Welcome to The Ridge - Part 5 [Notes]

You’re invited to join us for “Welcome To The Ridge,” a six-week series focused on our past, present, and future as a church. Whether you’ve been at The Ridge for a month, a year, ten years, or thirty, our hope is that this series will give us all a clear, compelling, and unifying vision of who we are, where we’ve been, where we are, and where God is leading us in the future. Each week, we’ll study a different Bible passage that has shaped us, guided us, and kept us focused. This series is not only for those who call The Ridge home, but it’s also a perfect opportunity to invite others to come and experience it with you. Welcome To The Ridge!

Takeaway: The role of church leadership is to care for and equip the saints for the work of ministry; the role of the church member is to carry out the work of ministry.

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit  through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope, at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.  

Now grace was given to each one of us  according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says: When He ascended on high, he took the captives captive; He gave gifts to people.  

But what does “He ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And He himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
– Ephesians 4:1-16 (CSB)

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
– Ephesians 3:20-21 (CSB)

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received
– Ephesians 4:1 (CSB)

“God, in love, urges us to live for His glory. He does not say, as He did to the Old Testament Jews, “If you obey Me, I will bless you.” Rather, He says, “I have already blessed you—now, in response to My love and grace, obey Me.” He has given us such a marvelous calling in Christ; now it is our responsibility to live up to that calling.
– Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
– Ephesians 4:2-3 (CSB)

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope, at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
– Ephesians 4:4-6 (CSB)

Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says: When He ascended on high, He took the captives captive; He gave gifts to people.  
– Ephesians 4:7-8 (CSB)

Psalm 68 is a victory hymn. Historically it was typical to bring back the spoils of war after a king won a significant military victory.  Here, having triumphed over sin, death, hell, and the grave, our Savior gave His congregation spiritually gifted people that they might minister to His church.
– Dr. Tony Merida

But what does “He ascended” mean except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.
– Ephesians 4:9-10 (CSB)

1. Christ’s coming to earth or His incarnation
2. Christ’s death and burial

1. Christ’s coming to earth or His incarnation
2. Christ’s death and burial
3. Christ descended to the place of the dead between His death and resurrection

And He Him gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
– Ephesians 4:11 (CSB)

Apostles
Prophets

“We commonly associate a prophet with predictions of future events, but this is not his primary function. A New Testament prophet is one who proclaims the Word of God (Acts 11:28; Eph. 3:5). Believers in the New Testament churches did not possess Bibles, nor was the New Testament written and completed. How, then, would these local assemblies discover God’s will? His Spirit would share God’s truth with those possessing the gift of prophecy. Paul suggests that the gift of prophecy had to do with understanding “all mysteries and all knowledge” (1 Cor. 13:2), meaning, of course, spiritual truths. The purpose of prophecy is “edification, encouragement, and consolation” (1 Cor. 14:3, literal translation). Christians today do not get their spiritual knowledge immediately from the Holy Spirit, but mediately through the Spirit teaching the Word. With the Apostles, the prophets had a foundational ministry in the early church and they are not needed today (Eph. 2:20).”
–  Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe

So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
– Ephesians 2:19-20 (CSB)

Apostles
Prophets
Evangelists

Apostles
Prophets
Evangelists
Pastor / Teachers

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.  
– Ephesians 4:12-14 (CSB)

But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
–  Ephesians 4:15-16 (CSB)

1. Community Leader Cohort
2. Classes at The Ridge

Praise The Lord // You Keep Hope Alive // Sons and Daughters // Knowing You

You can watch or listen to past messages online!

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