God's Masterpiece of Spiritual Growth (2)

The Christian life is not based on ignorance but truth in the knowledge and better understanding of Biblical doctrine. Once we understand this the easier it is to obey what God has called us to do.

When people say, “Don’t talk to me about doctrine - just let me live my Christian life!” or “Don’t talk to me about Doctrine - just give me Jesus!” they are revealing their ignorance of the way the Holy Spirit works in our lives.

It makes no difference what you believe, just as long as you live right” is a similar confession of ignorance.

It does make a difference what you believe, because what you believe determines how you are going to walk, live, and govern your Life!

BIG IDEA: You may TALK the TALK but do you WALK the WALK?

What does talk the talk but do not walk the walk mean? If you say that someone talks the talk but does not walk the walk, you mean that they do not act in a way that agrees with the tings they say.

Ephesians 4:1–13 ESV

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 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,

“I urge you”

Ephesians 4:14 ESV

14 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.

“so that”

Ephesians 4:15–16 ESV

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 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.

“Rather”

Unity and Diversity in the Church

The new society in which God is calling into existence has two major Characteristics.

It so ‘one’ people, composed equally of Jews and Gentiles, the single family of god.

It is a ‘holy’ people, distinct from the secular world, set apart to belong to God.

Jewish people would pray, thank God I was not born a Gentile.

What does it take to experience this kind of oneness and Unity within the Body of Christ?

1. It all depends on the worthy walk of God’s people.

Christian Life Is a Journey, Not an Arrival

It has been called the greatest rescue mission of World War II. Late in that war, American bombers were sent on dangerous missions over southern Europe to cripple the Nazis' oil supplies. Hundreds of crews in flying tin cans soared through storms of anti-aircraft shells. Many American pilots were forced to bail from their shot-up planes. The injured airmen drifted by parachute into occupied Yugoslavia, expecting to be captured or killed.

Instead, on the ground remarkable rescue teams were already in place. Serbian peasants tracked the path of the floating flight crews. Their sole mission was to grab the flyboys and bring them to safety—before the Nazis arrived. Risking their own lives, the peasants fed and sheltered the downed solders. These rescued men were in friendly hands but on enemy soil. They still needed to escape.

The story of what became known as Operation Haylard builds toward a daring mission, a secret landing strip, and a clandestine evacuation plan. Amazingly, those Serbian peasants rescued every single American airman—over 500 in all. Here's the fascinating subplot to the rescue. To travel to the evacuation site, the airmen had to spend weeks following the Serbian freedom fighters, who alone knew the path to the evacuation site. Despite the profound language barriers, the direction, the pace, and the destination were in the hands of their rescuers. The men had been saved from their enemy, but the journey had just begun. They still had to walk to freedom.

The story of Operation Halyard sheds light on an important spiritual reality: to be rescued from something sets us on the path toward something.

For the airmen it was a journey of survival. For us it's a journey of faith. The One who saved us is now calling us to walk. It's nonnegotiable. Though snatched from spiritual death, we soon discover that the Christian life isn't an arrival; it's an adventure. Christ rescues us then he points us to the path of following him.

The apostle Paul describes this active view of the Christian life in his letter to the Ephesians, urging them to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called" (4:1).

NOTE: Writing from prison means that Paul is writing from an extreme and dangerous situation.

Real, radical Christianity is risky and unpopular and dangerous. Jesus had given his followers many warnings that following him was not safe in the long run and dangerous in the short run.

There is something powerful about a prison testimony where your life is at stake. That is the power and urgency that Paul has behind his words.

“I Urge You”

This word urge has a strong meaning behind it. We see a similar wording in Romans 12:1 where Paul declares, “I appeal to you by the mercies of God.” The duty of every follower of Christ is to live a life worthy of their calling in Christ Jesus our Lord. Such Christian duty flows out of the unspeakable debt of gratitude we owe for all that we have received in Christ.

Paul again brings this thought out in 1 Thessalonians 2:12

1 Thessalonians 2:12 ESV

12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Go Back to Ephesians 2:2

Ephesians 2:2 ESV

2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

The sinful condition is lifeless and motionless, dead people do not come back to life. The walk that each one of us were taking before Christ was a picture of the course of this world following a different master, and a different Lord of our life.

HOW DO WE LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE CALLING?

4 Glaring Virtues

Virtues have been lost on Western Culture for a long tim.

Oh, we have virtue signalling going on in our culture for sure. People practice and action publically for all to see intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue. True virtues are meant for the benefit and good of others.

Humility (Lowliness)

Gentleness (Meekness)

Patience

Forbearance

HUMILITY (Lowliness)

*Humility is the place of complete dependence on God.

“Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of the creature, and the root of every virtue. And so pride, or the loss of this humility, is the root of every sin and evil.”

by Andrew Murray, the famed Pastor.

Note: Lessons of Humility were taught in the O.T. passages such as Isaiah 66:2

Isaiah 66:2 ESV

2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

To the Greeks Humility was not a virtue. To them as is the case with many non-Christians today, the concept of “the full life… leaves no room for humility. In Christ lowliness became one of the highest virtues of a true follower of Christ. His death and life were service and sacrifice without a thought of reputation. Philippians 2:6-7

Philippians 2:6–7 ESV

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Humility is an irreplaceable part of a believers life. The model of what humility looks like is found in Philippians 2:3-4

Philippians 2:3–4 ESV

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

THE GREAT ARCH ENEMY OF HUMILITY IS PRIDE

C.S. Lewis

“The essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride…It was through Pride that the devil became the devil…It is the complete anti-God state of Mind.”

Pride was not only at the root of Satan’s sin; it was also the root of Adam and Eve’s sin.

“Humility begins by recognizing that we are not God”

Note: The way we obtain humility is to have the mind of Christ. (Philippians 2:5) “Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus.

Jesus showed the ultimate way to Humility:

“Christ humbled himself by taking the form of a servant and becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross.

Biblical Scholar F.F. Bruce

“To die by crucifixion was to plumb the lowest depths of disgrace; it was a punishment for those who were subhuman.”

Christ stooped low to raise us on high. He sought our good even though it meant rejection, pain, and suffering.

Humility is the not the same as low self-esteem. Christ knew exactly who He is, “not to think of himself more highly than he should means obeying God by becoming a servant to others.

True Humility always comes at a great cost, however, it also has an even greater reward.

GENTLENESS (Meekness)

*Meekness is the gentle attitude we have towards others.

“Meekness is the quality of strong personality who is master of himself, and the servant of others. Meekness is the absence of disposition to assert your own personal rights, either in the presence of God or man.”

Note: The high place given to meekness in the list of human virtues is due to the example and teaching of Jesus Christ.

Again the pagan culture paid greater respect at the alter of self-confidence.

OT picture is given of the Messianic King Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the mount in the “b” attitudes that the meek will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)

In the NT meekness refers to an inward attitude where gentleness is expressed rather in an outward action.

The Lamb of God before His accusers.

Supreme meekness is revealed in the character of Jesus. Matthew 11:29

Matthew 11:29 ESV

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus demonstrated this to the extreme level as he stood before his unjust accusers without a word being hurled back at his accusers.

PATIENCE

*Patience is the slowness in avenging a wrong done to you.

Note: Ironically it seems that Paul thought that patience should follow the call to be gentle and meek. Perhaps Paul felt that we would need a great deal of patience to fulfill the first two on the list.

Patience: The ability to take a great deal of punishment from evil people or circumstances without losing one’s temper, without becoming irritated and angry, or without taking vengeance. It includes the capacity to bear pain or trials without complaint, the ability to forbear under severe provocation, and the self-control which keeps one from acting rashly even though suffering opposition or adversity.

God operates with Patience towards us

Why should we show patience to others? We read that God is slow to anger and abounding in Love towards us.

Nehemiah 9:17 ESV

17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

It is God’s great patience and kindness with how he deals with the sinner that lead people to repentance. Romans 2:4

Romans 2:4 ESV

4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

The attributes of God are shown clearly in His patient enduring mercy and kindness towards us.

The delay in Christ’s return is not an indication of slowness on God’s part, says Peter, but of his long-suffering for us. 2 Peter 3:9

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

So, the great patience that God has for us is also a vital characteristic of all who would bear the name Christian.

It is in the fruit of the spirit that we are all given the gift of patience when we become a follower of Christ.

It is not a matter of whether we possess the ability to show patience it is a matter of whether we will choose to show patience.

Forbearance (longsuffering)

*Forbearance is bearing with one another’s weaknesses.

Forbearance: This is the practical outworking of longsuffering. ‘It involves bearing with one another’s shortcomings and weaknesses, not ceasing to love one’s neighbors or friends because of the faults they may have which offend or get on your nerves.

This is the idea of mutual tolerance without which unity and peace would not be possible. All of these qualities are only possible in love. For love is the basic attitude of seeking the highest good of others, and it will lead to all these qualities and include them all. Remember the fruit of the spirit that we are given at conversion are not exclusively separate. They are a package deal.

When you become a follower of Christ you do not get to pick and choose which ones you will exhibit in your life. Remember last week what we read in 3:17 “he reminded them as Christ dwells in our hearts that we are to be ‘rooted and grounded in love.’

2. It all Rises from the Unity of God’s people.

God's Spirit of Order C.H. Spurgeon

Locusts legion, they do not crowd upon each other, so as to throw their columns into confusion. This remarkable fact in natural history shows how thoroughly the Lord has infused the spirit of order into His universe, since the smallest animate creatures are as much controlled by it as are the rolling spheres or the seraphic messengers.

It would be wise for believers to be ruled by the same influence in all their spiritual life. In their Christian graces no one virtue should usurp the sphere of another, or eat out the vitals of the rest for its own support. Affection must not smother honesty, courage must not elbow weakness out of the field, modesty must not jostle energy, and patience must not slaughter resolution.

The typical American Church Experience: Organically Flawed?

“I wonder if a big part of the problem that Christians face is not owed to the fact that most Christians in America do not experience relational, interpersonal, supernatural church life the way the New Testament describes it.

Psychological problems, marriage problems, parenting problems, self-identity problems, financial problems, career problems, loneliness, addictions, phobias, weaknesses - I wonder if the epidemic of emotional and psychological problems are not a symptom of an organic flaw in the way most Christians experience Church life?”

How most Christians View Corporate Church Life

For most Christians church life is merely a Sunday morning event of worship service ant that is all. A smaller percentage maybe throw in a Bible study class here and there which may have very little interpersonal qualities to them. Now, don’t get me wrong I do think there is great valued in coming together as a Church for worship.

However, you cannot read the New Testament and come away with the idea that church life is supposed to be worship services and Bible study groups.

The effect of treating the church as merely a worship service and bible study classes is to make the people of God passive and too dependent on ordained experts. It seems that as a Church we has become pervasively passive to the point that Christ’s precious remedy for 100’s of problems is somehow missed.

If God designed the Church to function like a body with every member ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit to other members, in regular interpersonal relationship, then would it be surprising to find that the neglect of this regular interpersonal, spiritual ministry cripples the body in some of its functions an causes parts of the body to be weak and sick?

Note: 7 times Paul uses “one” to identify the unity within the body of Christ. Three of the 7 refer to the trinity, while the other four allude to our Christian experience in relation to the three person of the Trinity.

*We are unified in One Body and Spirit

First, there is one body because there is one Spirit.

The one body that Paul is referring to is the Church, comprising of both Jews and Gentile believers. The same people that Jews used to pray that they were glad they were not born a Gentile.

The very fact that a person is a member of the one body does not excuse us from belonging to a local Church. There is nowhere in the New Testament where we find believers disembodied from the Local Church.

Therefore, it is the one Holy Spirit who indwells you and me, and brings dead things to life. Without the Holy Spirit you would not be grafted into the vine. The spirit is the one thing that unites us together.

*We are unified in one Hope

Second, there is one hope belonging to our Christian calling, one faith, and one baptism.

Because there is only one Lord Jesus Christ he is the sole object of our faith, hope, and baptism. It is Jesus alone whom we believe in and who we were all baptized and now for whose coming we now wait with great anticipation and expectant hope. Romans 5:5 tells us that this kind of hope will not put us to shame because of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

*We are unified in one Christian Family

There is no place else you can go on this earth and experience the kind of unifying Christian family than what you have in the Church. v.6 embraces all because there is one God and Father … who is above all and through all and in all.

Study: "We" Wins the Argument

A study reported in Psychological Science discovered that the "best" arguers are those who don't point their fingers. According to the study, the person who says "we" the most during an argument suggests the best solutions.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill used statistical analysis to study 59 couples. Spouses who used second-person pronouns (you) tended toward negativity in interactions. Those making use of first-person plural pronouns (we) provided positive solutions to problems.

The study concluded: "'We' users may have a sense of shared interest that sparks compromise and other ideas pleasing to both partners. 'You'-sayers, on the contrary, tend to criticize, disagree, justify, and otherwise team with negativity."

Note: now we repeat these three affirmations the other way around.

First: the one Father creates the one family.

Secondly: the one Lord Jesus creates the one faith, hope, baptism.

Thirdly: the one Spirit creates the one body.

The Visible and Invisible Churches Misunderstanding

It is not just about the distinction that is drawn between the visible and invisible church.

That distinction is true, the concept of the invisible Church (whose members are only known to God)which has been misused by some as an excuse for opting out of responsible membership in the visible Church.

So the distinction needs to be somewhat refined. It is all about the churches unity as an invisible reality present to the mind of God. (who say’s to himself I only have one Church) and the church’s disunity as a visible appearance which contradicts the invisible reality (causing us to say to ourselves, ‘There are hundreds of separated and competing churches’).

We are one, because God says so, and in interdenominational conventions and congresses we sense our underlying unity in Christ.

Yet outwardly and visibly as we belong to different churches and different traditions, some of which are not even in communion with one another, while others have strayed far from biblical Christianity.

To Maintain the Churches Unity we must Maintain the Churches Visibility

We must demonstrate to the world the unity that we say exists indestructibly and is not a joke but a true and glorious reality.

(Yesterday at Lions Club Park; Trunk or Treat; Easter Eggstraveganza).

Human Family Illustration

Let us imagine a family called Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. They have three sons, John, Jack, and Jerry. They are one family there is no doubt about that. In the course of time the Smith family disintegrates. Mom and dad quarrel all the time, they keep up an uneasy truce for years. The family ends in divorce. John moves to South Africa, Jack moves to Canada, Jerry moves to Australia. They never meet, text, or call each other. They even go as far as to change all of their names.

Now from the outside you may look in and say theoretically they are still family. Nothing can separate what God has joined together so Mr. and Mrs. Smith are still husband and wife, the three boys are still their sons. No one would try to minimize the tragedy that has taken place. We have many Churches that are just existing, living under the same roof.

The apostle tells us that we are to be eager to maintain unity at all costs. It is hard for us to render exactly urgency that is given here. The idea is that we are to do whatever, it takes to unify the body of Christ.

Remember when Jesus called Peter Petra the rock on which he was going to build his Church, and the Gates of hell will not prevail against it. Matthew 16:17-19

*We are Unified in the Diversity of our Gifts

vs. 7 refers to the measure of grace that has been given to us through the gifts of the spirit.

The measure of the gifts

It is important to understand the difference between saving Grace, the grace that saves sinners, is given to all who believe and call upon His name for Salvation;

but what is being termed now is ‘service grace’, the grace which equips God’s people to serve, is given in different degrees according to the measure of Christ’s gifts.

The word ‘grace’ in the Greek is ‘charis’, and the word for gifts is ‘charismata’, the same word we use for charismatic. The so called charismatic movement while controversial in a number of distinctive emphases, has without been used by God to bring spiritual renewal to many churches and individual Christians.

However, we should not designate a movement as charismatic, whether the people chose that term themselves or not in cannot be applied to any one group or movement within the Church, since according to the New Testament the whole Church is a Charismatic community. It is the body of Christ, every single member of which has a gift (charisma) to perform in the body.

vs. 7-10

The giver of the spiritual gifts is the ascended Christ.

He ascended the meaning is clear that after Christ’s resurrection he was exalted to the right hand of the father until which time he will place all of his enemies underneath his feet. This was also highlighted in 1:20-21 and 2:6.

Paul uses the expression “far above all the heavens” to designate that Christ has been exalted to the highest place of honor that can be given.

Philippians 2:9–11 ESV

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF DESCENDED INTO THE LOWER REGIONS?

Paul possibly is quoting Psalm 68:18

Psalm 68:18 ESV

18 You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

The Character of Spiritual Gifts

Many have tried to fit spiritual gifts into a nice neat little box presumably to parallel them with the fruit of the spirit. Make no mistake about it, all true followers of Christ have all the fruits of the spirit, the spiritual gifts are varied and broad.

Some have been more pre-occupied with only three of the more supposedly spectacular gifts (speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healing). However the 5 lists that are given in scripture mention between them at leas twenty distinct gifts, some of which are very un-sensational like (doing acts of mercy, Rom. 12:8). No one list is complete, but that even all five put together do not even begin to exhaust the whole catalogue.

The Dysfunctional Church

This is a Church that is not operating properly or normally as it should; as an organ or structure of the body; it is malfunctioning.

I would say that few people in Church life truly use the gifts that God has given them to there full potential. If the Church were truly using all of their gifts then we would not have Churches on the decline or flaming out.

We would be like the Acts 2 Church where there was not one among us who had a need that was not met. Dysfunctional families much like the Church struggle when parts of the family are not fulfilling their role in the family structure.

What happens when the Church FAILS to us it’s God given Gifts?

The Church does not mature and Grow!

Note: We must not forget that spiritual gifts are given for the good and benefit of others. Gifts are not given for your own benefit or needs. The individual parts of the body do not Exist for their own Benefit.

The Church is expressed as the body. Paul compared the individuals in the church to the various parts of the human body. The body does not exist so that each part will flourish on their own. Each part exists so that the entire body can be built up.

This means the gifts that God has given individuals are for the purpose of the entire body - This is crucial for us to understand.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS?

To equip the saints for the work of ministry

Notice the work of ministry is not left for the paid pastoral staff to accomplish. So many Churches fail to grow both spiritually and numerically because there is one guy i.e. the pastor who is fulfilling all of the roles of ministry in the Church, which by the way is impossible to accomplish. Our goal here at the Journey should be for all of the saints to be fulfilling the role that God has placed them here to accomplish. If this were to happen, I guarantee you these walls would be exploding out to the point we would not have a place to put everyone on Sunday. The purpose of the Church is to multiply.

Let’s look at the traditional model of Church, you have this pyramid, with the pastor perched precariously on its pinnacle, like a little pope in his own church, while the laity are arrayed beneath him in serried ranks of inferiority. This is a totally unbiblical image, because the New Testament envisions not a single pastor with a docile flock but both a plural oversight and a every-member ministry.

For the building up of the Body of Christ.

Now all gifts are service gifts and not given for selfish reasons but for unselfish use, namely for the service of other people. “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

*We are unified in the demand of the maturity of our growth

Note: Evidently this is a lengthy process that will eventually end in the mature follower of Christ who enters the kingdom of God as a completed work of God. Philippians 1:6 “He will bring his work to full completion.”

The Churches goal is its own maturity in unity which comes from knowing, trusting and growing up in Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:11 ESV

11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

“The Stature of the fullness of Christ”

The stature here again appears to parallel Ephesians 1:23 “which is his body, the fullness of hims who fills all in all.” Having the complete possession of the gifts and Grace of Jesus Christ we have ourselves therefore, the very fullness of Christ.

Christians should continually press forward with the goal of fulfill and realizing all of the gifts that we have been given in Christ for His glory alone. Do not settle for coasting in the kingdom of God.

“No Longer children, tossed to an fro by the waves and carried by every wind of doctrine.”

The word here for tossed to and fro is the verb from the noun used when Jesus boat was being tossed around by the storm on the sea of Galilee.

There were not only those who had been deceived and gone astray without realizing it, but there were some who were lying in wait to deceive them. 2 Corinthians 11:3

2 Corinthians 11:3 ESV

3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

“Speaking the Truth in Love”

Part of our spiritual maturity and growth are seen in how well we are at defending the faith and speaking truth in love. 1 Peter 3:15

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

First, we must make it our goal to know the word of God and what it says. Most people today who claim to be followers of Christ would struggle to give a good defense for the gospel of Christ.

The reality is that if the Church is actively equipping the saints for ministry then, we will all be able to speak truth in Love.

GOSPEL CENTERED DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRY (coming soon we are going to be having discipleship on Sundays at 4:00 p.m.)

From Christ alone, as head, the body gets its whole capacity for growth and activity and its direction as one coordinated, directed entity. Colossians 2:19

Colossians 2:19 ESV

19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

“If each part is working properly, it makes the whole body grow”

Notice that in the final two verses love is mentioned in relation to the rest of the body. So, what is our overriding motivation in discovering our spiritual gifts and putting them to use. The greatest of these is love. We love the body of Christ, we have a compelling draw to serve others and do our part to insure that the body is healthy, vital and growing.

If we have a caring community of believers who are genuinely living in love and showing the truth in love, the numerical increase will follow. There is nothing that we cannot accomplish together. WE are better together than apart. (give the one flesh union illustration/Bride and Bridegroom)

CONCLUSION

Body of Christ

After an accident in which she lost her arm, a girl named Jamie refused to go to school or church for an entire year. Finally the young teen thought she could face her peers. In preparation, her mother called her Sunday school teacher and asked that he not call attention to Jamie. The teacher promised, but when he got sick on Sunday and had to call a substitute, he forgot to tell the second teacher. At the conclusion of the lesson that day, which was about inviting friends to church, the sub led the class in doing the hand motions to the familiar children's poem:

Here's the church Here are the people Open the door See all the people.

Jamie's eyes filled with tears. A 13-year-old boy realized how she must be feeling. He knelt beside her. With one hand apiece, they supported each other, making the church, steeple, and people. Together they illustrated what real church is.

When will you stop talking the talk and start walking the walk?