Brandi shares Sunday in Dickinson.

God gives THE VISION to PEOPLE.

The VISION of BFBC was given to Pastor Larry.

People stand in the offices that JESUS GAVE the church.

The OFFICES are set up and … PEOPLE are placed in them … by God [Both]

WHY are the OFFICES so important?

Ephesians 4:12   for the EQUIPPING of the saints for the work of ministry, for the EDIFYING

of the body of Christ, 

Faith comes “By hearing the Word of God” [Romans 10: 17]

BUT … there are “anointing’s” that will cause you to HEAR/SEE something from the WORD

that you might NOT “catch” on YOUR OWN.

Romans 10:13-17 For“whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” 14  How then shall

they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they

have not heard?

It is impossible to BELIEVE IN SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T HEARD BEFORE.

There is NO BELIEVING [FAITH] without HEARING.

… And how shall they hear WITHOUT A PREACHER? 

There is ANOINTINGS that go with THE OFFICE that God put’s PEOPLE in …

You can “hear” something without actually … “HEARING IT”

CONVERSATIONS: People are talking but your mind is racing /zoning - you can “HEAR

THE WORDS” … you couldn’t answer ONE QUESTION about what they SAID.

Ephesians 4:7-16   But TO EACH ONE of us grace WAS given according to the measure of Christ’s

gift.  8  Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave GIFTS to

men 9  (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower

parts of the earth?  10  He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the

heavens, that He might fill all things.)

These “gifts” are called: THE ASCENTION GIFTS

They were given AFTER Jesus “ascended” on high

When He LEFT – He gave the “gifts” TO US [the Church]

These gifts came FROM Jesus

11 And He Himself gave SOME to be apostles, SOME prophets, SOME evangelists, and SOME

pastors and teachers, 

“SOME”: The MAJORITY of the Body of Christ is found in the HELPS/DEACONS ministry

Why were these OFFICES given ….

12  for the EQUIPPING of the saints for the work of ministry, for the EDIFYING of the body of

Christ, 

 Why did JESUS give them? 1) for the perfecting of the saints 2) for the work of the

ministry 3) for the edifying of the Body of Christ

“PERFECTING” – Greek word “katartismos” denotes a fitting or a preparing FULLY -

implying a PROCESS of leading to COMPLETION

The church [the saints] will NEVER REACH MATURITY … WITHOUT these “OFFICES”

How long will these GIFTS/OFFICES be in operation in the church?

13  TILL we ALL come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a

perfect man [mature], to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 

These MINISTRY GIFTS are Christ’s PROVISION TO THE CHURCH to: BUILD UP, EDIFY,

and MATURE the saints

14  that we should NO LONGER be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind

of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, [The ministry

gifts = GROW US UP]  15  but, speaking the truth in love, MAY GROW UP IN ALL THINGS into Him

who is the head—Christ—  16  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.

These OFFICES HELP US to GROW UP INTO HIS IMAGE

When we ACCEPT – HONOR – RECEIVE FROM the “offices” that God has SET IN THE CHURCH

… GROWTH will come

Naturally you’ll see GROWTH [Numbers – People]

Spiritually you’ll see GROWTH [Maturing – Equipping]