R359 Rallying the Troops Pt.2

God has an encouraging word for you and me today to the Bible-based printing of Dr. Don Wilton as we open the Bible and study together. Today we continue with this wonderful three-part series and Dr. Wilson call rallying the troops will be headed to Ephesians chapter 4 in just a moment with Dr. Don what you know we're here for you were connecting on the phone right now at 866899 word, there's an opportunity to speak with someone that is listening talk and pray and connect with resources. 866-899-WORD is the number 86689996734 like to email Dr. Donatella what's going on in your life you would love to hear from you.

His email is don@twonline.org just doand@tewonline.org. We would love to hear from you now Dr. Don Wilton please turn with me this morning to Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 4, rallying the troops. Every now and again I hear people say that the Christian life is an easy life. I really don't believe that the Bible teaches us that the Christian life is an easy life, but the Christian life is certainly a most joyful life. It is the greatest life I have said many times when I have encountered people who are sick. Those who lost loved ones suffered tragedies. Those who are facing difficult decisions that it must be very difficult for someone who does not know Jesus Christ, to be able to live this life. Not that it's easy for someone who is in Christ.

The Bible says that God is made available to us so much he does for us what we cannot do for sewers. Watchmen Lee wrote a short book and you might want to get it. It's entitled sit, walk, stand, and it's about Ephesians.

Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

Basically, he sees Ephesians divided into three parts. The first part is set who we are in Christ we can be seated in our knowledge of Christ and everything that he does for us. Second part is wall we began that not so long ago that in Christ Jesus. We must not only take what God is given to us, but we must walk in him the final part of Ephesians and stand strong. We going to be looking at that put on the whole armor of God. God makes available to us the things that we need in our lives in order to enable us to face the world to be able to make decisions so it is here in the first 16 verses of Paul's letter to the Ephesians in chapter 4 that I have entitled this miniseries within a series rallying the troops rather apropos with Veterans Day lost Monday as we wanted men and women who have given so much to our nation to know God tells us that in Christ, he has rallying the troops and in our first message in this miniseries within a series and Ephesians lost weekly. We understood that God has laid the groundwork. Now there is a real sense in which the groundwork which we discovered last week is somewhat akin to the solid foundation upon which we stand. Parents teach their children, who they are and what they all started one day when they face the hardships of life that they gain to be able to find himself standing on a solid foundation, marriages, old marriages go through trying circumstances, would marriages that survive all marriages that have a solid foundation. They based on a covenant relationship with God. They based on prayer. They based on an absolute conviction. God is bolting together for life.

So there is a solid foundation.

God has laid the groundwork, but in verse seven of chapter 4 we going to notice as shifting abuse, so let me read to you the 16 verses again. Ephesians chapter 4 beginning in verse one as a prisoner for the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Then there follows these incredible practical things be completely humble and gentle. The patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Now how is this possible verse four there is one body care, God lays the groundwork.

He says you be assured of something. There is a solid foundation beneath your feet one body, one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were cold, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who is over all and he is through all and he is in all and then in verse seven he suddenly begins to shift gears. Having laid the groundwork God begins to tell us about something that has been given to us but to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned and then he illustrates how this is made possible. This is why the Bible says when he ascended on high, he led captives in his trainer and he gave gifts to men.

Verse nine.

He explains that when he what does he ascended green except that he also descended to the lower earthly region. He who descended is the very one who asked salmon higher than all the heavens to do what in order to fill the whole universe and then it is adverse 11 folks we going to be in verse 11. From next week. He sees laying the groundwork Carolinian verse 11. He's going to tell us something very special is going to say to us. Listen, God has got no gift list children is going to point out across this congregation, cross out television audience of these data say. I bought some wonderful news for you not only have you got God's grace upon you, and I'm going to tell you that every one of you that love the Lord everyone of you is gifted, God is giving you gifts everyone God has no gift list children so look at verse 11 as an illustration of this. It was he God who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers to do what is amazing how the Scripture always explains things for us. What is the purpose of gifts in the church.

Garrett is to prepare God's people for works of service.

Why so that the body of Christ may be built up for what until we all reach unity in the faith, not go back to verse three make every effort to keep the unity. How do you do this by God's grace through what means by means of the gifts that God is given to every believer. Now watch what happens. This is the neatest thing to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up for what until we all reach unity in faith and in knowledge of the son of God and become mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Now what will happen as result of all of this, verse 14, then we will no longer be infants. We will no longer be tossed back and forth by way and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of man in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up in him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work by the Lord righties word upon our hearts, our first point in this miniseries was that God lays the groundwork second point God gives us the grace that's what I want us to focus on this morning. It's a mob the subject. In fact, when the church was first began in the New Testament. You can go back and read in the acts of the apostles that one of the prayers that the apostles prayed for the church was that great grace would come upon God's people. That's my prayer for you. It's our pray for one another, that the grace of God might come upon us as a people, that the grace of God might descend upon us as a nation, but when we get into verse seven there is a little word but now most of us, and particularly I guess those who have studied English somewhat would agree that that is a simple conjunction, but if you go back into the Greek text is something very interesting about that word that would fall more than being a simple conjunction or grounded to be viewed as an adversative and the reason for that, my friends, is because of its basic meaning. The word blackberry verse seven literally means. On the other hand in spark of what is just been said, and so in verse seven. It's as if were that the apostle Paul is driving down the road he needs motorcar and he gets to a humanoid gets to a value something any changes gears and he moves into a development of the thought that he's just said he doesn't want to leave things just as they are, what is he about to leave, he made the statement in verse six he said one God and father of how many all of us not clearing verse in verse six. How many times the word all is four times. He is father of all, he's overall, he's through all and he's an old black and he uses an advert adversative which is more than a simple conjunction to British And he says listen. He says even though God is through all and all, but some good news for you because God is not just talking about every body he's talking about somebody that you and me individually and in fact, Paul even uses the word each one look at it there in verse seven he says through all and in all but to each one. He narrows it down to little video of me and little video you and God begins to talk about his grace as it comes down upon each and every individual person is born again, washed and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and Paul begins to say to us. Listen before I can even begin to talk to you about the meaning of spiritual giftedness.

I want you to know that as a born-again believer you have become the recipients of the grace of God that has been given to each and every one of you individually. People save you.

What is so unique about Jesus Christ not so unique, so unique that Jesus Christ died for everybody, my friends, but I'll tell you he died for you and for me and for you and for me and for every single person red, yellow and black and why old people individually are precious in God's side, and because he died for you.

It means that you can come into a personal relationship with him. And when you coming to a personal relationship with him. He pulls out his grace upon you.

That's what he does. So there's a shift during verse seven.

What are we going to discover my friends, is that the irony is that Paul is going to teach us that the way in which we achieve the unity of verse three is ironically through diverse city in verse three God's Word tells us that we must strive to keep the unity then in verse seven and following.

He begins to tell us how we going to do.

He says you are training you achieve unity through diverse city that is spiritual diverse city. That means that God gives his grace to every single person and when he gives us his grace. He uniquely equips each one of us to play our part and do what God has called us to do for the good of the whole body of Christ that incredible I don't think we could ever see that more well illustrated than in a congregation like this you can imagine the diverse of the year, we could talk about it and have a lot of fun. I should imagine all the differences of opinions and way of doing things and all the habits and all that he was of all of us it would be amazing to discover the diverse of the of people, even in this very congregation and get God's word says that the unity of the body of Christ is accomplished through the exercise of the diverse city of the gift goodness that God's people have when you bring the diverse city of God's giftedness among God's people together and every single person plays his or her role and his or her part in the body of Christ. That's how you get down to verse 16 from him the whole body, joined together by every supporting ligament, grows and boot itself up in love. Garrett is each part doing it part that's diverse city that results in unity in the body of Christ. What is he saying Paul is saying that unity does not mean uniformity.

He signed unity. My friends is diverse city of giftedness brought together all the common purpose of serving and of knowing Jesus Christ and so pull begins to move from the unity of believers to the uniqueness of the believer moves from the unity of believers to the uniqueness of the believer. He tells us that we are somebody he tells everyone of us here this morning that we very special in God's sight and in his presence and so into the picture comes God's grace. Verse seven but to each one of us grace is being given. According to Christ Jesus.

Apportionment according to the hand and according to the apportionment that God has for us in Christ Jesus, and friend. I'm going to say to you that before we can understand the nature and the purpose of the gifts that God gives to his church.

We go to understand what God means by grace, not all of us have a basic understanding of that. But let me share a few thoughts with you this morning. Number one may submit to you that the nature of grace is giving that's the first thing that we go to understand in the New Testament about grace. The nature of grace itself is giving you can go right throughout Scripture and you going to discover my friends that the emphasis is far more in the New Testament upon giving then it is upon getting what is the Bible say Bible says it's more blessed to give than it is to receive his congregation is filled with people like that who have come to know that this is absolutely true. God's nature is to give his very character is in the embodiment of a giving God that found its close humiliation in the fact that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not die but should have eternal everlasting life. You see friends, the very nature of grace is giving he is the God of giving why because he gives freely to his church.

Why do we have gifts in the church because God wants to give them to us. That's why, but there's a second truth that we must note about grace number two God is gracious and gives us grace because of who he is and not because of who we are. God is gracious and he gives us grace because of who he is. The emphasis is completely upon God. Why because we undeservedly wanted Paul Sipe already grappled with that and he ended up saying I am what I am by the grace of God. How many of you this morning, upstairs and downstairs would be prepared this morning unashamedly decide I am what I am by the grace of God raise up your hands. I'm putting on the spot. I can please put your hands down. I am what I am by the grace of God. That's what makes coming into God's house so special does that we are sinners saved by grace of God, that's exactly what it is. Please forgive the eruption will be back with more of today's message rallying the troops in just a moment, but I do not want you to know we're here for you throughout this opportunity we have to open God's word together to study to grow.

We also want to know that as this. Pricks are hard to change and to grow.

It's good to be able to pray with one another and we consider it a great part of our ministry be able to take your calls at 8668. That's eight 668-996-7324 hours a day can speak with one of us. Let us pray with you and for you to connect with resources just know we hear jotted down storing yourself, 866-899-9673. For many, the web is the place to connect. Our website is TW online.org that's TW online.org. Not only are there great resources like the books of Dr. Wilson about Dr. Graham's most recent salaries with Billy and others. There's also opportunities for you to get connected on a daily basis by signing up for the thing Encouraging Word supercharger day comes in about 6 o'clock every morning from Dr. Wilton application of God's word to our daily life of the details are online@twonline.org now that today's great teaching Dr. Don Wilton Paul said, I am what I am by the grace of God. He put it, like the sales lady said there but by the grace of all of us born conceived in sin. Sinners by nature and sin is by choice. All of us deserving separation from God. None of us deserving to have any fellowship with a holy and a righteous God by his grace. Not because of who we are, but because of who he is. We have been reconciled to the father through the shed blood of the Lamb number one.

The nature of grace is given number two God is gracious and gives us his grace. Because of who he is, but I want you to notice third thoughts about the grace that we read about in verse seven, the greatest gift of grace. According to the Scripture is self. The greatest gift of grace is so grace is therefore God's self donation to man. Just think about it from a the greatest gift of grace is the giving of oneself. Grace is therefore God's act of self donation. What does God give of himself. While the Bible is full of it. He gives his salvation. He gives his power he gives his peace. He gives his inheritance he gives his kingdom. He gives his throat. He gives his spirit he gives his wisdom he gives his love, he gives his glory, and he gives every other spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. According to Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1 and verse three is beginning to tie our wall and stand back into acid where we are seated in Christ takes the one and he drives home the point into the seat and the foundation of our very existence, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ and he says listen. He says grace is ultimately giving of oneself, the Lord Jesus Christ gave of himself to a sinful world. According to the Scriptures. He gave of himself to his disciples, he gave of himself to those that he healed from sickness.

He gave of himself to those that he raised from the dead. He gave of himself to those who had been released from the power and control of demons he gave of himself to those that he forgave of their sin.

Listen carefully, folks. What is this Christ look at verse seven.

Again, but to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Now we gotta make another little subtle shifting gears here because from verse eight in verse 10 God explains to us how the giving of grace and the giving of gifts is the right and the authority of God would come today. Perhaps it's not coming down an aisle. Perhaps you listen to this in your earbuds, exercising, or in the car or wherever you might be receiving this word from Dr. Don Wilton.

Our prayer is that it's more importantly a word from God's word is living Bible itself and the call is to respond not to stay the same but change to grow in our faith. For some to say yes to Jesus for the very first before Dr. Wilton has been preaching from the pulpit. Now, as he steps in the studio. Open your heart to what he wants to say next.

Are you rated to give your heart and life. Christ, I'm so happy to hear that wanted to pray this prayer with me today. Dear God, I know that you love me very, very, and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on the cross so that I might be forgiven of myself today. I repent of my sins, I confess my sin to you, and I invite you to come into my heart to my life by faith Jesus name I pray, if you prayed that pray that may be the first one welcome to the family this one.

I hope that you know how much I'm going to be playing out very important: we can talk to Nick. Life life, you can begin the wonderful hundred. Perhaps you just gave your life to the very first time dedicated to Christ. We are so excited to see what God is going to believe that the Lord might allow us to encourage you to pray with you and for you as you call us at 866-899-WORD. We also have wonderful resources Dr. Don Wilton to have absolutely free life to Christ to rededicate your life if you just ask at 866-899-WORD again. The numbers 866-899-9673 would love to connect with you and help you grow in your faith is speaking of helping grow.

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