Did you know that you have been equipped with spiritual giftings?
In fact, when each believer fully takes responsibility for what has been entrusted to them, it makes a great impact on earth as it is in heaven.
But why is there so much weight to this? Together, let’s explore Ephesians and glean what God’s word has to say.
The Book of Ephesians
Ephesus is a church that historically accomplished great things. As a matter of fact, if I were a pastor in a first-century church, this is the church I would want to lead. This church not only impacted its church community, but it touched the lives of so many people outside its four walls.
As the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, I believe in the importance of learning from the Apostle Paul. He spoke into the church of Ephesus and encouraged them to continue leaning into the Gospel of Jesus Christ by way of the gifts he left when he ascended to the right hand of the Father.
This church was healthy (and growing up in the church, I know a lot about what an unhealthy church looks like!) It is my heart and my desire that FBCG follow in the footsteps of the Ephesians. And I believe it starts and continues by taking to heart what can be found in this very epistle.
Why Spiritual Gifts Are Important to the Kingdom of God
God Gives Spiritual Gifts (Ephesians 4:11)
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,”
Ephesians 4:11, NKJV
The spiritual gifts God has given are just that—they are given freely simply because God loves us. When you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit came to dwell in you, He brought the gifts assigned for your life with Him.
God is very intentional when He places specific people with distinct gifts within His church. He does this so that we can function and be everything He calls us to be!
When I gave my life to Christ as a young teenager, I was ignorant of this fact because no one taught me about spiritual gifts. So when I felt a burning and yearning inside of me, I had no idea that it was God flourishing the spiritual gifts He gave to me. As I was on the street corner sharing the Gospel with my friends and singing praises to Him, God was preparing me for the pastoral gift He placed within me. Looking back now, I am in awe that even all those years ago, He was faithful to prepare me for today.
Be encouraged, saints; God already knew what your future looked like (even long before salvation!) The question isn’t whether or not God will give you spiritual gifts; what we need to ponder is what you can do with them.
God Equips Us (Ephesians 4:12)
“For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,”
Ephesians 4:12, NKJV
What is the purpose of spiritual gifts?
Well, God gave us gifts so we could equip the saints for the work of ministry. Not only that, He wants to bring us to a place of maturity and completeness, and He does so by allowing us to partner with His kingdom.
God equips you and me with these special giftings so that we can, through the Holy Spirit, help mend what is broken in other people’s lives. As we serve alongside Him, we can become all that God has called us to be.
Spiritual Gifts and Brokenness
Now, there may be broken pieces scattered throughout your own life, and that is okay. God, in His perfection, helps His people along as they serve Him no matter how shattered your life is.
The biggest misconception when it comes to serving God is that we have to have our life together, and it must be shiny with a big, neatly tied bow. And that just isn’t the case. God can use anyone He wants anytime He wants to use them, regardless of your qualifications or track record.
Looking back a few verses, Ephesians 4:7 in the NKJV says, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
It is through God that we are given the power, ability, desire, and grace to accomplish every good and perfect work He has called us to. Not our college degrees or our work experience.
If it is in God’s will for your life, you are a candidate!
God Has a Goal (Ephesians 4:13-16)
God doesn’t simply give us these spiritual gifts for us to have them. He is intentional in his goals and purposes.
Unity (vs. 13)
“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:13, NKJV
Spiritual gifts allow us, the church, to achieve unity, walking in the same direction with the same purpose in mind.
Spiritual Maturity (vs. 13)
“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:13, NKJV
Through the knowledge of Christ, God shares His expectation for us to continue on together until we reach a place of spiritual maturity.
Stability (vs. 14)
“That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,”
Ephesians 4:14, NKJV
God has a goal, and until we get to a place of spiritual maturity and stability, we won’t be able to fully acknowledge God’s purposes.
Functioning (vs. 15-16)
“But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Ephesians 4:15-16, NKJV
It is my desire for our church (and the global church as a whole) to be healthy and continue growing in a healthy manner. But how can we achieve that?
It is when the entire body is knit together, and every part does its share. Everyone is functioning in the specific role God gave them. Sadly, we live in a culture where no one wants to participate. Many either come to church to get their blessing and slip out the back door, or they tune in on their devices because it is convenient.
The truth of the matter is we can not be everything God intended us to be until each child of God steps into the place they are supposed to be! The ministry of Christ can’t grow effectively until all disciples of Christ cooperate in their giftings.
Saints, when every part does its share, the Body is edified in love.
Will you be intentional with the spiritual gifts God purposefully placed in you?
For more on spiritual gifts, check out Pastor Jenkins’ sermon, Spiritual Gifts.