Lord's Day Sermon

February 28, 2021

The Grace of Servant-Leaders

Ephesians 4:1-16 Matt Bowles

Sermon Details

Title
The Grace of Servant-Leaders
Scripture
Ephesians 4:1-16
Preacher
Matt Bowles
Read passage (ESV) — Ephesians 4:1-16

Unity in the Body of Christ

4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
    and he gave gifts to men.”[a]

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?[b] 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 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, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and 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.

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Footnotes

Ephesians 4:8 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women Ephesians 4:9 Or the lower parts of the earth? Ephesians 4:11 Or pastors Ephesians 4:11 Or the shepherd-teachers Ephesians 4:13 Greek to a full-grown man

Cross references

Ephesians 4:1 : See ch. 3:1 Ephesians 4:1 : Col. 1:10; 2:6; 1 Thess. 2:12; [Phil. 1:27] Ephesians 4:1 : See Rom. 8:28 Ephesians 4:2 : Acts 20:19; Phil. 2:3; Col. 3:12; 1 Pet. 3:8; 5:5; [Col. 2:18, 23] Ephesians 4:2 : Gal. 5:23 Ephesians 4:2 : Col. 1:11 Ephesians 4:2 : Col. 3:13 Ephesians 4:3 : Col. 3:14; [Acts 8:23] Ephesians 4:4 : ch. 2:16 Ephesians 4:4 : See ch. 2:18 Ephesians 4:4 : ch. 1:18 Ephesians 4:5 : Zech. 14:9; See 1 Cor. 1:13; 8:6 Ephesians 4:5 : [ver. 13; Jude 3] Ephesians 4:5 : See Gal. 3:27, 28 Ephesians 4:6 : 1 Cor. 12:5, 6 Ephesians 4:6 : Rom. 9:5 Ephesians 4:7 : See ch. 3:2 Ephesians 4:7 : [Matt. 25:15; 1 Cor. 12:7] Ephesians 4:7 : Rom. 12:3; [ver. 16] Ephesians 4:8 : Cited from Ps. 68:18 Ephesians 4:8 : Judg. 5:12; [Col. 2:15] Ephesians 4:9 : See John 3:13 Ephesians 4:9 : Ps. 63:9; Isa. 44:23 Ephesians 4:10 : See Mark 16:19 Ephesians 4:10 : Heb. 4:14; 7:26; 9:24 Ephesians 4:10 : ch. 1:23 Ephesians 4:11 : [1 Cor. 12:5, 6] Ephesians 4:11 : See 1 Cor. 12:28 Ephesians 4:11 : Acts 21:8; 2 Tim. 4:5 Ephesians 4:11 : Jer. 3:15; [Acts 20:28] Ephesians 4:12 : See 2 Cor. 13:9 Ephesians 4:12 : ver. 16, 29 Ephesians 4:12 : See 1 Cor. 12:27 Ephesians 4:13 : [ver. 5] Ephesians 4:13 : Heb. 5:14 Ephesians 4:13 : ch. 1:23 Ephesians 4:14 : [Matt. 11:7; Heb. 13:9; James 1:6; Jude 12] Ephesians 4:14 : ch. 6:11 Ephesians 4:15 : 1 John 3:18; [ver. 25] Ephesians 4:15 : ch. 2:21 Ephesians 4:15 : See ch. 1:22 Ephesians 4:16 : Col. 2:19 Ephesians 4:16 : [ver. 7]

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Outline

  1. Ephesians 4:1-16 and the Gift of Servant-Leaders to the Church
  2. The Offices of Elder and Deacon as an Extension and Complement of his Gift
  3. The Example of _______________________ as an Elder
  4. The Example of _________________________ as a Deacon
  5. The Example of _________________________ as a Deacon 3/7/2021 Pastor Michael Mang Title: “The Grace of Servant-Leaders” Text: Ephesians 4:1-16 Theme: The LORD God blesses His redeemed people by giving to them servants whom He gifts and empowers to bring the body of Christ to spiritual maturity. The great goal of leaders is to lead the people of God ever more deeply to Christ as our living Head. 4 O r d i n a t i o n t o t h e O f f i c e o f R u l i n g E l d e r a n d D e a c o n Mr. Dan White Bredbenner, Ruling Elder Mr. Ryan Michael Heisey, Ruling Elder Mr. Charlie Henry Kim, Deacon Mr. Erik Stephan Woloszczuk, Deacon Explanation of the Session’s role in ordaining and installing officer candidates. Administration of the constitutional vows to the Ruling Elder and Deacon-elect candidates: 1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, to be the inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice? 2. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures; and do you further promise that if at any time you find yourself out of accord with any of the fundamentals of this system of doctrine, you will, on your initiative, make known to your Session the change which has taken place in your views since the assumption of this ordination vow? 3. Do you approve of the form of government and discipline of the Presbyterian Church in America, in conformity with the general principles of Biblical polity? 4. Do you accept the office of Ruling Elder or Deacon in this church, and promise faithfully to perform all the duties thereof, and to endeavor by the grace of God to adorn the profession of the Gospel in your life, and to set a worthy example before the church of which God has made you an officer? 5. Do you promise subjection to your brethren in the Lord? 6. Do you promise to strive for the purity, peace, unity and edification of the church? 9 Q u e s t i o n s t o D i s c u s s a t H o m e o r i n S m a l l G r o u p s 1. What is the main theme of Ephesians 4:1-16? 2. What is the worthy manner in which the Christian is to live (vv. 2-3)? 3. What is the basis for the unity of Christians (vv. 4-6)? 4. What does Christ give to each individual Christian (v. 7)? 5. What specific gifts of grace does Christ give to the Church (v. 11)? 6. What is the purpose of these gifts (v. 12a)? 7. What are all in the body of Christ to do (v. 12b)? 8. What is the purpose for all in the body of Christ to do this (v. 12c)? 9. What is the immediate goal for which all in the body of Christ work (v. 13)? 10. What results from this goal (v. 14)? 11. Perhaps more than anything, how are Christians to interact in this grand work of unity and growing to maturity (v. 15a)? 12. What is the ultimate goal for the Christian (v. 15b)? 13. What is the source that enables the body of Christ to build itself up and to grow (v. 16a)? 14. How is the body of Christ held together (v. 16b)? 15. How can Elders and Deacons be considered as gifts to the Church? 16. What is ordination to office? 17. How long is a man ordained to office? 18. What is the nature of the office of Elder? 19. What is the nature of the office of Deacon? 20. What kind of authority does an Elder and a Deacon have? 21. Who was Augustine? How did he serve the Church as an Elder? 22. Who was Athanasius? How did he serve the Church as a Deacon? 8 C o n f e s s i o n o f S i n Personal Confession This time of silence is provided for private, personal confession. A s s u r a n c e o f P a r d o n "And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’" ― And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” — Hosea 2:23; 1:10 (ESV) Our Father, we confess that we fail to forgive as we should. Pardon us for harboring anger and bitterness in our hearts instead of being kind and tender-hearted to forgive as God in Christ has forgiven us. We grieve that we have been negligent and careless in carrying out Your commandments and duties. All Your laws and precepts reflect Your glory and are for our good. We mourn that we would rather receive than give. We abhor the times we waver and do not hold fast our confession that Jesus is Lord. Because of Your great love and mercy, hear and forgive us. May we always model the Gospel and show forth that our Lord Jesus has overcome all that has held us in bondage. Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen. 5 Proposing the constitutional question to the congregation: Do you, the members of this church, acknowledge and receive these brothers as your Ruling Elders and Deacons, and do you promise to yield to them all that honor, encouragement and obedience in the Lord to which their offices, according to the Word of God, and the Constitution of this Church, entitles them? The Session lays hands upon the Ruling Elder and Deacon candidates, prayer is offered, and then the candidates are pronounced duly ordained and installed. The newly ordained and installed officers are given the right hand of fellowship. As Moderator of the Session of SRPC, I now pronounce and declare that Mr. Dan White Bredbenner and Mr. Ryan Michael Heisey have been regularly elected, ordained, and installed as Ruling Elders; That Mr. Charlie Henry Kim, who was previously ordained as Deacon, has now been regularly elected and installed as a Deacon in this church; That Mr. Erik Stephan Woloszczuk has been regularly elected, ordained, and installed as a Deacon in this church, agreeable to the Word of God, and according to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America; and that as such these men are entitled to all encouragement, honor, and obedience in the Lord. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN. The newly ordained officers are given a solemn charge. The congregation receives an important charge. We give thanks to God for His gifts and pray for dedication to submit to Him. 6 T h e L o r d ’ s S u p p e r Announcement: All are invited to the Lord’s Table who have been baptized, have publicly professed faith in (either before a congregation of the Lord’s Church or to a body of Elders in a church where the Gospel of Christ is embraced) and allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior from your sins, and are members of the visible Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have not publicly professed faith in Christ Jesus – the eternal Son of God who took on human flesh, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross for sins, rose bodily from the dead, and who is returning to this earth in power and glory – please refrain from partaking of the Lord’s Table. We invite you to respond to the Gospel by first understanding that you have sinned personally against the God who made you and have violated His good and right laws for you to follow. God is holy and has every right to separate you from Himself and from all that is good and beautiful because of your freely chosen disobedience to Him. But the really good news is that you can be restored to the God who made you because of what Christ Jesus has done on the cross as a perfect substitute and payment for the penalty that you owe and deserve. Simply believing and trusting in what Jesus did for you means you will belong to the LORD God forever. Abraham, the Biblical example of one who was restored to God by faith alone, trusted God’s promise and the LORD God credited it, that trust, to him as righteousness. God has shown His love to the world, and to you, by giving His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not die and be separated from Him forever but rather have the life man was created to have in the presence of God, a life that never ends. This means that you cannot DO anything to earn your place with God. However, a true faith in Christ Jesus comes from a God- given desire that will produce behavior that does those things that are pleasing to Him. Please seek out and contact one of our Pastors or Elders to talk 7 more about your eternal future. You can find their

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