Have you ever heard how God builds His Church? Ephesians 4:11-16 tells us:

1. God builds it through His Word. 

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. (Ephesians 4:11)

• Apostles were the eyewitnesses of Jesus life, death and resurrection and Prophets were moved by God to bring His Word to His people. God used them to bring us His Word -  faithfully and intentionally preserved for us in the Scriptures. 

• Evangelists are people who tell the Good News (the Gospel) that God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son. That’s good news to everyone every day.  

• Pastors and Teachers -Pastors are literally "shepherds" – feeders and caretakers of the flock. Teachers teach, explaining both the meaning and application of God’s Word. These are your Elders, Pastors, Belong Group Leaders, Deacons, and other godly influences. 

2. God uses His people, the Church.

Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

The handlers of God's Word mentioned in Verse 11 equip God’s people to do God’s work and build each other up. When everyone does their part we grow together and grow up into the magnificent Body of Christ – the Body Jesus uses to love the World and express the goodness and worthiness of God.

3. God uses you when you do your part in building the Church.  

[God] makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

When you do your part here at New Hope Church, you help us all grow so that we all become a healthy and growing expression of the Body of Christ. When you do your part, you experience the Presence and Power of God because HE makes the whole Body fit together perfectly by His Spirit moving through you to use your Gifts. 

Are you doing your part? If you’re not sure how to start, first come to Jesus. Tell Him you need to make Him, His people, and His mission a priority again. Then come to Belong Track and we’ll get you stirred up and started on the right track. His Presence and Power is worth it. He is worth it. 

-Pastor Chuck