Speak the Truth in Love
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Review;
He Gave us teacher of the Gospel to remind us of his good news. Pastor are gift to the church!! Faithful ones should be treated as such
Pastor’s Job is too preach the apostle doctrine. We do not need to create the curriculum it has already been done. We preach until there is unity of the faith in the essentials and until the whole body is mature in Christ
Pastor were given as a gift for the purpose of equipping of the saints for the work of service.
Always-Maturity in Christ is the greatest remedy to chaos in the body.
I. No more bottles
I. No more bottles
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;
(v.14) “As a result”
As the result of what?
Answer: Paul is reaching back into the previous verse. In (v.13) Paul tell us that the preacher is to continue his work until all in the body attain to the unity of faith, Knowledge of the Son of God and maturity in Christ. Then he transition to (v.14). Paul premise is that if individuals in the body of Christ Mature then we will not be susceptible to deception like a little child.
-Maturity is apprehended in at 3 ways:
a. Personal Study and Application of that Study
b. Life Experiences Handled in a biblical manner Be it success or failure
c. Teachers who help you to understand truths
-None of us can really to full credit for our Spiritual Maturity any more than we can take credit for our intellectual maturity.
-Paul is telling us that Pastor, Teachers, Discipliers have made us who we are. No man or woman is an island.
(v.14) “As a result, we are no longer to be children” Paul starts off this phrase by using a subjunctive verb “we are” the subjunctive verb is a verb of hope. This mood was used when the writer was unsure of an outcome. Paul is generally saying “I hope/plead that you would grow up”
a. Children-Napios-When the bible wanted to refer to toddlers and elementary age children it would use the word Padion. But in this verse it uses the word Napios, which is the word used for infant......The NIV has the best translation of this phrase “we will no longer be infants” Paul is saying “no more bottles”
(v.14) “we are no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” Paul tells us what happens to spiritual babes in Christ. Notice what happens to them
a. Tossed here and there by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.
What is Paul describing right here?
He is describing Spiritual Naivety. One of the reason we cover electrical outlets, vacuum the floor three times a day, and break up children's food is because they do not have discernment yet.
Let’s define Discernment: Discernment is the ability to obtain sharp perceptions or to judge well. In the case of judgment, discernment can be psychological or moral in nature. Within judgment, discernment involves going past the mere perception of something and making nuanced judgments about its properties or qualities
Summary: Discernment is the ability to make wise and measured decision based deep observation.
(v.14) Paul us that infants are unable to look beyond the surface of something. That is why they pick up things off the ground and put it in their mouth, if you left rat poison out they would eat that without a second thought. In the same way Spiritual Infant will eat up any kind of teaching that they hear even if that teaching would shipwreck their faith.
(v.14) “we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” Look at Paul’s description of the Spiritual Babe. They are like a leaf in the wind. They have no ability to stabilized themselves because the wind is too strong for them. Paul says “Get off the Bottle” so that you can defend yourselves…That involves 1. Personal Study 2. Life Application 3. Continue to listen to sound Preacher’s and Teachers of God’s word.
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;
(v.14) “by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming”
Look at the first preposition “by” Paul tells us the method by which False Teachers use to deceive Spiritual Infants.
-Paul uses two different greek words that are actually synonoms both “craftiness and trickery are two different words but they can be used interchangeably.
We might say that “Low down, lying, cutthroat man” we would do that because that person is so foul that we use multiple adjectives to describe their wickedness.
When you think about those two words trickery & craftiness what comes to mind?
I think of salesmen. Car Salesmen, Realtors, Contractors, mechanics, multilevel marketers and Preachers anyone who is trying to get your business. It is a breathe of fresh air to meet someone in these fields who is honest.
Amway in Lansing---Usually with a False Teacher it is not in what they tell you it is in what they hide
Let me take you to a couple of classic examples of biblical wordplay often used by False Teachers:
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17 (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
(v.17) Only the last phrase of this verse is memorized and repeated with the insertion that “I” or “We” can do these things. Notice that the False Teacher is using scripture but what is he missing in this verse.
You don’t get to supply a pronoun if one is already provided. So you don’t get to insert “I” or “We” if the text already supplied the pronoun.
What is the pronoun in this verse?
(v.17) “Even God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist” This is creation “Ex Nihlo” “Out of Nothing” this is property of Deity not Humanity. How could we create life. Life created us. Our existence came outside of ourselves.
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1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
(v.2) Mr. Creflo Dollar points to this verse as proof that it is God’s will for us to prosper financially, physically, and of course as a backdrop spiritually. Now keen biblical student will notice a couple of things. In an epistle/letter what comes first. Usually the writer identifies himself and the recipient. In this case John does not make himself primarily because this was not written for public use, which would necessitate him identifying himself. This letter is Personal correspondence to a Specific person. John in (v.1) uses “I” Gauis was very familiar with John the Apostle. He uses what would be a common greeting for friends and family “I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” Now you will notice that he says “I pray” not I promise you will prosper. John is offering no guarantees of prosperity in this verse. Now we have to define the word “Prosperity” in this verse.
a. Prosperity-This means to be led in a good way, to have a prosperous journey
Using that definition John was essentially greeting John and hoping that for him that he is in the center of God’s will, with good health and that his Journey would be commensurate with his Spiritual Walk. John must know that Gaius is a very mature believer and he giving him the greeting of a friend saying “I pray that everything is going well for you and that your health is holding up” Now based on this text who many of you have greeted friends and family with this type of greeting. That’s right all of us have, and it certainly did not mean that we were promising them a disease free body, or large amounts of disposable income.
Final nail in the coffin to Creflo Dollar interpretation of this verse: John is writing this as the last surviving Apostle. He has heard of his fellow disciples all pretty much dying as Martyrs. He has heard about the struggles of Paul. And finally he is writing this letter in exile on an Island as an Old Man. You know when they exiled you to an Island you were just dropped off usually to just starve to death. Now if Physical and Material prosperity was God’s guarantee to all who showed faith, then the the Apostles were some faithless individuals because they all suffered greatly.
Let’s take a look at what Ole Pete says about these folks who play with the book:
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15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
(v.16) “and unstable distort” I want you to take a look at one word in this passage of scripture. In your bible it may say “twists” that greek work is used to describe a instrument of torture. Maybe like our common “Pipe Wrench” they took this instrument and twist people limbs as torture. So essentially they took something that was straight like an arm and then they twisted. In the same way Unstable men take something that is straight (OT writings & writings of the Apostle Paul) and twist the meaning of it to suit their own interpretation.
I wanted to show you in those texts who subtle deception really is. That is why I tell you that you must study the bible Historically(In it’s cultural context), Grammatically, Syntactically. That is why you hear me always talking about preposition, prepositional phrases, verbs, and nouns so that you can see who they relate in the text so that you can come to sound interpretive conclusion. Our job is to try an ascertain what they originals authors intended meaning was when he said something in the bible.
-Paul then gives us the good remedy to false teaching:
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
(v.15) “but speaking the truth in love” That but tells me that Paul remedy to False Teaching and deceptions is that the body should respond by protecting the Spiritual Babes. Those that are spiritual mature should be just like a mother who sees her child walking into danger. We need to gentle correct and rebuke that babe in Christ that is being deceived and we should publically expose anyone who would teach False Doctrine to people in the church.
What does it mean to speak the truth in love?
Analogy to explain speaking the truth in love: When you make a good soup there are onions, carrots, celery, seasoning, cut up chicken, and noodles. But soup needs a broth. In this case it is Chicken Broth. All of those ingrediants are swimming in the broth. The Broth saturates the chicken and all of the vegetables. That is why most chefs do not go buy store bought broth they make it themselves…The Broth is the key to a great soup.
-When you have to confront someone Truth is the chicken that swims inside of the broth which is Love. Everything that we do should be swimming in love. When we give, When we serve, When we have to confront should always be swimming in the broth of love.
-Now love does not mean you don’t raise your voice sometimes, Love does not mean that you allow folks to just take advantage of you. Loves means that when you have to Snatch someone out of the fire because they are about to fall into some sins that you do it with the Same passion a loving mother would.
illustration: When Carmen Snatched Kennedy Braid to Keep her from walking out in the street. You see the danger of the situation determines the level of response.
We just cannot sit around idle while our Babes in Christ are drawn away by bad teaching because we are afraid how they will respond, or we are trying to give them their privacy. Listen to Solomon in Proverbs
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6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
23 He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue.
(v.15) “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ” Paul knows who we think as Christians sometimes. We say alright in this area I am going to grow up, but in this area I am good where I am. You see he knows maturity comes from surrender. Paul says grow up. He saying some of yall stop drinking bottles, but you still wearing diapers. Some of yall stop drinking bottles, stop wearing diapers, but you still sitting in high chairs. You are trying to hold onto parts of your childhood. LET IT GO!!
-We like to negotiate our sanctification. God I am doing good here, and here, and here so just let me have this area where I remain immature. God is saying well I glad you stop cussing people out, stop lying, and follow the law. But your lack of forgiveness has to be dealt with. You bitter, vindictive spirit has to be dealt with. Your divisive spirit needs to be dealt with.
Look at the text “We are grow up in all aspects”
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
(v.15) “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,” We are to align ourselves into the command center of the Body.
What is the command center of the body?
-It is the central nervous system. This controls all of your involuntary biological function (Heartbeat, Eye wink, Blood flow, digestion functions) and it controls your voluntary functions (waving good bye, eating, running, or walking)
-The Central Nervous system starts in the brain and goes down to the bottom of the spinal cord. Now from this text who is the Head, or Brain. It is Jesus Christ.
What role do we play?
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.
(v.16) The whole body is controlled by the mind and intricately connected to each other. Look at the text. The Joints of the body depend on the ligaments which fit and hold the joints in place. The Heart depends on the rib cage which serves as its protection from injury. The Blood depends on capillaries, and veins as their taxi cab to your internal organs. Kidneys filter all the toxins from your blood which carry oxygen to your system. They intestines absorb all of the nutrients out of your food and then throw away the rest. You see the interconnectedness and interdependance that each individual parts has towards each other. You have a central nervous system, skeletal systems, muscular system, endocrine system, and an immune system. They all depend on each other and work in harmony. When you get sick that means one of these systems is out of harmony with the other systems.
When all of these system are functioning in harmony look at the text:
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.
(v.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” This last clause lacks a pronoun.
Who causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love?
Like the human body; A healthy body grows. In the same way healthy individual parts in a church ban together and make a healthy body, which causes the body to grow. The growth comes from the mind. In this Case Christ himself causes the body to grow first Spiritually, then Numerically.
There are two types of Spiritual Infants in the Body
a. The Newly Saved-The need our protection and care
b. The Grown Infant-They need our rebuke; They know better but refuse to grow up
Which one are you??
Illustration about Dad talk in the middle of Junior Year in college.
Open the doors of the church