• Christ's Love and Desire for His Church

  • January 23, 2022

    Speaker: Pastor Tim Gibson

    Series: Stand-Alone

    Text: Ephesians 4:7-16

    Main Idea: Christ loves His Church and desires for them to grow to maturity in truth and love.  

  • 1. Christ loves His Church and gave them       . (7-11)
     

    • Jesus gave each       in the Church a gift for service. (Rom 12:6-8, 1 Cor 12:8-10)


    •  Jesus had authority to give gifts because of His       : He descended in His incarnation & to hell, He ascended in exaltation, He led a host of captives, He gave gifts to men, & He filled all things. (Ps 68:16, 1 Pet 3:18-19, Col 2:15, Acts 1:9-11, Jn 7:39, 14:12)


    •  Jesus gave the whole Church godly       to lead them in His absence: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, shepherds & teachers. (v. 11)

     
    2. Christ loves His Church & desires for them to grow to      . (11-16).  (Ministry Goals for the Church)
     

    • Equipped & Built Up : Jesus desires that the Church be equipped & built up so that the Church can do the work of the       in the world. (v. 11-12)


    • Unity : He desires that the Church have unity in “the       .” (Doctrinal Truth – Jude 3)


    • Understanding : He desires that the Church have deep & correct understanding of who       is.


    • Christ-likeness : He desires that the Church have a corporate       of Christ-likeness. (Rom 8:29)


    • No longer babes : He desires that the Church be       in doctrine so that they will not be deceived & carried away by false teaching.


    • Truth & Love : He desires that the Church would grow up in doctrinal truth &       .
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