Word at Work October 13, 2012

Word at Work October 12, 2012
October 12, 2012
Word at Work October 14, 2012
October 14, 2012

Word at Work October 13, 2012

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-13

In Ephesians 4, the Lord makes it clear the five layers of His love that release fullness are assigned, for developmental purposes, to five-fold ministry. The very same Greek Word, tel-ios, is used, and connects Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount with the five layers of God’s love. The five layers of God’s love comprise the fullness of Christ. The picture becomes complete. God specifically gifted and assigned five distinctively different dimensions of ministry to constructively create His heart in each believer. Once those pieces are imparted to the church, then the church can move into the fullness of Christ. Until those five pieces are imparted, there can be no fullness! If there is a failure in the church today, it is in our willingness to believe that these five giftings are no longer available to the church. Cessation theology simply says that the five-fold giftings died with the last apostle and we do not have them anymore. But nothing could be further from the truth! Ephesians 4 is just as valid today as it was when Paul penned it. We are told that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance and without change. They are not revoked! God has never revoked any one of His ministry offices. He still develops, anoints and sends people out to walk in these offices today. The mere fact that major sections of the church do not accept all aspects of five-fold ministry proves the validity and reality of verse 14. We will be spiritual children until we determine to accept the fullness of God’s preparational plan to bring us into a place where we can fully demonstrate Jesus, just as the early church did. God is ready – are we? Are we ready to blind the adversarial, the evil and unrepentant at the Spirit’s prompting?