1. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. EPHESIANS 4:15-16 (ESV)

2. 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ROMANS 12:3-8(ESV)

3. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. ROMANS 12:3-8(ESV)

5. Fulfilling the Great Commission INTRODUCTION

6. FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION BY BUILDING UP THE BODY OF CHRIST TOGETHER IN UNITY

8. Ephesians 4:15 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ INTRODUCTION

9. Ephesians 4:16 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. INTRODUCTION

10. Building up the Body of Christ means being a healthy church with Christ as the head MAIN IDEA

11. I. A healthy church is joined together in unity II. A healthy church has each part doing its function III. A healthy church builds itself up in love OUTLINE

12. Ephesians 4:16 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. I. A HEALTHY CHURCH IS JOINED TOGETHER IN UNITY

15. Ephesians 4:16 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. I. A HEALTHY CHURCH IS JOINED TOGETHER IN UNITY

16. Ephesians 4:16 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. II. A HEALTHY CHURCH HAS EACH PART DOING ITS FUNCTION

17. Romans 12:4-5 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. II. A HEALTHY CHURCH HAS EACH PART DOING ITS FUNCTION

18. At the Urbana 2006 Missions Conference, Rev. Oscar Muriu gave the following paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 12:14-27. (Rev. Muriu is the Senior Pastor of Nairobi Chapel in Kenya, a church that has grown from 20 members in 1991 to over 3,000 members and has established 25 church plants.)

19. II. A HEALTHY CHURCH HAS EACH PART DOING ITS FUNCTION Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the American church should say, “Because I am not African, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the Canadian church should say, “Because I am not Asian, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

20. II. A HEALTHY CHURCH HAS EACH PART DOING ITS FUNCTION If the whole body were African, where would the sense of order be? But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21. II. A HEALTHY CHURCH HAS EACH PART DOING ITS FUNCTION The Canadian church cannot say to the Asian church, “I don’t need you.” The American church cannot say to the African church, “I don't need you.” On the contrary, the Asian parts that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the African parts that we think are less honorable should be treated with special honor.

22. II. A HEALTHY CHURCH HAS EACH PART DOING ITS FUNCTION And the Latin American parts that seem unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while the presentable parts like the big, wealthy American church need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

23. Ephesians 4:16 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. III. A HEALTHY CHURCH BUILDS ITSELF UP IN LOVE

24. “Surround yourself with people who build you up even when it would be easier for them to tear you down” - Anonymous III. A HEALTHY CHURCH BUILDS ITSELF UP IN LOVE