Scripture Reference

Ephesians 4: 11-16

Sermon Audio

Sermon Notes

Our in depth look at the 2020 Vision turns now to the pillar of Building Up, the work of encouraging, equipping, and inspiring the faithful to grow ever more like Jesus Christ.

We’re gifted to build rock solid disciples to build Christ’s body.

  1. We build disciples up to build the Body of Christ
    1. The overarching goal is to build the body of Christ around the world – the universal church
      1. The goal is building Christ’s body (verse 12 and repeated in verse 16)
      2. God gifts churches with pastors, teachers, etc. to do this (verse 11)
    2. The body is built by building rock solid disciples
      1. Equip the saints for the work of ministry to build the body (verse 12)
      2. Goal is rock solid, not tossed about by false teaching, fad philosophy, lies (verse 14)
      3. Grow up in every way into Christ, the head (verse 15)
    3. Purpose of the pillar – to cooperate with the Spirit to develop rock solid disciples who can weather any storm (2 Corinthians 3: 18)
      1. …that we might present everyone mature in Christ (Colossians 1: 27-28)
  2. Disciples must be built up with certain knowledge and skills
    1. We’re expected to move from spiritual infancy to maturity, milk to meat (Hebrews 5: 12-14)
      1. We welcome all in, as you are, but don’t stay that way
      2. Christ meets us where we are, redeems us, loves us, then seeks to change us
    2. Initiative 1 – Phased Discipleship – seeks to identify core knowledge, skills, and habits common to effective disciples of Christ, e.g. verse 13
      1. Most of us have strengths and weaknesses, gaps in our learning and practice
      2. Want to make it easy to know what to do next as you grow in Christ
    3. The goal is to equip each of us to live a life of delight and devotion to God and discipleship to Jesus