The third visible mark of the mature church described in verse 16, is one where each member is faithfully fulfilling his or her appointed function in the body of Christ and thus contributing to the growth of the whole. It pictures the body of Christ as a living organism in which each member contributes to the whole by giving and receiving to and from each other, that which is drawn from Christ, the head. In other words, every member of the body to whom a gift has been given by the ascended Christ, receives the necessary enabling power from Christ, to perform his or her proper function, so that the growth of the whole body is advanced. When a church is not growing, its stunted fellowship can often be traced to one of two causes – either a lack of truth or a lack of love – sadly sometimes both. Sadly this is the ecclesiastical status quo – it too well describes the church of our day; a church more reminiscent of the Old Testament, where when we speak of “the church” we really mean the building or the temple or the “worship center” instead of “the church,” as it truly means – the people. If we get a grasp on the kind of new society that God reveals to us in this section of Scripture, then we will not be content in doing church the way we have been for centuries, but rather will pray and work for the church’s total renewal. This text has set before a beautiful picture of a deepening and growing fellowship of God’s people with an eager desire to visibly display Christian unity, through an active every-member ministry of truth loving and truth speaking people.
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“ Challenging. ” It's challenging to find any exhorting, rebuking, encouraging within the church. Hebrews 3:13 says to exhort, rebuke and encourage each other DAILY it's challenging to even find that WEEKLY at Sunday worship. If you find yourself, even 1 Jonathen or 1 Nathan or 1 Barnabus consider yourself blessed.
Alice DelaRosa (1/24/2011)
from Grand Rapids, Michigan
“ Great Sermon! ” I want to add; if I were to choose a man to exhort the local church, to prepare,and whip members into shape, preparing members for persecution, reconnecting them with the Head; I would point to you. You do the ministry of exhortation with the passion of Christ for His Bride and I truly appreciate this.
Alice DelaRosa (1/24/2011)
from Grand Rapids, Michigan
“ Great Sermon! ” Your words "New Society" concern me. Until the American members of Christ reconnect with the Head, Jesus Christ; chapter four of Ephesians is impossible. Pastors, evangelist, and members of leadership have their place as do those who are in fact connected the head, but in a way that might rub you the wrong way.
Remember the words; "Judge not." Some GOD sends out according to His purpose, in His time. Brother do not judge the Body of Believers according to your studies. I have been there and done that. We do not know a fraction of what we think we know. GOD will build His church, be very careful that your passion does not over whelm those who have been beaten sorely by the local church. GOD'S workers, work,they cannot help but work. The church is not the institution just because you work your ministry there.The Body of Believers is Nations of members linked to one another under the Head.
A native of New York, Pastor LoSardo was saved by the grace of God in 1986 after hearing the Gospel from his brother, while pursuing a career in scientific research. He was ordained into the ministry in 1995 and served as the Associate Pastor of a large Messianic Congregation...
