WEBVTT 00:00:03.819 --> 00:00:06.099 And now would you open your Bible with me to 00:00:06.099 --> 00:00:10.039 1 Corinthians chapter 3, where we'll begin this 00:00:10.039 --> 00:00:16.059 morning our study of Scripture. Talking today 00:00:16.059 --> 00:00:21.019 about what church unity provides. Unity in a 00:00:21.019 --> 00:00:25.780 fellowship is not merely a nice ideal. It is 00:00:25.780 --> 00:00:30.359 an absolute necessity. It is a necessity if that 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:33.119 fellowship of believers would grow into maturity 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:39.640 and Christ -likeness. Divisions and strife expose 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:46.039 carnality and immaturity in a fellowship. Such 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:50.159 was the case in 1 Corinthians 3, as the Apostle 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:53.340 wrote to them. He said, And I, brethren, could 00:00:53.340 --> 00:00:57.509 not speak to you as to spiritual men. But as 00:00:57.509 --> 00:01:01.630 to men of flesh, that is, as to carnal men, as 00:01:01.630 --> 00:01:06.150 to babes in Christ, I gave you milk to drink, 00:01:06.230 --> 00:01:09.650 not solid food, for you were not yet able to 00:01:09.650 --> 00:01:12.930 receive it. Please notice that up to this point 00:01:12.930 --> 00:01:16.049 there is no rebuke in what the apostle says to 00:01:16.049 --> 00:01:19.209 the Corinthians. He is recounting his earlier 00:01:19.209 --> 00:01:22.790 visit with them, and he tells them the truth. 00:01:22.890 --> 00:01:27.260 He had to feed them milk. because they were still 00:01:27.260 --> 00:01:31.799 babes in Christ. Now sometime later, but not 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:37.579 long later, he says, indeed, even now you are 00:01:37.579 --> 00:01:41.200 not yet able. And now there certainly is a tone 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:45.180 of rebuke to these people. He says, for you are 00:01:45.180 --> 00:01:50.260 still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:55.180 strife among you, are you not fleshly? And are 00:01:55.180 --> 00:01:59.640 you not walking like mere men? And so the apostle 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:03.359 expects that they should have grown up in the 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:06.500 period of time since he first was there and had 00:02:06.500 --> 00:02:10.000 spoken to them as babes. He continues in chapter 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:13.900 4 and verse 6 in the last part of the verse by 00:02:13.900 --> 00:02:19.680 saying that in us you might learn not to exceed 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:22.599 what is written in order that no one of you might 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:26.580 become arrogant. in behalf of one against the 00:02:26.580 --> 00:02:30.539 other. You can see here the childish ways of 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:33.379 the Corinthians. And in between the two texts 00:02:33.379 --> 00:02:36.259 that we've read, you see that further elaborated 00:02:36.259 --> 00:02:43.460 upon. Just as personal maturity diminishes childish 00:02:43.460 --> 00:02:47.840 ways, so spiritual maturity should do the same 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:51.780 in that realm. Children are interesting, aren't 00:02:51.780 --> 00:02:55.319 they? We expect children to act like children. 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:02.099 Do you have a reporter in your family? One who 00:03:02.099 --> 00:03:04.979 comes up and says, do you know what Billy did 00:03:04.979 --> 00:03:09.699 to me? Do you have one like that? Every family 00:03:09.699 --> 00:03:14.580 has at least one. That's childish, isn't it? 00:03:15.259 --> 00:03:17.879 And when it first happens, we think, well, isn't 00:03:17.879 --> 00:03:21.039 that cute? But after a while, it gets beyond 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:25.789 that stage, doesn't it? Or do you have a child 00:03:25.789 --> 00:03:30.090 in your family who is continually urging the 00:03:30.090 --> 00:03:32.370 others to pick sides? Whose side do you want 00:03:32.370 --> 00:03:38.370 anyway? Are you for him or for me? Or do you 00:03:38.370 --> 00:03:41.830 have a child who pouts and who says, in essence, 00:03:42.030 --> 00:03:44.289 well, if he's not going to play the way I want 00:03:44.289 --> 00:03:48.030 to, I'm going to take my toys and go home. Well, 00:03:48.050 --> 00:03:49.969 those are childish ways, and we need to expect 00:03:49.969 --> 00:03:53.000 that children will do them. Children should be 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.000 taught not to act that way, but they will act 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:59.759 that way because that's immaturity. You know, 00:03:59.780 --> 00:04:02.699 the sad thing is when adults keep acting that 00:04:02.699 --> 00:04:05.819 way, isn't it? Because then it's not normal. 00:04:07.139 --> 00:04:09.439 Then it's a tragedy. Then it's an aberration. 00:04:10.860 --> 00:04:13.099 And the same thing is true in the spiritual realm. 00:04:14.219 --> 00:04:16.980 As we grow up spiritually, we need to put away 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:23.290 childish, spiritual things. A concern for unity 00:04:23.290 --> 00:04:29.189 characterizes the walk, the lifestyle of a child 00:04:29.189 --> 00:04:33.029 of God who is living worthy of his calling. That 00:04:33.029 --> 00:04:35.529 is what we've been studying in Ephesians 4, verses 00:04:35.529 --> 00:04:41.149 1 through 16. That child of God will seek to 00:04:41.149 --> 00:04:45.910 preserve spiritual unity by humility, gentleness, 00:04:46.170 --> 00:04:49.170 patience, and forbearance in his relationship. 00:04:49.850 --> 00:04:52.910 with others in the fellowship. That's what verses 00:04:52.910 --> 00:04:56.889 2 and 3 of Ephesians 4 are all about. Not only 00:04:56.889 --> 00:05:00.389 will he seek to preserve spiritual unity by his 00:05:00.389 --> 00:05:03.790 own character and integrity, but we've been learning 00:05:03.790 --> 00:05:07.170 that he will seek to promote unity by using his 00:05:07.170 --> 00:05:11.050 God -given spiritual abilities to serve the Lord 00:05:11.050 --> 00:05:14.009 in the church and to minister to others in the 00:05:14.009 --> 00:05:17.420 body. We see in verse 7 that the Lord has so 00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:20.600 gifted all of us to be able to do that. And in 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:23.319 verse 12, we are to be equipped so that that 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:29.920 is made a reality. To be a peacemaker, a unifier 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:34.420 of believers, is really to confirm one's profession 00:05:34.420 --> 00:05:38.920 of faith in Jesus Christ. All of us ought to 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:42.540 be of that mindset. because that is not only 00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:45.120 a mindset that proves that we're worthy of our 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:48.300 calling, but it also evidences that we're growing 00:05:48.300 --> 00:05:52.120 up and we're no longer childish in our ways. 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:55.839 Now, having said that, we should be peacemakers. 00:05:56.519 --> 00:06:01.540 I also want to say this to balance it, that peace 00:06:01.540 --> 00:06:05.420 is not to be sought at any price. In other words, 00:06:05.420 --> 00:06:08.579 we're not to compromise with sin in order to 00:06:08.579 --> 00:06:13.579 achieve. a certain kind of peace. But the principle 00:06:13.579 --> 00:06:16.160 is nonetheless true, that God wants us to be 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:21.459 peacemakers, unifiers of his people, not dividers 00:06:21.459 --> 00:06:26.100 like children. The reason that the Lord, first 00:06:26.100 --> 00:06:29.720 of all, gave gifts to individual believers, and 00:06:29.720 --> 00:06:33.579 secondly, gave individuals as gifts to the church, 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:37.449 as we've been studying. The reason our Lord has 00:06:37.449 --> 00:06:40.730 done this is to bring the church to its full 00:06:40.730 --> 00:06:45.509 potential, that is, to its maturity, to its grown 00:06:45.509 --> 00:06:51.490 -up state. Our text today, in Ephesians 4, verses 00:06:51.490 --> 00:06:55.949 14 through 16, shows us that when the equipping 00:06:55.949 --> 00:07:01.649 process of verses 12 and 13 take place, a marvelous 00:07:01.649 --> 00:07:08.389 thing happens. That's maturity. And the church 00:07:08.389 --> 00:07:16.290 grows out. That's extension. Verse 14. As a result, 00:07:16.389 --> 00:07:19.089 we are no longer to be children tossed here and 00:07:19.089 --> 00:07:22.610 there by waves and carried about by every wind 00:07:22.610 --> 00:07:25.949 of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness 00:07:25.949 --> 00:07:29.290 and deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth 00:07:29.290 --> 00:07:32.949 in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into 00:07:32.949 --> 00:07:36.879 him. who is the head, even Christ, from whom 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:39.699 the whole body, being fitted and held together 00:07:39.699 --> 00:07:42.519 by that which every joint supplies according 00:07:42.519 --> 00:07:45.300 to the proper working of each individual part, 00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:49.199 causes the growth of the body for the building 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:54.279 up of itself in love. That, my friend, is biblical 00:07:54.279 --> 00:07:59.300 church growth, which is provided for by our maturing, 00:07:59.300 --> 00:08:04.290 by our unifying. When the process of verse 12 00:08:04.290 --> 00:08:07.910 takes place, a process that we talked about in 00:08:07.910 --> 00:08:11.730 detail last week, when that process takes place, 00:08:11.730 --> 00:08:15.569 there are two results in a church. One is that 00:08:15.569 --> 00:08:20.449 it grows up, and the result is protection, verse 00:08:20.449 --> 00:08:25.509 14. And the other is that it grows out. Let's 00:08:25.509 --> 00:08:29.279 call that propagation. The two results of the 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:32.240 process of verse 12 taking place in any local 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:38.639 church will be protection and propagation. Now, 00:08:38.659 --> 00:08:42.019 why do I say protection? Well, because there 00:08:42.019 --> 00:08:46.139 is a danger, a danger that arises out of immaturity. 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:51.639 The word here, children, that he uses in verse 00:08:51.639 --> 00:08:55.490 14. is the same word that he used in 1 Corinthians 00:08:55.490 --> 00:09:00.690 3 and called it babes. It refers to immature 00:09:00.690 --> 00:09:05.870 infants. Literally, it is one who does not talk. 00:09:06.429 --> 00:09:09.929 It is one who is still in that early babyhood. 00:09:10.970 --> 00:09:14.389 Now, of course, every child of God begins there 00:09:14.389 --> 00:09:18.750 because we are born again into God's family. 00:09:19.629 --> 00:09:22.889 That born -again experience is through faith 00:09:22.889 --> 00:09:26.809 in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sin 00:09:26.809 --> 00:09:30.409 and rose again from the dead. It is our faith 00:09:30.409 --> 00:09:34.590 in Him who did that. It is our placing of our 00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:38.129 trust in that good news about Him that He died 00:09:38.129 --> 00:09:40.389 for us, that we can be forgiven and have eternal 00:09:40.389 --> 00:09:44.350 life. It is that which causes us to be born into 00:09:44.350 --> 00:09:47.070 God's family as infants. We all begin there. 00:09:47.710 --> 00:09:53.110 Infancy is normal, but prolonged infancy is abnormal. 00:09:55.750 --> 00:09:59.629 The normal expectation is that a maturing process 00:09:59.629 --> 00:10:04.970 will take place in the physical life and in one's 00:10:04.970 --> 00:10:08.490 spiritual life. And that maturing process is 00:10:08.490 --> 00:10:14.409 described in verses 12 and 13. Immature children 00:10:14.409 --> 00:10:20.779 of God are vulnerable to spiritual enemies. They're 00:10:20.779 --> 00:10:26.240 like young animals that are vulnerable to the 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:29.120 predators. I was sitting in the office the other 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:31.700 day looking out in the backyard of our office 00:10:31.700 --> 00:10:34.480 complex, and there were three little baby rabbits 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:37.519 hopping around, just as cute as they could be, 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:41.340 not a fear in the world. I walked by one the 00:10:41.340 --> 00:10:45.500 other day, didn't run at all. That little rabbit 00:10:45.500 --> 00:10:47.919 hasn't learned the fear of predators yet. He's 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:50.519 vulnerable. It may not even last through the 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:56.500 spring. That's the way it is. The young are susceptible 00:10:56.500 --> 00:11:00.820 to predators. It is true spiritually as well, 00:11:00.840 --> 00:11:04.539 my friend. You see, the danger of immaturity 00:11:04.539 --> 00:11:08.399 that the apostle points out here is the instability 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:13.230 that comes from it. the unsteadiness that is 00:11:13.230 --> 00:11:17.789 a part of immaturity. A young child is unsteady 00:11:17.789 --> 00:11:20.049 in those early years, just learning to walk. 00:11:20.110 --> 00:11:25.509 There are all kinds of bumps and bruises. As 00:11:25.509 --> 00:11:29.789 I say, that is normal for a period of time. But 00:11:29.789 --> 00:11:32.330 the apostle is concerned here that there are 00:11:32.330 --> 00:11:34.529 some of the Ephesians, apparently, who were still 00:11:34.529 --> 00:11:39.090 in their babyhood. For he says, no longer be 00:11:39.090 --> 00:11:44.950 children. No longer be that way. Grow up, he 00:11:44.950 --> 00:11:51.889 is saying, to be protected. Instability is pictured 00:11:51.889 --> 00:11:54.450 for us here in three different ways. There is, 00:11:54.470 --> 00:11:56.389 first of all, a nautical picture. Do you see 00:11:56.389 --> 00:12:01.929 that? Tossed here and there by waves. The picture 00:12:01.929 --> 00:12:05.610 is obvious. Waves tossing back and forth, churning, 00:12:05.789 --> 00:12:09.230 boiling, the unsettled condition of an ocean 00:12:09.230 --> 00:12:14.200 in a hurricane. Now he says that it's possible 00:12:14.200 --> 00:12:17.419 for one who is young in the faith or who is still 00:12:17.419 --> 00:12:20.139 a baby in the faith to be the same way mentally 00:12:20.139 --> 00:12:23.500 and spiritually, tossed back and forth without 00:12:23.500 --> 00:12:26.799 stability. Another picture that he uses is a 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:31.000 meteorological picture. He says, carried about 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:35.379 by every wind of doctrine. Literally the picture 00:12:35.379 --> 00:12:40.139 is to be whirled around by gusty winds of teaching. 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:45.820 We went down to the Twins game the other night 00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:50.960 to cheer them on to another loss. As we were 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:53.299 departing from the Metrodome, I was amazed at 00:12:53.299 --> 00:12:55.379 the air pressure that literally pushes you out 00:12:55.379 --> 00:12:56.799 the door. Have you been down there and experienced 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:01.399 that? As you walk out the door, the air is behind 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:03.440 you so strong that you literally have to walk 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:07.480 quickly through the door out. But that's the 00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:09.720 picture here. It's the gust of wind pushing, 00:13:09.940 --> 00:13:14.080 shoving. Even whirling around, when I think of 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:17.600 this, I think of Dorothy being caught up into 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:21.460 that Kansas tornado and that house turning round 00:13:21.460 --> 00:13:24.299 and round and round and round until finally she 00:13:24.299 --> 00:13:27.820 falls down in the land of Oz. And she comes out 00:13:27.820 --> 00:13:29.759 and she doesn't know where she is. And she's 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:33.740 dizzy and uncertain and unsteady. The exact picture 00:13:33.740 --> 00:13:37.309 here. He's talking about false teachers who, 00:13:37.370 --> 00:13:40.110 with winds of doctrine, cause people to be turned 00:13:40.110 --> 00:13:43.149 around and around until finally they end up in 00:13:43.149 --> 00:13:46.490 the land of Oz theologically, too. They don't 00:13:46.490 --> 00:13:51.190 know where they are, unsure and unsteady. And 00:13:51.190 --> 00:13:54.230 then a third picture is a sociological picture. 00:13:55.169 --> 00:13:59.610 He speaks about the trickery of men, craftiness 00:13:59.610 --> 00:14:05.590 and deceitful scheming. Here he talks about cheaters 00:14:05.590 --> 00:14:11.389 who are able to trick others, who make promises 00:14:11.389 --> 00:14:17.250 that are not kept, who use tricks of their trade 00:14:17.250 --> 00:14:22.470 to entrap. This very same word is used of Jesus 00:14:22.470 --> 00:14:26.070 detecting the trickery of the Pharisees in their 00:14:26.070 --> 00:14:30.769 question in Luke 20, 23. The apostle is warning 00:14:30.769 --> 00:14:34.669 here about those who are cunning deceivers. Literally 00:14:34.669 --> 00:14:39.190 the word here is dice players. You get the idea 00:14:39.190 --> 00:14:42.750 of gamblers who are able to use signals to cheat 00:14:42.750 --> 00:14:48.470 the innocent person. The use of cleverly devised 00:14:48.470 --> 00:14:52.809 methods to deceive, and in the case here, to 00:14:52.809 --> 00:14:56.909 lead immature people away from the truth to error. 00:14:57.090 --> 00:15:00.110 That is involved in the thought. The goal you 00:15:00.110 --> 00:15:04.049 see here is to introduce this immature person 00:15:04.049 --> 00:15:08.669 to a false way of thinking or a false system 00:15:08.669 --> 00:15:13.350 of belief. There are certain religious sects 00:15:13.350 --> 00:15:20.649 that prey upon new converts. You can almost count 00:15:20.649 --> 00:15:23.889 on it that if you lead somebody to Jesus Christ, 00:15:23.970 --> 00:15:28.919 during those early months, That person will be 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:32.059 exposed to someone who will come around with 00:15:32.059 --> 00:15:36.139 another idea, another way of thinking, and there 00:15:36.139 --> 00:15:40.720 will be an attempt to steal that fruit. There 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:43.080 will be an attempt to cause that new convert 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:47.519 to take a sidestep and get on the wrong path. 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:50.559 That's what the apostle is warning about. That 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:54.279 is the danger that faces those who are immature. 00:15:58.779 --> 00:16:01.860 instability. Beware of those who prey on new 00:16:01.860 --> 00:16:06.279 converts or on immature believers. Satan seeks 00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:11.279 to hinder genuine maturity by deceitful schemes 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:15.240 that is leading people into error, which brings 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:18.279 condemnation. The point here is this, that growing 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:22.659 up into maturity, which happens back in verses 00:16:22.659 --> 00:16:26.919 12 and 13 in that process, The equipping process 00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:29.799 where we all are involved in ministry and the 00:16:29.799 --> 00:16:32.899 result is the body is built up toward unity of 00:16:32.899 --> 00:16:36.399 faith and a deeper knowledge of Christ. The point 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:39.100 is that as that process is being carried out 00:16:39.100 --> 00:16:44.200 in our own personal experience, there is protection. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:48.679 There is protection from the danger that is described 00:16:48.679 --> 00:16:53.659 in verse 14. The danger will not go away. There 00:16:53.659 --> 00:16:56.539 will always be these pressures and these temptations 00:16:56.539 --> 00:16:59.840 and these snares. But you see, growing up and 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:03.299 being a part of a maturing, growing church of 00:17:03.299 --> 00:17:08.079 believers helps provide protection. God didn't 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:11.500 create us to be out there by ourselves, isolated 00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:14.660 from other believers. He wants us to be vitally 00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:17.200 locked into a fellowship of his people. That's 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:20.700 what the whole context here is about. Personal 00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:24.390 growth. And being in a growing, unified local 00:17:24.390 --> 00:17:28.490 church will make one less susceptible to religious 00:17:28.490 --> 00:17:32.990 fads and less likely to be taken in by hucksters 00:17:32.990 --> 00:17:38.710 of false religion. So one result of the equipping 00:17:38.710 --> 00:17:42.789 process is protection. It's protection that I 00:17:42.789 --> 00:17:47.269 hope you know. Our second result is propagation. 00:17:47.690 --> 00:17:52.680 That is growth, increase. multiplication, described 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:58.819 in verses 15 and 16. A healthy body grows. An 00:17:58.819 --> 00:18:03.339 unhealthy body doesn't. Now growth is not always 00:18:03.339 --> 00:18:05.960 or merely measured in numbers. Don't misunderstand. 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:10.579 That is one measurement. But there are other 00:18:10.579 --> 00:18:14.059 measurements as well. The bottom line is still 00:18:14.059 --> 00:18:17.779 true that a healthy body grows. It propagates. 00:18:18.670 --> 00:18:22.049 And notice that he begins in verse 15 by a prerequisite 00:18:22.049 --> 00:18:27.410 for growth. He says, speaking the truth in love, 00:18:27.450 --> 00:18:32.069 we are to grow up. In other words, before we 00:18:32.069 --> 00:18:34.009 can grow up, there has to be what he literally 00:18:34.009 --> 00:18:39.710 says, truthing in love. Truthing in love. This 00:18:39.710 --> 00:18:42.569 is certainly in contrast to what verse 14 is 00:18:42.569 --> 00:18:47.630 about. There he warns of deceit. trickery and 00:18:47.630 --> 00:18:51.450 craftiness. Now he says we're to have nothing 00:18:51.450 --> 00:18:54.869 to do with any of that. But truthing in love, 00:18:54.950 --> 00:18:58.250 he says, speaking the truth, or doing the truth 00:18:58.250 --> 00:19:02.269 in love, we're to grow up. I believe that the 00:19:02.269 --> 00:19:05.450 apostle here is telling us that a healthy relationship 00:19:05.450 --> 00:19:10.210 in a fellowship of believers must be based upon 00:19:10.210 --> 00:19:15.289 honesty. Honesty, truthfulness that is tempered 00:19:15.289 --> 00:19:19.480 with love. Our honesty should not be brutal. 00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:28.359 Our love should not be weak and impotent. The 00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:33.940 two go together. Exercising truth, transparency, 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:38.180 honesty in love toward others in the fellowship. 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:44.660 Most of us are more talented at masquerading. 00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:53.599 We use words to hide ourselves, to put masks 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:58.400 upon our faces or our true being, pretending 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:03.180 to be something that we're not. There is nothing 00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:06.960 that will short -circuit maturity faster than 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:16.319 that. If you and I really want to grow up spiritually, 00:20:17.099 --> 00:20:20.359 And if we want our church to grow up spiritually, 00:20:20.740 --> 00:20:25.900 then we have to learn to be honest, lovingly 00:20:25.900 --> 00:20:30.359 transparent in our relationships, being willing 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:35.059 to risk ourselves with others by taking the mask 00:20:35.059 --> 00:20:39.960 off, and being willing to lovingly minister to 00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:45.660 others as they are honest with us. That's what 00:20:45.660 --> 00:20:47.779 the apostle is describing in this prerequisite 00:20:47.779 --> 00:20:52.319 for growth. Are you willing to grow? Do you want 00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:55.960 to grow that bad? That you're willing to truth 00:20:55.960 --> 00:21:01.299 it in love? And then the direction of growth 00:21:01.299 --> 00:21:03.220 is pointed out to us. He says we are to grow 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:07.279 up in all aspects into him who is the head, even 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:11.779 Christ. The goal or the aim, the direction of 00:21:11.779 --> 00:21:17.190 our growth is to be toward a more intimate oneness 00:21:17.190 --> 00:21:22.029 with Christ. Now because of some of the false 00:21:22.029 --> 00:21:24.690 teaching that's available today, let me quickly 00:21:24.690 --> 00:21:30.069 say that never is the distinction lost between 00:21:30.069 --> 00:21:35.430 God and his redeemed creatures. Never do we become 00:21:35.430 --> 00:21:41.880 one in the sense that we all become God. There 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:45.759 is forever an infinite distinction between the 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:48.700 eternal personal God and the redeemed creature. 00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:53.900 But God in love has united us nonetheless with 00:21:53.900 --> 00:21:57.400 himself. And what the apostle is saying here 00:21:57.400 --> 00:22:01.460 is that our growth is aimed that we might have 00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:07.240 a raised awareness of our union with Jesus Christ 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:09.779 and all the ramifications that come from that. 00:22:10.859 --> 00:22:14.559 that we might ever follow after him as our Lord. 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:19.960 And he says regarding this, in all aspects or 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:23.059 in all respects. In other words, there is to 00:22:23.059 --> 00:22:27.059 be no area of life without the involvement of 00:22:27.059 --> 00:22:32.460 him who is our head and our Lord. We are to grow 00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:35.200 in our understanding of our oneness with him 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:39.279 and how that impacts every area of our daily 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:43.529 living. There should be a deepening awareness 00:22:43.529 --> 00:22:47.470 of the sacredness of every part of life. Life 00:22:47.470 --> 00:22:52.170 is not segmented. The life is whole, and it is 00:22:52.170 --> 00:22:57.690 all under his lordship. Horatio Benar said, So 00:22:57.690 --> 00:23:02.390 shall no part of day or night from sacredness 00:23:02.390 --> 00:23:07.529 be free, but all my life, in every step, be fellowship 00:23:07.529 --> 00:23:13.259 with thee. That's what Paul is saying here. That's 00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:17.200 the direction of our growth. Is your life increasingly 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:20.500 coming under the lordship of Jesus Christ as 00:23:20.500 --> 00:23:22.420 you understand what it means that you're united 00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:26.180 with him? Is that the way you're growing up? 00:23:28.380 --> 00:23:30.539 Now, the description of the growth is further 00:23:30.539 --> 00:23:34.680 given to us in verse 16, where he says, if you 00:23:34.680 --> 00:23:37.019 break the verse down, from whom, that is the 00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:41.230 head Jesus Christ, who is our source, from whom 00:23:41.230 --> 00:23:44.890 the whole body causes the growth of the body 00:23:44.890 --> 00:23:49.670 for the building up of itself in love. You see, 00:23:49.730 --> 00:23:56.130 the whole body causes the growth. As a body grows 00:23:56.130 --> 00:24:00.970 strong when fitted and held together by that 00:24:00.970 --> 00:24:06.089 which every joint or ligament supplies, so Christ's 00:24:06.089 --> 00:24:12.789 body, grows as each member functions actively 00:24:12.789 --> 00:24:16.009 and cooperatively according to his God -given 00:24:16.009 --> 00:24:21.309 ability. That's his point. That's how the growth 00:24:21.309 --> 00:24:25.509 takes place. The equipping process is taking 00:24:25.509 --> 00:24:28.329 place right here this morning. This is one aspect 00:24:28.329 --> 00:24:31.970 of it. As you hear the Word of God and then respond 00:24:31.970 --> 00:24:35.660 to it. Now as the equipping takes place in your 00:24:35.660 --> 00:24:39.160 life, in this context and in others, the point 00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:42.039 is that you then begin to minister more and more 00:24:42.039 --> 00:24:46.519 efficiently and fully as God has gifted you. 00:24:47.500 --> 00:24:50.500 And as each of us does that, the result is that 00:24:50.500 --> 00:24:53.079 the whole body causes the whole body to grow. 00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:59.000 It, of course, is distressing when even one member 00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:02.920 of the body refuses to grow. refuses to be equipped, 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:07.099 refuses to minister. Because, you see, even one 00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:12.539 weakens the whole. The whole of the body is threatened 00:25:12.539 --> 00:25:17.480 when even one of us does not grow and mature 00:25:17.480 --> 00:25:20.039 in Jesus Christ. That's how critical this is. 00:25:20.420 --> 00:25:24.940 We're not talking about some nice theory. We're 00:25:24.940 --> 00:25:27.500 talking about the reality of a growing church. 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:34.200 A church is only going to grow up and grow out 00:25:34.200 --> 00:25:40.079 as you and I individually understand our role 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:43.140 and we're functioning as we're being equipped, 00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:47.380 serving the Lord, ministering to others as God 00:25:47.380 --> 00:25:50.440 has called us to minister, and then the whole 00:25:50.440 --> 00:25:56.599 body grows. As we serve the Lord and use our 00:25:56.599 --> 00:26:01.700 gifts, abilities, resources, working toward a 00:26:01.700 --> 00:26:06.920 unified, maturing local church. The result will 00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:11.779 be, number one, protection from spiritual pitfalls 00:26:11.779 --> 00:26:16.920 and snares. And number two, propagation or growth. 00:26:18.180 --> 00:26:21.539 Growth first in our intimacy with Jesus Christ 00:26:21.539 --> 00:26:26.670 as we understand our union with Him. Growth then 00:26:26.670 --> 00:26:31.410 likewise in our church's strength as we build 00:26:31.410 --> 00:26:36.329 up the body in love. And then growth in effectiveness 00:26:36.329 --> 00:26:38.930 in outreach, because you see that's here too. 00:26:39.450 --> 00:26:45.130 For as the body grows up and is built up and 00:26:45.130 --> 00:26:48.750 becomes stronger, it incorporates new people 00:26:48.750 --> 00:26:52.839 who are one to Jesus Christ. And as they are 00:26:52.839 --> 00:26:58.119 incorporated, they likewise are equipped to serve 00:26:58.119 --> 00:27:00.380 the Lord according to the abilities He's given 00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:03.539 them. And then they are part of the building 00:27:03.539 --> 00:27:06.380 process. And then there are more incorporated. 00:27:06.440 --> 00:27:09.640 You see how it works? That is church growth. 00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:14.019 That is what church unity provides, biblical 00:27:14.019 --> 00:27:18.599 church growth. Grace Church Roseville is moving 00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:22.980 in that direction. We haven't by any means arrived 00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:30.319 there. But as one by one, more of us seek to 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:34.259 obey the Word of God and walk pleasing to Him, 00:27:34.420 --> 00:27:40.220 as we take another step in our own personal maturity, 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:45.859 as we become more unified, mature, and healthy 00:27:45.859 --> 00:27:49.619 as a church, then we're going in the right direction. 00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:54.400 Are you ready this morning to take another step 00:27:54.400 --> 00:28:00.400 in your own walk with God? It's impossible for 00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:02.960 me to define what that step may be precisely. 00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:07.359 But for someone here, it may mean speaking the 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:12.579 truth in love. That is, being willing to take 00:28:12.579 --> 00:28:16.980 off the mask and to be honest. Maybe you need, 00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:21.170 first of all, to be honest with yourself. The 00:28:21.170 --> 00:28:23.930 Bible over and over warns us about deceiving 00:28:23.930 --> 00:28:28.509 ourselves. It may be that you have been lying 00:28:28.509 --> 00:28:32.910 to yourself so long about a certain area of your 00:28:32.910 --> 00:28:38.150 life. What you really need to do today is to 00:28:38.150 --> 00:28:43.829 receive the truth about yourself. And then are 00:28:43.829 --> 00:28:45.890 you willing to take the next step beyond that 00:28:45.890 --> 00:28:52.539 to talk to God about it? and to take the mask 00:28:52.539 --> 00:28:58.980 off toward others. For someone else, it may mean 00:28:58.980 --> 00:29:04.839 making a commitment to a local church. Some of 00:29:04.839 --> 00:29:06.859 us play games with this thing regarding church. 00:29:09.099 --> 00:29:11.880 And we think that just by going to church on 00:29:11.880 --> 00:29:13.880 Sunday morning, somehow that's going to make 00:29:13.880 --> 00:29:16.039 us grow, and it's going to help the church to 00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:21.190 grow. That's a silly, childish game. Because 00:29:21.190 --> 00:29:27.430 it doesn't happen that way. Folks, if we're going 00:29:27.430 --> 00:29:30.690 to grow up, we have to put away the kid games. 00:29:32.089 --> 00:29:35.190 And we have to understand that there is no growth 00:29:35.190 --> 00:29:42.069 without commitment. Unless we are willing to 00:29:42.069 --> 00:29:44.890 take a hold of the plow, the field will not be 00:29:44.890 --> 00:29:51.059 plowed. Unless we are willing to get serious 00:29:51.059 --> 00:29:53.940 about being involved in a local church by becoming 00:29:53.940 --> 00:29:58.559 a member of that church, by faithfully being 00:29:58.559 --> 00:30:01.220 a part of the giving stewardship of that church, 00:30:01.380 --> 00:30:05.640 in serving the Lord in that church, being a part 00:30:05.640 --> 00:30:09.440 of its ministry, supporting that church by our 00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:16.079 prayers, being behind those who are leading the 00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:20.279 church. ministering to those in the body who 00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:23.539 are hurting and crying out for a friend, who 00:30:23.539 --> 00:30:25.839 desperately want to take the mask off, but they 00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:28.059 need someone to reach out with a friendly hand 00:30:28.059 --> 00:30:32.519 and help them. Until we're willing to make those 00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:35.099 kinds of deep commitments, there's no growth. 00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:39.400 And so for some of us today, it may mean this, 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:41.599 that we need to take a step of commitment toward 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:47.059 involvement in a local church. If you've been 00:30:47.059 --> 00:30:49.019 a part of this church for some time and you've 00:30:49.019 --> 00:30:51.339 not become a member of it, I want to encourage 00:30:51.339 --> 00:30:55.859 you to do that. Because that's important for 00:30:55.859 --> 00:31:00.319 you as it is for the church. We're not involved 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:03.680 in a game. We're involved in a war in this world. 00:31:04.299 --> 00:31:07.400 We're involved in a great cause for our commanding 00:31:07.400 --> 00:31:11.859 officer, Jesus Christ. And we can't play at that. 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:17.079 We've got to be serious. That may be the step 00:31:17.079 --> 00:31:20.099 you need to take today, a step of commitment, 00:31:20.220 --> 00:31:23.880 definite, deeper commitment to the local church. 00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:29.180 There may be something even more painful that 00:31:29.180 --> 00:31:33.220 you need to do. It may be that you, in order 00:31:33.220 --> 00:31:35.259 to take another step of growth in your life, 00:31:35.339 --> 00:31:41.519 need to go to someone that you've offended, someone 00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:46.529 against whom you've had a grudge. And you need 00:31:46.529 --> 00:31:51.869 to make it right. The only way to do that is 00:31:51.869 --> 00:31:55.450 to go to that person and to talk it out. Doing 00:31:55.450 --> 00:31:58.069 what he says here, speaking the truth in love. 00:31:59.829 --> 00:32:03.509 It may be that you need to go to someone who 00:32:03.509 --> 00:32:05.490 is right here in this auditorium this morning 00:32:05.490 --> 00:32:08.670 or someone that you have to call on the telephone 00:32:08.670 --> 00:32:11.890 this afternoon and you need to say to that person, 00:32:12.009 --> 00:32:17.109 you know, I have had feelings about thus and 00:32:17.109 --> 00:32:21.630 so that happened, and I want to ask your forgiveness 00:32:21.630 --> 00:32:25.450 for the way that I felt about that. You say, 00:32:25.490 --> 00:32:31.369 that hurts. That's hard. Yes. I believe that 00:32:31.369 --> 00:32:36.410 God has designed it that way. He's designed it 00:32:36.410 --> 00:32:38.450 that way so that we remember the next time we're 00:32:38.450 --> 00:32:41.410 tempted to do it again that it hurts to make 00:32:41.410 --> 00:32:50.579 it right. Is that a step you need to take? It 00:32:50.579 --> 00:32:54.400 may be that you need to allow God to do surgery 00:32:54.400 --> 00:32:59.980 on your heart. That there is some attitude. Maybe 00:32:59.980 --> 00:33:03.660 it is bitterness. Bitterness against God. Anger 00:33:03.660 --> 00:33:08.079 against God for his dealings. What he has allowed 00:33:08.079 --> 00:33:10.920 to happen in your life. Some great disappointment 00:33:10.920 --> 00:33:16.259 perhaps. Today you need to say to God, okay God, 00:33:16.519 --> 00:33:23.880 I'm willing to let you cut that out of me. The 00:33:23.880 --> 00:33:25.619 commitment you need to make is to go into the 00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:29.500 spiritual hospital for surgery so that the heavenly 00:33:29.500 --> 00:33:33.700 surgeon can excise that infection that has been 00:33:33.700 --> 00:33:36.000 draining into your life and poisoning not only 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:46.259 you, but others around you. If we're going to 00:33:46.259 --> 00:33:51.319 move in the right direction as a church, if we're 00:33:51.319 --> 00:33:54.079 going to move toward maturity personally, it 00:33:54.079 --> 00:33:57.980 involves steps. Sometimes they are small steps, 00:33:58.099 --> 00:34:04.019 and sometimes they seem gigantic. But whatever 00:34:04.019 --> 00:34:06.619 the step is before you today, will you take it 00:34:06.619 --> 00:34:13.610 by the grace of God? If you do not know the Lord 00:34:13.610 --> 00:34:16.030 Jesus Christ as your Savior, let me tell you 00:34:16.030 --> 00:34:19.670 that that is the step for you. The step of trusting 00:34:19.670 --> 00:34:24.369 Him. Or as the New Testament puts it, receiving 00:34:24.369 --> 00:34:31.230 Him as your Savior and your Lord. Will you put 00:34:31.230 --> 00:34:33.409 away whatever you've trusted in up to this point 00:34:33.409 --> 00:34:37.550 and come to the Lord Jesus today and say, Lord 00:34:37.550 --> 00:34:42.210 Jesus Christ. I understand that you died for 00:34:42.210 --> 00:34:46.269 me. Maybe you've known that for years. But you're 00:34:46.269 --> 00:34:48.409 saying today, Lord Jesus Christ, I understand 00:34:48.409 --> 00:34:53.449 you died for me. And now personally, I open my 00:34:53.449 --> 00:34:57.610 heart's door and receive you. Come in and save 00:34:57.610 --> 00:35:08.510 me. Let's pray together. Father, across this 00:35:08.510 --> 00:35:12.690 auditorium, You are speaking to hearts as only 00:35:12.690 --> 00:35:18.590 you can. Thank you for that quiet voice of the 00:35:18.590 --> 00:35:24.889 Holy Spirit, that voice that persistently comes 00:35:24.889 --> 00:35:33.289 to us, faithfully speaks, even when it irritates 00:35:33.289 --> 00:35:39.619 us. We thank you. I pray that at this moment 00:35:39.619 --> 00:35:46.119 we will no longer resist, but that each of us 00:35:46.119 --> 00:35:51.619 will take that step we need to take. Lord, in 00:35:51.619 --> 00:35:57.059 the quietness of these closing seconds, as hundreds 00:35:57.059 --> 00:36:02.380 of us speak with you privately, talking about 00:36:02.380 --> 00:36:07.869 that next step, Hear us and deal with us, we 00:36:07.869 --> 00:36:13.070 pray. Now, my friend, where you're seated, would 00:36:13.070 --> 00:36:18.250 you talk with God? Acknowledge to him what needs 00:36:18.250 --> 00:36:21.150 to be done and then ask his grace in following 00:36:21.150 --> 00:36:40.869 through with that step. Now, having talked to 00:36:40.869 --> 00:36:46.010 the Lord about it, at least initially, would 00:36:46.010 --> 00:36:48.909 you, with your head bowed, lift your hand and 00:36:48.909 --> 00:36:52.829 say, Pastor, today God has spoken to me, and 00:36:52.829 --> 00:36:55.309 I have talked with him, and there is a step that 00:36:55.309 --> 00:36:58.449 I know God wants me to make, and I am committing 00:36:58.449 --> 00:37:02.730 myself, by the uplifting of my hand, to follow 00:37:02.730 --> 00:37:05.730 through. Would you lift your hand and then put 00:37:05.730 --> 00:37:12.820 it down? Yes, thank God. Many, many hands. Anyone 00:37:12.820 --> 00:37:16.239 else? I know what I need to do, and I'm willing 00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:19.659 today to do it. And I've asked God for grace 00:37:19.659 --> 00:37:25.239 to do it. Anyone else? I wonder if you're here 00:37:25.239 --> 00:37:27.159 today without the Lord Jesus. Yes, thank you. 00:37:27.179 --> 00:37:29.039 I see your hand over there. If you're here without 00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:31.280 the Lord Jesus, and you would say by the uplifted 00:37:31.280 --> 00:37:33.420 hand, Pastor, I'm not a Christian, I'm not saved, 00:37:33.420 --> 00:37:36.019 but I would like today to trust Christ. Pray 00:37:36.019 --> 00:37:38.000 for me in closing. Would you lift your hand? 00:37:39.500 --> 00:37:41.260 The lifting of your hand isn't going to save 00:37:41.260 --> 00:37:43.139 you, but it will give me an opportunity to pray 00:37:43.139 --> 00:37:46.460 for you. Though I'm not going to embarrass you 00:37:46.460 --> 00:37:48.820 or come back where you are, at least I know who 00:37:48.820 --> 00:37:52.440 you are in my mind as I pray. I'm not a Christian, 00:37:52.480 --> 00:37:56.659 but pray for me. I need to trust Christ. Anyone? 00:38:02.920 --> 00:38:05.119 Father, as we close this service, I pray that 00:38:05.119 --> 00:38:08.460 you will bring to a culmination, a consummation, 00:38:09.130 --> 00:38:12.610 your dealings in our lives. Let us not escape, 00:38:12.909 --> 00:38:18.510 but rather let us yield and surrender to your 00:38:18.510 --> 00:38:20.969 Lordship. In Jesus' name, amen.