Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Equipped for a Good Work (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Bryan Schneider · May 23, 2020

Ephesians 4:11-16

sharonrpc.org/sermons/equipped-for-a-good-work

Summary

The church is not a spectator event: Christ gives officers to equip every saint for the work of ministry and the building up of his body.
Believers are saved by grace rather than works, yet they are created in Christ for good works God has prepared for them.
The Word equips or mends God's people so that they become ready to serve rather than remaining passive consumers.
Ministry includes ordinary local duties such as caring for children and aging parents, mentoring, encouraging, and helping those in need.
Every member's service should edify the body, while backbiting, judgmentalism, and needless division tear down what Christ is building.
Jesus supplies the pattern: he came not to be served but to serve, so Christians ask how they can serve God's people rather than what the church will do for them.

Do I approach church primarily as a spectator and consumer, or as a saint being equipped to serve?
What good work has God placed directly in front of me in my family, congregation, or community?
How am I intentionally receiving the Word so that I become ready for ministry?
Do my words build up Christ's body, or do backbiting and judgment tear other members down?
Whom could I call, encourage, mentor, comfort, or help this week?
Does my service imitate Jesus and flow from grace, or is it an attempt to earn approval?

Equipping: The Word-shaped preparation and mending of believers so that they are ready for faithful service.
Ministry: Service rendered by the saints for the good of others and the building up of Christ's body, not work reserved to church officers.
Edification: Building up fellow believers in faith, holiness, love, strength, and usefulness.
Good works: Obedient acts prepared by God and performed as fruits of grace, never as the ground of salvation.