Foundations of Truth
This is the podcast of Firm Foundations ministries. Our mission is to help you build your life on the unshakable foundation of God's Word, rooted in Scripture and anchored in the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Each episode is designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding, and encourage you to stand firm in a shifting world.
Foundations of Truth
Equipped To Multiply
What happens when a church shifts from dependency on a few leaders to equipping every believer for ministry? Transformative growth that honors Christ's design.
Pastor Timothy Mann launches a powerful new series called "Growing God's Way" with a challenging examination of Ephesians 4:11-16. This foundational passage reveals that God's blueprint for church growth isn't built on professional ministers doing all the work, but on leaders equipping every saint to fulfill their ministry calling.
The uncomfortable truth? The most significant barrier to healthy church growth isn't space, staffing, or budget—it's our fundamental understanding of ministry. When only 20% of members carry 80% of the responsibility, we're operating contrary to God's design. As Charles Spurgeon boldly declared, "Every professing Christian is either a missionary or an imposter."
This message confronts the consumer mentality that has infected modern Christianity by revealing three vital steps for authentic church growth: stepping up to be equipped, stepping in to minister with maturity and unity, and stepping together to build up the body in love. Each component works together to create a community that reflects Christ and impacts the world.
Whether you're feeling disconnected from meaningful ministry or wondering how your spiritual gifts fit into God's larger plan, this message offers practical wisdom for discovering your role. Pastor Tim challenges every believer to move beyond mere attendance to active engagement in Christ's mission through His church.
Ready to discover how God has uniquely equipped you and where He's calling you to serve? This message might just be the catalyst that transforms your understanding of church and your place within it. Listen now and take your first step toward growing God's way.
Welcome to Foundations of Truth, the Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Timothy Mann and Providence Church, ormond Beach, florida. Providence Church is a local assembly of followers of Jesus Christ dedicated to helping people become committed and mature followers of Jesus Christ. Now here's Pastor Timothy Mann teaching the Word.
Speaker 2:Ephesians, chapter 4, we're going to pick up in verse 11 and read down through verse 16. The Apostle Paul is writing this letter to the church at Ephesus under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, and he himself, that's talking about Christ. Jesus and he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children Tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love May grow up in all things into him who is the head, christ, from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. We'll stop here. This is God's word. So this morning we are beginning to starting this new preaching series, calling it growing God's way. Growing God's way, preparing for a new season of fruitfulness. This isn't just a sermon series. It really is a spiritual reset in some ways, or a new set. It's a. It's a realignment, a fresh vision, a call for us, as providence church and as individual christians, to think very deeply, pray boldly and respond faithfully to what God is doing among us and where he is leading us. Next as a church. With all my heart, with all my heart, I believe that God is preparing to lead this church into a new chapter. Fifteen years this year as a church in existence and I believe he's preparing to lead us into a new chapter, not for our reputation, but for his glory. And if we want to see the kind of growth that lasts, that really matters and changes lives, then we need to stay in his word, we need to seek his will and we need to revisit his plan for church growth.
Speaker 2:British pastor of the 19th century in England, charles Spurgeon, once said every professing Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. Every professing Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. He believed in equipping ordinary people to do extraordinary ministry, and so he started a pastor's college in London and he understood that the church's future didn't depend on a single preacher but on the multiplication of faithful servants. And I believe that conviction remains as accurate now as it was then, because from the very beginning in Acts, chapter 2, when the church really proper church visible was birthed in Acts 2, we see that God does care about church growth, but not just in numbers, in depth. He's not interested in crowds for the sake of counting heads, he's interested in changed lives, he's interested in discipled believers and in a church on mission. And so a truly growing church actively reaches the lost, raises leaders and reflects the character of Christ in the world.
Speaker 2:I believe that spiritual growth and numerical growth are not opposed. When both spiritual growth and numerical growth are driven by the gospel and rooted in god's word, they go hand in hand. And so, as your pastor and as a man who loves this church deeply, I really want to speak from the heart this morning. I always attempt to do that, but I just want you to hear me. Uh, I, but providence. Church is a special and, I believe, consequential work of God in this community. I've seen His faithfulness over the years in the hunger for the Word, in the prayers of our members, in how God has provided in the warmth of worship and in the steady flow of lives being changed by grace over the last 15 years. And I believe we're on the brink of a new season, and so we have a vibrant community of over 500 members and around 450 people gathering here each week Young families, retirees, students and everybody in between.
Speaker 2:And growth brings challenges. And one of the most significant barriers to healthy church growth isn't space, it isn't staffing, it isn't budget. One of the most significant barriers to healthy church growth is how we understand ministry. How we understand ministry, too many churches really get caught in a pattern where only a few take on the work while the rest stand on the sidelines. But that's not how God intended his church. The church isn't built on just a few professionals. It's built by the entire body, guided by the word, empowered by the spirit and involved in the mission.
Speaker 2:And that's exactly what Ephesians chapter 4 shows us. The apostle Paul presents a spirit-inspired, spirit-led plan for growing a church, for growing Christians individually, and that's not by depending on one or a few leaders, but by every believer stepping up, being equipped and serving in love. So over these next five weeks in particular, including today, we're going to open the Word and we're going to lean in together and serving in love. So, over these next five weeks in particular, including today, we're going to open the Word and we're going to lean in together into this concept of growing God's way. And in Ephesians 4, to grow God's way, we have to activate what he's already placed within us. This isn't going to be about hype, it's going to be about obedience, and I would say to you that when we get this right and we are equipped to multiply, then everything changes, not just here, but out there as well. How does this happen? Let's look back at Ephesians, chapter four. We're going to work our way through this passage this morning. How does this happen? Well, the first thing that has to happen is we have to step up and be equipped to equip others. Step up and be equipped to equip others.
Speaker 2:The Bible says in Ephesians 4, verse 11 through 12, and he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Now, this is a Christ-centered message and passage from beginning to end. He himself gives, he himself gives. So the Lord Jesus is the one who offers gifts, he's the one who gifts the church. He's the one who offers gifts, he, he's the one who gifts the church. He's the one who gifts you as a christian. He's the one who builds the church. He's the one who grows the church. And ministry isn't something that we just invent, uh, it's something that we receive from him and serve through his power. And he. He gave various leaders, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, not to do all the work.
Speaker 2:But what does the passage say?
Speaker 2:To do what?
Speaker 2:To equip the saints.
Speaker 2:To equip the saints. What does that mean? That means preparing every believer to fulfill their role in the church's mission. The Greek word that's translated equipping. It conveys the idea of mending, or preparing, or outfitting. It's like, from my military background, my army days it's like getting soldiers battle ready, kind of like basic training. Or it could be the idea of restoring tools to usefulness.
Speaker 2:So the point is really clear and it's this that the work of the ministry does not rest in the hands of a few. It belongs to the entire body of Christ, every Christian. That includes you, not just pastors, not just de deacons, not just bible fellowship group leaders or staff. Every single believer who is part of providence church has a role in this body and the question isn't whether you're called to ministry but whether you're walking in it. That's the question. We're not trying. We're not trying to be a church where 20% of the people carry 80% of the burden. That's not biblical, it's not sustainable and, frankly, it's not honoring Christ.
Speaker 2:Right now, in the life of Providence Church, god has really placed us in a special season over the last two years, especially With over 450 people gathering each week young families, retirees, students and everyone in between. This church cannot function properly if large parts remain inactive. It can't. The health and the growth of this church long term. Do you know? These last 15 years have flown. If you've been the whole 15, you know that well, the last five years have flown. Let's just be honest. The last seven months have flown and the next 10 to 12 years are going to fly by as well and in real possibility, by the end of that time, 10, 12, 15 years I may not very well even be the pastor anymore. You may not be here anymore for whatever reason, and so we have to begin to think about, not this moment, but what are we going to leave behind? What's next? And so the health and growth of this church long term depend on the full participation of the people that god has already brought here.
Speaker 2:Now. You may not see yourself as a minister, but if you belong to christ I mean if you're saved you've been gifted by him and you've been called into his mission. And so the work of ministry doesn't only happen on a stage or behind a pulpit. It occurs in various settings all the time, including classrooms or prayer groups or homes, restaurants, hospital visits, nursery parking lots, lobby conversations, on and on and on. Nursery parking lots, lobby conversations, on and on and on. And it's all for, according to the scripture here, for the edifying of the body of Christ. That word edifying is an architectural term. It means to build up. The purpose of this is edification. The purpose of ministry, the purpose of the saints being equipped to minister, to serve, is for the edifying. Purpose of the saints being equipped to minister to serve is for the edifying, the building up of the body of Christ. The image here is architectural. So when believers and members in particular are equipped and engaged, the body is strengthened, it becomes solid and healthy and fruitful.
Speaker 2:We don't want to be a church that doesn't just grow wider, but also deeper, strong in the Word of God, active in service, rooted in love. You might say, well, this church is already like that. Yeah, some are, some are, some aren't. And that won't happen with programs alone. It happens through people. It occurs through people, including you, if you are a follower of Jesus, especially a church member. I mean, imagine a crew working on a home renovation. Anybody ever had your home renovated at all, whether it's yourself or somebody else. Imagine a home being renovated. Progress really slows down if only one or two have tools and the rest stand around watching. I mean, you'd think they're working for the government. But transformation happens when everyone is equipped, when everyone understands their role and works together. That's exactly what this passage envisions Every believer engaged in the mission, every part of the body doing its part at providence.
Speaker 2:We do not want to be a personality driven church or a program dependent ministry. We have to be a local church, shaped by people rooted in the gospel, empowered by the Word and the Spirit of God. We don't just want volunteers, we want disciple makers. We don't just want servants, we want surrendered lives. That requires equipping. That requires intentionality. That means you saying I'm not just going to attend, I'm going to engage. Let me be direct. Can I be direct? I'm going to anyway. Let me be direct.
Speaker 2:There are gifts in this room that are sitting unused and the rest of the body feels the loss. You are not a spare part and you're certainly not here for decoration. You're not here just for decoration. Christ has placed you in this body for a purpose. For a purpose. Don't bury your gifts and don't underestimate your value. Now is the time to step up.
Speaker 2:So let's think a minute. What is one area, just one? I'm going to ask a lot of you right now what is one area where god has gifted you just one, and how are you using that gift to strengthen the body of christ? Let's make it even more personal. Is there someone nearby in your life, a younger believer, maybe a newer member in the church, maybe a student, a teenager, a neighbor, whom you could actually start investing in this month? You might say I don't think I'm spiritually gifted. And if I am, how can I know? Well, we have a spiritual gifts assessment on our website. Go to theprovidencechurchorg, click the Connect tab at the top, click the Spiritual Gifts Assessment and follow the prompts. Or, if you're a little bit technology challenged like me, you can also pick up a printed assessment in the lobby. And so, whether you use the online form or the printed form, follow the instructions. Men, did you hear me? Follow the instructions to get a solid assessment of how God has gifted you spiritually, step up, be equipped and then step in Minister with maturity and unity.
Speaker 2:Let's look at the next passage, verse 13 through 14. The Bible continues this vision of growing a church in verses 13 through 14. He says till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. So there's a clear progression here. Did you see it? Clear progression Equip the saints. So you have equipped saints, and then that leads to a unified maturing body. Equipped saints leads to a unified maturing body. So that's the goal of equipping. Not just activity, but maturity spiritually, not just participation. Spiritually, not just participation, but transformation.
Speaker 2:He says to the unity of the faith, to the unity of the faith. That's not about uniformity of personality, it's not about uniformity of preference, but a shared conviction in the gospel. When the Apostle Paul speaks here of the faith, he's referring to the core of Christian truth, the unshakable foundation of what we believe about Christ, about the need for salvation, about the cross, his resurrection and the call to follow Him. And so true unity in the church is never achieved by watering down the truth, but it's built by holding tightly to the truth together. Unity of the faith, knowledge of the Son of God, it says. This isn't just head knowledge, it's relational, relational.
Speaker 2:The word that's translated, knowledge here in our English Bible, epignosis, is the Greek word. It really suggests deep, experiential understanding. In other words, we don't grow by merely learning about Christ. A lot of churches are real good at that, some not so much, but some are really good about learning about Christ. We don't. We don't grow by merely learning about christ. We grow by walking with him, by walking with him spiritually.
Speaker 2:A christian and a church that truly knows jesus will be characterized by love, by truth, obedience and spiritual depth. He says to a perfect man the stature of the fullness of christ. God's word envisions christians, the church, developing into spiritual maturity, not just staying immature, but being shaped into christ likeness. That's the standard, not popularity, not cultural relevance. Lord knows we don't want that. Christ is the measure, jesus is the measure. God desires that kind of maturity for me. God desires that kind of maturity for you, if you're a christian. He desires that kind of maturity for providence church not just superficial attendance, but profound transformation in your life, in our life, in the church.
Speaker 2:Verse 14, that we should no longer be children. Well, the contrast is clear, because children are unstable. They they just kind of go with what they want. It's all about their desires. Look, I'm excited.
Speaker 2:Tomorrow we start the first day of Providence Church Academy. Here in the life of Providence Church, you'll be praying for those teachers. You'll be praying for those kids and those families. But we're also going to have a lot of. Our largest group is our kindergarten and our first grade. They will be a challenge because they're very young, they're immature, they want what they want and they want it. How quickly Now you know. They're learning, they're growing.
Speaker 2:Children are easily deceived, children lack judgment. That's the Apostle Paul's warning here. And immature believers, christians, immature Christians, are like ships without rudders. In other words, they're tossed about. He said, tossed to and fro. They're tossed about by every new teaching, every new trend, by every persuasive voice on social media or YouTube. Lord, you probably ought to get off that stuff. Truthfully, stop listening to all those people. Lord, you probably ought to get off that stuff. Truthfully, stop listening to all those people.
Speaker 2:But maturity leads to doctrinal stability and doctrinal stability enhances ministry effectiveness In Providence. We're not trying to grow an emotionally stirred crowd, but yet who are still biblically weak crowd, but yet who are still biblically weak. No, we want a body of believers rooted, discerning and unshaken by false teaching, by false doctrine. Over the last 15 years, we've seen firsthand how the Word of God, when it's taught clearly and applied faithfully in grace, brings stability to lives. We've seen young believers learn how to test every idea against scripture. I've seen long-term members grow in humility and a hunger for truth. That's what maturity looks like Grounded in truth, growing in love and focused on Jesus, focused on Christ, on the gospel, not all this other nonsense. I mean.
Speaker 2:Think of a symphony orchestra. Each musician has a different part, a unique tone and precise timing, and the harmony falls apart if one plays out of tune or, worse, tries to follow a different sheet of music, different conductor even, but the result is breathtaking when every instrument follows the same score under the conductor's guidance the conductor being Jesus in this example, obviously. And that's what happens when a church grows in unity and maturity. We begin then to reflect the beauty of christ to a watching world. In a church our size because you know, uh, you all in this room right now are just a port, a portion of this church body there's folks all over this campus right now meeting in groups, and there's a, there's a whole crowd of people that's going to come in the second hour and there's going to be people who don't meet in groups. About 50 of our regular sunday morning attendance don't meet in groups I'll be addressing that in coming sermons, by the way and so there's a lot more here than what you see just in this room. And so, in a church our size, it's easy to assume that spiritual maturity is happening somewhere else. In other words, someone else is discipling, someone else is serving, someone else is taking responsibility, but the Bible says right here in this passage we all, we all, not some, not most, even we all. So unity and maturity are shared goals and they belong to every single member of the body.
Speaker 2:So let me ask plainly a couple of questions. First of all, are you increasing in your knowledge of Christ? I'm not talking about head knowledge, I'm talking about experientially. Are you seeking to walk with christ spiritually? Experientially, are you holding firm to the truth of god's word? Are you swayed by every new teaching that comes down the pike, every new trend in the church? Are you helping to build the church's unity, or are you just consuming content without engaging in community? Unity is delicate and maturity is costly, but both are essential.
Speaker 2:So where is the spirit of god prompting you to grow in maturity right now in your life? Where do you need to grow in maturity spiritually? Is it in the word? Is it in prayer? Where do you need to grow in maturity spiritually? Is it in the Word? Is it in prayer? Is it in commitment to the body of Christ? Is it in prayer or how you serve, how you speak, how you submit to the truth? What would it mean?
Speaker 2:Let's take it a step further. What would it look like for you to take a genuine step forward in spiritual maturity this month? What would that look like? What would it mean? I would say that it's time to step in and minister with maturity and unity. And then what do we do? Well, we not only step up, we not only step in, but we step together. We step together, we build up the body in love. Look at verses 15 and 16. But speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into him. Who is the head? Christ, from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies. You see that what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. So the image here in the scripture really depicts for us a mature church truth and love, united, christ, jesus as the head and every part contributing. Let's break this down for just a few minutes. We got time.
Speaker 2:Speaking the truth in love, speaking the truth in love, you know, some churches speak truth without love, mean it's sharp doctrine but it's cold at heart. Others, other churches, emphasize love without truth. It's warm affirming, but it's disconnected from the Word. But in God's design both must work together, both have to work together. We grow by speaking God's truth with Christ-like love. One without the other causes distortion, but together they build disciples. And so this represents genuine relationships, real accountability and true discipleship. It involves being a part of a community where you're known and others speak into your life not to hurt you but to build you up. This means being a member of the body.
Speaker 2:It goes on to say may grow up in all things, into him. Who is the head? Christ. Christ, jesus is the goal of our growth. He's not just a model, he's the head. He directs the body, supplies the strength. He's the one who defines the shape. And so a church quote-unquote a church disconnected from christ and his word is no longer a church, but everything. When everything grows in the right direction, when we stay connected to him. It goes on to say from whom the whole body causes growth, from whom the whole body causes growth. Don't miss this critical phrase the whole body causes growth. The church grows not by just a few doing everything, but by everyone doing their part. The language here is active, it is participatory. It is growth fueled by every joint scripture, every joint, every part and each one doing its share. This is not an optional vision. It's God's design. It's God's design and this has to be what we embrace in the life of Providence Church. This is our application.
Speaker 1:The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever. That's Isaiah 48. Thanks for tuning into the Foundations of Truth podcast with Pastor Timothy Mann from Providence Church in Ormond Beach, Florida. Join us next time and until then, keep building your life on God's eternal truth, the Bible.
