God uses his Community to grow everyone into Jesus’ image…

7Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift…11And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14Then 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. 15But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head  — Christ. 16From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Ephesians 4:7, 11-16

The Goal is Jesus’ Likeness

We “grow into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”
We “grow in every way into him who is the head — Christ.”
We are “fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love.”

God’s blueprint for our life is Jesus’ image. The Community is a tool he uses to make us into Jesus’ image.

We need each other in our growth journey. If the Church as a place to come to sing a few songs, get a sermon and go home we will never produce this type of growth. The church will be stuck. People will get bored. You’ll leave because you’re “not being fed.”

The Church who knows they are a people they have the privileged responsibility to grow other people will grow people into Jesus’ likeness. The church will continue to move. People will have a mission. More people will be fed because each think they do the feeding.

What do you want to get out of Church? You want to get out of Church what someone else can give you? Or do you want to get out of Church what you can give someone else?

What do you want to get out of Church? You want to get out of Church what someone else can give you? Or do you want to get out of Church what you can give someone else?

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Growing Others Is An “All Skate”

Ephesians 4:11-12 is often used in terms of “our pastoral staff equip other people for ministry.” This passage doesn’t mean only pastoral staff equip people for ministry.

Paul tells the church each person has a stake in growing everyone else into the likeness of Jesus. Sure, the pastoral staff is leading out, but they cannot be the only ones doing the equipping.

We’re all fit into the body in just the right place to use our gifts to grow each other. To wait for the staff to equip you is to wait too long. You have someone God wants you to equip. God wants you to grow others into Jesus’ image.

You Are Gifted

Paul starts this passage telling everyone in the church of Ephesus they are gifted to equip each other. He then goes into a parenthetical statement about where the gifts come from, which causes us to lose focus and think the staff are the ones to equip the Church.

Do not overlay thousands of years of church staff thinking over what Paul would have meant. Paul only gave us two positions for the Church…elder & deacon. When he says “Pastor” in the 5 gifts he gives in verse 11, he means a gift…not a role or title. The church who helps every person discover and use these gifts will grow more people into Jesus’ image. (I’m not advocating for title changes…I’m advocating for right thinking about church staff no matter what the title says).

This means your pastor (title, role) may or may not have the gift of Pastor (gifting). They may be an Apostle, Evangelist, Prophet or Teacher. Even if they have the gifting of Pastor…no one person can do all the care for everyone. God has given other people the ability to care for others too.

Briefly, here’s what each gift is…

Apostles are the “Helmsmen.” They focus the organization on the future and getting the organization to the future.

Evangelists are the “Salesmen.” They focus individuals on the salvation Jesus has to offer every person.

Prophets are the “Conformists.” They focus anyone who will listen on God’s Word and what it will do in their life.

Pastors are the “Counselors” (generic Counselor, not the profession). They give care to individuals to bring them into greener pastures.

Teachers are the “Teachers.” They break down what God says to the organization so each individual knows what to do.

2 are externally focused (Apostles and Evangelists). 2 are internally focused (Pastors and Teachers). 1 is for anyone who listens (Prophets).

2 are focused on individuals (Evangelists and Pastors). 2 are focused on the organization (Apostle and Teacher). 1 is focused on anyone who listens (Prophet).

Another interesting note…these 5 overlap with the DISC profile to an amazing level.

Apostles = Dominance
Evangelist = Influence
Pastor = Steady
Prophet = Compliance

Notice in God’s brilliance, he helps each gift overlap each other in form and function? If people pull these out of each other, the church will have no choice but to grow into Jesus’ image because we’re focused internally AND externally. We’ll be focused on the individual AND the organization. There are plenty of either/or arguments to church structure and growth. This is a both/and/every situation. If the church is focused on every gift, then every person and the organization will grow into Jesus’ likeness.

God has given you the gift of one of these (two even) being higher than any of the others. Letting your gift come out to grow others will grow you, others and your church into the likeness of Jesus.

How can you use the gifting God has graciously given you to grow others and his Church into Jesus’ likeness?