MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION absent of TRUTH's REVELATION are nothing more than EMOTIONAL PARTICIPATION in a WINDY Church.
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of... God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, TOSSED TO AND FRO AND CARRIED ABOUT BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting..." (Ephesians 4:11-14)
1. To equip the saints for the work of ministry
2. To edify the body of Christ
3. To bring everyone into unity of the faith (that faith being TRUTH...not false doctrine, as Paul will clarify)
4. To keep people in the truth...which prevents them from being carried about by every wind of doctrine that blows into the Church...usually blowing from the pulpit.
5. To speak the TRUTH in love. (Verses 15 and 16) Notice it does not say to speak LOVE...but speak the TRUTH, doing so OUT OF love. True LOVE speaks the TRUTH...and LOVE cannot exist ABSENT of TRUTH.
Paul presents the role of the Church as it meets together as believers...and as it operates around the reality and necessity of TRUTH.
How do you make TRUE disciples? By proclaiming TRUTH.
How do you make FALSE disciples (or disciples of something or someone OTHER THAN truth)? By APPEALING to the people, giving them "every wind of doctrine" as the pulpit tries to MOTIVATE and INSPIRE the masses.
MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION appeal to the EMOTIONS...seeking a RESPONSE.
TRUTH makes no appeal...and most often is FOOLISHNESS to those who are perishing. Yet...it does its work as the very POWER of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of... God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, TOSSED TO AND FRO AND CARRIED ABOUT BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting..." (Ephesians 4:11-14)
1. To equip the saints for the work of ministry
2. To edify the body of Christ
3. To bring everyone into unity of the faith (that faith being TRUTH...not false doctrine, as Paul will clarify)
4. To keep people in the truth...which prevents them from being carried about by every wind of doctrine that blows into the Church...usually blowing from the pulpit.
5. To speak the TRUTH in love. (Verses 15 and 16) Notice it does not say to speak LOVE...but speak the TRUTH, doing so OUT OF love. True LOVE speaks the TRUTH...and LOVE cannot exist ABSENT of TRUTH.
Paul presents the role of the Church as it meets together as believers...and as it operates around the reality and necessity of TRUTH.
How do you make TRUE disciples? By proclaiming TRUTH.
How do you make FALSE disciples (or disciples of something or someone OTHER THAN truth)? By APPEALING to the people, giving them "every wind of doctrine" as the pulpit tries to MOTIVATE and INSPIRE the masses.
MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION appeal to the EMOTIONS...seeking a RESPONSE.
TRUTH makes no appeal...and most often is FOOLISHNESS to those who are perishing. Yet...it does its work as the very POWER of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
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