CAN THE CHURCH SURVIVE THE '90s?
Ephesians 4:7-12
Jerry Vines
6/14/92
In the first six verses the Apostle Paul has laid before us the
fundamentals of our faith - the things that unite us. This chapter is a
great call to unity. We are called to walk worthy of the calling
wherewith we are called. We are to walk in unity. Having stated our
unity in the faith, he now begins to discuss our diversity - the
infinite variety there is in the fellowship of the church of the Lord
Jesus.
Connect verse 11 back with last part of verse 8 and skip over
the parenthesis and notice what it says: he gave gifts unto men and he
gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some
pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is living in the midst of
kaleidoscopic changes. Life as we have known it will never again be the
same. Time is moving quickly and things are changing very rapidly in
this decade of the 90's. In fact, there are those who have pronounced
that we are living in the post Christian era and tht Christianity and
the faith as we have known it will never, ever again be the same.
There is no question that we are living in a culture that is
changing. Culturally, we see change all around us. In the earliest
2
years of this country our culture was primarily a rural culture. People
were brought up on the farm. We are now living in an urban culture.
More people now are living in cities and around the cities. Culture is
changing rapidly all around us. Morally we are living in a generation
that is altogether different from any generation we have ever known.
Those things that were once taboo have now come to be accepted in
society in general. Culturally, we are rhanging. Morally, we are
changing as a nation. And also we are experiencing the fact that we are
changing spiritually. Churches are changing. They are not the same.
...
Ephesians 4:7-12
Jerry Vines
6/14/92
In the first six verses the Apostle Paul has laid before us the
fundamentals of our faith - the things that unite us. This chapter is a
great call to unity. We are called to walk worthy of the calling
wherewith we are called. We are to walk in unity. Having stated our
unity in the faith, he now begins to discuss our diversity - the
infinite variety there is in the fellowship of the church of the Lord
Jesus.
Connect verse 11 back with last part of verse 8 and skip over
the parenthesis and notice what it says: he gave gifts unto men and he
gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some
pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is living in the midst of
kaleidoscopic changes. Life as we have known it will never again be the
same. Time is moving quickly and things are changing very rapidly in
this decade of the 90's. In fact, there are those who have pronounced
that we are living in the post Christian era and tht Christianity and
the faith as we have known it will never, ever again be the same.
There is no question that we are living in a culture that is
changing. Culturally, we see change all around us. In the earliest
2
years of this country our culture was primarily a rural culture. People
were brought up on the farm. We are now living in an urban culture.
More people now are living in cities and around the cities. Culture is
changing rapidly all around us. Morally we are living in a generation
that is altogether different from any generation we have ever known.
Those things that were once taboo have now come to be accepted in
society in general. Culturally, we are rhanging. Morally, we are
changing as a nation. And also we are experiencing the fact that we are
changing spiritually. Churches are changing. They are not the same.
...
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