“Spiritual Bodybuilding” - Ephesians 4:1-12

1. Membership

• “There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call.” (v.4)

• Covenant vs. Contract

• Commitment phobia

• Lone-rangerism

2. Followership

• “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”(v.5-6)

• “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (v.15-16)

• “Which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it.” (1 Corinthians 12:24)

3. Leadership

• “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (v.11-12)

• “The American church is dying due to a lack of strong leadership.” (George Barna)

• “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8)

a. Incarnation

b. Sacrificial instead of controlling

c. Obedience and Humility

• “True leaders stay with their people until they have successfully achieved God’s purposes.”

• “Spiritual leadership is moving people on to God’s agenda.” (Henry Blackaby)

• Building up the church and the saints

a. Leaders accept the consequences

b. Leaders admit their mistakes

c. Leaders stand by their decisions