Have you ever wondered what God’s “Plan A” is for changing the world? Not a backup strategy or last-resort approach — His primary method. That’s the question Pastor Brent Befus posed to Grace Bible Church on Sunday, March 20, 2022, and his answer flips a lot of our assumptions about what church is supposed to look like.
God’s Plan A: The Church
When we think about how God transforms lives, it’s easy to imagine a solo operation — God and me, working privately on my character. But Scripture paints a different picture. Pastor Brent Befus walked through Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul’s letter to a city full of divided people groups, and the vision is corporate from start to finish.
“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.”
— Ephesians 4:11-13
Notice the language: we all attain, the whole body grows, each part working properly. The goal isn’t “I become a better person.” It’s the whole community growing together into the image of Christ. That’s Plan A.
Two Purposes, Not One
Paul gives two clear purpose statements for the gifts Christ distributes:
- For the work of ministry — Each believer has been given something to contribute. Not a title. A responsibility.
- For building up the body of Christ — It’s not enough to sit in the audience. We’re participants in each other’s growth.
“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.”
— Ephesians 4:15-16
That phrase “speaking the truth in love” gets quoted a lot, but notice the context — it’s not a free pass to be harsh. It’s the how of community growth. Truth without love is brutal. Love without truth is sentimental and useless. Together, they build.
Entering Someone Else’s Construction Zone
One of Pastor Brent’s memorable illustrations was the “construction zone.” When you see someone, you’re looking at a project God is working on. The question isn’t “What would I do if I were building?” It’s “What is the next step this person needs?”
You might see a beautiful pool in the blueprint. But if they don’t have plumbing yet, that pool isn’t helpful. You walk into where they actually are — their foundation, their framework — and you help them take the next step. That requires knowing them. That requires relationship. That’s messy.
Embracing the Chaos of Community
Here’s the uncomfortable part: genuine community is inconvenient. It means letting people into your mess, and them into theirs. Pastor Brent acknowledged that some in the room had been hurt by other Christians. “I understand that completely,” he said. But he also noted that the seasons when he’d pulled back to protect himself were the seasons where he noticed he was drifting — not engaging with how God was working.
The answer isn’t fewer relationships. It’s better ones. Leveraging the programs and gatherings we already have — not as obligations, but as opportunities to go deeper. To say, “Let’s get coffee. Let’s talk about what’s really going on.”
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
When the world defines love by feelings, Paul defines it by action. And when we interact with others in the body of Christ — using our gifts, serving, encouraging — that’s the definition we’re aiming for.
So What?
This week, ask yourself: Whose “construction zone” am I passing by? A neighbor, a coworker, someone at GBC I’ve never really talked to beyond a Sunday morning nod? God has given you a gift — not for your own spiritual comfort, but for building others up.
The church isn’t a religious service you attend. It’s the community God uses to display His wisdom and grace. That’s Plan A — and there’s no Plan B.
Scripture References
- Ephesians 4:11-16 — The gifts of Christ for building up the body
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 — The definition of love
- Luke 10:38-42 — Mary and Martha: where true ministry happens