Growing Up into Christ through Truth-Saturated Love

BLANK SLIDE TO BEGIN RECORDING (Please don’t wait for Matt to be on podium.)

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Introduction

Scripture reading

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Ephesians 4:11–13 ESV

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,

Ephesians 4:14–16 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. 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.

Sermon Overview

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We are to be “Growing Up into Christ through Truth-Saturated Love.”

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A healthy church body values and pursues:

Doctrinal discernment (14)

Truth spoken in love (15a)

Comprehensive Christlikeness (15b)

Every-member ministry (16)

Paul has laid out one aspect of God’s provision for the local church to be able to grow into unity: spiritual leaders who are called by God to equip the saints for the work of ministry (11-12). And our ministry is keeps us going until the day the Lord receives us into glory since, by grace, none of us as arrived and God will always be expanding his kingdom through the local church.

Paul charges us to be:

unified in the faith (13),

unified in the knowledge of the Son of God (everything relating to salvation and growth in Christ),

to mature manhood (14) — the measure of the stature of the fullness of the stature of Christ.

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I. A healthy church body values and pursues doctrinal discernment (14).

One purpose (ἵνα, “in order that” / “so that”) for this building up of the church was so that believers would no longer be “infants” (νήπιοι).

This is less a commentary on what the Ephesians’ lacked in their relationship with the Lord and one another, and more of a sober assessment of the risks that every Christian faces apart from a commitment to growth in Christ.

As I share this show Eph. 4:14 slide.

Paul paints picture of a vulnerable vessel on the rough seas to communicate the of spiritual infancy he’s warning them against. The spiritually immature, or children in the faith, were “tossed around by the waves” (passive and out of control) and “blown around by every wind of teaching” (again we see a picture of helplessness).

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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.

Notice how Paul is drawing a contrast between individuals (children) who are alone on the sea in a rudderless boat, compared to being one unified body growing up into Christ as a whole—the Church!

Only when we each value and pursue doctrinal discernment will we be healthy through and through, and guarded against:

“Every wind of doctrine”— different kinds of teaching (note Col. 2:22) which stand over against the unity of faith and knowledge to which the readers are to attain.

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Hebrews 13:9 ESV

9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

In other words, when we believe those who teach doctrine that is contrary to the Word of God we’ll be led astray. But in contrast to this the Lord wants us to be “strengthened by grace.”

“Human cunning” (trickery)— carries the idea of playing with dice where the dice were loaded or manipulated by professional gamblers to their own advantage. Their aim is to manipulate and control others for their own physical advantage.

“Craftiness in deceitful schemes”— brings to mind the ploys of Satan as he deceived Adam, Eve and hosts of others and is still now seeking to destroy others.

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Colossians 2:8 ESV

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

The immature Christian is gullible, unwise to the devil’s schemes and falling prey to the many ways Satan seeks to deceive us. Just think of our educational system, some of the psychological philosophies of the world that masquerade as truth, all the while undermining the authoritative Word of God and the church’s ability to withstand these attacks when the Bible is known and rightly applied.

Doctrinal discernment means knowing the the right course of action to take because you know and believe the Bible’s truth for life (or are growing in it) and are able to judge the many messages intended to deceive us. It’s listening with the ears of the heart which have been tuned to God’s truths (similar to how Paul prays in 1:18 that they eyes of our hearts would be enlightened).

Transition: To be a healthy church body, we must value and pursue doctrinal discernment.

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II. A healthy church body values and pursues truth spoken in love (15a).

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Ephesians 4:15a (ESV)

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

“Rather” — notice the contrast here from passivity toward active application of the truth by speaking it in love with one another.

No one grows in their faith passively…no one!

Speaking the truth in love requires balance.

Truth without love is unlike Jesus.

Truth means growing in our understanding of the Bible so that we are confident in Christ to share wisely with others.

Truth means knowing the Word so we’re able to quote it, apply it, and help others with it correctly. We work hard not to quote it out of its context, because when we do we may strip it of its applied truth.

Love requires truth. Being nice to someone while withholding truth is actually a form of self-worship as we actually worship the approval and acceptance of others more than a willingness to risk reputation or losing a friendship because we’ve stood on the life-giving truths of God’s Word.

Brothers and sisters, if we’re more concerned about being a certain size, attracting a certain demographic (or many other possibilities), than we are with trusting God with God’s methods laid out in Scripture for healthy church living, then we are not being loving. We’re abandoning love for the world’s push for acceptance.

Instead, knowing and desiring God’s goals, means, and methods for church health, the love of Christ which has saved and cleansed us, calling us from darkness to light, from death to life, is the controlling force above our love for others, pressing down on us to move us in our loving attempts to persuade others with God’s loving truth.

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2 Corinthians 5:13–16 ESV

13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

It’s not as though our strong love for Christ controls us. No, it is Christ’s irresistibly strong love shown to us which controls and compels us to speak the truth in love to others, because we see them as eternal souls created in God’s image and in need of help (like us) to learn how to walk in faith.

We’re to understand the Bible’s message and meaning so that we can speak it to one another faithfully. But not only do we need to be able to speak it in love to one another faithfully, we need to speak it. This is a call for one another ministry, where every Christian [pick up Bible] in one way or another is called (we see our call here), equipped (through preaching and one-another conversation), and empowered to walk alongside of others with deep struggles as saints, sufferers and sinners with life-changing and soul-healing truths of God, carried by loving hearts who do not simply dispense truth but sacrificially give of their time to help in a myriad of ways.

David Powlison, who is now with the Lord, has helpfully said:

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Jesus generously empowers his disciples with communicable attributes (God’s attributes he shares with people and especially Christians) that give us what it takes to counsel (or speak the truth in love) well. He teaches us to treat people with wise love that can search out every wrinkle of the human condition. The Redeemer makes under-redeemers who can aid others where they need it. He offers insights, love, and skills that can take root in our lives individually and communally. Wise love, intelligent joy, savvy peacemaking, patient engagement with people over the long haul are what the church is by definition. Counseling (or speaking the truth in love to one another) is a prime expression of such things. It is what the church (the Wonderful Counselor’s trainees) is about. (Powlison, David. Speaking Truth in Love: Counsel in Community (p. 109). New Growth Press. Kindle Edition.)

Transition statement: Doctrinal discernment gives desire and confidence to speak the truth in love, which leads to

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III. A healthy church body (which) values and pursues comprehensive Christlikeness (15b).

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Ephesians 4:15b (ESV)

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

Growing in Christ is a lifelong journey with a particular end in sight through faith.

In Jesus’ High Priestly prayer, John 17:17, Jesus prayed,

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John 17:17 ESV

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Even after a long time of Christian living, Paul was self-aware of his failings and was still resolved to press on to keep forging ahead in his progressive sanctification:

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Philippians 3:12–14 ESV

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

This means that we each labor to make our loyalty to the church and coming alongside one another, with love and truth in hand, a significant and tangible reality rather than a mere statements of good intentions.

This means bringing every area of our lives under Christ’s rule as he’s commanded in His Word. - It is not permissible for a Christian to be made aware of an area of weakness and shrug it off, excusing yourself by saying, “I’ll never be perfect,” or “that’s not my gift,” or “it’s too hard.”

Jesus says, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15)

Recognize that every command God gives is for our life, health, and vitality in this world and eternity.

This means:

your thought life should mature in Christ;

your emotional life should grow up into Christ;

your relationships should grow up into Christ;

Do you love people selflessly, or do you use people to make you happy, feel needed, get what you want?

How you use your body (eating, exercising, rest, your purpose for how you dress, what you take in through your eyes and ears, what and how much you drink, and every other category of healthiness for the purpose of godliness);

How you conduct yourself in business;

How you spend your time, money, and possessions.

Transition: There is no area of our life that is unaffected by the fruit of doctrinal discernment leading to speaking the truth in love which grows us up in comprehensive Christlikeness!

Take note of your heart’s response to these things. Is there an area where you winced (or maybe got angry or disheartened) when I mentioned one of these areas of your life?

Do not be discouraged, friend. God gave us one another, to help one another grow up in love, because...

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IV. A healthy church body values and pursues every-member ministry (16).

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Ephesians 4:16 ESV

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.

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Robby Gallaty rightly points out that “ministry is the pathway to maturity, not the other way around.”

You may have believed the lie that you’re not gifted enough, trained enough, free enough, liked/loved enough to be a forever-growing, helpful part of the body of Christ. If so, you have been duped by the devil!

Illustration: Have you ever broken or stubbed your one of your smaller toes? Let me tell ya’, you can throw your hips or your back out by how you compensate for that small part of your body being wounded for a prolonged period of time.

I often wonder how the body is limping along in ways we may not even know b/c we have parts of our body not working properly.

A church cannot fully grow up into Christ, being built up in love, when any one of us sits on the bench. Every Christian can reach a degree of maturity that pleases and glorifies the Lord. The goal of Paul’s ministry to believers was their maturity, as indicated by his labors to “present every man complete (teleios, mature) in Christ” (Col. 1:28–29; cf. Phil. 3:14–15).

Our passion for living is to equip everyone, giving you a place for meaningful one-another ministry so that you and we can grow up into Christ, being built up in love by one another.

Conclusion and Transition to Communion

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A Healthy Church Body Grows Up into Christ through Truth-Saturated Love by Valuing and Pursuing:

Doctrinal discernment (14)

Truth spoken in love (15a)

Comprehensive Christlikeness (15b)

Every-member ministry (16)

As we prepare to worship the Lord in communion, thinking of Christ’s physical body which was wounded for our sins and raised again to give us life, and ascended so the Holy Spirit would indwell every believer at the moment of salvation, would you ask the Lord to show you if you are actively (not passively) helping the body…this local body of Christ…grow so that we build ourselves up in love.

Let’s allow Christ to amaze us as we become healthy for the rest of our time on earth.

Closing Prayer

Communion