A Healthy Church
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Tim Chang
Sermon Series: Joined Together, Growing Together
Ephesians 4:4-16 (ESV)
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Sermon Outline
A healthy church…
receives gifts. (v. 7-10)
uses those gifts properly. (v. 11-13)
uses those gifts together. (v. 14-16)
Prayer of Confession
Jesus, in all your richness you gave. You gave us forgiveness, freedom, salvation, reconciliation. You also gave each of us gifts to be used to honor you. Help us to steward these gifts properly. Forgive us for the times when we used these gifts to serve ourselves, to make our names great, to advance our agendas. Humble us to remember that these are gifts that have been given, not earned. May the love of Jesus continue to fuel our desires to serve you, your church, and our neighbors. Give us wisdom to use our gifts to bring greater unity and health in our church, so that the witness of Jesus would be beautiful to the watching world. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
What connected with you from the sermon or the passage?
What are the characteristics of a healthy church? What examples have you seen and/or been a part of?
What are the gifts that you believe Jesus has given to you? How have you used them in the context of the church?
How have you experienced the reality that the church is joined together and growing together?
What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?