Showing posts with label Devotional. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devotional. Show all posts

To the praise of his glorious grace

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Loving seeing this as God's great goal in studying Ephesians in a 1:1. Some brief notes below:

 It structures chapter 1v3-14:

v3 every spiritual blessing

1) v4-6 chosen and adopted in Christ for the praise of God's glorious grace
2) v7-12 redeemed and predestined in Christ for the praise of his glory
3) v13-14 included and secured in Christ for the praise of his glory

It dominates Paul's prayer in 1v15-23

1) v14-16 thanking God for how the Ephesians are already being to God's glory as a new humanity living in faith and love
2) v17 praying that they would know God and so know how glorious and gracious he is
3) v18-21 praying that they would know the immensity of his grace in their future inheritance and God's mighty power that is sufficient to overcome death and evil

v22-23 all because Christ is over all things so that the church would be for God's glory as it has begun to be through Christ filling it with his power, life and rule just as he is in the process of filling everything with those same things

It lies behind the whole book

1) 2v1-10: This power has been expressed in the transition of believers from death to life that in this age and the age to come God's grace in Christ might be expressed by their living as new creations
2) 2v11-3v13: By this means humanity are united in Christ that God would be glorified for his wisdom even before evil rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms
3) 3v14-21: For this reason Paul prays that by Christ's power believers would know and display Christ's love so that God would be glorified in the Church as it is filled with his fullness

4v1-6v23 then details what this should look like as they put on Christ whether in individual acts or as spiritual armour




About the Trinity

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It's Trinity Sunday. Here's an attempt at a summary of the section of the Athanasian Creed on the Trinity. 

This is one of the so called "ecumenical creeds" held to by the worldwide church as defining the true faith. It's been said since the 6th century but is is so wordy that it's not really used today. Even this summary would seem too much, but it's hard to get it any simpler if it is to still say what it says.

Great truth though. And worth turning praise.

A summary of part one of the Athanasian Creed
This is the faith of the church throughout history
that must be held to above all if we are to be saved:

We worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,
neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence.
For each is a distinct person but their divinity is one,
their glory equal, their majesty coeternal.
What quality one has, so have the others,
each being uncreated, immeasurable and eternal,
yet not three such beings, but one;
each to be confessed individually as almighty, Lord and God.
yet not as three mighty lords or gods, but as one.
Yet there is only one Father, not begotten nor proceeding from anyone.
There is only one Son, begotten from the Father alone.
There is only one Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
But not one of these is before or after the others,
not one is greater or smaller;
in their entirety the three are coeternal and coequal,
the one true and living God.

In everything we worship their trinity in their unity
and their unity in their trinity.
This is the faith we have received.

In what ways can church ministry and worship be infected by rationalism or relativism?

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[A brief answer to a question posed after a couple of seminars on rationalism and relativism]

First, there is a danger of labelling churches or ministries that are word-centred as rationalistic. Here we must ask whether God himself is word-centred. John 1 tells us he is, as does the existence of the Bible itself. The first Christians devoted themselves to the apostles teaching (Acts 2v42). Paul preached through the night even after one hearer fell out of the window asleep, died and was raised! The book of Hebrews ends describing itself as just a “short” letter.

Second, there is an equal danger of labelling churches or ministries that make much of emotion or music as relativistic. Here we must ask whether God makes much of these things. The picture of the saints praising God in the book of revelation, and the existence of 150 psalms tell us he does. The first Christians were marked by joy, praising God day by day (Acts 2v43f). Paul taught that song was a particular mark of being filled with the Spirit. And even in the Old Testament temple, choirs were employed just to sing the psalms, with the whole range of emotion they portray.

The point is this: In all cultures it should be a both-and to the above, not an either-or. It is not that word-centred churches better reach rationalistic modernist people, and those stressing emotion and music the relativistic postmoderns. No, the worship God looks for is one that worships him in spirit and in truth (Jn 4).

Consider a biblical anthropology: We reject God as our hearts desire what is sinful, and so we refuse to accept his word with our minds. Conversely, when converted the Spirit of God uses the word of the gospel to change our hearts so that they desire God and so will accept his truth (1 Peter 1v23). And from that point, the means by which we engage with him is as his truth informs our mind and, by that means, enflames our hearts so that we love and want to obey him (Eph 4v17-24, Rom 12v1-2).

It is striking that in some churches, it is either the sheer quantity of Bible teaching that is assumed to prove God’s presence with the church, or the atmosphere evoked by a certain style of music or an inner sense of God those at the church claim to have. But a cursory look through the early chapters of Acts reveals that the post-Pentecost feelings that mark the presence of God the Holy Spirit are not so vague. They were certainly related to the tireless preaching the apostles gave themselves to. But they were the feelings that came in response, when the heart was gripped by their teaching: deep conviction when grasping the seriousness of sin (Acts 2v37, Jn 16v8), reverent fear when grasping God’s holiness (Acts 5v11), and joyful thanks when grasping his grace (Acts 2v46-47, Col 3v16-17). First and foremost, the primary feeling the Spirit evokes in the New Testament, is one of deep love towards God as our creator and redeemer (Gal 5v22).

Given all this, we can start to ask what a church infected with rationalism or relativism might look like.

We have seen that rationalism is not about engaging reason per se. All our teaching and wider ministry should do that. No, it describes those who rely on reason for knowledge rather than God. So a church is infected with rationalism when the teaching of the Bible is rejected because people think they know better – rejecting certain truths because they don’t understand them or can’t rationally accept them. Rationalism may also be seen in the preacher who presumes that just by teaching scripture people will understand, rather than by combining this with fervent prayer for God to enlighten them. It is seen in the preacher who simply preaches to the mind, rather than to the heart through the mind; ie. the preacher who fails to emphasize the appropriate emotional response, focusing simply on what should be believed or done. It would also be seen in the church that doesn’t help the congregational to respond from the heart by giving adequate time to pray home what is said, or express conviction of sin in confession or joy and thanksgiving in song.

Similarly, relativism is not about expressing feelings per se. We have seen that all our teaching and wider ministry move us to that too. No, relativism describes those who see all truth relative to what the individual establishes it to be, often grounding this in their subjective sense of what is right or wrong rather than the objective revelation of God. So a church is infected with relativism when the teaching of the Bible is rejected because it just doesn’t feel right and makes people uncomfortable. It is seen in the preacher who simply appeals to people’s hearts with exhortation and anecdote, rather than actually explaining the scriptures so they understand. It is seen in songs and music that seek to elicit emotions that are not in response to God’s truth. It is seen when it is assumed that a certain atmosphere or inner sense reflects the presence of God, rather than locating his certain presence in feelings of conviction, reverence, joy and love fanned into flame by the gospel.

Of course a final question is over how best to teach congregations that inevitably contain those who lean towards rationalism or relativism. The answer must be, by teaching the whole Bible - by making much of its internal logic and argument, and much of its images and emotion; by teaching not just Paul’s letters, but the poetry of the prophets, not just the law, but the gospels etc etc.
 

Lent

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Lent begins tomorrow. Understanding something of it may be helpful if friends ask us about it, but also so that we can assess it ourselves.

What is Lent?
Lent refers to the 40 day period (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter in which, historically, the church has remembered the 40 days Jesus prepared for his ministry by fasting in the desert. So it’s been seen as a time of:
1) spiritual preparation for Easter
2) self denial in order to devote one-self to God

Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) is the day before lent as it was the day Christians would use up whatever foods they were going to give up. The word “shrove” comes from “shrive” meaning “confess” sin. Ash Wednesday is the day lent begins, and is a day some Christians are marked in services with ash from burnt palm crosses as a sign of repentance – just as the Hebrews used to put ash on their heads in mourning.

Why do some make so little of Lent?
Like many other Protestant Christians, we don’t make much of Lent at Grace Church for the following reasons:
  1. Lent can be unhelpful: The Bible specifically challenges those who make much of “human traditions” that are not commanded by God, and especially the tendency to look down on fellow Christians for not keeping certain religious days or for not fasting (Col 2v8, 16-18, 20-23). The danger in keeping Lent is that it makes the Christian feel proud for keeping it and condemning of those who don’t.
  2. Lent can be powerless: We’re told that such regulations “have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” (Col 2v23). The point is that they make us feel religious but won’t really help us become more godly. Ironically, they can actually lead us from the true way to godliness, which is to focus on: (1) our hearts being devoted to Christ and the life of his coming kingdom, (2) our minds being set on those things because we understand that through Christ's death and resurrection our old self has died and we have a new self that is alive to God, (3) our wills seeking to put off the old self and put on the new as we follow the desires of the Spirit (Col 3v1-14).
  3. Lent can be distracting: The reality is that in the light of this every Christian is called "daily" to “deny himself” and “take up his cross” in order to “follow” Christ (Lk 9v23). A focus on these things over a 40 day period can very easily diminish our awareness that we should be wholehearted in our devotion to Christ every day of every year.
  4. Lent can be trivialising: Often what Lent boils down to is giving up something relatively insignificant such as chocolate or wine, and often more out of a concern for calories or health than for Jesus.

Can we observe Lent?
Having said all this, the Bible is clear that Christians are free to observe religious days and feasts if they feel they should. And those who don’t should not look down on those who do, nor urge them not to observe such things if it would go against their conscience (Rom 14v1-8).
            Moreover, provided the above concerns are acknowledged, there seems no reason why a Christian might not use Lent for their spiritual benefit just as they might use the New Year to recommit to prayer, or allocate a week in May for a Christian conference, or a month to help in some sphere of service. The point is that we are free before God to do such things within the boundaries of his word.

So here are some suggestions on how you might use Lent this year if you would like to:
1)     Give some time each day to a spiritual MOT, assessing where you are at with the Lord in terms of prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, financial giving, struggle with sin, evangelism etc – and most importantly with respect to your heart, mind and will. Then pray through all this, asking God to help you in these areas not just during Lent but beyond it.
2)     Although you may not be able to give more time to prayer, Bible reading or Christian service in the long term, consider whether you might be able to for this forty days.
3)     Similarly, why not make time to reading a good Christian book, perhaps on the cross, or to listening to some good sermons online.
4)     Consider abstaining from something that is permissible for you, but that you think is genuinely detrimental to your walk with Christ. It might be TV, facebook, video games, clothes shopping, etc. This could free up time for the points above. But the point in abstaining from such things is to display to the Lord how much more you desire him, and ask him to break the power these things have over you or over your time.

And finally
Don’t tell anyone how you are observing Lent unless you have to – to keep yourself from pride and to keep them from looking down on you. Also, if a non-Christian friend asks you what Lent is all about, tell them it’s about Jesus being more important than anything else in the world. And then tell them why!

Resources
·     The “youversion” Bible App has all sorts of Bible reading plans. You could choose a forty day one.
·     You could read the book “Unbreakable” by Andrew Wilson that David Lowries has been selling, Contact him for a copy.
·     “The forgotten cross” by Lee Gatiss is great book on the cross to buy, read and absorb.
·     Access to online sermons and talks elsewhere can be found here: www.gracesussex.com/2007/06/mp3s.html
·     40acts.org.uk is a website emailing Christians with ways they can do good each day of Lent. I don’t know whether these will be helpful or not. But if you do it, see whether you can keep doing some after Lent too.

The Christian and the Sabbath

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Another reflection on Christianity being a matter of the heart.

Whether the Sabbath is a binding command or not for new covenant
believers is much debated. My own view is that it is not, but that the
pattern is commended to us by way of creation, in the principle of the
law and the setting apart of Sunday by the apostles as "the day of the
Lord." This is consistent with the law now being written on the heart.
God's concern now is not that we take a day for him because we are
required to, but because we want to.

In the light of this it is ironic that Christians often cite the
abrogation of the Sabbath command as justification for treating Sunday
like any day. They are at liberty to do that. However, the question must
be asked: "Why would we want to treat it like any other day?" Surely we
would want to give every day to worshipping, reflecting on and enjoying
the Lord and his world. And so, if we possibly can, we would still
choose to a day as set apart for God to ensure that we take time out
from our busyness for him. Moreover, because the apostles sanctioned
Sunday "the day of the Lord" and it is the acknowledged day for worship,
there is a strong precedent for choosing this as our day.

To treat the freedom the gospel gives as a reason to ignore the
principles of God's law is the opposite of what is intended. Filled with
the Spirit, it is expected that we would seek a heartfelt obedience to
these principles.

Smelling the roses

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Bethan and I recently watched Pixar’s animated film ‘WALL-E.’ It is a film for our times. Earth is portrayed as deserted and ruined - filled with piles of waste, the sun blocked out, and junk orbiting just outside the atmosphere. Humanity left 700 years ago in a spaceship, from which probes come every now again to search for green life. The idea is that when it is found it will be time to return and repopulate the planet.

Meanwhile, the life human beings live on the spaceship is one of such ease that everyone is overweight and over the centuries human bones have shrink. People hover around in techno-arm chairs with screens inches from their faces. Technology provides their every need at a word. They drink the nutrients they need rather than cook food. And rather than speak face to face with the person next to them, they speak to them via their screen. It reminds me of how Bethan’s boss used to email her from the other side of the room!

The film is sentimental. But it is also thought provoking; and it moved me to think about harvest. The great preacher CH Spurgeon used to counsel Christian ministers stressed by the busyness of their lives, to go for a walk and smell the roses. Surrounded as we are by technology and screens, we can forget the wonder and beauty of the simple things: normal conversation, plants, natural food. In forgetting these things, we can also forget the wonder and beauty of the one who provides them to us. In the book of Acts we read an excerpt of what the apostle Paul preached to people in his day:
“We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

This harvest time, why not go for a walk and smell the autumnal equivalent of roses. And as you do, remember the one who provides them for our joy.

Prayer through the day

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It struck me a while ago that the Psalmist speaks of praying morning, noon and night. Likewise Daniel gave thanks three times a day, and Peter has his vision when praying in the middle of the day.

It seems that there was a habit amongst God's people to pray at these regular intervals. This has been picked up in denominations such as my own. But so often what is said is rote.

The following are some scripture verses I've put together into a brief liturgy (with a couple of influences from the Book of Common Prayer). They are for praying through morning, noon, evening and night. Each takes only five minutes, although they need to be prayed reflectively and with elaboration where it seems right. I find them deeply edifying in re-focusing on the Lord during the busyness of life. I hope you might too.

Morning prayer
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you brought this day into being, and by your will all things existed and were created. (Rev 4:11) ¦ Hymn/Adoration/Thanksgiving ¦ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mk 12:29-31) ¦ Confession ¦ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; blot out my transgressions, cleanse me from my sin! Create in me a clean heart O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Ps 51:1-2, 10) ¦ Your steadfast love O LORD never ceases, your mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “You LORD are my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in you." You LORD are good to those who wait for you, to the soul that seeks you. It is good that I should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lam 3:22-26) ¦ Readings/Intercessions/Lord's Prayer ¦ Yours is the day, so grant that we glorify you with it. (Ps 74:16) ¦ Now may you, O God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip us with everything good that we may do your will, working in us that which is pleasing in your sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Heb 13:20-21) ¦

Midday prayer
Worthy are you, O Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. For by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have made us a kingdom and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. (Rev 5:9-10) ¦ Hymn/Adoration/Thanksgiving ¦ O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty and your faithfulness surrounds you. The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. I will acclaim you to others O LORD my God, and walk in the light of your presence. I will rejoice in your name all day long; and exult in your righteousness. For you are my glory and strength; by your favour I have been exalted. (Ps 89:8-17) ¦ Intercessions: O Lord, show your mercy to us, and grant us your salvation. Endue your ministers with righteousness, and make your chosen people joyful. O Lord, save those who govern, and grant them wisdom in their judgements. Give peace in our time O Lord, for there is no one who fights for us but you, O God. ¦ In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. You are my rock and my fortress. For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. (Ps 31:1-3) ¦ Now may you Lord Jesus Christ and you O God our Father, who have loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope, through your grace, encourage our hearts and establish them in every good deed and word. Amen. (2 Thess 2:16) ¦

Evening prayer
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! And so may blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to you forever and ever! Amen. (Rev 7:10-12) ¦ Confession ¦ Cleanse us from the sins of this day O Lord, and restore to us the joy of your salvation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Ps 51:7-12) ¦ It is good to give thanks to you O Lord, and sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night, for you, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. How great are Your works, O Lord! (Ps 92:1-5) ¦ Hymn/Adoration/Thanksgiving/Intercessions from the day ¦ Be pleased O Lord to deliver us! O Lord make haste to help us. (Ps 40:13) ¦ So may you O God, who are able to keep us from falling, present us before the presence of your glory blameless and with great joy. And to you, the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25) ¦

Night-time prayer
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! (Rev 4:8) ¦ Hymn/Adoration/Thanksgiving ¦ I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Ps 16:7-11) ¦ Before the ending of the day, Creator of the world, we pray, That you with steadfast love, would keep, Your watch around us while we sleep. From evil dreams defend our sight, From fears and terrors of the night; Tread underfoot our deadly foe, That we no sinful thought may know. O Father, that we ask be done, Through Jesus Christ, your only Son; And Holy Spirit by whose breath, our souls are raised to life from death. ¦ In peace will we lie down and sleep; for yours O Lord is the night, and you alone make us dwell in safety. More than those who watch for the morning, do our souls wait for you O Christ. Come Lord Jesus. Amen. (Ps 4:8, 103:6, 74:16, Rev 22:20) ¦


The Gurkhas and Mark 8v34-38

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The Gurkha victory set me thinking: They were prepared to give their lives for Queen and country, but the government were reluctant to welcome them into our 'kingdom.'

By contrast Jesus promises his disciples: "Whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it" by having a place in his kingdom.

Jesus affirms what our government missed. That such allegiance and self sacrifice warrants such a reward.

The challenge to us, is to be that ready to loose our lives for Christ our King.

The kindness and sterness of God

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This struck me twice this last week: With the prodigal son, the Father feels deep pity for the mess the son gets himself in.

And with Lazarus in John 11, though death is ultimately part of the curse on humanity for its rejection of God, in Jesus we see God deeply troubled, moved and weeping at the events.

In our concern not to compromise on teaching the judgement of God, evangelicals can give the impression that he is somewhat cold to the predicament we get ourselves into because of sin. We struggle to see how anyone can be both angry and pitying, just and compassionate at the same time. But this is our Heavenly Father.

Yes, those who don't believe are under his wrath, handed over to their sin, and facing God's anger on judgment day. But let's not forget that God does not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezek 18); that he at the same time cares deeply for those he has made in all they are doing to themselves; that as with with the Prodigal son, this Father cares enough to leave his home in heaven and come to us to bring us home.

And of course, we should emulate him, in our attitude, in our preaching, in our love for the lost too.

Redeeming the time

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Finally have website and blog looking in a way that I am happy with. But it took time! And in honesty, one has to ask whether it was time well spent.

The Puritans used to speak of "redeeming the time" - that is, making the most of it, not wasting it. They saw every moment as a gift from God to be used for his service. Rest was necessary yes, because it meant recuperation ready for more service.

This surely resonates with Paul in Gal 2v20:
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
In other words, our lives are not our own. Our old selves have died on the cross, and our new selves are to be consumed every second with the life of Jesus.

God uses even our bad decisions and priority. So I pray now the sites are done they will glorify him. But they came through some repentance of perfectionism, of techno-fiddling to get things just right, of time used that could have been given to visiting, to prayer, to family.

In the days of the net, we must be cautious of the time we use. The task of building God's church is too urgent to be distracted from.

I hope to blog more on this sometime soon.

Beholding God's glory

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Listened to John Piper's (right) superb sermon: "Why expository preaching is particularly glorifying to God" (see link on sidebar).

Simple but revolutionary truth from 2 Cor 3v18, 4v6:
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

"For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."
  • Question: How might we and our fellow Christians become more godly?
  • Answer: By beholding the glory of the Lord.
  • Question: How might we more fully behold it?
  • Answer: By absorbing the truth about Christ in the gospel?
Implications:
  1. If we want to grow in our Christian lives, we must not just know the Bible better, but ask throughout, "How do I see here God's glory displayed in Christ?"
  2. If we want our church to grow in maturity, we must not just preach the Bible, but preach it in a way that stresses God's glory as it is displayed in Christ. This is what Piper terms 'expositional exultation' - the two wings to the same plane; ie. preaching is lacking without both: It is to expound the scriptures, but in such a way that in manner and content we raise up Jesus over all and set forth the excellences of God seen most clearly in him.
It's obvious when we hear it, but I confess to having failed to see it with such clarity. Pray now that your life, my life, and that of God's church would grasp and implement this truth. Beyond this, buy anything written by John Piper and absorb it.


Supported by the living God

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A thought form this morning's quiet time:

Asa was a King who at first relied on the LORD. By doing so he won great victories. However he later came to rely instead on men - in his case, the Syrian army as allies.

In that context consider 2 Chronicles 16v9:
"For the eyes of the Lord, move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely his" (NASB).
What encouragement to those who face difficulties as they seek to win victories in the establishment of God's kingdom. If you're heart is right; if you are repentance toward God and reliant on God, then you can be assured that you are one of those he looks out for, and that you have his support as you seek to glorify his Son. Do hang onto that truth.

The primacy of word mnistry

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Preparing a sermon on Ephesians 1:1-16 and very struck again by Smith's understanding of v8 where Paul quotes Ps 68 (his view outlined in O'Brien's superb commentary).

Why does Paul write "he gave gifts to men" when the original OT says "he received gifts from men?" Answer: The captives Christ leads in his train as he ascends to heaven are those he has delivered from captivity to sin and called to be a kingdom of priests to serve God. They are therefore those God has first received, but those he then gives in service to his church.

This fits the context of Ps 68 speaking of those delivered from captivity in Egypt (v6b-7) and taken to mount Zion (v17-18), resonates strongly with the language of Numbers 18:6 and Isaiah 66:20-21.

So the "gifts (domata) God gave (edoken) to men" here are not spiritual gifts (charismata) per se, but the word ministers themselves that Christ "gave" (edoken), ie. apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers (v11). And these are given to equip the saints to serve one-another by speaking the truth of the gospel in love (v15) so that the church is built up to true unity and godliness in the knowledge of Christ, rather than being tossed here and there by all sorts of false teaching which inevitably divides both by leading people from Christ and by promotiong alternative allegiances.

Ultimately in Ephesians then, word ministry is the primary means by which the church can fulfil its supreme and awesome calling to be nothing less than a visible testimony to the principlaities and powers of God's wisdom in reconciling all peoples through the blood of his Son (3:10-11).

Let that encourage you as a pastor-teacher next time you feel your efforts are futile. You and your ministry are a particular and special gift from Christ to your congregation!!!