Click here to download in pdf format.
Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (5-5-1996 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
Additional Bible Readings: Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:27-31; 1 Peter 4:10-11
Paul has more to say about unity in these verses. Unity is
deepened by various gifts being used to build one another up, so that we serve
Him and one another effectively and unitedly.
Going to look first at the Giver, then the gifts named here. Finally the reason why the Giver has given the gifts.
To each one of us grace has
been given as Christ apportioned it (Ephesians 4:7). Christ’s grace has
given us different and various gifts. caris
is “Grace”, carismata is
“Gifts”. Grace not only saves us, but equips us to serve the Lord. The word
“charismatic”, which comes from the Greek word for gifts, must not be given
to one group of Christians who stress certain spectacular gifts, especially
tongues, prophecy and healing. The whole church is meant to be a charismatic
community, in the true sense of the word. Every Christian has a gift to use.
When he ascended on high, he
led captives in his train and gave gifts to men (Ephesians 4:8). Under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul is adapting the words of Psalm 68:18. First
of all, He descended to the lower earthly regions – references to His
incarnation and all depths of humiliation which His sin-bearing death involved.
He suffered the agonies of hell as He was abandoned by the Father. Then He
ascended far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. His first
exaltation in the universe – fills the universe with His power and presence.
Picture of Roman conqueror – triumphal procession in Rome, parading all his
defeated enemies in chains, distributing gifts to people along the route of the
procession.
So Christ, having defeated sin,
Satan and death by His Cross and resurrection, is now giving gifts to His people
that they might serve one another and glorify Him. The conqueror has ranted His
enemies, finished His campaign, returned triumphantly to heaven. Now by His
spirit He is showering His people with various gifts for service.
If we belong to Christ, we have all received gifts through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Church is not drab colourless uniformity, but rich diversity. God has made the stars different, and individual design to each flower, and He makes His people different. Christ’s body has different organs – like a physical body – all contributing to the work as a whole.
Now Paul describes some of the gifts which the Lord
bestows – all connected with the Word of God. Four are named here, but these
are only a few of the gifts. There are at least 20 in New Testament lists
(Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12 & 14; Ephesians 4; 1 Peter 4). Some are
supernatural, others are natural talents used by the Holy Spirit. Unlikely that
these 20 are a complete list. Some were for the apostolic period, others were
for all time. Some of those only for the apostolic period are given in this
passage.
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be
prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers (Ephesians
4:11)
The term “Apostles” apostolos
is sometimes used in scripture to mean every Christian, literally meaning “he
who is sent”, e.g. John 13:16. Sometimes the term refers to missionaries (2
Corinthians 8:23). Here it refers to a very small distinctive group – the 12
disciples, Paul and James, the Lord’s brother, and maybe one or two others.
They were eyewitnesses of the resurrection, personally chosen and especially
inspired by the Lord. Special miracles authenticated them. Their teaching is
found in the New Testament – the foundation truths of the Christian faith.
They had unique authority and knowledge of the truth. There are no apostles
today. We have the New Testament containing their teaching, and there is no new
teaching to be added. So the gift and office referred to here was temporary.
“Prophets” were those who
had immediate revelation to speak from the Lord and foretell the future. They
had special revelation of God’s will for a situation. They were sent to
encourage and help. There are no prophets in this sense today. No one has
special knowledge of God’s truth in addition to the Scriptures. Our spiritual
knowledge is through the Spirit teaching us through the Word. No new truth today
to be added to the New Testament. Some people may have special insight into
God’s Word, and see where it applies in our situation, but this is not new
truth, just deeper understanding of old truth. Therefore the gift and office of
prophet was a temporary gift, until the truth was set out in the written words
of the New Testament writings.
“Evangelists” means those
with the gift of evangelistic preaching – of making the Gospel plain to
unbelievers and relevant to their situation. Not just witnesses – which every
Christian should be – but having special gift of evangelism. The evangelists
extended the knowledge of the Gospel.
Then it was the job of
“pastors and teachers” to edify and build up the Church. Generally agreed
these two words refer to the same office. tous
de poimenas
kai didaskalous - one definite article covers both nouns.
“Pastor” literally means shepherd. His job is to tend and feed the flock of
God, protect them from danger of error, and to see that they are nourished.
In the local church, there is
the flock of sheep of which the pastor is the shepherd under the chief Shepherd.
His instrument or staff is the Word of God. By it, the sheep are guided,
disciplined and nourished. The Word of God must be paramount in the church –
read, preached, applied and obeyed. No amount of entertainment, social occasions
or other religious substitutes can take its place.
Essential that the shepherd is also the “Teacher” – who knows and
loves the Word, and is himself under its authority, and has ability to explain
and teach and apply it.
In himself, the pastor-teacher is nothing. He is a sinner saved by grace, the “leaster of all the saints”. But the Word he brings is to be heeded and obeyed. To reject the Word is to reject Christ. The preaching of the Word is not something which has developed over centuries. It originated with the Lord. His call, His equipment, His Word. It is not the preacher’s place to comment on current events, to entertain by telling stories, or to be a comedian in the pulpit with a string of jokes. He is there to preach the Word, fearlessly, carefully, warmly and interestingly. And his life is to be a living example of a man under the Word.
Apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors and teachers have been given to the church and been gifted by the Lord
to encourage and help the members of the church to use their gifts fully and
properly for God’s glory and service to others. To prepare God’s people
for works of service (Ephesians 4:12). katartismos
– the noun is used here for “equip” or “perfect”, as opposed to the
verb katartizw used in Matthew 4:21 for
“mending nets”. The equipping of the saints for the work of ministry or
service is the immediate object. So that the body of Christ may be built up is
the ultimate result.
All God’s people have gifts.
All God’s people are to be ministers or servants. Ministry is not the
prerogative of a clerical elite. It is the privilege of all God’s people.
There is a place for specialized or pastoral ministry – not to monopolize or
control the church but to help and encourage all God’s people to discover,
develop and exercise their gifts. His teaching, training, pastoral care and
counsel must be directed to that end. Not to monopolize, but to multiply
ministry.
The model of a church is not a
pyramid with the pastor perched at the top, not a bus with the pastor doing all
the driving with congregation as passengers asleep in the back. The biblical
model of a church is a body, every member having a distinctive function. The
pastor’s task is to help all to find and exercise that function.
The Pastor teaches, using the revelation of the Apostles and Prophets, after the people are evangelized – and he does so to help all God’s people use their gifts for service to build up Christ’s body, the church. The result – the church will grow and mature and develop, and unity will be deepened. Not just “priesthood of all believers”, which was so emphasised at the Reformation, that all Christians had access to God through Christ, but also “ministry of all believers”, for every Christian is gifted by the Lord to minister to other men.
The risen and exalted Christ has bestowed through the
Spirit a variety of gifts on the church. Teaching gifts are primary and have the
purpose in equipping God’s people to exercise their gifts. The result is the
church will be built up, matured, will grow, and become unified and serviceable.
In application – every
Christian had a gift, a God-given ability to serve and glorify God and others.
Not a toy to play with, but a tool to build with. If not used in love, these
gifts can become weapons to fight with – as happened in Corinth. Not something
to be proud of or to boast of. A gift is a gift. What do you have that you
did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you did not? (1
Corinthians 4:7). Not for us to make a name for ourselves. To be used in
connection with fellow Christians in the Church. The Bible does not let us be an
isolated hand or spare foot – we are all members of a body. Gifts are to be
used to build up that body.
A gift is given by the Head of
the Church is His sovereign wisdom. We must not to despise others or be envious
of others, jealous of their different gifts. All gifts are different and all
have a part to play. No one must feel threatened, for all are essential. If we
are envious or despise others, we are questioning the wisdom and purposes of the
Lord. Be content with the gift and task to which you are called. It does not
matter if you are never praised by men – you are important to God, and the
main thing is to please Him.
Do you know what your gift is?
Ask Him to show you. No one has all the gifts, and everyone has one. Value it.
Thank God for it. Be satisfied with it. It was chosen expressly for you.
“What
is my being but for thee,
Its
sure support, its noblest end.
Thy
ever-smiling face to see
And
serve the cause of such a friend”
Philip Doddridge
