a Jewish church. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:37.880 There's one church. 00:20:38.080 --> 00:20:39.080 There's one spirit. 00:20:39.840 --> 00:20:40.300 Verse five. 00:20:40.420 --> 00:20:41.000 One Lord. 00:20:41.340 --> 00:20:42.100 One faith. 00:20:42.420 --> 00:20:43.300 One baptism. 00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:45.140 One God and Father of all. 00:20:45.140 --> 00:20:47.540 Who is over all and through all and in all. 00:20:48.420 --> 00:20:54.720 And then he says that God has given grace to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gifts. 00:20:55.460 --> 00:20:57.820 What is the grace and the gifts there for? 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:05.520 To make us able to maintain humility and peace and unity. 00:21:06.259 --> 00:21:08.080 The bond of peace and all of those things. 00:21:08.800 --> 00:21:10.420 Christ empowers us to do that. 00:21:10.980 --> 00:21:13.080 Because if it were just up to us, we couldn't. 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:13.320 Right? 00:21:13.640 --> 00:21:14.200 We understand that. 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:14.759 We couldn't do it. 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:18.059 But God does this miraculous thing in the gospel. 00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:19.860 And he does this for us. 00:21:20.299 --> 00:21:23.460 Well, then we get to verses 11 through 16, which is where I want to focus. 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:32.660 And it's within this context of oneness and unity that Paul addressed the ministry of the church 00:21:32.660 --> 00:21:36.559 and who he says is responsible for that ministry. 00:21:36.660 --> 00:21:40.279 And what is that ministry that Paul then describes in verses 11 to 16? 00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:42.279 It's the ministry of discipling. 00:21:42.279 --> 00:21:42.839 It's the ministry of discipling. 00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:45.039 The ministry of discipling. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:48.639 Let's read the ministry of discipling. 00:21:48.639 --> 00:21:50.899 This is a call back to verse 7. 00:21:50.900 --> 00:21:52.900 He gave the apostles. 00:21:52.900 --> 00:22:03.140 He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, 00:22:03.140 --> 00:22:05.140 for building up the church. 00:22:05.140 --> 00:22:07.140 And it's the ministry of discipling. 00:22:07.140 --> 00:22:37.140 00:22:37.140 --> 00:22:52.600 So I want to look at these verses just here quickly. 00:22:52.599 --> 00:22:54.000 I'll leave 10 or 15 minutes here, okay? 00:22:54.639 --> 00:22:58.339 And I'll look at three things as it relates to the ministry of discipling. 00:22:58.719 --> 00:22:59.699 The ministry of discipling. 00:22:59.899 --> 00:23:01.559 Number one, let's see the personnel. 00:23:02.159 --> 00:23:02.699 The personnel. 00:23:03.399 --> 00:23:04.480 Look again at verse 11. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:13.839 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:17.319 for the building up of the body of Christ. 00:23:18.019 --> 00:23:22.079 So we immediately come here to the question of who is responsible for this. 00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:33.339 We understand the necessity of it, but who's actually responsible for bearing the burden of discipling within the church? 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:36.639 And we see Paul says there's two different categories here. 00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:41.119 There are church leaders and there are church members. 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:45.539 And it's not that one is higher than the other or that one is superior to the other. 00:23:45.619 --> 00:23:46.659 That's not what he means by this. 00:23:46.839 --> 00:23:49.159 He just means that there's different functions within the church. 00:23:49.399 --> 00:23:55.699 He says that God has given apostles and prophets that it's not a position in the church anymore, 00:23:55.699 --> 00:23:58.879 but it was in those days and that was necessary for them to understand. 00:23:59.259 --> 00:24:00.439 Then he says evangelist. 00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:04.039 An evangelist is not an office in the church. 00:24:04.700 --> 00:24:11.019 And when Paul talks about an evangelist, he's not talking about the guy that travels around in the tour bus 00:24:11.019 --> 00:24:17.019 or the 18-wheeler with the camper that comes in and preaches 10 sermons everywhere that he goes. 00:24:17.120 --> 00:24:18.360 That's not what he's talking about. 00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:19.299 That's not what this is. 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:29.019 This is a gift of the Holy Spirit where the Holy Spirit uniquely gifts certain individuals to have a clarity in preaching the gospel 00:24:29.019 --> 00:24:33.960 that results in a unique fruitfulness of people coming to Christ. 00:24:34.059 --> 00:24:34.899 So it's the evangelist. 00:24:35.059 --> 00:24:37.519 So it's not necessarily that he means by evangelist. 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:40.980 This is a leader in the church in the sense of an office of the church, 00:24:40.980 --> 00:24:46.920 but that the evangelist in many cases was the one that was responsible for bringing these people into the church 00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:50.880 through the faithful preaching of the gospel and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. 00:24:51.059 --> 00:24:53.640 So he says there's these people and they're doing this work. 00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:56.400 And then he says there's pastors and teachers. 00:24:56.900 --> 00:24:57.860 I'm making everybody mad. 00:24:57.859 --> 00:25:06.959 I should bring like food for the kids, like something that would help them like me whenever I'm doing this. 00:25:08.899 --> 00:25:13.519 And so, but then he says that there is a responsibility here for the saints as well. 00:25:14.879 --> 00:25:16.279 And so, so who's really responsible? 00:25:16.379 --> 00:25:16.979 Everyone is. 00:25:18.199 --> 00:25:20.199 There's ditches on both sides of the road here. 00:25:21.019 --> 00:25:26.799 There is a hyper clericalism that we see most often in churches 00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:32.180 where there's the staff of the church that really does all the work 00:25:32.180 --> 00:25:37.259 and the people are reduced even not necessarily because it's always their heart to do this, 00:25:37.259 --> 00:25:42.919 but because it's how the staff functions, that the people are almost reduced as spectators. 00:25:43.460 --> 00:25:45.519 They come and they're consumers in a sense. 00:25:45.639 --> 00:25:46.980 They come and they're a part of what's happening. 00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:48.480 They sit in the classes, they do the things. 00:25:48.659 --> 00:25:53.159 And I say all of that fully understanding that I am so guilty of this, 00:25:53.160 --> 00:25:57.440 incredibly guilty of this in our own church of doing this. 00:25:57.900 --> 00:26:03.060 This hyper clericalism that just takes all the responsibility off of the church 00:26:03.060 --> 00:26:07.519 in order to make them as comfortable as they can be, shoulders all that over here. 00:26:07.600 --> 00:26:10.560 But what that ends up doing is actually prevents people 00:26:10.560 --> 00:26:13.259 from doing the work that God has called them to do in the church. 00:26:14.120 --> 00:26:16.140 But then there's a ditch on the other side of the road, 00:26:16.140 --> 00:26:19.400 and it's an anti-clericalism that does the opposite. 00:26:19.880 --> 00:26:26.120 It actually kind of obliterates the whole idea and need for pastors and teachers in the church 00:26:26.120 --> 00:26:31.960 and sees them maybe as inferior in some way. 00:26:32.600 --> 00:26:34.520 And so there's both things that we need to avoid. 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:39.100 The bottom line here is that everyone is responsible for discipling. 00:26:39.720 --> 00:26:43.660 So first he mentions these pastor teachers, these pastor teachers. 00:26:43.660 --> 00:26:49.680 I take this that, and there's plenty of support for this. 00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:54.900 This isn't unique to me, but I take it that he's really referring to one particular gift 00:26:54.900 --> 00:26:56.320 or one particular office. 00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:00.120 That he doesn't mean to say that there's shepherds and then there's teachers, 00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:06.160 but that in the church there are pastors who are shepherd teachers, pastor teachers. 00:27:07.140 --> 00:27:08.140 The two of those things go together. 00:27:08.200 --> 00:27:09.920 You can't really separate them. 00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:15.500 And if you want to just separate them, it's not going to make that huge of a difference here to the text. 00:27:15.640 --> 00:27:19.440 But I think he's just referring here to the work of pastors in the church. 00:27:20.440 --> 00:27:24.019 And what does he say is the responsibility of these pastors? 00:27:25.100 --> 00:27:29.660 The beginning of verse 12, that they are to equip the saints. 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:31.860 Equip the saints. 00:27:31.859 --> 00:27:35.979 How do pastor teachers equip the saints? 00:27:36.139 --> 00:27:37.879 It's in the phrase itself. 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:39.139 They teach. 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:45.500 There's a reason that when Paul starts writing about the qualifications for pastors and deacons 00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:47.139 and church leaders and all those kinds of things, 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:52.859 there is one significant difference between what is given as a qualification for a pastor. 00:27:52.979 --> 00:27:56.479 There's only one that's gifting related, and it's that ability to teach. 00:27:56.759 --> 00:27:57.019 Why? 00:27:57.219 --> 00:28:00.799 Because that's the responsibility of the pastor, to equip the saints. 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:02.480 And how do we equip the saints? 00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:04.200 Through the teaching of the Bible. 00:28:05.879 --> 00:28:14.379 Alistair Begg said that the good pastor provides the best pasture by means of sound instruction. 00:28:14.919 --> 00:28:23.659 The good pastor provides the best pasture for the sheep by means of sound instruction. 00:28:23.660 --> 00:28:33.920 You know what my role is primarily under God in this church is to teach you, to equip you in whatever way I can, 00:28:34.460 --> 00:28:39.300 to take the word with the giftings that the Lord has given me and try to help you understand it 00:28:39.300 --> 00:28:41.540 so that you can live it out and so that you can teach others. 00:28:42.220 --> 00:28:42.940 That's my role. 00:28:43.900 --> 00:28:45.580 That doesn't exempt me from discipling. 00:28:45.620 --> 00:28:46.820 It is a part of discipling. 00:28:46.819 --> 00:28:49.419 Because before I'm a pastor, I'm a Christian. 00:28:50.619 --> 00:28:52.200 I'm a church member like you are. 00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:55.339 I'm submitted to you as you are submitted to me. 00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:58.039 So it doesn't exempt me from anything. 00:28:58.700 --> 00:29:03.759 But there is a unique responsibility that I shoulder as a pastor to teach the church, 00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:05.119 to teach the word. 00:29:05.439 --> 00:29:07.299 And pastors need to be faithful to do that. 00:29:07.299 --> 00:29:12.339 And as the Lord builds our church and as he raises up leaders within our church, 00:29:12.980 --> 00:29:18.359 when it's time to start thinking about establishing elders and other pastors within our congregation, 00:29:18.359 --> 00:29:23.099 we're not thinking about those who are equipped with a great business mind or tremendous leadership skills. 00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:25.200 We're thinking about those who can teach the word. 00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:27.559 Because that's what a pastor does. 00:29:28.220 --> 00:29:29.099 He teaches the word. 00:29:29.819 --> 00:29:29.940 Right? 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:32.619 But then he says there's this second category. 00:29:32.619 --> 00:29:35.759 And it's not just that the pastor teachers are doing this work, 00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:37.819 but it's the church members that are doing this work. 00:29:38.099 --> 00:29:40.439 He's equipping the saints. 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:43.179 Equipping the saints to do what? 00:29:43.939 --> 00:29:45.159 The work of the ministry. 00:29:47.159 --> 00:29:48.699 But in the way that we use our language, 00:29:48.819 --> 00:29:52.679 we often apply that phrase, the work of the ministry, to the pastor of the church. 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:54.719 That the pastor does the work of the ministry, 00:29:54.899 --> 00:29:58.039 and we are the beneficiaries of the ministry that he works. 00:29:58.039 --> 00:30:00.859 But then Paul says, no, what the pastor teacher does 00:30:00.859 --> 00:30:05.579 is he actually equips the saints, the saved people, the believers in the church, 00:30:05.679 --> 00:30:09.599 so that they can do the work of the ministry. 00:30:11.159 --> 00:30:12.979 And so every member is a minister. 00:30:14.459 --> 00:30:16.539 And we're all gifted in different ways. 00:30:16.819 --> 00:30:19.500 We all build in different ways. 00:30:19.579 --> 00:30:24.099 But at the end of the day, we're all builders responsible for this work. 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:26.859 Jonathan and I were having a conversation this week. 00:30:26.939 --> 00:30:27.639 I went to Keegan's. 00:30:28.139 --> 00:30:30.099 Keegan, my nephew, had a baseball game we went to, 00:30:30.099 --> 00:30:32.319 and we were riding in the truck with Ken, 00:30:32.419 --> 00:30:34.179 and we were talking about all kinds of stuff. 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:37.519 But Jonathan told this story about a guy that's in his church now 00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:40.379 that had left another church, good church in the area, 00:30:40.959 --> 00:30:42.139 to come to Laurel. 00:30:42.259 --> 00:30:44.459 And this has been a couple years later, 00:30:44.819 --> 00:30:48.199 and he starts telling him why he left the church. 00:30:48.399 --> 00:30:49.019 It's a good church. 00:30:49.339 --> 00:30:50.899 It was a church that was going through a season 00:30:50.899 --> 00:30:53.759 where there wasn't as much fruitfulness as there had been in other seasons. 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:55.259 We go through those times, right? 00:30:55.319 --> 00:30:57.179 That's just a normal part of the Christian life. 00:30:57.180 --> 00:30:59.400 And he said, 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:01.700 I left that church because God's hand isn't on it anymore. 00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:03.700 And Jonathan said, 00:31:03.740 --> 00:31:04.220 What do you mean? 00:31:05.060 --> 00:31:05.299 He said, 00:31:05.320 --> 00:31:06.360 God's hand's not on it anymore. 00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:08.299 We're not seeing people baptized every week, 00:31:08.340 --> 00:31:10.880 and there's fewer people that are actually being brought to the church, 00:31:11.140 --> 00:31:13.200 and all these kinds of things. 00:31:13.640 --> 00:31:15.640 He's seen all these tangible statistics, 00:31:15.860 --> 00:31:16.480 these metrics, 00:31:16.759 --> 00:31:17.940 and gauging success. 00:31:18.100 --> 00:31:19.539 And he ends up saying at the end of the day 00:31:19.539 --> 00:31:21.080 that God's hand has been removed, 00:31:21.140 --> 00:31:22.720 not because he's not preaching the Bible, 00:31:22.779 --> 00:31:23.779 because he's preaching the Bible. 00:31:23.779 --> 00:31:25.700 Not because he's not faithful to shepherding, 00:31:25.879 --> 00:31:27.099 because he was faithful to shepherd. 00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:27.639 He says, 00:31:27.700 --> 00:31:28.500 God's hand was removed 00:31:28.500 --> 00:31:30.420 because I didn't see all the tangible evidence 00:31:30.420 --> 00:31:32.079 that I had seen at other times in my life. 00:31:32.259 --> 00:31:34.279 And my brother said gently and graciously, 00:31:34.399 --> 00:31:35.299 he responded with, 00:31:35.639 --> 00:31:37.099 Well, tell me, 00:31:37.139 --> 00:31:38.119 during that time frame 00:31:38.119 --> 00:31:39.940 where you experienced this drought in your church, 00:31:40.059 --> 00:31:42.220 how many people did you actually bring to the church? 00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:46.240 How many people did you actually take the gospel to? 00:31:47.259 --> 00:31:48.440 How many people in the church 00:31:48.440 --> 00:31:51.639 did you actually encourage in their walk with Christ? 00:31:51.640 --> 00:31:53.340 And of course, his answer was, 00:31:53.460 --> 00:31:54.580 Well, no, no one. 00:31:55.140 --> 00:31:56.960 Why would he have that mindset? 00:31:57.259 --> 00:31:58.259 Because in his mind, 00:31:58.400 --> 00:31:59.420 it's not his responsibility 00:31:59.420 --> 00:32:00.660 to do the work of the ministry. 00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:02.740 It's all about the guy that's up on the platform. 00:32:03.600 --> 00:32:04.360 But Paul says here, 00:32:04.460 --> 00:32:07.480 No, the work of the ministry is for all of us. 00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:08.460 All of us. 00:32:08.520 --> 00:32:09.780 We're responsible for it. 00:32:10.300 --> 00:32:11.180 So we see the personnel. 00:32:11.980 --> 00:32:14.660 Number two, we see the work itself. 00:32:15.020 --> 00:32:15.900 The work itself. 00:32:16.300 --> 00:32:18.120 Look at 12 through 14. 00:32:18.119 --> 00:32:21.299 For the building of the body of Christ 00:32:21.299 --> 00:32:23.539 until we all maintain the unity of the faith 00:32:23.539 --> 00:32:24.899 and the knowledge of the Son of God 00:32:24.899 --> 00:32:27.500 to mature manhood to the measure of the stature 00:32:27.500 --> 00:32:28.519 of the fullness of Christ 00:32:28.519 --> 00:32:31.019 so that we may no longer be children 00:32:31.019 --> 00:32:33.339 tossed to and fro by the waves 00:32:33.339 --> 00:32:35.199 and carried about by every wind of doctrine, 00:32:35.839 --> 00:32:36.579 by human cunning, 00:32:36.679 --> 00:32:38.459 by craftiness and deceitful schemes. 00:32:39.579 --> 00:32:42.059 And so if we're all responsible to do this work, 00:32:42.159 --> 00:32:43.559 what is the work itself? 00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:47.579 Well, we're told at the end of chapter or verse 12, 00:32:48.579 --> 00:32:49.639 the work of the ministry 00:32:49.639 --> 00:32:52.779 is the building up of the body of Christ. 00:32:53.159 --> 00:32:54.319 What's the body of Christ? 00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:54.799 We are. 00:32:55.899 --> 00:32:58.079 What's the building up of the body of Christ? 00:32:59.220 --> 00:32:59.619 Discipling. 00:33:00.599 --> 00:33:01.000 Discipling. 00:33:02.119 --> 00:33:03.019 That's the work. 00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:06.679 And he says there's two categories for the work. 00:33:07.659 --> 00:33:09.480 First, there's an offensive category. 00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:12.379 Not offensive in the sense that we want to make people mad. 00:33:12.379 --> 00:33:13.079 Not that way. 00:33:13.559 --> 00:33:15.539 But offensive in the sense of like an athletic term. 00:33:15.960 --> 00:33:16.440 There's offense. 00:33:16.579 --> 00:33:17.200 Verse 13. 00:33:17.859 --> 00:33:19.899 What are we doing offensively in this work? 00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:22.740 Well, if I can find it. 00:33:23.839 --> 00:33:26.259 Until we all maintain the unity of the faith. 00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:27.599 All is a key word there. 00:33:28.359 --> 00:33:30.099 The work's not done till we've all reached it. 00:33:30.779 --> 00:33:32.079 Till we're all at perfect unity. 00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:34.720 Till we all have the knowledge of the Son of God. 00:33:35.200 --> 00:33:37.859 Till we've all been matured to manhood. 00:33:38.099 --> 00:33:41.700 To the measure, the stature, the fullness of Christ. 00:33:41.700 --> 00:33:43.720 When is the work done? 00:33:44.600 --> 00:33:46.120 Well, never. 00:33:46.840 --> 00:33:47.100 Right? 00:33:47.740 --> 00:33:48.700 Not till we get to heaven. 00:33:49.240 --> 00:33:52.819 Because this discipling, this offensive work, we're building one another. 00:33:52.980 --> 00:33:55.000 We're encouraging the unity of the faith. 00:33:55.160 --> 00:33:58.019 We're encouraging people to know God, to follow Christ. 00:33:58.019 --> 00:34:00.119 But then there's a defensive part of the work. 00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:01.579 That's verse 14. 00:34:03.160 --> 00:34:09.039 So that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by 00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:13.800 every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes. 00:34:13.800 --> 00:34:18.539 So Paul understands here that there's great danger in the Christian life. 00:34:19.780 --> 00:34:25.000 And that if we're not being regularly engaged in discipling, not only to disciple others, 00:34:25.019 --> 00:34:27.780 but to actually be discipled ourselves, what is it that happens? 00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:29.720 We subject ourselves to these dangers. 00:34:30.019 --> 00:34:30.760 What are the dangers? 00:34:31.100 --> 00:34:32.260 Well, we become like children. 00:34:32.500 --> 00:34:38.519 Instead of mature manhood, we're like children who are tossed to and fro by the waves of unsound 00:34:38.519 --> 00:34:39.060 doctrine. 00:34:39.380 --> 00:34:41.420 We start to believe things we shouldn't believe. 00:34:41.420 --> 00:34:44.059 We start to get carried away with charismatic figures. 00:34:44.440 --> 00:34:49.059 We start to get carried away with these schemes that are really deceitful, but they appeal to 00:34:49.059 --> 00:34:50.099 our flesh in some way. 00:34:50.139 --> 00:34:50.880 And we see this. 00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:52.720 We see this all over the place. 00:34:53.079 --> 00:35:00.720 Every one of us have friends that are stooped in false doctrine because they're like children 00:35:00.720 --> 00:35:05.539 who aren't being built up in the Lord, but they're tossed to and fro with all of this stuff. 00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:07.200 Well, what's the solution to that? 00:35:07.820 --> 00:35:09.680 Discipling one another in the church. 00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:10.880 That's the solution. 00:35:11.420 --> 00:35:16.079 In this book, Colin Marshall and Tony Payne, they said this happens in our gatherings, 00:35:16.240 --> 00:35:21.900 but it also happens day by day as Christians speak the truth to each other and exhort one 00:35:21.900 --> 00:35:23.220 another to stay strong. 00:35:23.440 --> 00:35:28.700 It happens in our homes as fathers bring up their children in the discipline and instruction 00:35:28.700 --> 00:35:29.320 of the Lord. 00:35:29.320 --> 00:35:35.740 It happens in the world as we proclaim the excellencies of Christ before the nations and engage in gracious, 00:35:36.260 --> 00:35:41.900 salty conversations with outsiders or give gentle, respectful answers to insiders about 00:35:41.900 --> 00:35:42.740 the Christian home. 00:35:43.740 --> 00:35:45.200 This doesn't happen on Sunday. 00:35:45.199 --> 00:35:47.559 This happens every day. 00:35:47.980 --> 00:35:50.019 Every day as we're engaged with one another. 00:35:50.019 --> 00:35:54.980 And if you'll just allow me to give you a practical point here before we finish, 00:35:55.219 --> 00:35:57.500 I want you to notice three C's here. 00:35:57.659 --> 00:35:59.440 How do we actually accomplish this work? 00:35:59.800 --> 00:36:02.179 What are we doing in this discipling? 00:36:02.920 --> 00:36:03.599 Three C's. 00:36:03.820 --> 00:36:05.199 Number one, conviction. 00:36:06.199 --> 00:36:06.639 Conviction. 00:36:06.639 --> 00:36:06.719 Conviction. 00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:08.980 What are we doing with one another? 00:36:09.259 --> 00:36:12.219 Well, we want to help each other grow in our knowledge of God in the Bible. 00:36:12.859 --> 00:36:15.039 We help each other grow in our knowledge of God in the Bible. 00:36:15.359 --> 00:36:17.420 Number two, character. 00:36:18.159 --> 00:36:18.519 Character. 00:36:20.359 --> 00:36:25.019 We want to encourage each other to have a godly life that is in accord with sound doctrine. 00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:25.980 Character. 00:36:26.539 --> 00:36:28.460 Third C, competency. 00:36:29.460 --> 00:36:34.759 We want to teach one another how to take the word of God and actually disciple others. 00:36:34.760 --> 00:36:38.780 So we're going to reduce what our responsibility to one another is. 00:36:38.840 --> 00:36:39.680 It's these three things. 00:36:39.820 --> 00:36:42.420 We want to help each other know God and know the Bible. 00:36:42.700 --> 00:36:48.200 We want to encourage one another, maybe even correct one another lovingly from time to time 00:36:48.200 --> 00:36:51.560 so that we're living godly lives that are in accord with sound doctrine. 00:36:51.760 --> 00:36:55.260 And then we want to teach one another how to talk to others about the gospel. 00:36:55.600 --> 00:36:56.520 How to talk to others. 00:36:56.540 --> 00:36:59.560 And we're going to flesh that out in much more practical detail in a couple weeks. 00:36:59.820 --> 00:37:01.080 Finally, the manner. 00:37:01.840 --> 00:37:03.280 The manner of this ministry. 00:37:03.280 --> 00:37:04.240 Verse 15. 00:37:04.760 --> 00:37:13.880 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ. 00:37:14.080 --> 00:37:15.700 So how do we do all of this? 00:37:16.560 --> 00:37:17.500 Three things. 00:37:18.600 --> 00:37:19.040 Speak. 00:37:20.460 --> 00:37:20.900 Speak. 00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:24.620 We got to talk to each other. 00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:27.000 We got to talk to each other. 00:37:27.000 --> 00:37:39.539 There should never be somebody that ever comes into our church that sits in a chair and has a worship experience in our church without ever having a real conversation with someone else. 00:37:39.800 --> 00:37:40.940 We ought to be looking for that. 00:37:41.440 --> 00:37:42.599 Remember the intentionality? 00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:44.420 We got to talk to each other. 00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:46.059 Exchange phone numbers. 00:37:46.380 --> 00:37:48.960 If you don't have somebody's phone number, grab it off a breeze. 00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:50.380 You all have an account there now? 00:37:51.320 --> 00:37:53.820 Go exchange numbers tonight before you leave. 00:37:54.460 --> 00:37:55.360 Talk to one another. 00:37:56.039 --> 00:37:56.820 Text one another. 00:37:57.460 --> 00:37:58.220 Email one another. 00:37:59.579 --> 00:38:03.980 Tell people if you're introverted, tell them you're an introvert so they'll know to only do it sometimes. 00:38:04.420 --> 00:38:06.480 Or not to overwhelm you. 00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:07.840 Or whatever. 00:38:09.119 --> 00:38:10.159 We have to talk. 00:38:10.159 --> 00:38:13.319 You can't speak the truth in love if you don't speak. 00:38:14.059 --> 00:38:15.059 We have to engage. 00:38:15.879 --> 00:38:16.239 Truth. 00:38:17.239 --> 00:38:17.599 Truth. 00:38:18.739 --> 00:38:22.899 The content of our conversations has to be the Bible. 00:38:23.500 --> 00:38:26.079 Or at least based on the Scriptures. 00:38:26.500 --> 00:38:28.119 Not that we can't talk about anything else. 00:38:28.159 --> 00:38:28.940 That's not what I mean. 00:38:29.039 --> 00:38:30.199 Please don't misunderstand me. 00:38:31.179 --> 00:38:32.019 That's not what I mean. 00:38:32.639 --> 00:38:34.579 But we do need to be talking about the Scriptures. 00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:38.059 And whenever we are encouraging one another or counseling one another, 00:38:38.059 --> 00:38:40.179 it needs to be counsel that's based on the Bible. 00:38:40.920 --> 00:38:46.299 Do you know how many Christian women have been encouraged by other Christian women 00:38:46.299 --> 00:38:49.980 to divorce their husbands because they think they're lousy in one way or another? 00:38:50.259 --> 00:38:51.759 That's not biblical counsel. 00:38:52.400 --> 00:38:53.739 That's speaking to your friend. 00:38:54.179 --> 00:38:56.059 That's not speaking truth to your friend. 00:38:57.219 --> 00:39:00.219 There's lots of ways that we fall into this all the time, isn't there? 00:39:00.460 --> 00:39:01.299 We need to be careful. 00:39:01.559 --> 00:39:03.779 When we're actually speaking, we need to speak truth, 00:39:03.880 --> 00:39:05.460 which begins with the Word of God. 00:39:05.460 --> 00:39:06.799 Then there's the third thing. 00:39:07.340 --> 00:39:07.659 Love. 00:39:08.059 --> 00:39:09.599 That's where it all starts and finishes. 00:39:10.219 --> 00:39:10.619 Love. 00:39:11.719 --> 00:39:15.840 In Colossians chapter 3, Paul talks about all of these things we are to put on as believers. 00:39:16.179 --> 00:39:21.659 And then he says the belt of the garment that wraps all of this up is love for one another. 00:39:21.980 --> 00:39:22.759 Love for one another. 00:39:23.199 --> 00:39:27.519 So we speak the truth, but we have to do that speaking the truth in love. 00:39:27.779 --> 00:39:29.619 And that's where it gets difficult sometimes. 00:39:30.179 --> 00:39:32.400 Because if you're like me, you just like to speak truth. 00:39:33.699 --> 00:39:34.139 Right? 00:39:34.139 --> 00:39:36.599 You want to lay down the law. 00:39:38.179 --> 00:39:40.480 But he says we have to actually do this in love. 00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:44.960 And then notice how the mandate plays its role here in this thought. 00:39:44.960 --> 00:39:49.420 To do that, to do this work, you have to be intentional. 00:39:50.619 --> 00:39:52.320 You're going to have to be evangelistic. 00:39:53.840 --> 00:40:01.019 Maybe even evangelistic with people that tell you they're a Christian, but you can tell they don't actually know Christ. 00:40:01.199 --> 00:40:03.539 Or there's a false gospel that they've fallen into. 00:40:03.780 --> 00:40:05.780 You're going to have to be evangelistic in those conversations. 00:40:06.179 --> 00:40:07.460 You're going to have to teach. 00:40:07.460 --> 00:40:10.539 You're going to have to be dependent on Christ. 00:40:10.940 --> 00:40:13.320 And then look how Paul summarizes it in verse 16. 00:40:13.400 --> 00:40:14.320 This is the last thing we're done. 00:40:15.900 --> 00:40:18.199 From whom the whole body joined together. 00:40:18.240 --> 00:40:19.139 He's given an illustration. 00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:25.559 From whom the whole body joined together, held together by every joint with which it is equipped. 00:40:26.400 --> 00:40:29.720 It's been equipped by pastor teachers under the headship of Christ. 00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:31.539 Here's what he says. 00:40:31.539 --> 00:40:41.279 When each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it what? 00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:45.900 Builds itself up in love. 00:40:47.219 --> 00:40:53.480 In other words, Paul says, whenever churches get this right, not when they're perfect, but when they get this right, 00:40:54.380 --> 00:40:57.460 they get this right, the body builds itself. 00:40:58.199 --> 00:40:58.759 Builds itself. 00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:01.340 So he summarizes this whole thing as what? 00:41:01.860 --> 00:41:02.259 Discipling. 00:41:03.380 --> 00:41:10.779 Not from the stage to the floor, but from one another and to one another and with one another. 00:41:11.440 --> 00:41:14.699 We're thinking about this culture and DNA of discipling in our church. 00:41:14.840 --> 00:41:18.279 We have to understand the mandate, but we need to start to understand the ministry of it too. 00:41:18.599 --> 00:41:20.159 We're all responsible for it. 00:41:20.519 --> 00:41:24.340 And what that ministry actually entails is speaking the word to one another. 00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:26.719 Being faithful to that with one another. 00:41:27.279 --> 00:41:28.840 Following those three C's. 00:41:28.840 --> 00:41:31.600 And then in two weeks from now, what we're going to look at is methods. 00:41:31.860 --> 00:41:35.260 We're going to put some shoe leather to all of this to say, here's how we can do it. 00:41:35.519 --> 00:41:38.019 Here's how we're going to attempt to do it as a church body. 00:41:38.019 --> 00:41:38.059 Well, let's take aNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNINGNING