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Gay a why. Oh no long run and you see. No way around it you'll. Feel much too small to face the sun. From living. Snowman. Is wrong. And that. He was. Really. You. Can't. Put this try. To stand. In. Line should you. Loan. Me. He was never. Read. It. You. Told. Him. No long. On. God. She. Was. Narrowing it. 'd Jamie a why he had the most wisdom the most mercy the most grace he gave the most he was the greatest leader you could take all the categories and gifts they were perfectly fulfilled in Christ but he's given us. Stewardship of those values and gifts that are perfectly expressed in. Welcome to Grace to You with John MacArthur I'm your host Phil Johnson What does a faithful church look like Why did God even create the church is its 1st responsibility to feed the homeless influence politics or be a safe place for people to gather Well back in February as John was approaching his 50th anniversary as a pastor he answered those questions John took his congregation through a series on the power of God's Word in ministry and in the Christian's life we're airing those messages all this week they're part of a new study titled The work of the word and so now here's John MacArthur showing you how the church glorifies God The Church needs to manifest the unity of the Spirit are we we need to be what. We need to have unity in the spirit that unity produced by love and love is a product of humility meekness patience and tolerance only humble people love only the meek love patience and tolerance or forbearance is what builds strong bonds of love and when you care enough about people to lower yourself and you care enough about people to consider the issues of your own life less than the issues of others and when you care about people enough to be patient with all of their weaknesses and even their sins and when you care enough about people to be tolerant and love for instance in that love you have unity in the spirit and in that unity you enjoy peace so we are to be one. How can that happen how can that be a reality so many diverse people so many so many will so many designers so many ambitions so much selfishness so much soon how do we ever get there each one of us has been given a gift from Christ not salvation but a spiritual gift the word is dove out of the word for a gift and it's the Greek word for a free gift now your gift is for the sake of the body this is every body part is for the sake of the body another words you have been gifted by God to serve the church and so that in serving one another we become manifestly Christ like in the world all the gifts all the gifts. Never give in to the church are perfectly expressed in Jesus Christ he was the greatest teacher he was the greatest preacher he had the most wisdom the most mercy the most grace he gave the most he was the greatest leader you can take all the categories and gifts they were perfectly fulfilled in Christ now in a way that fills the whole universe with his sovereign glory that he's given us stewardship of those kinds of gifts that are perfectly expressed in him now. Because we have those gifts and as we minister them to each other Christ is on display that's leading up to the passage I want you to focus on so let's go to a fusion chapter for verse 11 he not only gave gifts but in order to see those gifts fully realized he had to do something else he had to give men and he gave some as apostles and some astrologers and some as evangelists and some as Pastor teachers hyphenated for the perfecting of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the Body of Christ even with the spiritual gifts which we all receive in our salvation the body of Christ is not going to be what it should be demonstrating Christ in the world unless there are some preachers who perfect the saints for the work of ministry for the building up of the Body of Christ that word perfect in made in your translation say equipping is the role of those men mentioned in verse 11. The perfecting of the saints the equipping of the city and Qatar to Joe's the verb it basically means to be restored to being complete to be full to be mature full grown perfect not sinless perfection but a kind of maturity occurring have grown up spiritual character this is a word used a lot tougher to do in the New Testament and saying pretty uncertain 11 we're told be made perfect Same were Hebrews 1321 May the Lord equipped you same word in every good work or 1st Peter 510 after you've suffered a while the Lord will make you perfect same word so this is a very common word places 61 if some was overtaken and if all you who are spiritual restore such and when restore is the same work build him up the cliff and. Bring him to maturity are sitting pretty in 71 says that we are to be perfect in holiness in the fear of gun so this is the goal of the min given to the church you know only gave gifts to believers but he in the language of 1st Corinthians $1228.00 he appointed men he appointed then the perfection of the saints is the goal and is the goal of. Trials James one says after you've been through trials God will do a perfect work it's the goal of suffering 1st Peter 510 after you've suffered a while the Lord make you perfect it's the goal of Scripture or keep it. Desiring the milk of the word that you may grow thereby in respect to salvation so whether it's trials or suffering persecution or or the Word of God in particular God hears it all to bring us to this kind of spiritual perfection where in Christ like ness we're using our gifts to put in under splay in the church now let's talk about the gifted men just briefly apostles and prophets were foundational men. Back in chapter 2 verse 20 we read that God's house so the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together is growing into Will holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the spirit another way to look at the church is as a temple but the Temple the living temple of God and grow by the Holy Spirit the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets their foundation stones Jesus being the cornerstone the Apostles in it were foundational mynd they were the ones who were with Jesus they were chosen by him particularly there are 12 of them according to Matthew and Mark and Luke they had a unique ability and calling they were to preach the word they were to cast out demons and they were to heal the cynic they were given divine power to authenticate their connection to the True and Living God How do you know the truth teachers are how do you know who the true apostles nor how do you know who it represents God Those that have power over diseases that have power over demons. Their preaching the true message from God. They were companions of Jesus they're very unique so unique the Jesus said look 222830 they will have 12 thrones in His Kingdom when He returns he will have 12th room where you say he was the Matthias or Paul who gets the 12th throne I have no idea I don't have a special revelation and then but there will be 12 thrones we know that in Revelation 2114 it says in the New Jerusalem the capital city of eternal heaven there will be 12 foundation stones representing the 12 apostles so they have remarkable unique not only the foundation of the church in this world but foundation stones for the New Jerusalem the capital city of the eternal state unique and they were used by God along with their associates to write the New Testament there are no apostles today they were chosen by Jesus given miraculous powers the signs of an apostle signs wonders mighty deeds. Here is to how. When you've got so great a salvation at 1st spoken to us by those who are with the Lord and then confirmed by signs and wonders they were a foundation. After them came the 2nd group of preachers the prophets the prophets were not chosen by Christ but they were rather identified by the church and their responsibility was to preach the gospel they aren't workers the sun but they are preachers of the truth they are prescribed for preachers the New Testament hasn't come together yet so so they're preaching what the Apostles doctrine was they're preaching what the Apostles received from the Lord and occasionally the Lord even gives them some revelation but most of the time they're preaching what had already been revealed to the Apostles the early church was engaged in studying the Apostles doctrine they were preaching the Apostles doctrine the goal of the Apostles and the goal of the prophets What is it it says to perfect the singing to perfect the scene that was their goal that's always the goal always they go to bring the Saints to maturity and to Christ likeness now historically they are replaced by evangelists. And Pastor teachers evangelists would be kind and the. Subsequent apostle like people who were sent apostle comes in very means to be sent there set out with the gospel they go to the mission field they plant churches they have the heart of an evangelist there are the ones who are sent to preach the gospel to train others to preach the gospel and then along with those come the teaching shepherds and they are the ones for shepherd the flock It's as if there's always go out to gather the sheep and once they're gathered the evangelists goes back out to gather more sheep and the shepherd teaches them from Merrily the row is to feed the flock of God 1st Peter 5 x. 20 feet and who lead the church from which God has purchased with his own blood we are the feeders and the leaders she's a sister Peter 3 times feed my sheep feed my lambs feed my sheep this is past oral ministry to feed the flock of God That's the point of this whole passage Let's go back to so those are the preachers of perfection look at the progress to perfection verse 12 the gifted men equipped this thing. The pastor teacher evangelist this for the equipping of the seats that's what we're for cautions one. Says it this way. And if Chapter one we proclaim him and his Christ admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom so the way may present every man complete in Christ that's a pastoral role that's a definition. Process for this purpose Also I labor striving word it means working to the point of sweat and exhaustion according to his power which mightily works within me God works within me and I work to see every man and woman complete in Christ quipping the Saints It wasn't just the work of an apostle at the end of the book of cautions where you were introduced to a man named to pass for us Chapter 4 verse 12 the path for a sword is a member of the caution church a bun slave of Jesus Christ sent you his greetings always laboring earnestly for you it is prayers that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God For I testify for him the as a deep concern for you and what is this concern that you be fully completed in Christ that you go up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ if the men are not given to the church for unbelievers they are given to the church for believers they're not given to the charge to make the believers feel good about themselves they're given to the church to make believers grow to become more like Christ so if we're going to perfect the Saints what instrument must we use well prayer gets what a paraphrase did but the key instrument listen to what the Scripture says and there's no question about this 2nd Timothy 316 and 17 all Scripture is inspired by God. And profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be perfect equipped for every good work whether it's the man of God or anybody else it is the scripture that is inspired by God and profitable for teaching reproof correction training in righteousness that makes one equipped for every good work so how do you quick to say it's you quick to see it with the word that's why Paul says to Timothy over and over preach the word preach the word yourself to the word says to Titus preach the word preach it with all authority that's what the shepherd does to serious responsibility you have to give an account for it to God The percentage. It's a serious responsibility James says whoever offend doesn't offend with his mouth is a perfect man. So don't be so many teachers because there's a greater condemnation but it's a high calling in a glorious calling at the same time. So using the word of God. To perfect the sentence is the call of the shepherd then the 2nd step that he fees and the 2nd step is this for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry what happens is when the Saints grow up to maturity they do the work of the ministry then their gifts begin to be used and then their gifts flourish then they begin to function in the church with the one another's then they do the work of service. That's a word that had to do with waiting on tables but it was a general word for serving the gifted men perfect the saints the csa the work in the ministry Never next for the Apostle said look we give ourselves to prayer in the ministry of the word you're going to have to do the work you know take care of these widows that's how it works and then there's another step this is obvious. As they begin to do the work of ministry the body of Christ is built. And as they minister of one another they're ministering their gifts and their ministering as gifts in the power of the Holy Spirit and they prefer they produce spiritual growth and spiritual development I minister a gift here but this church is full of people who Minister their gifts to me and the strength that I bring to you through the gift that God has given me here is in part brought to me by the Ministry of so many people around me so many many people that's how the body is built. And what comes out of that is maturity and what comes out of that is love and what comes out of that is unity in peace and that's the testimony that the Lord wants so the preachers of perfection follow the progress of perfection and the benefits are amazing look at the benefits of this progress the benefits of this perfection just briefly verse 13 until we all attain the unity of the faith and to the knowledge of the Son of God to mature man to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ missing in it that's what a church should look like the unity of the faith unity in doctrine unity in truth unity and deep knowledge not superficial knowledge deep knowledge of the Son of God And when you when you know the faith and united united around sound doctrine and you have a deep knowledge of the Son of God because you've gone through all the gospels time and time again year after year after year you have a deep knowledge of the Son of God you come to a mature person and as you become a mature person you are coming in the direction of the measure of the stature response to the fullness of Christ you're becoming more like Christ and that is the benefit. I can't imagine being in any other church. If there was a church there was like that as a believer I want to be like Christ and to think that it's possible if I am be. Equipped by the Word of God. So that I can grow up to maturity in the work of ministry building up the body of Christ come to a unity of sound doctrine deep knowledge of the Son of God and become a mature man in some way measuring the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ but I want to go somewhere else you know that the goal of everything that we gaze on his glory and become transformed in his image now. There's a result of this 1st a negative result not a positive result just quickly when you come to the unity of faith that is your United or room sound doctrine and you have this deep knowledge of the Son of God and your mature and you are being shaped like Christ in His fullness the 1st result you are no longer to be children tossed here and there by waves and cared about by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men by craftiness and deceitful scheming who does all that Satan knows emissaries So the 1st result of this kind of maturity of a church is that that it is solid in its doctrine no longer go no longer on designing no longer victimized tossed by every wind of doctrine. By the coup Baiae the trickery of men and their crafty cunning. Deception that's a marvelous thing isn't it when the saying is when you're part of that kind of church you have desert and you know susceptible there you're safe from being seduced by saying you're a spiritual young man who's overcome the wicked one because the Word of God abides in you and you are strong and then there's a positive result 1st if you can you speak the truth and. You know the truth so you're not subject to error and you also speak the truth and you speak it in love you speak it in love because Christ who can in love in your Christ like that's how a church should be it should be basically deserving so it is not seduced by false doctrine and it should be evangelists take speaking the truth in love truth is everything if you have the truth you're not susceptible to lies if you have the truth you can speak it and if you characterized by love you will speak it in love just to summon up verses 15 and 16 Paul tells it to gether So here it is we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head even Christ from whom the whole body being fit and healthy gather by what every joint supplies according to the proper working of each individual part causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. In love. She knows how important love is and averse to. In love and verse 16 in love by the Shalom I know that you're my disciples that you have one. Love one from . A church that follows this divine pattern will be known. Not only for its sound doctrine. But more and more characteristic will be known by it's a law. That puts Christ on display. That's John MacArthur here on Grace to you he's chancellor of the Master's University and seminary and we're currently airing the sermons he preached back in February on his 50th anniversary as a pastor and Bible teacher Ok John I want to go back to what you said today about spiritual gifts obviously these are critical no church can honor Christ if its members aren't exercising their spiritual gifts so with that in mind I have a simple practical question how can a believer know what his spiritual gift is is there some sort of test yeah there is a test in the test is your life and what you do I've gone through the years of seeing various analytical tests that you supposed to take check up a bunch of boxes and it'll tell you what your spiritual gift is I don't accept that because we don't have spiritual gifts that are sort of cookie cutter like that and we're not a bunch of rubber ducks all basically coming out of the same old cell when you say you have a spiritual gift you have a spiritual gift that no one else has Ok it's like it's like spiritual fingerprints right so there are categories of giftedness in the New Testament the listing of those categories you find in 1st Corinthians 12 in Romans 12 and even in 1st Peter for they're serving gifts and they're speaking gifts but there's all these categories and the way. Well I understand that in Scripture is that those categories of giftedness are like colors on a palette and the Holy Spirit takes his brushes and he dips into this color and that color a little of this color and he paints you and your gift is that combination of categories of giftedness which the Lord has brought together in each individual believers life they are informed by our experiences they are basically enrich by the learning of the Word of God which enables our gifts to flourish they are enhanced in and rich by walking in the spirit but you have a certain color that the Holy Spirit has painted you you may have a gift of giving but you also may have the gift of wisdom you may have the gift of faith which means you pray but you also may have the gift of teaching the combination is so unique you know I've always said the church is not the same unless you're functioning in it it's not another person who's going to step in with exactly the the beautiful palette of colors that the Holy Spirit has painted you to be so I don't think you want to be looking for your spiritual gift in some analytical test Having said that let me say this the way you know your spiritual gift is simple what do you have to do and what is it that when you do it gains the greatest spiritual response I mean if you say Well I think I have the gift of preaching and everybody says Could you please stop and we get another preacher Maybe I'll check something else but when you do it fills your heart with joy and it bears fruit in affirmation in the lives of other people that's that's how you know your gift you serve in the categories that you love in the way that feels sort of coming up out of your heart and then you affirm that gift by what the congregation says in response to it right you have Thanks John that is a very clear answer to a crucial question and friend if you have. More questions about spiritual gifts Well I would encourage you to listen to every message from our current study the work of the word in these lessons John has a lot to say about spiritual gifts you can hear all 3 of them free of charge at our website contact us today the website address is g t y dot org That's also where you go if you'd like to purchase John's study the work of the word in a 3 cd album but again you can listen to or download the work of the word to your smartphone or your laptop for free at g t y dot org Also let me remind you of the impact that you have when you support Grace to you we recently heard from a listener who wrote that she was slowly becoming indifferent towards God's word but then she heard John's teaching on the believers armor and was transformed it gave her new energy to fight Satan's temptations thanks to your support we can encourage listeners like that all over the world if you'd like to partner with us call 855 grace or go to g t y dot org Now for John MacArthur I'm Phil Johnson invite you back for our next broadcast we're airing the message John preached on his 50th anniversary Sunday at Grace Community Church it's the final lesson in John series the work of the word join us as we continue celebrating 50 years of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on race news. Am to 90 k. a Y. . E. M. To 90 k. a Y. a Little rock is streaming online it to 91 dot com Cumulus station or. A over the globe. Is this is the same brand of Jr welcoming you to another Prague cast of the Baptist Bible Our glad that you joined us today as always I encourage you to write or should let us know that you're there mention the called letters of the station of which the program comes to you address your letter to the Baptist Bible.