-Eph 4 :1 – The body of Christ refers to the church.

-The church does not refer to a physical building but refers to all members that has been cleansed by the blood of Lord Jesus Christ.

-How can we grow the church?

-Eph 4:11-16 In the olden days the biblical writings are very detailed.

-Paul is trying to tell us how the church can grow. God has given many gifts to different members which allows them to take different offices.

-The building up the body of Christ is to attain 3 goals/aims. If the church has not attain then they must continue to grow to reach these goals. We can use this benchmark to reflect on the current state of our church today.

-Eph 4:11 continue to talk about gifts from God. These gifts that the Lord give can bring about many works in the church.

-we can see the different offices in the church. The origin of these gifts is from God.

-It is not a hierarchy in an organization nor traditional positions regarded by the Jews. They like to boast their genealogy and their status comes from the lineage they come from. Eg the priests comes from the lineage of Levites. They have the power.

-Here in church, as long as they have gifts it is not based on structure of society or status.

-Jesus Christ grant these gifts to the members so that the saints can be equipped. The church is one body and all believers are in this body.

-Jesus will not show partiality to certain group of people. He wants the whole body to grow.

-Those who received this gifts and they have the responsibility to edify the members.

-Once they are equipped their can all grow in knowledge.

-The goal that these people are equipped so that the body of Christ can be build up.

-the people who receive the gifts must aim to build and edify the church.

-The main purpose of these gifts is not for the individual to build achievement in their career/education, but rather to edify and build up the church.

-Those who receive the gifts of Christ is to build up the church.

-Eph 4:13 The aims and goals that we would like to achieve once the body of Christ has been build up.

-There are 3 phrases which have the same prepositions.

-The building up the body of Christ is to attain 3 goals/aims. If the church has not attain then they must continue to grow to reach these goals.

-It is not good that the church is self-contented and do not pursue to growth.

-Resources need to be optimized in any company or they will face loses. In a family, our goals is to educate our children so that they have necessary skills for their future living.

-Likewise for the church. Paul has mentioned a few goals for a mature church. The body of Christ need to grow to the measure specified below:.

Eph 4:13

1) We need to attain the unity of faith.

We need to reach unity in what aspects? a) In faith – the depth of our belief

b) In knowledge - to knowledge of the truth, the basis of faith

-Faith does not only refer to the depth of our belief in our hearts. Faith include the concept and values that we have accepted.

-When they translate the old testament, the word truth will be translated as faith in the new testament in greek.

-the concept of faith in the bible includes the level of our belief in the Lord and includes knowledge.

-Knowledge of the truth is found in the bible. It is here that we learn about the common faith. It is not referring the depth of our belief in our heart/how we react to God’s word but the concepts of what we believe.

-Knowledge is the values we believe, embrace and uphold.

-eg We believe that Jesus is God. Jesus is God is the knowledge of the truth.

-In terms of faith, the knowledge is just as important.

-This set of knowledge is a foundation of our faith and must be united with our faith.

-Why they persecuted Christians is because they believe Jesus has personated God. They believe in one true God and to them Jesus has made himself like God. They have a lot of suspicions towards those who believe in Christ.

-Later denominations appeared. The Jehovah Witness deny the attributes of Jesus as they do not regard Jesus as God.

-So the faith of different denominations differs even though they are called Christians.

-the different set of values and beliefs that is embraced will determine whether we are true Christians.

-That is why Paul said if anyone tells a different gospel even if an angel or himself, let him be accursed as there is only one truth.

-In Jude there is is one truth and we need to defend it as it is easily destroyed.

-Even today we have this need. Paul said these are the goals towards in the journey of our church growth.

-The church in the process of growth has yet to attain the unity of faith.

-We may have different views and we should not doubt this church. Truth is not subjective.

-If we think truth is subjective then they accept many views and those who think objective then they think there is only one view.

-The aspect of truth is supposed to be objective. What the Lord Jesus has passed down and taught us that is the framework and he only taught it once.

-If all of us have different opinion and views then we are still growing. That is why we have many truth seminars as all of us have different comprehension of the bible. Some are more familiar with different sections of the bible. From the comprehension of different parts of the bible and when we come together it will enhance our understanding.

-We need to be united in this. What Jesus Christ has taught us we need to be very clear and it is written in the bible.

-Sometimes when we read the bible we have neglected some of the parts and have not fully understand what Jesus wants to teach us.

-Do not be too self-contented until we do not pursue in the knowledge of God.

-Through the guidance of the holy spirit, the words of God can light up and help us through the different phases of our life and problems.

-Our fear is some members think that the truth is subjective. In reality, the set of truth that the bible wants us to believe in is only one truth. -However there are some who are too extreme and only wants to follow only his own truth. The personal view and opinion becomes the absolute truth that others must follow. This is also not good.

-We must understand on what aspect we must be united.

2) Second goal in building up the body of Christ is that we need to be mature .

-Eph 4:13 We need to be a new man. The growth of the church until the holy spirit is filled. For the body to grow the body has to grow mature. It cannot remain as a child.

3) The measure of the stature of Christ

-Eph 4:13

-If a person is fully grown up but the head is big but body is small. Although we know that the person is a grown-up but his size is considered abnormally small/dwarfed.

-The proportion of the body must be in line with the head then we have a normal body.

• So this illustration there is a normal proportion between the head and body.

-How well the church to grow it is not what the body wants. If the body is small and head is big it is not proportionate to the size of the head and it becomes a dwarf. In contrast if body is big but head is small.

-the church must have the stature of Christ. What is the head of Christ.

-Eph 1&3. The stature of Christ is to reconcile everyone to himself. So that in Christ man and God can be reconciled.

-If this head Jesus Christ fills the fullness of the earth, then the body of Christ, ie the members of Christ must match to him.

-If Jesus fills all in all and wants us to reconcile with him as one, then the growth of the church must reach the same level.

-The church should be universal structure organization. It is something universal everybody regardless creed, race can join in.

-TJC has been organized for 100 years. If we want to pursue whether we measure up the head of Christ, everyone in this world will be reconcile with Christ as one.

-If Jesus body just have a big portion of Chinese and minority still have other races, then our body still have not grown to this stature.

-The whole universe by right should be reconcile with Jesus Christ the head. So today our body has not grown fully to the right proportion between the head and the body.

-In conclusion, what Paul reminds us what ways the church should grow.

-The gifts that Jesus Christ has given to edify and build up the church. These gifts should not be used only in our daily lives.

-The church should not have ranks, genealogy , lineage

-The gifts given is to build and edify the church and is not a matter of hierarchy or ranks . We ought to stress the growth of this body.

-The 3 aims of Paul mentioned for the body to pursue.

-This faith is a set of truth that we embraced and believe in and this is something that we need to pursue and believe in.

-We need to spend a lot of effort to study the bible.

-Growing up does not mean to be a grown up. This body , this church must grow to the proportion to the head.

-Through the head Jesus Christ, He wants to reconcile the whole universe to him,.

-We should not concentrate on certain race but to pursue more different races ie to be universal in the believe in the Lord and be reconcile with Jesus Christ.

-Prelude to prayer -We should not be self contented and instead of using the gifts to build and edify the church but instead use it for our own daily lives. The consequences will not be good. In our prayer that God will allow us to understand this work. According to mind, we can grow the church.