10 He Who descended is the[ very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He[ His presence] might fill all things( the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest). 11 And His gifts were[ varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles( special messengers), some prophets( inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists( preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors( shepherds of His flock) and teachers. 12 His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints( His consecrated people),[ that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body( the church), 13[ That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the[ a full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that[ we might arrive] at really mature manhood( the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. 14 So then, we may no longer be children, tossed[ like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine,[ the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of a unscrupulous men,[ gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead. 15 Rather, let our lives lovingly a express truth[ in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head,[ even] Christ( the Messiah, the Anointed One). also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He[ His presence] might fill all things( the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest). Amplified Version.
The Church ought to be the most exciting happening on any given day. Unfortunately, the Church has been reduced down to nothing more than a mere religious gathering with little to no purpose. But I am one that will never give up on what I believe about the Church. The Church is powerful. It is the most happening thing in town. It does have purpose. In fact, Jesus gave His very life for the Church. Furthermore, He says in John 14, that He is going to return and receive it to Himself. You see, Jesus has a lot invested in the Church. He shed every ounce of His blood to redeem it from the curse of the law. (Gal. 3:13). The most interesting verse out of all of the ones above is verse 12. Paul gives insight into the true purpose and meaning of Church. I like the words that He uses. "His intention was." There is a purpose behind the 5-fold ministry. The Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher each have a unique place in the Body of Christ. God uses each of these ministry gifts to accomplish a tremendous work in the Earth. Many within the Church have the mistaken belief that the these individuals are the ones that do the work of the ministry. The truth is the 5-fold ministry, is an equipping ministry. They equip each Christian to do the work of the ministry. A closer look at these verses show that the work of the ministry is the building up of the Body of Christ. In other words, the preachers train the Christians to do the work of the ministry. And proper ministry will establish the body of Christ in the Earth. The body of Christ, is the image of Jesus. So, to put it all together, the 5-fold ministry equips and trains each Believer to reflect the image Christ in the Earth. The big question to answer is, are we in fact establishing that mission. Is the image of Christ being established in the Earth, through the ministry of each local Church.
I personally believe we have veered far from that mission. I've been in the Church for over 23 years. My concern is, are we accomplishing the purpose that Paul gives us in the book of Ephesians? Is the image of Christ being established in the community? Each Church member makes up some part of the Body of Christ. Every body has two feet, two hands, five fingers, five toes ect.
If you are a Christian, you are a part of His body. I believe there are two things necessary to discover your part in the body of Christ.
1. The Call
-It is not His will for any to perish. It is His will for all to be saved. His
call goes out to everyone to be saved. One thing I know about God is
He knows how to get every person's attention. He loves every person
on this planet. He will go the extra mile to win people and bring them
into His Kingdom.
-That's why we should be sensitive to witnessing to people around us.
Everybody is important. No matter how mean or bad they may be, God
loves each one of us the same.
-In a day when social media is at our disposal, we should use it to bring
a witness to the Kingdom of God.
-Many people just want someone to talk to. Taking a minute to listen
could earn you hours to speak into their lives.
-Never forget that we are the mouthpiece for God. We are to echo His
voice.
2. The Consecration
-I want to use 4 scripture verses to speak about being consecrated.
A. 2 Corinthians 6:17
17 So, come out from among[ unbelievers], and separate( sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not[ any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor,
-We are called to be different from the world. He has called us out from
among them. It's completely fine to be different. In fact, it is vital!!
B. 1 John 2:15
15 Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.
-this is a hard verse, but it is so true. The world is contrary to your
faith. It opposes your faith. Being a friend to the world is being an
enemy to God.
-Don't allow the world, with all it's corruption to poison your spirit.
C.Ephesians 2:2
2 In which at one time you walked[ habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world[ were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air.[ You were obedient to and under the control of] the[ demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience[ the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God].
-the world is governed by Satan himself. He is the mastermind behind
all evil. The course of the world is leading countless thousands to
death, destruction, poverty, defeat. All of these things that are against
the ways of the Lord.
-as hard as it may seem to be, nothing in this world is worth losing your
soul over. Break away from it's bondage. The blood of Jesus has
given you the ability to rise far above every opposing force of darkness.
D. Romans 12:1,2
Chapter 12
1 I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of[ all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies[ presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy( devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable( rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world( this age),[ fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed( changed) by the[ entire] renewal of your mind[ by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove[ for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect[ in His sight for you].
-again these verses are just showing us as believers, that the world has
nothing to offer us. We are of the Kingdom of God. A Kingdom of
Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
-what have we gained, if we gain the whole world, yet lose our soul?
-make a decision to live with a renewed mind. Think differently. You
don't have to act on every thought that passes through your mind.
-being a true disciple is someone that knows and understands how to
keep our minds renewed.
-as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Think thoughts produced by
the Word of the Lord.
-stay fresh in the spirit. Keep your mind in the Word. All other
thoughts can and should be pulled down. Don't allow yourself to
drift. Don't be as the ship that the anchor has been raised. Keep
your anchor secured in the bedrock of His Word. The only Truth that
matters!!!!
We are the Church. God's mighty hand is upon His Church. We are getting ready to see a great moving of the Spirit of God. Only those that are sensitive to the Spirit of God will experience this last day movement. Are you part of the remnant that is called the Church. If so, hang on, it's getting ready to become intense. Don't be deceived. Don't allow offenses and unforgiveness and all those other things rob you from being a part of what God is doing across this land.
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