God's Gift for Growth

Ephesians 4: 14-15

Psalm 16:8 (NKJV)

I have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

I can remember as my kids where growing up there was all kinds of advice to help us to help them grow mentally and physically. There were toys or games put there that helped with their hand and eye coordination. (TALK) ex. remember the circle things u put on a stick from biggest to smallest or the game with the shapes that had to be matched up, square and circle and so on.

If we didn’t buy them other family members would give them as gifts for the kids. But it was a gift for their growth.

As they got older, we graduated to, I believe it was leap frog, a electronic game that helped with spelling and math and so on. I had to look and they still going strong, Leap frog learning dvd, leap frog academy, leap frog know your animals. Let me tell you how I knew my animals TALK because i either went to the country with a family or I had that one game, where you pull the lever and and whatever animal it landed on it made the noise of the animal. That was the extent of my electronic learning.

I still remember the girls in school, Ally the alligator.... But all of that was to help them grow mentally.

Then they gave us advice on their physical growth. They need a well rounded diet. Watch the sweets and not to many bad fats and watch the carbs. They are still giving us advice for our physical health. I mean I listen to them but a piece of fat meat and now and again taste pretty good.

But all of this is good and it is a necesity for our physical and mental growth. God has gifted someone with the wisdom and knowledge to learn and research this stuff and pass it on. But you don’t hear any of these experts giving advice about our spiritual growth. You don’t see to many people passing out bibles now a days.

Spiritual growth is just as important, more important to all of us because in the end, this physical body will fade away, this mental status will change, but if you have grown in Christ, as my Pastor says only what you do for christ will last.(TALK, PREACH).

And what we need to see today, is that God has given us the greatest gift to help us with our spiritual growth.

Let’s look at the church at Ephesus.

During Paul’s second journey as he left corinth Paul comes to Ephesus. When he arrives he only founds 12 true believers and he begins to teach and preach in the synangouge. The jews become upset and talk against him and he moves the church to the school of Tyrannus. (Acts 19) Paul was not about to let anything or anyone hender him from spreading the news. But today, let it start raining, TALK

All Paul is doing is preaching and teaching Christ. But you had some Judaizers still teaching circumcision and other slick tongued individuals misleading the people. Paul is letting the people know that it is not about any rituals or anything else, it is all about Christ. For us to grow its about Christ. For us to grow closer to God, it’s about Christ.(TALK, PREACH).

Thus we have God’s gift for growth. God has given us the greatest gift to help us grow, HIS WORD. I see some of yall looking at me funny. I thought the greatest gift was Jesus and now you are saying the word. Walk over to John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” and then drop down to John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (TALK< PREACH).

God’s gift for growth is his word, it is Christ. You know the living word (TALK< PREACH) Paul told us that if we will let the Word of God mature us, and we do our part in the work of the ministry with love, the church will grow.(REPEAT) And you know the saying , who is the church. If you do not get anything else from this, please at least take away that Christ is the only way we can grow spiritually. Let’s look at the text.

READ SCRIPTURE,

As we look in v14 Paul is letting the church know that if you have studied the word and believe in the word, you should no longer be a child when it comes to the word. 1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Children will fall for anything, its just because the don’t know but as the mature they start to understand. (TALK, PREACH) story of telling daughter about how me and her mom met.

But if there is growth with Christ you shouldn’t fall for any non sense. Look at what else Paul says in that verse (READ START AT EVERY)

We should’t be falling for the okie doke. Even in Paul’s time man was taking the name of Christ and using for personal gain. They were not worried about the people. Matthew 7:15 ““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” I think about that movie the book of Eli, (TALK) It is even present today. All you have to do is look at history or turn on the news today. What I look like telling New Hope we need to drink this juice that has poison in it because God showed me. Deceeitful. I know its nothing that serious going on today but people are stilling falling for unsound doctrine and teaching. (TALK< PREACH) wrong John.....

Paul lets us know that the church was being divided by false teaching and he was letting the people know that the church must mature into unity of the faith and of knowledge of Christ. And such maturity involves teaching the truth in love.

Look at v15, read,

Holman commentary states that the church is to grow up in Christ so it can avoid spiritual immaturity. The atmosphere of spiritual maturity is described in terms of truth and love. Maturity is defined totally in relationship to the corporate Christian body. Maturity is an ongoing process of being “joined and held together” in relationship with Christ.

Paul is saying look here, if these men truly loved you they would be telling you the truth about your growth. They would be telling you that you have to stay joined with Christ. You can not mature on your own. I NEED THE LORD TO GUIDE, OR I NEED THE...

We need to hear the truth so we can grow up into Christ. Look at the next part, READ.. Paul is saying we need to grow up in ALL things, (TALK, PREACH)..in love, in forgiveness, in faith....

We should be growing towards full maturity slowly but surely. We should be improving as Christians with Christ help. Pastor Garza said it the other night that until we have the glory of Christ upon us we don’t have any glory. Because it’s all about the gift God gave us for growth.

Because with that gift and spiritual growth in that gift, we can receive another gift. The gift of eternal life. I have to leave you now.

TALK, PREACH, CLOSE...