Distinct Characteristics of Hope Bible Church (Pt. 3)

Last post I wrote that we would call our overall distinctive model "The Word Driven Dynamic Body Model."

Today we will consider four processes from Ephesians 4:11-16 that make the Word-Driven Dynamic Body work.

First, it is Driven by Biblical Preaching and Teaching

That is seen in Ephesians 4:11. Christ, after He ascended into Heaven, gave some as apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. All of those are teaching positions and gifts in the church. Apostles and Prophets were foundational to the universal church. Local churches have evangelists and pastor-teachers. These gifts are designed to lead and equip by teaching or preaching. They speak God’s word to the church. This biblical teaching, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is the engine that drives the church forward. Without a full-throttle approach to teaching Scripture, a church is going to be hindered in its maturation. Churches need to heavily emphasize teaching, for only then does the process of maturity for the church work well.

Second, that Teaching Equips all the Saints to do the Work of Service

In Ephesians 4:12. God gave the gifted leaders, mentioned in v. 11, “for” the purpose of “equipping the saints.” Saints is a term for all believers in the church. We are set apart to God through Jesus our Savior. The saints are not some super category of believer. What does it mean, then, to be equipped? The word “equipped” katartismos, is used only here in the NT. In secular Greek, though, it was used for setting bones straight when broken, and in Matthew 4:21 the equivalent verb form refers to James and John fixing their fishing nets. So the term came to have the meaning of “prepare, fix or even equip.” This word vividly shows that the pastor-teachers and the evangelists in the church are not to do all the ministry, but to prepare each member for valuable effective service in the body. The teachers teach to fix what isn’t working right in the body. As the saints learn, they can be increasingly effective and fruitful as members of the body of Christ.

Third, the Equipped Saints Do the Dynamic Work of Ministry

In verses 12b-15 we see the saints, now equipped, do the work of service! The word for service in v. 12 is very general. It can refer to everything from showing mercy, to hospitality, to financial aid, to intercession, to helping the sick, to encouragement, to leading worship, to administration and organization, to assisting others in their ministry. In other words, they are equipped to do any of the ministry that goes on in the church. We should be a church, not of one or two ministers, but of 100 or 200 or 1000. In 4:16 it pictures the human body and speaks of that which “every joint supplies” and “the proper working of each individual part.“ Everyone in the dynamic body is to serve. See also 1 Corinthians 12:7.

Christ has a simple yet brilliant plan: Active ministry from properly equipped believers in the word – works! If it didn’t, Christ would have designed something else.

Fourth, the Church Grows Both Numerically and Into Maturity

Most of the rest of the passage speaks of growth and maturity (vs. 12b-16). We grow into a stronger unity as we know the Son of God more intimately. We are no longer like children tossed around by tricky doctrines. This maturity happens because of the building up process.

“Building up” in v. 12 is the word oikodomē. It means edification. It’s a construction term. Houses and buildings are built up. Jesus is constructing his church through this process. He is using men to equip the saints. Then he is using the equipped saints in service. Then He is using that service to build up the body. The same word is used in v. 16 “causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” Service done in love by everyone in the body builds up the church.

Maturity should be what we actively pursue at church, not so much numerical growth – although mature congregations tend to grow numerically. We want the church to grow in size and maturity so more will know of Christ. Often a church will grow in size because it is growing in health. Why is that? Because other Christians want to be a part of a church which helps their faith become mature. Also, those who are healthy Christians will get out and witness of their faith. So, when we focus on the depth of our ministry, as some have put it, God will take care of the breadth.

The word-driven dynamic body is now functioning by verse 16. It is a beautiful thing to behold, “… from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

In the following articles, I will talk about some of the distinctive elements of HBC that accentuate this word-driven dynamic body model. We will start with Expository Preaching; what it is and why it is so important.