Distinct Characteristics of Hope Bible Church (Pt. 2)

by Thomas F. Leake April 1, 2020

Today’s modern American church is saturated with a variety of paradigms about how to do church. Many church leaders are assured these models are the latest exciting trends and sure-to-work programs to revive their churches. Pastors literally rush to conferences to copy-cat some “successful” church’s new system of ministry.

Having been trained at The Master’s Seminary I am convinced most of these methods reveal a misunderstanding about how Christ truly works inside His church to bring about God-honoring growth. I expect to find in the sufficient Scriptures Christ’s plan for developing and maturing His church.

Where in the Bible does it tell us what is Christ’s design for building and maturing His church? On the day the church was born, the Day of Pentecost, the church automatically exhibited this design. Acts 2:42-47 demonstrates all the features in action to this model. The Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) also describe this model by showing the role of the teacher-equippers.

However, in Ephesians 4:11-16 more than any other Biblical passage, God concisely presents His pattern for building and maturing His church. That is quite a statement isn’t it? But I think we can demonstrate that just by surveying the contents of these 6 verses.

First of all, Ephesians 4 is a passage concerned with the church collectively:

12 speaks of “the equipping of the saints” and “the body of Christ”
13 calls the church “one mature man” – not individual men
15 we have one head
16 we are his body

Second, this passage is focused on the growth and maturity of the church.

12 mentions “The building up of the body of Christ”
13 talks about church as “a mature man”
14 encourages the church not to be children easily tricked by false doctrine
15 urges the church to “grow up in all aspects”
16 describes the growth of the body for the building up of itself

Third, this is a passage that speaks of design. There is a pattern presented here we are to detect.

11 After His ascension to Heaven, Christ gave some as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors & teachers
12 Christ gave these gifted teachers to the church “for the equipping of the saints” so the saints would do the work of ministry.
13-15 they were to keep on equipping until maturity was developed
16 each individual member in the body has a vital role to play

And fourth, this is a passage about our Lord Jesus Christ.

11 From heaven it is Christ who gave gifted men teachers to the church
12 the church is Christ’s body
13 the church is to attain the knowledge of the Son of God
15 we are to grow up into Christ
16 from Christ the whole body is held together.

So Ephesians 4:11-16 is about Christ’s design for maturing His church. This is His model for ministry for the church universal and each local church throughout the whole world. We are staring at a passage that has all the ingredients to explain to us how to do church, our church, any church. It is a practical, powerful, and workable plan for any age. It includes all the commands any local church needs to be fulfilling: Witnessing, Worshipping, and Discipleship.

We don’t need to run off to any church growth conference who peddles the latest fad. We have the church’s blueprint from Christ right here! I believe every local church should evaluate themselves and their ministries by the truth this passage teaches. Are we following Christ’s pattern or some other design?

Now, there is no name given to this model, but some have called it, “The Dynamic Body Model” because that capsulizes what the church of Jesus Christ is. The church is a dynamic living organism – a body – as v. 16 teaches. Yet it is energized by and driven by the rigorous, systematic, and Spirit-filled preaching and teaching of the Word of God. So I call it “The Word-Driven, Dynamic Body Model.”

Before we start studying this model in detail, I have found it helpful to explain first what this church model is NOT. When people think of church, misconceptions often have to be brushed aside so the church in its glory can be properly seen.

This model does not look at the church primarily as a building. That is because, as I like to say, “We don’t go to church on Sundays we are the church 24/7.”
It also does not think of the church as a business to market to unbelievers, but a dynamic body composed of godly relationships and holy activities.
The local church is not a mere conglomeration of religious programs run under one roof to give believers something to do.
The church is not merely a group of like-minded Christian families who chose to meet together on Sundays.
The church is not a gospel entertainment center to have deep emotional experiences and display musical talent.
The church is not a political rallying center for communities.
The church is not a barren, intellectual Bible school to impart theological and historical knowledge and leave it at that.
The church is not to be reduced to a counseling center to repair people who are struggling.
The church is not a community center for children’s programs and education.
The church includes many of these things, but it is more.
The local church is - and here is a biblical definition - a living, growing, dynamic, body on earth vitally connected to Jesus Christ the head in heaven to carry out Christ’s purposes and thus bring God glory. Therefore, as a dynamic and living body, the church must grow and mature.

So, exactly how does this dynamic organism grow and mature? In v. 11 – 16 Paul shows us four processes that make it work

First, it is Driven by Biblical Preaching and Teaching (verse. 11)

Second that Teaching Equips all the Saints to do the Work of Service (verse 12)

Third, the Equipped Saints Do the Dynamic Work of Ministry (verses 12b-15)

Fourth, the Church Grows - both numerically and into maturity (verse 16)

Next time we will look at how those four processes work continuously, and why each process is necessary.