The Whole Story of the God
Chapter 14
Title: The Church In God’s Program
Teaching Objectives:
1- Understand the thrust of the missionary journeys was church planting.
2- Observe the finished work of Christ applied to all of life as central to the Epistles.
3- Recognize the mission of the church as both discipleship and evangelism.
4- Marvel at how God still uses broken, messy sinners to advance His glorious plan for
the rescue of the nations.
Key Text: Ephesians 3:1-13
Outline:
I. Our Current Text
A. The wisdom of God known through the church (v10)
1. The mystery made known (v1-6)
a. Hidden in past generations (v5a)
b. Revealed to the NT apostles and prophets (v5b)
c. There are new members to the body – Gentiles as fellow partakers of
the promise fulfilled in Christ (v6)
2. Through the preaching of Christ (v7-9)
a. God’s power poured out in grace to men (v7-8a)
b. The content of the preaching - unfathomable riches of Christ (v8b)
c. Revealing the whole story of God (v9)
3. Now carried out through the church (v10-13)
a. Manifesting God’s wisdom and glory before angels and demons (v10)
b. God’s plan for His glory from the beginning now climaxed in His Son
and for all nations (v11)  The promise of Genesis 12:1-3
c. The church marches forward confidently and boldly because of Christ
(v12-13) … This is captured in the churches planted and Epistles written
to those churches in the Book of Acts
B. The season of apostolic boldness and zeal
1. Beginning the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 4:13-31 – Peter and John)
2. The end of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 28:31 – Paul)
3. And the cycle of missions establishing churches to make the wisdom of God
known (our Ephesians 3:1-13 passage)
a. The apostolic band sent out by the church as pioneers
i. Sodality – The soldiers of the gospel starting churches
b. The church elders appointed to the church as leaders
ii. Modality – The shepherds of the gospel establishing churches
c. Repeat
i. The sodality (church planters) starting new modalities (local
churches) …
ii. The modalities (lead by elders) discipling and raising up more
sodalities (missionaries)
C. Spirit-led growth in the church [Ephesians 4:11-16]
The Whole Story of the God
Chapter 14
1. The leadership of the church: Ephesians 4:11-12
a. Apostles/Prophets: They declared the mystery of God now revealed in
Christ through miracles and ultimately the writing of Scripture.
b. Evangelists: They took that message to all peoples (Acts 1:8)
c. Pastors/Teachers: They now teach and shepherd the saints to be
equipped to do the work of ministry and see the discipleship process
repeat for each generation
2. The growth of the church: Ephesians 4:13
3. The goal of the church: Ephesians 4:14-16
a. Sound Teaching: The Spirit of God directed the apostles and prophets to
record the Word of God to build up the Church of God until the return of
God (2 Peter 1:21)
i. For individual sanctification
- 2 Timothy 3:16 – “equipped for every good work”
- Colossians 2:6-8 – “established in your faith”
ii. For family growth
- Ephesians 5:22-33 – “wives and husbands”
- Ephesians 6:1-4 – “children and parents”
iii. For correction
- 2 Timothy 3:16 – “for correction”
- 2 Timothy 2:14-16; 4:1ff – “preach, solemnly charge”
- 1 Timothy 4:1-11 – “point out, prescribe”
** The Epistles of the New Testament follow the pattern of teaching what
God did through Christ (The whole story), and then how followers of
Christ should live as a result (The response to the story)
 This is the Indicative (what has been DONE) to the Imperative (what
you must DO) pattern of the message to the churches
b. Missional Community: The people of God serving one another in truth
and love for the unity and growth of the body for the sake of witness to the
world (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8)
** Growing in Christ (discipleship) always is to lead to Sharing Christ
(evangelism) that leads to that process repeating over and over again (2
Timothy 2:2)
II. This Chapter In The Whole Story
A. One body (Ephesians 2:11-22)
1. No longer just a Jewish thing, but the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile
has been torn down.
2. God’s household built on the foundation of the apostles with Jesus at the center
III. The Gospel Point
A. How to live as God’s people in God’s Church (1 Timothy 3:14-16)
1. This chapter in the whole story (the NT Epistles) is about how the Gospel
directs what we do, how we do it, and why we do it
2. The Church is the pillar and support of truth … and better live up to that!
B. To Him be the glory in the Church and in Christ to all generations (Ephesians 3:14-21)