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“Building Up the Church”

“Building Up the Church”. Ephesians 4:11-16. The Meaning of “Building Up”. “Build” > oikodomeo , literally means “ to build ” [a house] Used as a metaphor = ‘edify, edification’ (Vincent, I, 562) Word is able to ‘build you up; give inheritance” (Acts 20:32)

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“Building Up the Church”

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  1. “Building Up the Church” Ephesians 4:11-16

  2. The Meaning of “Building Up” • “Build” >oikodomeo, literally means “to build” [a house] • Used as a metaphor = ‘edify, edification’ (Vincent, I, 562) • Word is able to ‘build you up; give inheritance” (Acts 20:32) • Churches “had peace; and were edified” (Acts 9:31) • Love “edifies” (1 Cor. 8:11) • Examp. leads the weak to eat things offered to idols (1 Cor. 8:10) • Tongues “edifies self”; prophecy “edifies church” (1 Cor. 14:4) • Continue to comfort and “edify” one another, (1 Thess. 5:11)

  3. The Meaning of “Building Up” • Epistero, orig. meaning “to support; prop up” [TDNT] • Used to mean “to make to lean upon; to strengthen” • On return leg of First Journey, Paul & Barnabas “strengthened souls of the disciples” (Acts 14:22) • Judas & Silas, used many words to “strengthen” (Acts 15:23) • Paul and Silas went thru Galatia & Phrygia, “strengthened all the disciples” (Acts 18:23)

  4. The Meaning of “Building Up” • A third word, translated “to establish,” is from sterizo, used from Homer down to mean “strengthen, to make firm” (Thayer, p. 588) • Luke 22:32 – “I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; when you have returned to me strengthen your brethren” • Rom. 1:11 - …to see you and impart some spiritual gift, so that you may be “established” … • Rom. 16:25 – God is able “to establish you, according to my gospel” • 1 Thess. 3:2 – sent Timothy to “establish and encourage” you

  5. The Meaning of “Building Up” • A third word, translated “to establish,” is from sterizo, continued • 2 Thess. 2:17 – Comfort hearts; “establish” you in every good work • 2 Thess. 3:3 – Lord is faithful, and will “establish” you… • Jas 5:8 – Be patient; “establish” your hearts; the Coming is near • 1 Pet. 5:10 – after you have suffered, May God perfect, “establish, strengthen” and settle you • Rev. 3:2 – “Be watchful and strengthen” the things that remain…

  6. When Is the Church Built Up? • When its members “grow up in Christ” • Eph. 4:15-16 – With every member doing his share… • Col. 2: 19 – Body, nourished and knit together … “grows” with the increase that is from God • When its members are strengthened in the Lord • Eph. 6:10– “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” • 1 Cor. 16:13 – Watch, stand fast in the faith, “be strong” • Rom. 15:1 – “Strong” should bear infirmities of the weak

  7. When Is the Church Built Up? • When its members grow in knowledge … • 1 Pet. 2:2 – As newborn babes, desire pure milk of the word, that you may “grow” thereby • 1 Pet. 3:18 – Christ suffered … to bring us to God • Heb. 5:12-14 – Time to be teachers, need milk…unskilled in the word of righteousness – can’t discern between good and evil • When its members are “strengthened in faith” – Acts 16:5

  8. When Is the Church Built Up? • It is built by when the members ‘increase in faith’ • Acts 16:5 – “strengthened in faith,’ increased in numbers daily” • 2 Cor. 10:15 – hope that “as your faith is increased” we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere • 2 Thess. 1:3 – fitting to thank God “because your faith grows exceedingly…and your love abounds toward each other” • Eph. 3:17 – “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you being rooted in love…”

  9. When Is the Church Built Up? • When its members keep themselves from error • Acts 20:29-30 – some elders “will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples to themselves” • Phil. 3:1 – “Beware of dogs… evil workers…the mutilation” • 2 Pet. 3:1 – “As there were false prophets among the people, there will be false teachers among you…” • 1 Tim. 1:3 – Timothy left in Ephesus “to charge certain men that they teach no other doctrine”

  10. When Is the Church Built Up? • When members remain pure and faithful • Eph. 5:26-27 – Christ sanctified the church to “present it to Himself… to be without spot… holy and without blemish” • Eph. 5:7-12 – “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” • 1 Cor. 3:16-17 – “You are the temple of God, and the spirit if God dwells in you... The temple of God is holy…” • Rom. 12:2 – “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” • 1 Pet. 1:13-16 – It is written, “Be holy, for I am holy”

  11. When Is the Church Built Up? • When members are brought to spiritual maturity … • Matt. 5:48 – “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven” • Heb. 5:14 – “Solid food is for those who are of full age…” • Eph. 4:13-14 – “to a perfect man…no longer children, no longer tosses to and fro and carried about by every wind and doctrine” • When members “continue steadfastly” in the work of the Lord • 1 Cor. 15: 58 – Such labor “is not in vain in the Lord” • Gal. 6:9 – “In due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart”

  12. “Build Up the Church” Does Not Mean • An increase in numbers, brought about by spiritual growth • Acts 5:14 – Believers were “increasingly added to the Lord” • Acts 6:7 – “Number of disciples multiplied greatly…” • Acts 9:31 – “churches had peace… were greatly multiplied” • Sometimes churches are built up by subtractions … • Acts 5:1-11 – cf. Ananias & Sapphira • 1 Cor 5 – cf. a man who had his father’s wife • 1 John 2:19 – “Those were not of us, and went out from us”

  13. When Is the Church Built Up? • Not by adding wealth • Rev. 2:9 – “I know your poverty (but you are rich)” • Rev. 3:15-18 – Laodicans “had need of nothing,” but needed what the Lord alone can provide. • 1 Tim. 6:17-18 – “command rich not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God…” • Luke 12:15 – “Take heed and beware of covetousness for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses”

  14. When Is the Church Built Up? • Not in the ability to erect a lavish meetinghouse • John 4:21-23 – True worshipers “worship in spirit and in truth” • Rom. 16:5 – Greet “church in house” of Priscilla and Aquila • Philemon 1:2 – Letter addressed to Apphia, Archippus…. And to “the church in your house” • Not in becoming socially acceptable to the masses • John 15:19 – “If you were of the world, the world will love its own, but you are not of the world… the world hates you”

  15. Conclusion • Too often, churches emphasize the wrong things in their desire to grow in number and social acceptance with their neighbors • We believe the kind of “growth” that we have outlined will make a church “strong in the Lord” • It is far more important to be “strong in the Lord” than to “strong” as measured by the world • We grow stronger as each member grows stronger!

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