Rather than attending a weekly church service as consumers and spectators, God calls each and every Christian to actively contribute to the church’s ministry and maturity. As demonstrated by Ephesians 4:7-12, Christ has bestowed diverse spiritual gifts to all believers to bless and build up His body. As Tyler Briggs emphasizes, the ministry of the Word remains essential to our church’s edification and the spiritual wholeness of each individual member.

Tyler’s Main Points

• Each Christian is given a spiritual gift by Jesus for the unification and edification of the church.
• Jesus gifted some to minister the Word.
• The ministry of the Word is for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of service.
  
  

Key Takeaways

We, the church, must realize the necessity for each of us to discover, develop, and deploy our spiritual gifts.

• Christ has graciously given us more than positional justification. He has imparted spiritual gifts to each of us for our unity, good, and growth. We worship a generous God who cares about the condition of our hearts and lives.
  
  
• The church can grow in experiencing unity and maturity by deploying its diverse spiritual gifts.
  
  
• Tyler defines spiritual gifts as “the God-given ability to serves to God and other Christians in such a way that Christ is glorified and the church is edified.”
  
  
• Tyler proposes the primary reason for Paul’s inclusion of Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8 is “to highlight how Christ at the highest place of exaltation went to the lowest place of humiliation for us and gloriously rose and ascended—not only granting our salvation, but also spiritual gifts.”

• Tyler’s application for unbelievers is to believe there is a king of all– His name is Jesus and He offers forgiveness and fullness of life. His application for believers is to worship Christ, thank Him, praise Him, and be committed to discover, develop, and deploy the gifts He has given you.

• God has provided gifted people for the good of the church. Apostles and prophets were gifted to establish the foundation of the church through the ministry of the Word. Evangelists have been gifted to effectively proclaim the Gospel to unbelievers. Pastors and teachers have been gifted to teach and shepherd the church through the Word.
  
  
• The church is not intended to be a group of consumers, but contributors. We all contribute to the maturity and mutual good of the church.
  
  
• Jesus alone is the head of the church, not the pastor.
  
  
• Equipping is more than merely passing down theological facts. Rather, equipping entails the ministry of the Word to mend, heal, and restore that which is broken. The Word is essential to impart wholeness to each member of the church.

• What should you expect of pastors and teachers?

1. Expect them to embody the Word they teach.
2. Expect them to preach the Word.
3. Expect them to pray for you.
4. What is expected of each of us in the ministry of the Word?

1) We are expected to be eager to receive the Word.

2) We are expected to think about and discuss the Word.

3) We are expected to put the Word into practice.

4) We are expected to encourage those who work hard to teach us the Word.

5) We are expected to grow in our love for Jesus, who gave us the Word by which we grow.

Discussion Questions/Application

Personal application:

• What are your next steps to better discover, develop, or deploy your spiritual gifts to build up the church?
  
  
• Take some time this week to specifically thank someone who has used their spiritual gift(s) to impact your faith.
  
  

Discuss with your community group:

• Share where each of you currently stand when it comes to the five expectations laid out for the church:

1) I am eager to receive the Word.

2) I think about and discuss the Word.

3) I put the Word into practice.

4) I encourage those who work hard to teach us the Word.

5) I am growing in my love for Jesus, who gave us the Word by which we grow.

• Discuss how your group can collectively grow in your attitude and application of the Word, while encouraging and praying for one another.

Passages Referenced for Further Study
Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10; Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 2:19-20; Matthew 4:18-22; Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 2:2; Psalm 1:1-3; James 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Timothy 5:17.