Maturity in the Body
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
We all know the fictional tale of Peter Pan who lived with the lost boys in Neverland. This young boy who never wanted to grow up, bonded with his crew of lost boys to live many adventures fighting the adversary Captain Hook and his pirates. Then there was Wendy, who visited the island with Peter and who brought with her a maturity that was lacking in this fairy tale world. It’s actually a really tragic tale written by JM Barrie about a boy who can never be satisfied and must fill his life with adventure in order to dull the reality of life.
Have you heard the term Peter Pan syndrome?
According to a Cleveland Clinic article written on Jan 23 of last year, it explains …
“People with this syndrome exhibit a series of social behaviors, ideologies and traits that are considered immature. In most cases, they may struggle with commitment, maintaining employment, doing chores, keeping up with responsibilities and having purposeful direction in their lives.
“Much like Peter Pan, these individuals experience a failure to launch or a refusal to grow up,” says Duke. “There’s sort of an egocentric nature to them and they continuously avoid responsibility and commitment and don’t take on those adult responsibilities that most people do.”
Young men in the world.
Is Peter Pan syndrome in the church among believers?
If our rebirth is our day of when infancy begins, are churches full with people who love Jesus but aren’t interested in growing up.
The Goal of our Maturity
The Goal of our Maturity
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of 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 a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
We return to v 11 to see how God gives the church gifted people and those gifts aid in equipping the church so that it may reach maturity. Maturity is the theme of these verses with the background of unity in the church still on Paul’s mind. A unified church is a maturing church and a maturing church is a church that practices unity.
The goal of our spiritual maturity is what Paul teaches the Ephesians in v 12-13. What is our finish line for maturity? Some new Christian need to be instructed on the race that is the Christian life. You and I have not arrived when Christ saved us from sin. Instead, we are students and disciples of Jesus…always learning, always growing, and always serving.
If you thought the Christian life is like the lazy river at the water park, where you just sit and relax until heaven, that is a misunderstanding.
If biology shows us that children naturally grow, then the Spirit teaches us that spiritual babes also are meant to grow. What are we aiming for in our growth?
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Let’s focus on the phrase
“to the mature man…to the measure of the stature which belongs to teh fullness of Christ.
Back in v 12 we are moving toward a final attainment, or reception of something so Paul is talking about the future. We are seeking to attain the full maturity of our lives in Christ. That is the finish line we are running towards. Through the process of sanctification, God is transforming us into the likeness of his Son.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Just remember this as we understand the Lord’s work in us. He is not making you into a better you. There is no better you! When you put on Christ in salvation, there is only the reflection of his glory, his name, image and likeness. This is where the work really manifests itself as supernatural because there is such a transformation in you.
I DON’T SEE MUCH TRANSFORMATION
Its hard to realize the scope of the rising hiking path you are taking as you put one step in front of the other on the trail. But from an elevated conclusion, say at the top of a ridge, you can look back, see the trail you have taken, and be amazed at all that you have done. You didn’t have as much awareness of that ascent as you were climbing because you were focused on getting to the top.
In our Christian lives, we don’t always conceptualize our spiritual growth unless we stop to look back and see just how far we have come. The Spirit gives us awareness of this and the church can help us as well with encouraging reflection.
I had someone who used to say to me: “Your preaching has gotten so much better.’ ‘At first, I took it negatively until I ate some humble pie remembered that I should improve in my preaching, in my pastoral care, in my prayer life, in my mercy and patience as a pastor.
Paul gives two components of the goal of maturity: Unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God.
Unity is a work in progress because we all are sinful and we all must strive and work hard for it. Remember what Paul said previously in Eph 4:3
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Secondly, he says back in 13 “until we all attain…the knowledge of the Son of God.” We are continually on a process to look to and understand the Lord Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him. Its a continual process of learning for the believer so that in our striving for understanding of Jesus, we learn to love him more and more. Hodge comments that our knowledge of Jesus is a …
A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians Commentary
state of mind of which the Son of God, God manifested in the flesh, who loved us and gave himself for us, who died on Calvary and is now enthroned in heaven, is the object. A state of mind which includes the apprehension of his glory, the appropriation of his love, as well as confidence and devotion. This state of mind is in itself eternal life. It includes excellence, blessedness, and the highest form of activity, i. e. the highest exercise of our highest powers. We are like him when we see him
How can you know Jesus more?
Read the gospels: Study his earthly life, his teachings, his miracles, his actions, his sacrifice for sinners
Read the OT and look for the Messianic connections to Jesus. Its estimated there are over 800 verses with messianic meaning about Jesus. If you studied just one of those a day, it would take you two years.
Read the letters of the NT and marvel in their worship of Jesus. They are rich in Christology, which is the study of Jesus as Messiah.
In other words, be saturated in God’s word because the written word extols the living word, the Son of God.
The Obstacles to our Maturity
The Obstacles to our Maturity
14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
Paul gives a cause and effect in v 13-14. I am going to identify it as a warning but Paul actually gives it as a result of the cause. Being saturated in the word and unified faith in Christ leads to a maturation beyond spiritual adolescence. The warning, which Paul gives elsewhere in his letters, stop being spiritual babes.
Notice the contrast between the phrase “mature man and children” in these verses. Maturity leads to manhood. Immaturity is stagnant adolescence.
The obstacles to our spiritual growth is remaining as spiritual babes in Christ. Look at 4:15
“Let us grow in all respects into Him who is the head, Christ.”
In other words, stop being a children in your faith. Paul says this elsewhere in a more direct way:
20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
The writer of Hebrews writes
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
Peter also writes
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
We are to seek spiritual growth and be willing to designate our time and mental energy to grow. At the same time, we acknowledge that it is the power of the Spirit through the word that accomplishes the work in us.
In seeking out such maturity by the power of Christ, we are instructed by Paul that in our maturity there is safety from being led into doctrinal heresy and false teaching. We are never to put down our guards thinking that we are free from such temptations, but in our maturity, we will be rooted and grounded in our understanding of the truth of Christ, which is a surer footing for our faith.
Peter tells us that Satan is a lion, seeking someone to devour. What we know of lions is that in their pursuit of food, they pick off the young first because they are easy targets before taking on the more wise and mature beasts. We are more susceptible to believing error if we remain in immaturity.
But God will bless us so that we are not “tossed by waves and winds of doctrine.” Paul of course means false teaching about God and his word. What Paul notes is that false teaching comes by the hands of schemers and charlatans. Those who are seeking to wreck the work of God. In 1 Corinthians, Paul referenced false doctrine and false religion as the work of demons. But behind that work, there are the deceivers and schemers trying to profit off of this.
We understand this best with the prosperity gospel and the Mormon church today. The mormon are examples of deceivers because they tell you to your face we believe in the same Jesus which is a blatantly false.
Prosperity preachers are those looking to get rich off the backs of the innocent or the immature in the church. They come asking for money while improperly teaching the truths of Christ. They scheme so many of out of their savings and they will receive their just punishment for maligning the name of Christ.
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
I would like add a few more obstacles to maturity that are not mentioned here. Obviously, being led astray into false teaching is clearly an obstacle to true maturity in Christ. Consider these inward obstacles from the Scriptures:
Arrogance: Paul warned of this in 1 Corinthians.
26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God.
Arrogance is an obstacle to our maturity when we fail to learn from those who are appointed over us to teach us or we think have learned enough about Jesus to fill a lifetime. With a mentality of “I know enough,” we will be led astray in false doctrines about Christ, his church, his work in the world. We MUST be students of the Scriptures so that we cannot be lead astray.
Do you know the differences of Christianity and mormonism? Could you challenge a mormon from Scripture about the fallacy of their beliefs?
Have you studied the arguments atheists give about the existence of God? Could you defend His existence using something other than Scripture?
These are just some questions that should spark the need for a good apologetic or defence of God and his word!
Laziness: Another obstacle is the the lack of motivation to learn and grow.
33 “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,” 34 Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.
Solomon writes this regarding out physical laziness but we can also apply this to the laziness that leads to spiritual immaturity. Instead of a robber taking physical riches, consider he removes that which has eternal value.
Busyness/Distraction:
1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
These are just a few examples of what inwardly we deal with on a daily basis that could keep us from meditating on the Lord and his word which leads to our growth in Christ. Friends, as the church, we must encourage one another and keep each other accountable to grow in our faith. We must ask one another this question: What has the Lord been teaching you today or this week? The more we ask that question, the more we hold people accountable to the response being evident in their lives.
The Components of our Maturity
The Components of our Maturity
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
The Truth proclaimed
Above all things, out maturity will come with the truth of God’s word is continually proclaimed in love. The truth is the inspired infallible inerrant word of God that is sufficient for all we need for life and godliness. The truth must be proclaimed so that sin is exposed. The truth must be proclaimed so that Jesus is heralded as the only Savior and Lord. The truth must be proclaimed that the church will not fail in its mission. The truth must be proclaimed that Jesus is coming again and judgment is coming for all unbelievers.
This truth must be a light and path for followers of Jesus to which they cling so tightly to.
103 How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Notice how Paul frames v 15-16 with the words “in love” (show on screen) because the truth of God is rooted in love and therefore it is delivered in love. One of the greatest attacks on the word of God is the accusation that it is unloving. The accuser typically says this when their sin is confronted with God’s truth. This is a human reaction of disgust with God ruling over their lives.
To deliver the word of God with gentleness, confirming sin, foretelling judgment against that sin and proclaiming the way of escape in Jesus….is an act of love. It is loving because a loving God commands and empowers us to fulfill such a task.
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
I would say it is more unloving to withhold from speaking the truth of God’s salvation than to actually say go into detail about it. Therefore we must speak the truth in love to the world.
But Paul is speaking about our growth in the church. In the church, we should love the word of God and treasure its instruction in our lives. To be satisfied in all that is says, is to accept the authority of God’s truth to correct us, discipline us, and comfort us.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
It is all sufficient to guide us to holiness in this life. The church links arms around the word and we use the word to exhort each other to godliness. Every Wednesday night, the gathered church reflects upon the sermon preached and we bring to the table Spirit led reflections that teach one another. Those times are not for simply elder-instruction but instead for the mutual exhortation and edification of the body.
The Power of God supplied
16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Have you ever praised God for your ligaments. In the simplest terms, they are tissue that hold your bones together and support your joints. Ligaments also keep your bones from in proper form. I should probably should just abstain from this illustration and let John Alexander come and share more about Anatomy.
But Paul is thinking along these lines. The fitting together and being held together of the individual parts of the body is a sovereign work of God, both physically and spiritually.
Who creates and sustains the physical body? Who puts every bone, strand of tissue, ounce of blood in proper function within us.The Lord
Who creates the church and puts each member in Christ and part of local assemblies with diverse gifts to help the church? The Lord. He is our supply and our creator.
19 …(Christ )the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
The People of God at work
In Eph 4, Paul gives attention to the work of the body in the growth in conjunction with God’s power.
“according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”
Paul writes in the middle voice when saying “you cause the growth of the body” meaning that the individual members also play their role in carrying out the proper function of the body of Christ. When all of our gifts are used according to their design, then God empowers the church to grow. With our individual contribution, the whole body flourishes. This is our calling as the people of God united in the body of Christ.
Lords Supper
