Building the Church

Ephesians 4:11-16

I am plumber by trade. Down through the years, I have done almost every job in building a house, from pouring a foundation to finish carpentry, including building a couple of complete buildings. Most people who have experience in the building trades have a good idea of how to do each of the other trades job, my experience is not uncommon.

Despite the fact that I have done and can do most jobs relating to construction, I would prefer to focus on my specialty because while I can do the other jobs, I am not a specialist in them. I don’t know the best way of framing in a certain feature, or the details of the code for electrical installations. Compared to a roofer, I am very slow and inefficient at installing shingles. It is better to have a specialist in each of these fields to run these jobs, because he is more skilled at his job than I am, although I can be a valuable assistant.

As a qualified plumber, on the other hand, I can relieve each of the other trades of the burden of figuring out how to do the plumbing by doing it independently of, but in co-operation with them. I can save money and time because of my experience at the job, and guarantee the results. I have a better idea of special requirements, and codes, and can advise the others on special needs that they might not be aware of.

God has used the same idea in building the church. Specialization tends to produce more consistent good results. The workman can devote his energy to doing a particular job well, rather than trying to get by at everything.

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:11-16)

The Apostle is very much like the architect. He is charged with communicating what the owner wants with the various craftsmen, translating those desires into drawings and specifications that can readily be understood. His job is usually finished before any others begin.

The prophet serves much like the surveyor, establishing corner locations, boundaries, and levels for the proposed construction, and sometimes overseeing the movement of dirt as needed to permit construction. If the lot is well defined, a separate surveyor may not be necessary.

The evangelist corresponds to the foundation crew, laying out, digging and framing the foundation, according to plan. They then compact the soil as needed, install reinforcement, and pour the concrete. The stability and strength of the building is largely dependent on the care with which this crew works. Many times this job is handled by the framing crew, especially when remodeling or adding a small addition.

Pastors and teachers are the framing and finishing crews who build the actual building on the foundation. They make adjustments for flaws in the foundation, and are responsible for producing the building the owner wanted by following the plans and specifications the architect provides. Failure to follow the plans results in conflicts with the owner, who, in the case of the church, is God.

Each job is critical to the accomplishing of what God wants, to do the work of the ministry, maturing the church, and strengthening and teaching it. Ultimately, the church should come to a unity of doctrine and understanding, with every Christian being like Christ, and doctrinally and emotionally stable. They will not be easily led to other things, becoming more like the Berean church of Acts 17:11. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” False Doctrine, tricks, and manipulation will be readily spotted as a result.

Love will become the characteristic of the church, resulting in an inter dependence on one another, so that the church functions as a body rather than as discrete individuals, each doing their part. The whole becomes more than the sum of the parts. Each part has it’s specific gifts to contribute, according to I Corinthians 12:4-14.

I Corinthians 3:9-17 and Ephesians 2:20-22 emphasize that we are built for and by God, and the part each workman plays.