In Christ: Know It, Live It - 53 (Unity through Diversity - 8)

What are the great GOALS of every member ministry in the church? We are told in Ephesians 4:13-14:

"...Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."

The GOALS of every member ministry in the church are MATURITY and STABILITY.

MATURITY:

• "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith..." "The faith" usually speaks of the OBJECTIVE beliefs of Christianity. What we believe is absolutely important to the health and unity of the body of Christ. We must share a belief in WHO our God is: Father, Son, and Spirit. We must share a belief in HOW we are saved: by God's grace, through Christ's perfect life and sufficient death, through faith alone. We must share a belief in what it means to be a Christian and to be a part of the body of Christ. We must share a belief that the Bible is the very Word of God, inspired and inerrant. And our ministry to one another must in part be to take EVERY MEMBER of the body towards understanding and sharing these foundational beliefs of "the faith." We cannot live and serve together unless we all attain unity in "the faith." All teaching from pulpit to coffee shop to foyer on Sundays is an aid to the entire body growing in the unity of the faith...as long as the teaching is biblical and Christ-centered.
• "And of the knowledge of the Son of God..." Our ministry to one another is to help us know Jesus Christ better. "Knowledge" or "knowing" is a word that speaks of deep, personal, intimate knowledge of Christ. It is not enough for ANY member of the church to know Christ second-hand or to know ABOUT Christ or only to relate to Christ on Sundays. It is the goal of every member ministry that EVERY member know Christ more and more deeply and personally. This happens as we share our lives with one another. What is Christ doing in you? What is He teaching you in the Scriptures? What have you learned about HIM recently. As we share these things with one another and inquire about these things in each other's lives, we remind each other that THIS is what it is all about: knowing Jesus Christ. We SPUR one another on in the pursuit of Christ. One passionate brother for Christ can set quite a few fires in the hearts of others.
• "To mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." This is true maturity: to be like Christ. How much like Christ? To the stature of His FULLNESS! To share His full-orbed character: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, meekness, faithfulness, self-control (Galatians 5:22,23). Our measure for maturity is NOT one another...ultimately. Certainly we can be spurred on to love by seeing a mature measure of it in another brother. But no one is the PERFECT LOVER like Jesus. No one has PERFECT joy like Christ. We choose pastors and elders based on their character (1Tim 3; Tit 1), but ultimately we are NOT trying to mature our church to be like the pastor. Jesus is the standard because He was PERFECT man and because He is the one we will be like forever in heaven. In the church we are aiming at the ULTIMATE goal. And the way towards that goal is the mutual ministry of every member. Live out love and joy and peace, point to Jesus as the source of love and joy and peace, challenge one another to show love and joy and peace, give one another HOPE that growing in love and joy and peace like Jesus is possible by the indwelling Spirit...do all these things as you serve one another...and we will move towards our goal of HIS maturity.