WEBVTT 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:12.800 This sermon was recorded at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota. 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:23.839 Please take your Bibles and open to Ephesians chapter 4. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:29.839 Continuing our walk through the first 16 verses of this chapter. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:38.479 And I'd like to read, even though we're only going to look at a portion of it, I'd like to read verses eleven through sixteen, so we get the bigger picture here. 00:00:38.960 --> 00:01:13.439 Beginning in verse eleven, it says, And he, that is, referring to Christ, gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ 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, 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 and deceitful schemes. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:34.480 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 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. 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:36.000 Amen. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:42.560 How many of you have ever watched a new home being built? 00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:44.480 Ground up. 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:45.120 Okay. 00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:47.040 Good number of you. 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:50.000 It's a mesmerizing process. 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:58.239 That is, unless it's your house being built and then it turns into a giant headache, so I've been told. 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:08.560 For those of you who have had who have not had the privilege of watching the construction process, I want to take a few moments to describe it. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:19.919 The process generally begins with an architect drawing up blueprints, generally with input coming from the builder, perhaps even from the future homeowner. 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:31.120 Those blueprints then must be submitted to the city or the county who will review them, require adjustments or corrections, and finally approve the prints for use. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:37.759 Over the course of weeks and months, the appropriate permits are applied for. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:48.479 Contractors are lined up, the material orders are placed all before any actual building takes place. 00:02:50.080 --> 00:03:00.800 Then, once the building begins, the area for the foundation walls and the basement are dug out, forms are put in place and the concrete is poured. 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:10.960 Before or just after that, depending on the area of the country you're in, the beginnings of the plumbing connections are brought within the foundation walls. 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:18.960 Then the slab or the basement floor is poured, the foundation walls are sealed and waterproofed. 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:26.960 Floor joists are then brought in and laid in place on the foundation, and the first floor is then installed. 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:38.400 Then the outer walls and the inner walls can be formed and raised, and then perhaps a second set of floor joists brought in, and then more walls on top of that. 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:44.400 Rafters or trusses are hoisted and placed on the top walls and secured in place. 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:54.639 Then the walls and the roof are enclosed with sheeting, and sometimes a moisture wrapping, a barrier, plastic moisture barrier is wrapped around the outside. 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:58.240 Now at that point a host of activity begins. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:02.400 Some are working on the outside of the house and some are working on the inside. 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:06.719 Those on the outside are putting up siding or brick or stone. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:08.879 Others are working on the roofing. 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:12.800 Inside there is rough plumbing and electrical work taking place. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:19.600 And then sheetrock covers the walls and the ceilings, followed by mudding and taping and sanding. 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:25.120 And only when all of that is done can the real fun start. 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:29.839 I say fun because that was part of my work in the past. 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:39.839 The finish work can begin on the inside with cabinets going in, flooring and painting and appliances and a hundred other things. 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:45.279 There are dozens, if not hundreds, of other small parts to that process. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:57.680 Each and every component is brought in at the right time to accomplish the goal of having a completed, properly constructed dwelling place. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:09.680 But all of that, that entire picture pales in comparison with the work God does in building his church. 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:20.879 Jesus has been bringing in millions and millions of people, molding them together into one new body, a temple for God Himself. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:28.160 Now we've seen in our study of Ephesians 4 that God's people are fit into a unified whole. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:34.639 He takes those parts, each one of us, and fits us into a unified whole. 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:46.560 We're going to continue looking this morning, the end of verse 12 and 13 and 14, and we will see that unity continues to be a major factor in the Lord's desire for his church. 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:52.160 In fact, it's shown to be an integral part of growing up in Christ. 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:55.360 But let's start, if you would, at the end of verse 12. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:59.759 For the building up of the body of Christ. 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:02.240 There's an important word there. 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:13.279 It's a small three-letter word, for, telling us that what he's about to write indicates the reason or the purpose for something. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:15.839 And in this case, it goes back before that. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:23.199 What we're about to see is why the saints have been equipped for the work of the ministry. 00:06:24.079 --> 00:06:28.399 Now that's why Jesus gave gifts, we heard. 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:35.199 He gave gifts to every single believer in Christ so that we might be equipped for the work of the ministry. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:36.399 Well, why did that happen? 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:37.680 What's the purpose of it? 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:40.079 What's the reasoning behind that? 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:44.240 Why or for what reason does God equip us? 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:46.959 And the answer is to build us up. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:49.360 To build us up. 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:53.519 For building up the body of Christ. 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:55.120 This is a construction term. 00:06:55.439 --> 00:07:00.399 It's often used in the construction of buildings in ancient literature. 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:05.120 And most of us can imagine building something. 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:10.000 Even if all you can visualize is building something out of Legos. 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:18.639 I've constructed many, many buildings, fortresses, towers, and vehicles out of Legos. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:21.600 I still love to do it. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:29.920 And I can tell you that every individual part is needed to make up the final project. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:38.240 If one part is missing, then something's wrong with my building, my tower. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:41.839 The same thing is true of Christ's church. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:45.759 Each of us is needed. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:55.040 We are distinct materials, distinct parts of the body brought together to construct, to build up the church. 00:07:55.279 --> 00:08:03.600 Jesus takes each one of us and builds us into a whole, into a unified, united whole. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:08.160 This idea of building is very important in the book of Ephesians. 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:16.560 In fact, look back again at chapter 2, the passage that Webb read for us a little bit earlier, verses 19 through 22. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:27.040 We see this term building a couple of times in verse 20 saying that we are built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the cornerstone. 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:32.080 Verse 21, there's a similar term, being joined together. 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:35.679 Then in verse 22, you also are being built together. 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:39.120 So we have different materials being used. 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:43.279 There are strangers and aliens and saints and members. 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:46.879 There's the process being described. 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:52.240 There's a cornerstone, there's a foundation, there's joining parts together, there's being built together. 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:57.679 The finished product is revealed to us, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:00.879 The means is described to us, in whom? 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:03.120 In him that is in Christ. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:15.440 So the big picture here is Jesus is bringing in materials, people from all over, different kinds of materials, masterfully building a home for God Himself. 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:25.200 Chapter 4 then, verse 12, that describes the means by which Jesus constructs the building. 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:37.360 He uses the apostles and the prophets to lay the foundation, and now he uses evangelists and pastor teachers to equip all of the different people he's brought together to do the work of service. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:48.240 And as we all do our part, fulfill our function, we are built up into what Jesus desires us to be. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:52.480 A building that He inhabits. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:10:00.559 Later on, next week in verse 16, we will see the necessity of working together. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:07.919 You'll see at the end of verse 16 it says that this makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:13.200 When we serve and work together properly, the work of building continues. 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:22.399 Implying, if we don't do that, the process becomes stunted or halted or delayed. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:24.879 We're going to look more at that next week. 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:31.519 Verse 29 of chapter 4 also mentions building up as being important. 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:38.000 And he says that there that there are things that we do that can disrupt the construction process. 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:40.240 But let's go back to verse 12. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:50.080 The saints have been equipped for the work of service, for building up the body of Christ. 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:56.399 Each one of us is equipped to serve in Christ's church. 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:07.039 If you feel insignificant or insufficient or feel like you are unable to serve in some way, that is just your feeling. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:09.120 It is not reality. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:22.399 The reality is the Lord Jesus Himself has gifted you, has enabled you to serve a purpose, to play a part in His church. 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:30.799 And it's the responsibility of the evangelists and pastor teachers to ensure that the whole body is equipped, is ready to go. 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:39.919 On the other side, it's the responsibility of each member of the body to serve as God has enabled them. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:49.600 And if you have come to faith in Christ, the cornerstone, he has equipped you. 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:56.559 If you belong to him, having been saved by his grace, then you have been gifted to serve. 00:11:56.879 --> 00:12:00.879 And it's your responsibility to exercise that gift of grace. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:07.440 You can imagine the result if a single part of a brand new home did not function properly. 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:09.279 I'd be irritated. 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:11.279 I don't know about you. 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:18.480 Now the language here is collective, or we might use the term corporate, referring to us together. 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:24.480 It's not speaking of each of us as individuals, but all of us coming together. 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:37.120 As we serve together, collectively, corporately, exercising our gifts in service to Christ's body, Jesus Himself will ensure that we are built up properly. 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:54.240 The implication there is that if we refuse, we do not serve, if we present ourselves as a poor building material or poor servants, the building process will be interrupted or even halted. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:00.080 God equips us so that the body might be built up. 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:04.240 Well, to what end does God equip us? 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:13.759 Well, we see here three goals of his equipping, and the first one is the unity of the faith and knowledge of Jesus. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:15.360 That's what he says. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:21.440 Verse 13, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:27.120 Here again we have that word that speaks of oneness or being in harmony together. 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:30.720 But pay careful attention to the time indicator. 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:32.399 Until. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:34.799 Until. 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:39.519 That tells us that we've not yet arrived. 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:42.159 We aren't there yet. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:48.879 Tells us, though, that we will arrive at some point. 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:51.519 And in the meantime, we are to keep at it. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:58.559 That is, we are to keep being equipped, keeping on serving until such time as we arrive at our destination. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:04.399 The destination being the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:07.519 That until part might be hard. 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:09.679 It may be painful. 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:11.600 It may be laborious. 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:19.840 But the good news is that the Lord is building his church, the Lord will build his church, and the Lord will finish building his church. 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:21.759 Therefore we keep at it. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:23.120 We keep going. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:29.759 So there's sort of a now, but not yet, factor involved. 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:34.639 There is a unity that automatically exists in God's church. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:38.080 We see that back at the beginning of the chapter. 00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:45.279 Telling us that there is a unity of the spirit in the bond of peace that we are to maintain. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:48.159 We don't start it, we don't begin it, it already exists. 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:50.000 We simply maintain it. 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:54.879 Because of the one who created this body. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:59.120 There's a unity within the Godhead, within the Trinity. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:03.120 There's a unity present in His body that He's creating. 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:04.639 We are called to maintain that. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:06.080 So that's now. 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:09.440 At the same time, there's a not yet factor. 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:15.360 We have not yet reached the extent of family unity that we are to have. 00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:23.120 Until that happens, we are to strive to be in greater unity of the faith than we currently are. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:30.399 We're to pursue that by serving one another and Christ selflessly until we arrive. 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:34.639 There's some objectivity that's put in here as well. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:39.120 This is not unity of a faith. 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:45.919 This is not unity of some faith, but unity of the faith. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:55.440 Telling us that this is referring to the objectiveness of our faith, the content of our faith. 00:15:56.000 --> 00:16:03.600 Not the expression of our faith or the use of our faith that we walk in on a daily basis, but what we believe in. 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:08.159 We are to keep growing up in the unity of the content of our faith. 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:11.440 So knowledge is then connected to unity. 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:19.679 We are to keep growing in the knowledge of and a depth of understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:25.360 That's why our vision statement on the front of your bulletin begins with declaring the Word of God. 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:29.120 We are to grow up in unity. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:45.679 That growing up in unity is deeply connected with knowledge, with understanding who Christ is, what he has done, taking the truths of the gospel of salvation and applying them to our hearts and living them out, continually seeking to know Christ. 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:58.399 This is a taking of the truths of Scripture and wrestling with them until we understand them as fully as we are able. 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:05.759 Becoming filled up with Scripture and with Christ so that we become more and more like him. 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:14.880 Do you remember when Jesus met the disciples, the unnamed disciples on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection? 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:18.559 They were walking along and somber. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:22.880 Just depressed, we might say. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:25.200 Because Jesus died. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:28.400 They did not yet know that he had risen. 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:32.160 And Jesus asked them, Why are you so sad? 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:35.519 And they said, Where have you been? 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:38.000 Don't you know what's going on? 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:42.240 And Jesus said, Hey, wait a minute. 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:44.960 Don't you know your Bible? 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:55.839 And it says, beginning with Moses, it's beginning with the very beginning of the Old Testament, he began to show them Jesus again and again and again. 00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:57.839 He taught them all about Himself. 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:10.559 Beloved, we have much to learn, much knowledge to gain about the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are to pursue that until we arrive at the place that God wants us to be. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:11.839 Where is that? 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:16.079 Well, that is a place of maturity, of spiritual maturity. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:20.559 Here in the English Standard Version, it describes it as mature manhood. 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:31.599 This spiritual maturity is gained as we strive and struggle and serve together in the body, working toward the unity of the spirit and knowing Christ. 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:42.559 Mature here is a term that was used in the ancient world for an adult male, a full-grown, fully mature man. 00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:52.720 It's not referring here to a particular age, but to the contrast with children or infants in verse 14. 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:59.839 We are no longer to be children, but full grown adults, mature adults. 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:08.400 Speaking of the contrast between immaturity of children and infants and the maturity of full grown adults. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:17.359 And again, it's important to notice that the we all in verse 13 applies here until we all arrive there. 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:24.400 We are to pursue this growing up, this maturity together, because it's part of the construction process. 00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:29.359 It's part of Christ's process of building his church. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:41.359 As we are built up together, we grow in knowledge and understanding of who Christ is, and it's through that that we become more mature followers of Christ. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:45.359 Well, how mature do we need to be? 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:52.000 Well, that's the third goal, and that is to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:58.880 Maturity is seen and becoming more like Jesus. 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:12.480 I'm sure that most of the kids here this morning, and maybe many of the adults have stood against a wall when you were a child and had your parents mark your height on the wall. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:15.519 Today they make posters for that. 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:29.920 Maybe you have a wall in your home with all kinds of markings on it, from your children, maybe from your grandchildren, tracking as they grow taller and taller. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:34.079 As Christians, our measuring stick is Jesus. 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:40.240 God is making us into his image, into the likeness of Jesus. 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:44.400 And as we grow up, as we mature, we become more and more like him. 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:47.839 And we are to be filled with him, overflowing with him. 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:53.119 That is the picture of complete, full growth, of maturity in Christ. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:57.119 That's what we are pursuing, and we pursue it together. 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:09.759 Jesus enables us, he equips us to serve him and one another, thus providing all we need to grow up. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:13.440 There's a time for infancy. 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:17.200 We all come to Christ as infants. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:19.200 We grow up. 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:23.920 Some grow slowly, some grow more rapidly. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:30.400 But there's also a time to be a toddler and a teenager. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:38.799 But our goal is to become mature adults in the image of Jesus. 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:41.920 And none of us are left out. 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:45.920 Each child of God here is called to maturity. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:51.519 We are called to serve the body in unity and growing in the knowledge of Jesus. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:55.839 All of us, every single part is involved in that. 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:59.440 As one author has stated, there is no room in Christ's church for drones. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.519 Only for busy bees. 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:04.880 Because that's how we grow up. 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:09.119 Well, we need to ask the question why? 00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:10.960 Why does God do that? 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:12.960 Why does God equip us in that way? 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:14.640 It's very simple. 00:22:15.119 --> 00:22:16.240 To grow up. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:21.119 He wants us to grow out of childhood and into spiritual maturity. 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:22.880 That's what we see in verse 14. 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:27.279 So that, here's the reason, here's why Christ does all of this. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:30.079 So that we may no longer be children. 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:35.279 The implication there is that at some point we're going to be children, right? 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:39.279 Sometimes we still act like children. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:43.440 But the idea is to become mature. 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:55.920 And the illustrations here have been in the forms of contrast maturity versus immaturity, adulthood versus infancy, growing up versus remaining children. 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:07.440 Just as the building up of the church is necessary, growing from spiritual infants to spiritual maturity is also vitally necessary. 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:23.599 It's necessary because children do not have the maturity needed to live in a safe way, in a proper way, or as an adult should. 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:29.359 There are three areas of spiritual struggle that come to those who are spiritually mature. 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:36.319 These are areas in which we all need to mature and begin to develop some stability. 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:49.839 He says in verse 14, This is 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. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.079 So we see first here that we must develop stability in doctrine. 00:23:55.359 --> 00:24:10.480 Children are pictured here as being infant like, laying in a boat, all by themselves in the middle of the lake, in the midst of the storm. 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:14.480 At the mercy of the wind and the waves. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:20.319 It's as if they are infants alone in the boat with the wind howling and the waves mounting. 00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:25.279 They are taken wherever the wind drives them and the waves carry them. 00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:30.880 Could be hundreds of miles away, or it could even be capsized in the raging sea. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:44.160 When thrown suddenly into a trying, confusing, or uncertain situation, the spiritual child is unlikely to have the maturity necessary to go through that well. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:48.880 And the idea is directed here towards doctrine. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:55.839 A spiritual infant is not knowledgeable in all the areas of doctrine and proper instruction from Scripture. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:25:03.920 So whenever a new teaching comes around, their ears are perked up, and they're more likely to buy into it. 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:16.640 Or whenever an old but wrong teaching is resurrected in some new and fashionable way, they are unable to distinguish it from proper doctrine. 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:18.640 And it carries them away. 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:27.599 By growing up, though, we learn to distinguish right and wrong teaching, right and wrong doctrine. 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:36.079 As we further mature, we are even able to take it a step further than that and to discern the difference between what is right and what is almost right. 00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:40.319 Children and infants are not able to do that. 00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:49.039 As a result, when we grow up like that, we're no longer tossed around like a baby in a tiny boat on the ocean waves. 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:53.119 Instead, we're secure, we are stable in our doctrine. 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:57.119 And it happens in our community of faith, in our body. 00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:03.680 This maturity takes place together as we serve and grow in knowledge and understanding. 00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:08.559 It's not an independent growth or maturity, it happens corporately. 00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:14.240 That means we need each other. 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:18.720 We need each other to mature. 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:23.119 We need each other's presence in our lives. 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:32.880 Maturity doesn't happen via television church or YouTube church or live streaming church. 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:39.039 It's through togetherness that this stability happens. 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:44.400 And it's through our working and growing together that we then develop stability and discernment. 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:54.319 He says that children are tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, even by human cunning. 00:26:56.720 --> 00:27:01.680 Paul uses a word here from which our English word cube is derived. 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:03.920 It literally meant dice. 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:04.960 Dice. 00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:12.079 And it came to refer to the craftiness or the trickery that could be used in throwing dice. 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:22.000 In our context here in Ephesians 4, it speaks of people who are seeking to deceive others by means of craftiness or trickery. 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:30.319 They may use smooth speech or big words or personality to trick a young believer into following them. 00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:38.079 A spiritual infant is not discerning enough to see through the cunning plans of people out to deceive others. 00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:49.279 A mature believer, while they still may fall prey to that occasionally, are generally much more discerning, because they have developed a stability and wisdom. 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:55.680 They can identify craftiness and deceitful schemes. 00:27:56.799 --> 00:28:01.279 Similar to the previous statement, but maybe with a touch more evil. 00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:08.160 This craftiness means well, put it simply, rascally. 00:28:09.920 --> 00:28:12.960 Designing evil schemes, evil activities. 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:18.880 This is the person bent on deceit through evil schemes. 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:24.559 And the young, immature believer will be more likely to fall prey to that kind of scheme. 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:28.319 But the mature believer will be able to see through those deceitful schemes. 00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:32.079 They will be wise to the ways of the world and the ways of sinful people. 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:37.599 And that maturity, beloved, does not happen because we are consistent in our own private devotions. 00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:40.559 Not saying that's a bad thing. 00:28:40.960 --> 00:28:42.880 Saying that's not how it happens. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:48.720 It's not happening because we say our prayers each night. 00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:59.279 This happens because Christ has equipped us to serve Him and one another, and we all then actually do serve within the body of Christ. 00:28:59.440 --> 00:29:04.079 Together, then, Christ builds us up into a spiritual house. 00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:11.599 He develops greater maturity within us, maturing us in knowledge, understanding, discernment, and wisdom. 00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:19.599 We grow up in Christ by means of our ministry to one another in the context of following Jesus. 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:26.480 This is why a deep connection to a local fellowship of believers is so extremely important. 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:30.160 God has designed it. 00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:38.960 He wrote the blueprint to be a vital part of your spiritual growth. 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:41.839 Now, the point of this text is very simple. 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:52.240 We're called to grow up in spiritual maturity, understanding, and wisdom by serving Christ and his church as Jesus faithfully builds us up. 00:29:53.440 --> 00:30:01.599 Now there are times in the life of the church when it becomes very clear how mature the body is. 00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:09.519 And that clarity will either point to maturity or to immaturity. 00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:17.200 Imagine that it's your home that is being built. 00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:24.000 You have dreamt about this home, you've helped design it. 00:30:24.480 --> 00:30:26.880 You've picked out all of the details. 00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:30.880 You've spent months and months working through the construction process. 00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:41.680 And then the day comes when you move in, and on that day, it's that day, the move-in day, that you finally discover that 20% of the parts of your church, of your new home, don't work. 00:30:43.599 --> 00:30:44.960 What do you do? 00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:50.400 I probably wouldn't call the builder, I'd be searching him out. 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:53.359 Saying you need to fix this now. 00:30:54.319 --> 00:30:59.839 You would be incredibly frustrated and you might demand it be done immediately. 00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:12.400 Bullava, Jesus is building his church, and he has employed each of his people not only to be a part of it, but to function as a part of it. 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:23.519 What if, what if only one, two, or maybe fifty parts don't function in his building? 00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:25.839 What happens? 00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:28.799 I can tell you it's not good. 00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:35.359 Because he's designed us to fit together and serve together so that we will mature together. 00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:37.200 That means I need you. 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:40.240 And you need all of us. 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:44.400 There will be moments when we show our immaturity. 00:31:45.119 --> 00:31:48.079 And there will be times when we demonstrate maturation. 00:31:48.160 --> 00:32:00.720 But if we continue and if we commit to obediently following Christ in service to Him and one another, in love with grace, we will not only be built up in Christ, but we will grow up in Christ. 00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:09.440 This is why we encourage you so often to take the step of membership. 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:17.359 It serves to connect you more deeply to this local fellowship that you need. 00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:28.160 It's why we encourage you to be a part of a life group and a Bible study, because God uses these things to build us up toward maturity together. 00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:31.519 It's my prayer that you will join us in that. 00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:32.160 Let's pray. 00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:42.000 Our Lord Jesus, we come and bow before you, recognizing that too often we don't function as our part. 00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:43.839 We ask for your forgiveness in that. 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:50.799 But we also ask that your spirit would anoint us in a unique way. 00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:58.400 We ask, as Elisha asked, that you would give us a double portion of your spirit, each one of us, to function well. 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:09.920 Not just to be a part of this building, this body that you are constructing, but to be a well-functioning part. 00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:35.119 Because we want to grow up and please you.com.