BODY BUILDING


Ephesians 4:7-13

When you think about body building, what comes to mind?  Today, however, we're going to talk about a different kind of body building, as we dig deeper into Ephesians 4.

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My friend, Paul, lifts weights. He doesn’t do it so he can win a gold medal, nor does he compete in body building contests. He enjoys doing it because he likes the sense of accomplishment when he sets a new personal best. So all the exercises and training routines he does have the purpose of helping him reach his personal goals.

Like my friend, I too have to train and strengthen my body. My goal is to be physically fit enough to be able to follow God’s call as your pastor.

In Ephesians 4:7-13, Paul the apostle emphasizes a different kind of body building -- building up the body of Christ, the church, in love for a very important reason. As the body of Christ, we are called to continue Jesus’ ministry of making disciples. Our one and only mission, the great commission Christ gave to us is: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you ...” (Matthew 28:19-20)

And the gifts to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are given to some in our church to empower us to do just that..

2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us, that with our eyes on Christ, we move from glory unto glory, that is from one level of maturity to another. This means that becoming a disciple begins with our conversion and continues until we join Christ at his heavenly banquet table.

According to Paul, discipleship making has three goals:
  • To grow together in unity of faith. In Philippians 2:2-5, Paul urges us to be of one mind and of one love – the mind of Christ and the love of Christ.
  • To grow in knowledge of the Son of God. Growth in knowledge not only occurs through our personal experience of Jesus, but also through intentional and consistent personal bible study and prayer, attending worship and being involved in a small group.                                            
          In a small group, we learn about Jesus from the personal experiences of others. When we study            scripture together, the Holy Scripture opens it’s meaning to us through others, not just the l                  leader. In a small group study, everyone’s a learner and everyone is a teacher.
  • To become mature Christians. That is, to become more and more Christ-like in our love for God and for neighbor that we do not intentionally act in unloving and harmful ways.  Mature Christians are fruitful. They have a deep, meaningful and intentional relationship with God through Christ that results in making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Even if we're not apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, we still have a part in the ministry of discipleship.  Growing disciples need love, encouragement and support.  They learn from the example we set and benefit when we share our experiences of Christ and the wisdom we've acquired during our own spiritual journeys.  In other words, we are role models.

The old African proverb says that it takes a village to raise a child. In the Kingdom of God, it takes a church, the body of Christ united and strengthened by Christ’s love, to grow together as disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world.



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