Good morning, church. My name is Nate and it is my honor to be the family pastor here and it is my joy to get to open up God's Word with you this morning.

So as a West Michigan raised Bible believing Bible preaching pastor When I was called out for seven years to go serve on the California coast at a church there, I was accused of hate speech more than once. In particular, part of my season there, I worked primarily with college students and I found that when I talked about the topics of sin or God's wrath or especially when the Bible brought up the topic of hell, that the accusations of hate speech just started to roll in. But here's the crazy thing. Of all my time out there, with all the times I was accused of that, the time that I received the most vocal and really vicious accusations that I was speaking hate speech, it wasn't about anything biblical really, it was actually about a person, and a person who's a huge hero in the area I was serving. Well, you're just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. So if you know basketball at all, you might know that many, many people in our church were fans of this team called the Golden State Warriors.

And I made the unforgivable sin of saying something negative about their best player, their most famous player. Even if you don't follow basketball, you might recognize him. His name is Steph Curry. He won their team a lot of championships. You can see him holding on to a trophy there. I like this picture. I think it's kind of funny because in the reflection, if you look closely, you can see his wife next to him, but he's not, he doesn't have his arm around her. He's holding onto the trophy there. Here's all that I said. We're preaching through Philippians four and we got to the famous verse 13.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

And I just briefly mentioned that I found it unhelpful and maybe even a little dangerous that our local beloved basketball hero Curry who was a professing Christian is a Christian and that's awesome but he uses a verse on all of his merchandise but he only includes half of it and I would argue it warps the meaning to mean almost the exact opposite of what it's supposed to mean if you look closely at the hat he's wearing there, if you're not familiar what he puts on all of his merch, his slogan is, I can do all things. Notably left out is the critical second half, through Christ who strengthens me. And while I'm sure he believes that, it doesn't always come through when you only include the first half. Now, needless to say, people were not very happy with me and I heard about it the accusations of hate speech came but I just kept telling them don't shoot the messenger because if you read the Bible if you get to know the God of the Bible you know why it's so dangerous to only include that first half because whether we like it or not no matter what Oprah Winfrey or Joel Osteen or best NBA shooter of all time Steph Curry says.

That statement on its own that you are not enough, that you don't have what it takes on your own could be easily seen as modern hate speech to many people, but church, we need to hear the truth and love today that we are not enough on our own. You are not enough. You don't have what it takes. On your own, you're not enough to stand strong against this world that just relentlessly seeks to bring you down. On your own, just statistically, you don't have what it takes to persevere, to beat the odds and have a lifelong, healthy, happy marriage. And parents and grandparents, on your own, you are not enough. You don't have what it takes to raise children of light as the darkness of this world closes in on them. On your own you cannot do all things you are not enough and because you are not because you don't have what it takes.

We must be equipped Be equipped As we walk through Ephesians 4 right now We're picking up where we left off and we're seeing that living in this time where the world no longer tolerates the truth even when it's brought in love. We're being reminded that left to our own devices. We do not have what it takes But by the grace of God and only by His grace, we are going to be reminded today or learn for the first time that He has equipped us with spiritual gifts. And He has given us each other the church where we can continue to be equipped and He gives us a call and a mission to respond to, to equip the next generation because when truth and love is no longer tolerated, we must be equipped.

So if you would open up with me back to Ephesians 4, right where we left off, we're going to be picking up in verse 7 and reading all the way through verse 16. Ephesians 4, 7 through 16. I'll be reading it. Please follow along with me.

Ephesians 4:7-16

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain 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, 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. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 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.

Would you pray with me?

Heavenly Father, this morning as we open your word, we pray you would equip us and that you would cause us to see what you've already done, what you're still doing, and you would cause us to walk into the mission you are calling us to. We pray all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

As we dive into God's word this morning, we're going to be encouraged first, because what Jesus has already done on the cross, and because he is raised again, we are equipped already.

But we're also gonna be challenged that there's more to be done. We must be equipped still. It's a continuing process.

And finally, we'll see together, especially in this moment in history, in this time, in this place where truth and love is no longer tolerated, it's not enough to just be equipped ourselves, but we must equip the next generation.

1. We are equipped ( Ephesians 4:7-10)

So if you go back to verse seven with me, we are encouraged here that we are equipped. Look at what verse seven says, "'But grace was given to not some, "'but each one of us according to the measure "'of Christ's gift.' Therefore it says," and what the it here that Paul is referencing is Psalm 68. It says, "'When he,' and now we know looking back, "'this he is Jesus, when he Jesus ascended on high he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men then Paul includes here this parenthetical statement in the parentheses here that is in Psalm 68 but he wants to bring total clarity to what he's saying here in saying he Jesus ascended what does it mean but that he also descended into the lower regions the earth that God came to be with us he who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things so what's going on here Paul brings up Psalm 68 because he wants to point back to this picture of these Old Testament times where good kings would go off to war and if they would come back victorious, they would share the spoils of victory with their people as gifts.

So when Jesus descended to come and be among us, he came to fight a spiritual war like none other. And even though we know it looked like complete and total loss as he hung dying on the cross, that's not the end of the story. Three days later, he burst from the grave victorious. And as he ascended to heaven, like the good king that Jesus is, he shared the spoils of war, and he gave each and every one of his followers spiritual gifts. He equipped us so that we can finish the final skirmishes of the battle that he has already won.

And if you would be so bold today, whatever room you're in, in the worship center, our venue's online, if you are a follower of Jesus, would you just raise your hand with me for a second? Would you be bold to raise your hand? And keep it raised, don't be shy. If you are a follower of Jesus, if your hand is raised right now, you have been equipped already with a spiritual gift. And along with forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, another amazing thing Jesus won for you, another grace that he gives to each and every Christian is a spiritual gift. You are gifted, you are equipped. Remember this moment. You can put your hands down, talking about spiritual gifts, raising hands, it's getting a little Pentecostal in here. We're a Reformed church, let's bring it back.

Our passage today doesn't get into all the gifts. You can look throughout the New Testament. There's places that they list them, generosity and service and teaching and mercy and faith encouragement. The list goes on and on. And I don't know what yours is, but I hope you do because you have one. And more importantly than knowing you have one is taking the next step and actually using it. God gave you a gift so that you would use it.

And in this world and at this time when truth and love is no longer tolerated, when this beautiful but exclusive message of Jesus Christ is seen as hate speech by so many, we must be equipped. And here's the good news for you today, church, because Jesus won the war, you already are.

So ask yourself this morning, think to yourself,

1. What are my spiritual gifts? What have I already been equipped with?

And if you're able to answer that, ask yourself the natural follow-up.

2. Am I actually using those gifts I've been given to build up the Church of Christ and to share the truth and the love of Jesus with a broken world?

And if you're not able to answer that first question, if you go, I don't know what my spiritual gifts are, I take God's word at it that I have something, but I don't know what it is. I would encourage you to find out as soon as you can. And here's how I would go about doing that. There's a lot of tests online and different things you can take, surveys and stuff. Those are fine, but before you do anything like that, I just ask you to do two things.

1. Ask the Christians around you, your loved ones, your friends, family, that are followers of Jesus, what gifts do you see in me?

Oftentimes they'll see more clearly in you what you can't even see in yourself. And the other thing I would do,

2. I would just encourage you to just get involved in service, try to use some gifts and see what comes out, because you might be surprised with the areas where you are gifted by the grace of God.

We are up against a lot in this world. I'm not going to lie to you about that. And I'm also not going to tell you that you're enough on your own because you're not, but you are equipped.

2. We must be equipped (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Our passage continues with verse 11 with a challenge that even though we are equipped already, we must be equipped. There's more equipping to come. So look at verse 11 with me. It says, and he gave the apostles and the prophets and the evangelist in the shepherds and the teacher so all the leaders of the church were given for a purpose I look carefully at what verse 12 here says I don't want you to miss it because this is a primary biblically provided job description for what the leaders of a church are supposed to be doing with their time look at what it says in verse 12 it says the church leaders job is to do the work of ministry for the Saints for the building up of the body of Christ right if you're paying attention that's not what it says wrong if you're paying attention you know that what verse 12 actually says is something different than that and something better it's not just the church leaders job to do the work of the ministry but look at what it says it says the church leaders role is to equip the Saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ.

Let's make this really clear. Would you just point to the main person that you are responsible for to make sure the ministry is happening at Peace Church? The one person you can control more than anyone else. Don't point to your spouse, please. Don't point to your mom or dad. If you would point to one of the ministers at Peace Church, would everyone just, as a follower of Jesus, would you just point at yourself for a second? Really do it. I know I'm making you do a lot today, but I just wanna grab a quick picture for our church records. File that away as the ministers of Peace Church, praise God. We all do the ministry and it's so important that we get equipped so we do it well because this world is and always has been really messed up and has sought to come against the ministry that God calls us to.

Look back at the text with me. Let's keep reading. After we learn that the church leader's job is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry for building up the body of Christ verse 13 Says this until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature Manhood until we reach majority to what standard to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ So that we may no longer be and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness and deceitful schemes.

My wife's from Seattle she grew up in a church but a church that's very different than the one you're in right now and when I went to go visit that church for the first time with her something caught my attention right away the first table that I saw in the lobby was advertising was promoting signups for a Bible study and what was advertised was something called a white fragility Bible study and I'm a curious guy I didn't know what that meant and it's kind of fun to be an undercover pastor at another church so I went up and started asking some questions chiefly what is a white fragility Bible study and the woman who was there went on to explain to me that what that just meant is it was a Bible study for white people to be able to learn to acknowledge their own racism and face it head-on and It was kind of that moment where I learned something about myself because they would be considered what's called a progressive Church, and I learned at that moment that I must not be very progressive Because a Bible study just for white people sounded a little racist to me. Okay, I'm in good company. Here we go.

Here's the point. Instead of clinging to the timeless truth of God's Word and focusing on the Bible, they were actually bringing in another book that was popular, that had a very powerful but short-lived cultural moment. I haven't even read it, so I won't speak to it. But my wife will tell you that growing up in an environment like that, where she was taught and equipped, things that changed almost overnight, changed with the ties of culture. She said that it was like being in a rudderless ship, just in a raging storm, just with every new wind and every new modern wave changing course, not knowing where you're going, changing what they were believing, changing what they're being equipped with instead of following the unchanging eternal Word of God. And that might be way off in Seattle, right? But is it starting to sound more and more like our daily experience every year that passes by?

We're doing this series called Hate Speech because this kind of thinking and this kind of influence and this kind of equipping that happens in our culture is not contained to urban centers or along the coast, but it spreads throughout the country, throughout the world, and it spreads online and into our schools and into our workplaces, and homes, and yes, even in our churches here. So how do we stand strong, and what do we do? Well, let's finish the passage and find out.

Verse 15, rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, 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 when God's words and his ways are no longer followed when the good but challenging news of the gospel is no longer tolerated we must be equipped, church. And by God's grace, I see it happening here at Peace Church. It happens when we gather all together on Sunday morning and we open up God's Word to be filled up, to be taught, to be equipped.

There are so many other ways that you can be equipped here at the church and we don't just put on activities and have programs and events just to have something to do but we seek to be equipped and you can be equipped through a men's or a woman's Bible study those just started up this last week if you want to join a Bible study is not too late just jump right in you can go sign up online I'll give you a heads up, we're kind of old school. All our Bible studies are open to all races, okay? I just want you to know. You can get equipped through joining a community group if you've never been a part of a small group. And I get it. Sometimes that feels awkward. We're gonna gather in a circle and share our feelings with each other. Hunting season's coming. I think I'd rather be in a tree stand, as I know what a lot of us are thinking. Not me, I don't know how to do that.

But community groups are a place where we gather in smaller groups in our homes and we get equipped and we equip each other. Those are launching this week, we're launching tons of new ones. If you want to try one out, there's a table in the lobby. You can sign up right there to start being equipped in that way and We have so many equipping opportunities for young adults and we have groups for over 55 ministries We have our friends at Peace Ministry that equips our Friends who are adults with special needs we do middle school and high school on Sunday nights on Wednesday nights We do brave girls and bold boys. We have women's men's marriage conferences, equipping classes, parenting events.

And let me just say one more time, we don't just put on programs, but we gather as the already equipped to be further equipped to finish the mission that God has called us to. There is work to do. There's a church that still needs building. There are lost souls out in our community that still needs saving and in this broken Just upside down gospel Intolerant world that we live in Jesus's plan His plan to share himself and his truth and his love with that world who needs it is us. We are the plan. His called and equipped saints. Are you doing all that you need to to be equipped to answer that call? Because when truth and love is no longer tolerated, we must be equipped.

3. We must equip the next generation

Now this is where my role as the family pastor is gonna come out really clear here because as we've been going through this passage, I hope some of you have seen what I see that it's not just enough to be equipped here and now, to equip the church today, but we have to look forward. We have to look into the future. And when truth and love is no longer tolerated, we must equip the next generation. We are equipped so that we can keep being equipped, so that we can grow and teach the next generation, equipping them to stand for Jesus, even in a time where it seems so hard. Many of you who are empty nesters or older parents, you've come up to me, I think as a family pastor, but also as a dad, you see me around the church with my three kids, I got a five, a three, and a one-year-old, and you've said something along the lines, shared this sentiment that, whoo, am I glad I don't have to raise my kids today in this crazy world.

And I get it. And even though there's nothing new under the sun and our world's always been broken, for many of us it seems like we're experiencing an ever increasing rapid shift in the intolerance towards Jesus. I know even in my short life, I remember going to public school here in West Michigan and in fifth grade I still remember when my science teacher, Mr. Quinn, said, I feel a moral obligation as an educator to bring you to the best source to learn about the origins of the universe. So we're going to be reading from Genesis chapter 1. That's going to be our textbook today. That doesn't really happen much anymore, does it?

But are we gonna just worry about it and wring our hands? Are we gonna reminisce about the good old days and complain and whine about how bad it's getting out there for this next generation? Or are we actually going to do something about it?

And the primary place that that's gonna happen is in the home. It's how it's always been, it's how it always will be, but all of us, as the equipped saints, as the ministers of Peace Church We all have a role to play And so I'm gonna do something that I don't normally do I'm gonna bring something very specific to your attention and when they give the family pastor the pulpit They better be ready for me to use it the way I want to use it now I'm just kidding, but listen up I want to be I want to be transparent with you about something. My teams have been spending the summer trying to recruit volunteers to come and be a part of that equipping of the next generation. Kids' ministry, student ministry, all the programs that we offer. And praise God, it has gone so well, and so many of you in the room here have stepped up and so many are serving right now all throughout this building, equipping the next generation, teaching them about Jesus.

But there is an urgent need. There is an urgent need right now for more Bible teachers to teach our elementary age students. Very specific. And if I was going to even hone in on it more, we have had tons of women of the church answer the call to teach our elementary students the Bible to equip the next generation and very very few men and I get it life is Exhausting and that's a big responsibility in fact I was at our serve table out in the lobby two weeks ago and a gentleman came up to the table and I was just About ready to launch into my whole spiel about all the different service opportunities And he just cut me off and he said just tell me where the greatest need in the churches and i said amazing we need large group bible teachers for our bold boys program and he said tell me where the second greatest need in the churches seriously i get it here's something amazing god did already this morning though that gentleman before the first service came up to me and he said I've been praying about it. I'll do it I'll teach the next generation God's Word. I'm coming after you next.

So, starting ten days from now. We're gonna bring I'll be honest. We're gonna pack 400 kids into this building, many of whom are part of this church who have grown up hearing the good news of Jesus, and many who are unchurched, aren't hearing anything about Jesus in their own homes, but for some reason their parents are bringing them to the program here. And there is an opportunity to step up and to equip the next generation, as you've been equipped to be able to make it in this world glorifying God, bringing honor to Jesus. And there are many of you here who don't even know it yet, but you're going to be a part of that because I believe when God's Word is preached and when the Spirit is moving, God does things.

So here's what we're going to do right now. I'm going to ask every Christian man, if you've got a cell phone on you, pull it out. If you're not already reading your Bible on it, if you would be willing to pull it out, I'm just going to ask you to do one thing here. If you would consider, not even considering, do I feel qualified to do this, but first asking, would I be willing to attempt to be equipped to see, would you be willing to potentially step up to teach one time, one Bible lesson on a Wednesday night or on a Sunday morning to the next generation? You wouldn't have to write it yourself. I'd help you with that. We would meet beforehand and I will equip you personally. I'll see it as my obligation. That is my job after all, right? If you would be willing, would you just text that number, equip me. And if not, if you don't feel called to do that, if you're not available or able, if you're doing something else that you've already been called to, just send me a text, not now. But I got to tell you, as you're doing that, after first service, we now have 14 new Bible teachers for elementary-aged kids. The men of this church have stepped up. And women, if you want to text me, if you want to jump in, you can do that too. So many of you have already stepped up.

But here's the thing, I got to just tell you, when I was a pastor out in California, about five miles down from our church, there's a world famous aquarium, the Monterey Bay Aquarium. And today, and for years, this has been the case, but there is a multi-year waiting list to volunteer at that aquarium. Taking care of and teaching others about fish. We can do better, church. By third service, we're gonna have a waiting list and they're not even gonna be able to teach this year. It's gonna be many years till they get in there. Good job coming to one of the earlier services.

Church, Jesus didn't come down to live among us, to be tortured, to be crucified, to receive all the wrath of God that we deserve, receiving it in our place so that He could give us the grace of salvation and equip us with gifts and His Word and the church and a mission so that we could sit on our hands and worry and complain about how bad it's getting out there and not do a thing about it.

Would you stand with me as we prepare to worship?

Let's first pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for equipping us already. We confess we do not have what it takes to do what you have called us to, but we know that because of your victory on the cross, because of the empty grave, you have shared the spoils of war with us and you have gifted and equipped us to do exactly what you've called us to. And Father, we confess that we don't do all that it takes to continue to be equipped. And I confess, God, that us church leaders don't do all that we need to do to equip the church. But Lord, help us to put away apathy, to put away fear. Lord, I pray that by your grace in this moment, by your spirit, you would just raise up your church, the equipped, to be more equipped. And especially, God, we pray for our next generations God we pray that we would do our part to prepare them to equip them for all that they'll encounter we trust you to do all of this in your church and in our hearts Lord and we thank you that you are working right now we love you Jesus we pray this in your name. Amen.

Good morning, church. My name is Nate and it is my honor to be the family pastor here and it is my joy to get to open up God's Word with you this morning.

So as a West Michigan raised Bible believing Bible preaching pastor When I was called out for seven years to go serve on the California coast at a church there, I was accused of hate speech more than once. In particular, part of my season there, I worked primarily with college students and I found that when I talked about the topics of sin or God's wrath or especially when the Bible brought up the topic of hell, that the accusations of hate speech just started to roll in. But here's the crazy thing. Of all my time out there, with all the times I was accused of that, the time that I received the most vocal and really vicious accusations that I was speaking hate speech, it wasn't about anything biblical really, it was actually about a person, and a person who's a huge hero in the area I was serving. Well, you're just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. So if you know basketball at all, you might know that many, many people in our church were fans of this team called the Golden State Warriors.

And I made the unforgivable sin of saying something negative about their best player, their most famous player. Even if you don't follow basketball, you might recognize him. His name is Steph Curry. He won their team a lot of championships. You can see him holding on to a trophy there. I like this picture. I think it's kind of funny because in the reflection, if you look closely, you can see his wife next to him, but he's not, he doesn't have his arm around her. He's holding onto the trophy there. Here's all that I said. We're preaching through Philippians four and we got to the famous verse 13.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

And I just briefly mentioned that I found it unhelpful and maybe even a little dangerous that our local beloved basketball hero Curry who was a professing Christian is a Christian and that's awesome but he uses a verse on all of his merchandise but he only includes half of it and I would argue it warps the meaning to mean almost the exact opposite of what it's supposed to mean if you look closely at the hat he's wearing there, if you're not familiar what he puts on all of his merch, his slogan is, I can do all things. Notably left out is the critical second half, through Christ who strengthens me. And while I'm sure he believes that, it doesn't always come through when you only include the first half. Now, needless to say, people were not very happy with me and I heard about it the accusations of hate speech came but I just kept telling them don't shoot the messenger because if you read the Bible if you get to know the God of the Bible you know why it's so dangerous to only include that first half because whether we like it or not no matter what Oprah Winfrey or Joel Osteen or best NBA shooter of all time Steph Curry says.

That statement on its own that you are not enough, that you don't have what it takes on your own could be easily seen as modern hate speech to many people, but church, we need to hear the truth and love today that we are not enough on our own. You are not enough. You don't have what it takes. On your own, you're not enough to stand strong against this world that just relentlessly seeks to bring you down. On your own, just statistically, you don't have what it takes to persevere, to beat the odds and have a lifelong, healthy, happy marriage. And parents and grandparents, on your own, you are not enough. You don't have what it takes to raise children of light as the darkness of this world closes in on them. On your own you cannot do all things you are not enough and because you are not because you don't have what it takes.

We must be equipped Be equipped As we walk through Ephesians 4 right now We're picking up where we left off and we're seeing that living in this time where the world no longer tolerates the truth even when it's brought in love. We're being reminded that left to our own devices. We do not have what it takes But by the grace of God and only by His grace, we are going to be reminded today or learn for the first time that He has equipped us with spiritual gifts. And He has given us each other the church where we can continue to be equipped and He gives us a call and a mission to respond to, to equip the next generation because when truth and love is no longer tolerated, we must be equipped.

So if you would open up with me back to Ephesians 4, right where we left off, we're going to be picking up in verse 7 and reading all the way through verse 16. Ephesians 4, 7 through 16. I'll be reading it. Please follow along with me.

Ephesians 4:7-16

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain 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, 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. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 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.

Would you pray with me?

Heavenly Father, this morning as we open your word, we pray you would equip us and that you would cause us to see what you've already done, what you're still doing, and you would cause us to walk into the mission you are calling us to. We pray all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

As we dive into God's word this morning, we're going to be encouraged first, because what Jesus has already done on the cross, and because he is raised again, we are equipped already.

But we're also gonna be challenged that there's more to be done. We must be equipped still. It's a continuing process.

And finally, we'll see together, especially in this moment in history, in this time, in this place where truth and love is no longer tolerated, it's not enough to just be equipped ourselves, but we must equip the next generation.

1. We are equipped ( Ephesians 4:7-10)

So if you go back to verse seven with me, we are encouraged here that we are equipped. Look at what verse seven says, "'But grace was given to not some, "'but each one of us according to the measure "'of Christ's gift.' Therefore it says," and what the it here that Paul is referencing is Psalm 68. It says, "'When he,' and now we know looking back, "'this he is Jesus, when he Jesus ascended on high he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men then Paul includes here this parenthetical statement in the parentheses here that is in Psalm 68 but he wants to bring total clarity to what he's saying here in saying he Jesus ascended what does it mean but that he also descended into the lower regions the earth that God came to be with us he who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things so what's going on here Paul brings up Psalm 68 because he wants to point back to this picture of these Old Testament times where good kings would go off to war and if they would come back victorious, they would share the spoils of victory with their people as gifts.

So when Jesus descended to come and be among us, he came to fight a spiritual war like none other. And even though we know it looked like complete and total loss as he hung dying on the cross, that's not the end of the story. Three days later, he burst from the grave victorious. And as he ascended to heaven, like the good king that Jesus is, he shared the spoils of war, and he gave each and every one of his followers spiritual gifts. He equipped us so that we can finish the final skirmishes of the battle that he has already won.

And if you would be so bold today, whatever room you're in, in the worship center, our venue's online, if you are a follower of Jesus, would you just raise your hand with me for a second? Would you be bold to raise your hand? And keep it raised, don't be shy. If you are a follower of Jesus, if your hand is raised right now, you have been equipped already with a spiritual gift. And along with forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, another amazing thing Jesus won for you, another grace that he gives to each and every Christian is a spiritual gift. You are gifted, you are equipped. Remember this moment. You can put your hands down, talking about spiritual gifts, raising hands, it's getting a little Pentecostal in here. We're a Reformed church, let's bring it back.

Our passage today doesn't get into all the gifts. You can look throughout the New Testament. There's places that they list them, generosity and service and teaching and mercy and faith encouragement. The list goes on and on. And I don't know what yours is, but I hope you do because you have one. And more importantly than knowing you have one is taking the next step and actually using it. God gave you a gift so that you would use it.

And in this world and at this time when truth and love is no longer tolerated, when this beautiful but exclusive message of Jesus Christ is seen as hate speech by so many, we must be equipped. And here's the good news for you today, church, because Jesus won the war, you already are.

So ask yourself this morning, think to yourself,

1. What are my spiritual gifts? What have I already been equipped with?

And if you're able to answer that, ask yourself the natural follow-up.

2. Am I actually using those gifts I've been given to build up the Church of Christ and to share the truth and the love of Jesus with a broken world?

And if you're not able to answer that first question, if you go, I don't know what my spiritual gifts are, I take God's word at it that I have something, but I don't know what it is. I would encourage you to find out as soon as you can. And here's how I would go about doing that. There's a lot of tests online and different things you can take, surveys and stuff. Those are fine, but before you do anything like that, I just ask you to do two things.

1. Ask the Christians around you, your loved ones, your friends, family, that are followers of Jesus, what gifts do you see in me?

Oftentimes they'll see more clearly in you what you can't even see in yourself. And the other thing I would do,

2. I would just encourage you to just get involved in service, try to use some gifts and see what comes out, because you might be surprised with the areas where you are gifted by the grace of God.

We are up against a lot in this world. I'm not going to lie to you about that. And I'm also not going to tell you that you're enough on your own because you're not, but you are equipped.

2. We must be equipped (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Our passage continues with verse 11 with a challenge that even though we are equipped already, we must be equipped. There's more equipping to come. So look at verse 11 with me. It says, and he gave the apostles and the prophets and the evangelist in the shepherds and the teacher so all the leaders of the church were given for a purpose I look carefully at what verse 12 here says I don't want you to miss it because this is a primary biblically provided job description for what the leaders of a church are supposed to be doing with their time look at what it says in verse 12 it says the church leaders job is to do the work of ministry for the Saints for the building up of the body of Christ right if you're paying attention that's not what it says wrong if you're paying attention you know that what verse 12 actually says is something different than that and something better it's not just the church leaders job to do the work of the ministry but look at what it says it says the church leaders role is to equip the Saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ.

Let's make this really clear. Would you just point to the main person that you are responsible for to make sure the ministry is happening at Peace Church? The one person you can control more than anyone else. Don't point to your spouse, please. Don't point to your mom or dad. If you would point to one of the ministers at Peace Church, would everyone just, as a follower of Jesus, would you just point at yourself for a second? Really do it. I know I'm making you do a lot today, but I just wanna grab a quick picture for our church records. File that away as the ministers of Peace Church, praise God. We all do the ministry and it's so important that we get equipped so we do it well because this world is and always has been really messed up and has sought to come against the ministry that God calls us to.

Look back at the text with me. Let's keep reading. After we learn that the church leader's job is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry for building up the body of Christ verse 13 Says this until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature Manhood until we reach majority to what standard to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ So that we may no longer be and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness and deceitful schemes.

My wife's from Seattle she grew up in a church but a church that's very different than the one you're in right now and when I went to go visit that church for the first time with her something caught my attention right away the first table that I saw in the lobby was advertising was promoting signups for a Bible study and what was advertised was something called a white fragility Bible study and I'm a curious guy I didn't know what that meant and it's kind of fun to be an undercover pastor at another church so I went up and started asking some questions chiefly what is a white fragility Bible study and the woman who was there went on to explain to me that what that just meant is it was a Bible study for white people to be able to learn to acknowledge their own racism and face it head-on and It was kind of that moment where I learned something about myself because they would be considered what's called a progressive Church, and I learned at that moment that I must not be very progressive Because a Bible study just for white people sounded a little racist to me. Okay, I'm in good company. Here we go.

Here's the point. Instead of clinging to the timeless truth of God's Word and focusing on the Bible, they were actually bringing in another book that was popular, that had a very powerful but short-lived cultural moment. I haven't even read it, so I won't speak to it. But my wife will tell you that growing up in an environment like that, where she was taught and equipped, things that changed almost overnight, changed with the ties of culture. She said that it was like being in a rudderless ship, just in a raging storm, just with every new wind and every new modern wave changing course, not knowing where you're going, changing what they were believing, changing what they're being equipped with instead of following the unchanging eternal Word of God. And that might be way off in Seattle, right? But is it starting to sound more and more like our daily experience every year that passes by?

We're doing this series called Hate Speech because this kind of thinking and this kind of influence and this kind of equipping that happens in our culture is not contained to urban centers or along the coast, but it spreads throughout the country, throughout the world, and it spreads online and into our schools and into our workplaces, and homes, and yes, even in our churches here. So how do we stand strong, and what do we do? Well, let's finish the passage and find out.

Verse 15, rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, 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 when God's words and his ways are no longer followed when the good but challenging news of the gospel is no longer tolerated we must be equipped, church. And by God's grace, I see it happening here at Peace Church. It happens when we gather all together on Sunday morning and we open up God's Word to be filled up, to be taught, to be equipped.

There are so many other ways that you can be equipped here at the church and we don't just put on activities and have programs and events just to have something to do but we seek to be equipped and you can be equipped through a men's or a woman's Bible study those just started up this last week if you want to join a Bible study is not too late just jump right in you can go sign up online I'll give you a heads up, we're kind of old school. All our Bible studies are open to all races, okay? I just want you to know. You can get equipped through joining a community group if you've never been a part of a small group. And I get it. Sometimes that feels awkward. We're gonna gather in a circle and share our feelings with each other. Hunting season's coming. I think I'd rather be in a tree stand, as I know what a lot of us are thinking. Not me, I don't know how to do that.

But community groups are a place where we gather in smaller groups in our homes and we get equipped and we equip each other. Those are launching this week, we're launching tons of new ones. If you want to try one out, there's a table in the lobby. You can sign up right there to start being equipped in that way and We have so many equipping opportunities for young adults and we have groups for over 55 ministries We have our friends at Peace Ministry that equips our Friends who are adults with special needs we do middle school and high school on Sunday nights on Wednesday nights We do brave girls and bold boys. We have women's men's marriage conferences, equipping classes, parenting events.

And let me just say one more time, we don't just put on programs, but we gather as the already equipped to be further equipped to finish the mission that God has called us to. There is work to do. There's a church that still needs building. There are lost souls out in our community that still needs saving and in this broken Just upside down gospel Intolerant world that we live in Jesus's plan His plan to share himself and his truth and his love with that world who needs it is us. We are the plan. His called and equipped saints. Are you doing all that you need to to be equipped to answer that call? Because when truth and love is no longer tolerated, we must be equipped.

3. We must equip the next generation

Now this is where my role as the family pastor is gonna come out really clear here because as we've been going through this passage, I hope some of you have seen what I see that it's not just enough to be equipped here and now, to equip the church today, but we have to look forward. We have to look into the future. And when truth and love is no longer tolerated, we must equip the next generation. We are equipped so that we can keep being equipped, so that we can grow and teach the next generation, equipping them to stand for Jesus, even in a time where it seems so hard. Many of you who are empty nesters or older parents, you've come up to me, I think as a family pastor, but also as a dad, you see me around the church with my three kids, I got a five, a three, and a one-year-old, and you've said something along the lines, shared this sentiment that, whoo, am I glad I don't have to raise my kids today in this crazy world.

And I get it. And even though there's nothing new under the sun and our world's always been broken, for many of us it seems like we're experiencing an ever increasing rapid shift in the intolerance towards Jesus. I know even in my short life, I remember going to public school here in West Michigan and in fifth grade I still remember when my science teacher, Mr. Quinn, said, I feel a moral obligation as an educator to bring you to the best source to learn about the origins of the universe. So we're going to be reading from Genesis chapter 1. That's going to be our textbook today. That doesn't really happen much anymore, does it?

But are we gonna just worry about it and wring our hands? Are we gonna reminisce about the good old days and complain and whine about how bad it's getting out there for this next generation? Or are we actually going to do something about it?

And the primary place that that's gonna happen is in the home. It's how it's always been, it's how it always will be, but all of us, as the equipped saints, as the ministers of Peace Church We all have a role to play And so I'm gonna do something that I don't normally do I'm gonna bring something very specific to your attention and when they give the family pastor the pulpit They better be ready for me to use it the way I want to use it now I'm just kidding, but listen up I want to be I want to be transparent with you about something. My teams have been spending the summer trying to recruit volunteers to come and be a part of that equipping of the next generation. Kids' ministry, student ministry, all the programs that we offer. And praise God, it has gone so well, and so many of you in the room here have stepped up and so many are serving right now all throughout this building, equipping the next generation, teaching them about Jesus.

But there is an urgent need. There is an urgent need right now for more Bible teachers to teach our elementary age students. Very specific. And if I was going to even hone in on it more, we have had tons of women of the church answer the call to teach our elementary students the Bible to equip the next generation and very very few men and I get it life is Exhausting and that's a big responsibility in fact I was at our serve table out in the lobby two weeks ago and a gentleman came up to the table and I was just About ready to launch into my whole spiel about all the different service opportunities And he just cut me off and he said just tell me where the greatest need in the churches and i said amazing we need large group bible teachers for our bold boys program and he said tell me where the second greatest need in the churches seriously i get it here's something amazing god did already this morning though that gentleman before the first service came up to me and he said I've been praying about it. I'll do it I'll teach the next generation God's Word. I'm coming after you next.

So, starting ten days from now. We're gonna bring I'll be honest. We're gonna pack 400 kids into this building, many of whom are part of this church who have grown up hearing the good news of Jesus, and many who are unchurched, aren't hearing anything about Jesus in their own homes, but for some reason their parents are bringing them to the program here. And there is an opportunity to step up and to equip the next generation, as you've been equipped to be able to make it in this world glorifying God, bringing honor to Jesus. And there are many of you here who don't even know it yet, but you're going to be a part of that because I believe when God's Word is preached and when the Spirit is moving, God does things.

So here's what we're going to do right now. I'm going to ask every Christian man, if you've got a cell phone on you, pull it out. If you're not already reading your Bible on it, if you would be willing to pull it out, I'm just going to ask you to do one thing here. If you would consider, not even considering, do I feel qualified to do this, but first asking, would I be willing to attempt to be equipped to see, would you be willing to potentially step up to teach one time, one Bible lesson on a Wednesday night or on a Sunday morning to the next generation? You wouldn't have to write it yourself. I'd help you with that. We would meet beforehand and I will equip you personally. I'll see it as my obligation. That is my job after all, right? If you would be willing, would you just text that number, equip me. And if not, if you don't feel called to do that, if you're not available or able, if you're doing something else that you've already been called to, just send me a text, not now. But I got to tell you, as you're doing that, after first service, we now have 14 new Bible teachers for elementary-aged kids. The men of this church have stepped up. And women, if you want to text me, if you want to jump in, you can do that too. So many of you have already stepped up.

But here's the thing, I got to just tell you, when I was a pastor out in California, about five miles down from our church, there's a world famous aquarium, the Monterey Bay Aquarium. And today, and for years, this has been the case, but there is a multi-year waiting list to volunteer at that aquarium. Taking care of and teaching others about fish. We can do better, church. By third service, we're gonna have a waiting list and they're not even gonna be able to teach this year. It's gonna be many years till they get in there. Good job coming to one of the earlier services.

Church, Jesus didn't come down to live among us, to be tortured, to be crucified, to receive all the wrath of God that we deserve, receiving it in our place so that He could give us the grace of salvation and equip us with gifts and His Word and the church and a mission so that we could sit on our hands and worry and complain about how bad it's getting out there and not do a thing about it.

Would you stand with me as we prepare to worship?

Let's first pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for equipping us already. We confess we do not have what it takes to do what you have called us to, but we know that because of your victory on the cross, because of the empty grave, you have shared the spoils of war with us and you have gifted and equipped us to do exactly what you've called us to. And Father, we confess that we don't do all that it takes to continue to be equipped. And I confess, God, that us church leaders don't do all that we need to do to equip the church. But Lord, help us to put away apathy, to put away fear. Lord, I pray that by your grace in this moment, by your spirit, you would just raise up your church, the equipped, to be more equipped. And especially, God, we pray for our next generations God we pray that we would do our part to prepare them to equip them for all that they'll encounter we trust you to do all of this in your church and in our hearts Lord and we thank you that you are working right now we love you Jesus we pray this in your name. Amen.