UNITED WE GROW
Ephesians 4:11-16
We have been studying the gifts of unity in
relation to their distribution among all the members
of Christ's body. We discovered in this study
that the church is the body of Christ. Every genuine,
born-again believer is a part of Christ's body.
I wish we could learn to view the church more as
an organism than an organization. The work of most
churches is being greatly stifled because they are
functioning more like an organization than an organism;
they function more like a corporation than a church;
they function more like a business than a body.
However, we are not an organization in essence,
nor are we a corporation in essence, nor a business
in essence. In essence, by our nature, we are an
organism, the church, the living body of the living
Lord.
This has many far-reaching implications.
(1) Christ is the head of the church (not a
bishop or a board, or any group of people). Christ
runs the church.
(2) Each member of the body is vitally important
to the overall health of the body.
Exe When I smashed my thumb, even though it
is a small body member, it made my entire body sick.
(3) Each member has a specific function.
(4) The members of the body have various functions.
(5) A very important principle of body life is
that the members of the body are to grow together.
Copyright © 1995 by Dr. Rick E. Ferguson.
All rights reserved. No portion of this
document may be used in any form without
the written permission of the author. Bible
quotations are from the New International
Version unless otherwise indicated.
Pg. 2
Ex. We would think it a very sad thing to
see a baby that never grew; if all its life it
remained 19 inches long, weighing 8 pounds, we
would consider it a tragic, freak situation.
So it is with Christ's body. The body is to
be growing. Each member is to be growing. Everyday
should be an experience in spiritual growth for
every member of the body.
Let m ...
Ephesians 4:11-16
We have been studying the gifts of unity in
relation to their distribution among all the members
of Christ's body. We discovered in this study
that the church is the body of Christ. Every genuine,
born-again believer is a part of Christ's body.
I wish we could learn to view the church more as
an organism than an organization. The work of most
churches is being greatly stifled because they are
functioning more like an organization than an organism;
they function more like a corporation than a church;
they function more like a business than a body.
However, we are not an organization in essence,
nor are we a corporation in essence, nor a business
in essence. In essence, by our nature, we are an
organism, the church, the living body of the living
Lord.
This has many far-reaching implications.
(1) Christ is the head of the church (not a
bishop or a board, or any group of people). Christ
runs the church.
(2) Each member of the body is vitally important
to the overall health of the body.
Exe When I smashed my thumb, even though it
is a small body member, it made my entire body sick.
(3) Each member has a specific function.
(4) The members of the body have various functions.
(5) A very important principle of body life is
that the members of the body are to grow together.
Copyright © 1995 by Dr. Rick E. Ferguson.
All rights reserved. No portion of this
document may be used in any form without
the written permission of the author. Bible
quotations are from the New International
Version unless otherwise indicated.
Pg. 2
Ex. We would think it a very sad thing to
see a baby that never grew; if all its life it
remained 19 inches long, weighing 8 pounds, we
would consider it a tragic, freak situation.
So it is with Christ's body. The body is to
be growing. Each member is to be growing. Everyday
should be an experience in spiritual growth for
every member of the body.
Let m ...
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