by Ray Stedman
Ephesians 4:11-13 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
God sows four foundational seeds in his New Covenant church: the Lordship of the Spirit, the authority of the Word, the ministry of the saints, and making Christ visible. Employing these truths, leaders equip the body to join with them to make God visible to a watching and needy world.
God sows and harvests four critically foundational seeds in his church. First is The Lordship of the Spirit of God, his living presence as Lord of his church. When Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel, making disciples of all nations,” he also said, “and lo, I am with you always.” He intends to direct his church through leaders who are submissive to the Holy Spirit – his New Testament, New Covenant model.
The second seed is The Ministry of the Saints. Church leaders are not the only ones who can make decisions and perform ministries in the church. Ephesians 4 clearly states that God prepares church leaders “for the equipping of the saints to do the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” Each member is to employ the gift God has given him, under the direction and power of the Lord of the church. The saints, trained to work together in dependence on Jesus, form the core of the New Covenant church.
Third is The Authority and Centrality of the Word of God. The church sits under the judgment of the Word of God, and must never presume to shape it to fit its own needs. It is God’s spoken and prescribed instrument for governance of his church. The God-honoring New Covenant church will continually ask how the Word is to be applied throughout its ministry.
Finally, the fourth seed is Making Visible the Invisible Christ, declaring the indwelling life of the Lord Jesus. Leaders are to teach the people the power of a risen Christ within each member, alive in the midst of this fallen world. This must be the function of a New Covenant church, above everything else.
These four principles arise from the Word of God, from studying and thinking about it, and from experienced conviction that these things are true. Spread from the hearts of church leaders, this conviction takes root in the people. In this way God’s Spirit abides in richness and abundance in our midst, God’s work takes root in his church, and the body joins the leaders in making Christ visible to a watching and needy world.
Ephesians 4:11-13 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
God sows four foundational seeds in his New Covenant church: the Lordship of the Spirit, the authority of the Word, the ministry of the saints, and making Christ visible. Employing these truths, leaders equip the body to join with them to make God visible to a watching and needy world.
God sows and harvests four critically foundational seeds in his church. First is The Lordship of the Spirit of God, his living presence as Lord of his church. When Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel, making disciples of all nations,” he also said, “and lo, I am with you always.” He intends to direct his church through leaders who are submissive to the Holy Spirit – his New Testament, New Covenant model.
The second seed is The Ministry of the Saints. Church leaders are not the only ones who can make decisions and perform ministries in the church. Ephesians 4 clearly states that God prepares church leaders “for the equipping of the saints to do the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” Each member is to employ the gift God has given him, under the direction and power of the Lord of the church. The saints, trained to work together in dependence on Jesus, form the core of the New Covenant church.
Third is The Authority and Centrality of the Word of God. The church sits under the judgment of the Word of God, and must never presume to shape it to fit its own needs. It is God’s spoken and prescribed instrument for governance of his church. The God-honoring New Covenant church will continually ask how the Word is to be applied throughout its ministry.
Finally, the fourth seed is Making Visible the Invisible Christ, declaring the indwelling life of the Lord Jesus. Leaders are to teach the people the power of a risen Christ within each member, alive in the midst of this fallen world. This must be the function of a New Covenant church, above everything else.
These four principles arise from the Word of God, from studying and thinking about it, and from experienced conviction that these things are true. Spread from the hearts of church leaders, this conviction takes root in the people. In this way God’s Spirit abides in richness and abundance in our midst, God’s work takes root in his church, and the body joins the leaders in making Christ visible to a watching and needy world.
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