Biblical Sermon

KHRIH IH THILPEK
(Gifted Pastor-Teacher in Una Sancta)
Ephesians 4:7-16
ICEF Sermon Series # 9.
Ezra L. Thang (Pastor)

THESIS
Believers (Jews and Gentile in Ephesus) must maintain unity in love (in the local church) and be equipped by gifted pastor-teachers for ministry and building up Christ’s body until they attain unity of faith and maturity in Christ.

MAIN POINTS
I. CHRIST GAVE GIFTS (VV. 7–11)
1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

II. GIFT-GIVING FOR THE EQUIPPING OF SAINTS (VV. 12–13).

(1) Apostle—eyewitness—died in martyr
(a) Quasi: Falsehood (Rev 2:1-5)
(b) Preaching Christ—foundation of the church (2:19)
(c) Miracle—signs and wonders (healing, raising deaths (Heb 2:1-4)
(2) Prophet
(3) Evangelist: Such were Luke, Timothy, Titus, and others like them; perhaps also the seventy disciples, whom Christ appointed in the second place after the apostles [Luke 10:1]. [Apostle, prophet and evangelist] these three functions were not established in the church as permanent ones, [Philippians 1:2; Ephesians 2:20] but only for that time during which churches were to be founded where none existed before, or where they were to be carried over from Moses to Christ. Still, I do not deny that the Lord has sometimes at a later period raised up apostles, or at least evangelists in their place, as has happened in our own day. (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 1057).

(4) Pastor and Teacher
Amos 3:7, God will not do anything to his people without first revealing his plans to his servants the prophets. —Revelation Chap 2 & 3, —“to the angel of the Church”

(i) What Is the Role of an Elder?
(1) a leader,
(2) a shepherd,
(3) a teacher, and
(4) an equipper.

(ii) How can you determine if someone has a pastoral gift for the office?
—The gifted pastor should be identified by the "qualifications" mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:7.
(iii) Is formal theological training required to become a church pastor, or does a man need a degree?
(iv) Is it necessary for ordination?
(v) Salary: "double honors" 1 Timothy 5:17 (preaching hard and governing)
(vi) "Appreciation" – Crown in heaven. I Peter 5:1-5

Next come pastors and teachers, whom the church can never go without. There is, I believe, this difference between them: teachers are not put in charge of discipline, or administering the sacraments, or warnings and exhortations, but only of Scriptural interpretation—to keep doctrine whole and pure among believers. But the pastoral office includes all these functions within itself.

III. GIFTS-GIVING WILL BE BUILDING UP OF THE CHURCH TILL IT REACHES MATURITY (vv. 14–16).

• 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
• 13 until we all attain [reach] to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
• 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
• 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.
 “every wind of doctrine” Probably Gnosticism—“Spirit is good, material is evil” denying Jesus the divine, supremacy of Christ,—asceticism: forbidding certain foods, abstaining marriage etc.
 Unity in love (Gala 5:22), Unity: Galatians 5:15 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

ἐν ἀγάπῃ in love. “four out of five times (4/5) Paul uses ἐν ἀγάπῃ in Ephesians, it follows the clauses it modifies” (Hoehner 184; Eph 4:2, 15–16; 5:2; cf. Col 2:2; 1 Thess 5:13); (3) in each of those four cases, it refers to human and not divine love; (4) elsewhere “love,” when found in Paul’s introductory thanksgiving or prayers, refers to human love (Phil 1:9–10; Col 1:4, 8; 1 Thess 3:12–13); and (5) in six of the nine other times ἀγάπη is found in Ephesians, it refers to human love (1:5; 4:2, 15–16; 5:2; 6:23).
 Maturity in faith

14 ἵνα μηκέτι ὦμεν νήπιοι, κλυδωνιζόμενοι καὶ περιφερόμενοι παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας, “so that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth by waves, and gusted here and there by every wind of teaching.”
νήπιοι, “children,” contains a double contrast to “the mature person.” Not only do silly infants contrast with the mature adult (cf. 1 Cor 2:6; 3:1; Heb 5:13, 14).
a little storm-tossed boat or of swirling flotsam. The use of the imagery of wind and waves for instability was common and is found elsewhere in the NT in Jas 1:6, where it depicts the instability of doubt. But the sort of vocabulary contained in this passage is also employed in warnings against false teachers in:
 Jude 12, 13 12 These are the ones who are like dangerous reefs at your love feasts. They feast with you, nurturing only themselves without fear. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead, pulled out by the roots; 13 wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever!
 and Heb 13:9. 9 Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by foods, since those involved in them have not benefited.
 Col 2:22 on the wording of Eph 4:14
20 If you died with the Messiah to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? 22 All these regulations refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are commands and doctrines of men. 23 Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.

The writer deemed it a constant general threat. After all, he knew what had happened in the case of the Colossian church. Indeed, the warnings of Acts 20:29, 30; 1 Tim 1:3, 4; 6:3–5, 20 attest to problems with false teaching in the churches of this area in the post-apostolic period.

ἐν τῇ κυβείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐν πανουργίᾳ πρὸς τὴν μεθοδείαν τῆς πλάνης, “by human cunning, by craftiness, in the scheming of error.” 2 Corinthians Paul had contrasted his apostolic ministry with the practice of cunning (4:2) and attributed the latter to the serpent in his deception of Eve (11:3).
The noun μεθοδεία, “scheming,” occurs elsewhere in the NT only in this letter—in 6:11 in connection with the devil.

The Enemy of brotherly love in the local church
The vice of πλάνη, “error or deceit,”

 1 Thes 2:3 For our exhortation didn’t come from error or impurity or an intent to deceive.
 2 Thes 2:11, 12. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth in order to be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe what is false, 12 so that all will be condemned—those who did not believe the truth but enjoyed unrighteousness.
 Jude 11 11 Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, have abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
 1 John 4:6 6 We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

 These parallel references prompt the reflection that the attitude to false teaching reflected here in Ephesians.

APPLICATION
What type of gift do you have to serve God?
Does your church pastor have a pastoral gift that will help you grow in faith?
Do you remain in love in your local church?
Do you accomplish unity of faith and maturity?

Zabeng in Bawipa Thangthat
(Doxology Against Idolatry)
A Royal ( Enthroned) Psalm 47
Ezra Thang (Pastor & Bible Teacher), Chin-Burmese Believers Church, Seattle, WA. Sunday Oct 13, 2024.

KEY THEMES
God’s reign is universal & God’s covenant is inclusive.

THESIS: Abrahamic Covenant Children: Israel Praise (Doxology) the Most High Yahweh, Which Is Against Idolatry—So Do the New Covenant Children.

MAIN POINTS/STRUCTURE
Psalm 47 is organized around the repeated use of the conjunction "for/because" (ki), providing justifications for why the nations need to praise the Lord and recognize His sovereignty.
1st STANZA (vv. 1-5)
“Clap hands (nations) and shout to God” (vv. 1) —“ki” for/because
 “The Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth” (47:2)
 “He subdued nations under us” (47:3)
 “He chose our inheritance for us” (47:4)
“God has ascended amid shouts of joy” (47:5)
2nd STANZA (vv. 6-9)
“Sing praises to God, sing praises” (v. 6) —“ki” for/because
“God is the King of all the earth” (47:7)
“God reigns over the nations” (47:8a)
“God is seated on his holy throne” (47:8b)
“The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham” (47:9)
“ki” for/because “The kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted” (47:9)

CBBC

Speaker: Van Lal Bik (Bik te)

Phuhrungawloin Zangfahnak Tohkham Kan Naih
Hebrews 10:19-25
Thesis: Believers can approach the Holy of Holies with assurance since Jesus' blood washed their evil conscience and enabled them to do good.

Main Points
1. “let us draw near"—
2. "Let us hold fast"—and
3. "Let us consider each other.”

References:
Exodus 29:21
21 Take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle them on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. In this way, he and his garments will become holy, as well as his sons and their garments.
Exo 40:12
12 “Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Exodus 30:17-21
17 The Lord spoke to Moses: 18 “Make a bronze basin for washing and a bronze stand for it. Set it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet from the basin. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister by burning up an offering to the Lord, they must wash with water so that they will not die. 21 They must wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this is to be a permanent statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”
Lev 16:24
24 He will bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering; he will make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 He is to burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

HNIKSAKNAK IN FIMNAK
(Trials Perseverance Leads to Wisdom)
James 1:2-9
Ezra L. Thang (Pastor & Bible Teacher) of Chin-Burmese Believers Church, Seattle, WA. Sunday September 22, 2024.

THESIS: Christians should view trials as a great joy, as trials will make them perfect when they endure them with prayer and faith, asking God for wisdom.

MAIN POINTS
1. Christians should view trials as a great joy (2-4).
“eschatological anticipated joy,”
a. Why trials? Trials will help Christians mature (having Wisdom)—
the proper attitude toward life.
b. What type of trials are these? —persecution of faith resulting
in poverty/poor
2. How do you deal with trials? (vv. 5-9).
a. Christians need to pray for wisdom
through faith.
b. Christians should not have doubtful
minds while praying.
c. Christians should not expect to receive
answers to their prayers without faith.
APPLICATION
1. Proper Perspective on Trials
2. Pray in Faith
3. Expected answer to the prayer.

Temptation of Heresy and the World
1 John 2:12-17
Ezra L. Thang (Pastor & Bible Teacher), Chín-Burmese Believers Church, Seattle, WA. Sunday Aug 18, 2024.

Thesis: The apostle addresses orthodox Christians at all stages not to love the world, which does not last long, but to do the will of God, which lasts eternity.

Main Points
I. Children, Fathers, and Young Men (2:12–14)
A. Children, Your Sins Are Forgiven (2:12)
B. Fathers, You Know Him Who Is from the Beginning (2:13a–c)
C. Young Men, You Have Overcome the Evil One (2:13d–f)
D. Children, You Know the Father (2:14a–c)
E. Fathers, You Know Him Who Is from the Beginning (2:14d–f)
F. Young Men, You Are Strong (2:14g–k)
II. Love for World Is Contrary to Love for Father (2:15–17)
A. Command not to love the world (2:15)
B. About the world (2:16–17a)
1. What is in the world is not of God (2:16)
2. The world is passing away (2:17a)
C. Obedience to the will of God means eternal life (2:17b)

Application: to overcome the temptation
1. Obedience of Jesus’ commandment of brotherly love and not to follow/fellowshipping with heresy.
2. Prayer-corporate
3. Bible Study
4. Church

CRUSADE July 24-28, 2024

Speaker: Dr. Timothy Sui Lian Mang