Play Your Position!
Ephesians 4:1-16
The key to success in any team sport is that the players function and play their position. When analysts look at a specific game, they will talk about ‘breakdowns’ where a player is caught ‘out of position’. In hockey, a classic example is when a defenseman tries to pinch and keep the puck in at the blue line and fails in his attempt. It is at this point, he leaves his partner vulnerable and very quickly the opposing team may now have a fast break creating a two on one!
In the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has been focusing primarily on our position in Christ, who we are. It is all about what God has done for us and now it is game time. He gets very practical in how all these inherent qualities get played out in our lives.
Live in light of who you are. You have a calling, now step into it and don’t be shy about it.
The Greeks crowned champions in the games with a stephanos, a wreath made of leaves. We who are followers of Jesus already are wearing a stephanos. We are all victors in Christ, we have all been given our gold medals! James, challenges us as he wrote: "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown [stephanos] of life that God has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12) So, as we persevere in the power of the HS and learn the lessons of faith, we are given life itself, we are doing it wearing that invisible crown on our heads. Jesus warned in Revelation, "Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." (Revelation 3:11) We are the son and daughters of royalty and we are playing for the King of kings and Lord of lords and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers! Revelation 17:14
Playing with your God given attitude! v1-6
Humility - For the Greeks humility was not a virtue. To live in the fullness of life as they described it left no room for this character quality. However for the believer, humility is an indispensable part of who we are. We recognize that it only by the grace of God we stand. We are overwhelmed that we have been chosen to play in spite of our weaknesses and failures.
Gentle – Gentleness is the spirit of one who is so absorbed in seeking some worthy goal for the common good that he refuses to be deflected from it by slights, injuries or insults directed at himself personally. Gentleness is also power under control. It is also the realization that while I could do a ‘power play’ in this situation by throwing everything I have at the person, I take into account their spirit, their makeup and recognize where it is coming from.
It is true that when we choose to go against the status quo and become a champion for a God-given initiative that there will always be resistance. How we handle that resistance will speak volumes about who we are as people.
Patience – is very closely related to gentleness in that it speaks to our decision to choose not to retaliate
Bearing with one another in love – is our decision not to give up on loving others especially with those whose faults keep resurfacing.
The tone of these words is that we recognize and see how God is working in us. There needs to be consistency between my everyday life and my identity in Christ.
The other really important truth in all of this is getting over ourselves. Every one of these words deals a huge blow to selfishness. If we keep struggling with being prickly and demanding, we have the problem. It is one thing to work through our issues with others dealing with their inadequacies, but it is the responsiveness that Paul is calling us to deal with in ourselves. We have to learn HS initiated response-ability.
When he begins to emphasize our oneness, we need to see that this doesn’t somehow have to manufactured, unity already exists. We need to commit ourselves to continuing to experience it, to celebrate it and to hold on to it. We must do whatever it takes to resist what drives wedges between us, to stop listening to the innuendos, the complaints that seek to divide us and pit one against another or a group against a group
Playing with your God given gifts! v7-13
There is incredible unity in diversity.
He is showing how Christ fulfilled this prophecy in his incarnation, resurrection and ascension which of course led to the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Paul is using army like metaphors and God was the Commander and King who delivered his people out of Egypt and defeated their enemies in the wilderness and in Canaan, so Jesus is our Commander and King who defeated Satan and his kingdom at the cross.
As a result of that victory, Jesus is able to give grace-gifts to his people. Now, the most important of all the spiritual gifts our ascended Lord gave us is His Holy Spirit. The second is the very presence of our risen Lord Jesus who lives in us.
If we received nothing else that would be all that we need because it is in the giving of the HS and the indwelling Christ that we are empowered and can do all things! Now while we will breakdown the gifts, the point is this. When it comes right down to it, if God wants you to do something, telling Him you don’t have the gift is not an option!
Spiritual gifts are to be used by us, his sons and daughters to build up his church, and so the apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers are to equip the saints within the body of Christ for the work of service and to help bring them to maturity. This in turn will bring the church as a whole into the maturity of Christ Jesus. The purpose in all of this is for us to bring His presence, His power, and His blessings into our world.
Now, while this list is certainly not exhaustive, it speaks to foundational gifts that are needed in the church.
1. Apostle – means one who is sent. ‘an apostolic gifting’ It is the prayer of Jesus in John 17 where he states I am sending them into the world. We have been sent with the good news of salvation. The credentials of an apostle of Jesus Christ was to have seen Him and they were commissioned to spread the news of the gospel.
The apostolic gift is seen today in those who are used of the Lord to begin new works, establish new ministries. We see this gift in those who are called into church planting and in missions ministry especially to unreached people groups.
2. Prophet – ‘a prophetic gifting’ is the ability to speak the mind and heart of God. They are used to speak and bring confirmation in a very unique way by God. God speaks to them through dreams and visions and revelations. They often can see spiritual realities that others cannot readily recognize in their own life. In the purest sense they speak about realities of the future, judgments and warnings as well as blessing.
This church is filled with the gift of the prophetic from every walk of life and they are godly people who don’t contradict Scripture. By the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit they are able to take God's word and make it shine into the lives of their listeners even by simply giving them a verse of Scripture.
Acts 2:17,18
It has also been reported that Islamic Arabs in Morocco and Algeria have been receiving visions of Jesus Christ and accepting him without any guidance from Scripture or other Christians at all.
3. Evangelists are those who are called of God to speak boldly into the lives of others and call them to faith in Jesus Christ.
Philip was a great example of an evangelist to us in Acts 8. He began simply serving in the church in Jerusalem as a deacon and then we catch up with him 25 years later in Acts 21:8 still ministering and sharing the Word in Caesarea.
All Christians are called to be witnesses of the love Jesus has for them and the love they have for him as their Lord and Savior. We are to testify to the work of God in our lives. However, not all Christians are evangelists as God often gives an evangelists favour especially with those outside of the faith.
Pastor / Teacher - This gift is the spiritual ability to shepherd the flock of God (guard, guide, encourage, warn), to feed them the word of God, and equip the people of God to find and use their spiritual gifts so they too can do the work of ministry.
Again it is important that we understand that these gifts are not just in title, but in function and that it is not just the paid staff that only have these foundational gifts.
The whole point in all of this is that we make the invisible Christ visible in the lives of those we minister to. It is the outflow of our lives
1. In what areas should we as believers have unity and what areas should we have diversity?
2. Do you know what your spiritual gifts are?
3. Do you know what their purpose is?
4. As a Christian, God has given you a ministry to suit your gifts...have you discovered it?
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