Ephesians 4: Getting Equipped
In last week’s edition of the Weekly Word, AT provided an insightful overview of God’s plan to establish the church under the Lordship of Jesus through the fivefold ministry. This has always been the Father’s heart and intention. Andy also offered practical and sound advice to leaders and believers alike. This week, I want to elaborate a little on what it means to become equipped and what that process looks like.
A well-equipped soldier who lacks proper training can be a disadvantage to themselves, their fellow soldiers, and the overall mission as well. However, in this context, the Greek word for “equip” refers to perfecting and preparing individuals spiritually, physically, and mentally, emphasizing the increase of the maturity and wisdom needed to carry out the task at hand. This type of training requires five key elements: grace, faith, relational investment, sacrifice, and discipline.
Grace and faith are essential tools for fulfilling our glorious calling in this Christian life! Grace is the very life of God freely given to us in salvation through faith. It means we have received everything we did not deserve: the Kingdom! Because of grace, we are highly favored by God, forgiven, set free, and empowered to carry out His will. Yeah, there’s grace for that!
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. It is to be our vision and ability to call things that are not as though they are. It represents the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith is the pathway through which the supernatural power of God is to be demonstrated among us! The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please Him, and everything that is not of faith is sin. Our faith increases through our ongoing relationship with the Father. Sounds pretty important to me.
Relational investment by grace through faith is vital to the equipping process. This equipping is relational in three key areas: 1) our relationship with the Lord, 2) our yieldedness to church leadership, and 3) our unity with the Body of Christ. The fivefold ministry under the Lordship of Jesus helps to instill all three facets among willing believers; it is designed to build up the body and bring it to unity in the fullness of Christ, resulting in a powerful synergy for the work of the ministry and the glory of God! A unified body of ONE!
This training requires commitment and active participation. The discipline we develop through training fosters a Kingdom passion and leads us to the peak of our destiny. Without this discipline, we often become self-important and isolated. From that position, we risk using God’s word, the sword of the Spirit, without His lordship.
We can inadvertently harm others without relying on hearing His voice and proper discipline in our training. Jesus asked Peter to take a sword but did not command him to use it as he did. The result was Peter cutting a man’s ear off, leading to Jesus having to restore the man’s ear. Too often, we witness the consequences of applying principles without discerning the Lord’s direction. This is the equivalent to operating in the Kingdom without the King. A lack of those five key principles usually results in us assuming a position of lordship rather than surrendering to His.
Becoming equipped is not just about knowing the principles of God; it is about knowing the God of the principles. This relational sacrifice of our lives, which is our reasonable service, renews and positions us to be effective members of the Body of Christ according to the grace given to each of us.
God has established an order to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Following His plan will result in the most powerfully supernatural move in the church we have ever experienced! In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul discusses the discipline of athletes in their training. He likens it to how Christians should conduct their lives. As Paul noted, we are in a period where our salvation is closer than ever before! It is high time to awaken from our slumber and take action! The night is far spent, and the day is at hand! Let’s get up and pursue the King and His Kingdom! This the great adventure!
We are talking Getting Equipped this Sunday in Ephesians 4 at CCF! You’re invited to get a more detailed and in-depth experience of The Weekly Word by visiting CCF in person @ 10:30 on Sunday mornings or by watching our recorded weekly live stream on our CCF Facebook Page
Let’s build Kingdom Community!
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