On February 8th, 2018—I preached in Saint Andrew’s Chapel for the chapel of Reformation Bible College. The text for the sermon was Ephesians 4:1-16 and my goal was to challenge the students and faculty to think earnestly about the need for the local church. Instead of viewing the local church as one of God’s optional blessings in the Christian life—it is indeed God’s will for each and every Christian.
In his commentary on Ephesians, R.C. Sproul has rightly stated, “The church in the New Testament is made up of those who are called out from the world, from darkness, from damnation, from paganism, to become members of the body of Christ.” [1] The church comes together as a body—and each gift functions as God has designed—to bring about the building up of the church for the glory of God. It doesn’t matter what route we take in life and what occupation we choose—the church of Jesus Christ must be at the center of our lives. Make no mistake about it—that is God’s will.
I want to urge you to remember your need to grow, mature, learn, worship, and serve within the context of a local, tangible, visible, New Testament church for the glory of Christ.
The full sermon is included below (In addition, you can access the Reformation Bible College website where the sermon is posted).
- R. C. Sproul, The Purpose of God: Ephesians (Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1994), 95.
