Ephesians 4:716

1
Anchored by the Ascended Lord

• Ephesians 47-16
• Ryan Habbena
• Twin City Fellowship, May 27, 2007

2
The Advantage of the Ascension

• John 16 7, 13-14
• But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage
  that I go away for if I do not go away, the
  Helper will not come to you but if I go, I will
  send Him to you. . . But when He, the Spirit of
  truth, comes, He will guide you into all the
  truth for He will not speak on His own
  initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak
  and He will disclose to you what is to come. He
  will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and
  will disclose it to you.

3
The Theme of Unity Continued

• Ephesians 43 . . . being diligent to preserve
  the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4
The Giver of the Gifts

• Ephesians 47-10
• But to each one of us grace was given according
  to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it
  says,         "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON
  HIGH,         HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF
  CAPTIVES,         AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."
• (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does
  it mean except that He also had descended into
  the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is
  Himself also He who ascended far above all the
  heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

5
The Distribution of the Gifts

• Ephesians 411a
• And He gave some as apostles, and some as
  prophets,

6
The Purpose of the Gifts

• Ephesians 412-13
• . . . for the equipping of the saints for the
  work of service, to the building up of the body
  of Christ until we all attain to the unity of
  the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
  God, to a mature man, to the measure of the
  stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

7
The Result of the Gifts

• Ephesians 414-16
• As a result, we are no longer to be children,
  tossed here and there by waves and carried about
  by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of
  men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming but
  speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in
  all aspects into Him who is the head, even
  Christ, 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.

8
Anchored by the Ascended Lord

• Hebrews 617-19 In the same way God, desiring
  even more to show to the heirs of the promise the
  unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with
  an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in
  which it is impossible for God to lie, we who
  have taken refuge would have strong encouragement
  to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope
  we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both
  sure and steadfast and one which enters within
  the veil

9
Anchored by the Ascended Lord

•  Revelation 22
• I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance,
  and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you
  put to the test those who call themselves
  apostles, and they are not, and you found them to
  be false

• 1 Thess. 519-22
• Do not quench the Spirit do not despise
  prophetic utterances. But examine everything
  carefully hold fast to that which is good
  abstain from every form of evil.

10
Do Not Forsake Fellowship

• Hebrews 1023-25
• Let us hold fast the confession of our hope
  without wavering, for He who promised is
  faithful and let us consider how to stimulate
  one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking
  our own assembling together, as is the habit of
  some, but encouraging one another and all the
  more as you see the day drawing near.

11
Realize You are Called Into the Ministry

• 1 Peter 29
• But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A
  HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION,
  so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
  who has called you out of darkness into His
  marvelous light