Living Room Study

Ephesians 4

“And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of the ministry to build up the body of Messiah, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Messiah’s fullness.  Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.” Ephesians 4:11-14

God’s desire is that we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of His Son, Jesus. His will is that we would each grow into mature believers, with a stature that would measure-up to the fullness of Messiah. In short, it is time for us to move beyond being consumers of ministry, and begin being contributors to it.

When you heard the gospel, (those who have heard and believed it) you probably learned that God has a wonderful plan for your life. That is true. A man named Rick Warren sold a few books awhile back, aimed at helping people discover their purpose in life.

God’s desire for every individual is that they personally enter into a saving relationship with Him. Beyond that, He desires for each of us to grow in faithful maturity. To aide us in that endeavor, He has gifted us with the Holy Spirit, Who teaches us and reveals the truth of God’s Word, and impels us with the desire to obey it.

He personally chooses and gifts us, individually, to serve His “body”, the Church. To some, He endows with the ability to start ministries. Others may prophesy, evangelize, pastor, or teach.

So, in which way has He called you to minister? No matter what your occupation is, your preoccupation should be to draw nearer to Jesus, and to be used to draw others near to Him.

We read the Bible with the intent to know and obey the Lord. We seek to become more faithful and mature. And we understand that there are many “versions” of the gospel, but only one true gospel. Pray that the Lord would reveal His truth to you, so that you could not only expose the lies within false teaching, but also lead others in the way of truth.

Blessings.

Steve Wiggins