Word of Salvation – May 2010
MARKS OF MATURITY, Peter Smit
(Sermon 7 of a series in Ephesians, Series title – Ephesians: Portraits of the living church)
Text – Ephesians 4:1-16
There is a film called “Indescribable” that looks at space. Some of you may have seen it. One amazing constellation it looks at is called Pleiades . It is roughly 440 light years distance away… Remember light can travel around the earth 7 times in one second. A light year is the distance light travels over one year; it’s about 9.5 trillion kilometers.
The radius of this constellation is about 8 light years. God said to Job,
31 “Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons… Job 38:31-32
The size and scope of the universe is truly indescribable.
What we saw in first three chapters of Ephesians was indescribable.
Blessed be God for his amazing mind-boggling blessings.
We were chosen, forgiven, sealed.
We were dead but now have been made alive.
We were raised up and seated with Christ through his resurrection.
We are being made into a building where God dwells by his Spirit.
The first three chapters of Ephesians outline magnificent doctrinal truths about what God has done.
Now Chapters 4-6 focus on application. What we must be and do in response.
How God wants us to live.
Paul’s major focus here in chapter 4, is maturity; that you would grow to spiritual maturity.
Ephesians 4:12-13
12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature…
A central part of our mission as God’s people is to “Grow to maturity.”
Today’s portrait is a picture of the mature Christian that God wants you to become.
Maturity is demonstrated by four things: Character, unity, service and speech.
1. CULTIVATE A MATURE GODLY CHARACTER.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Eph 4:1-2
Paul says live a life worthy of God’s calling.
Cultivate a mature godly character.
There are four hallmarks of a godly character.
a) Humility
Mature Christians are humble. Not proud. Don’t desire recognition. Don’t think too highly of yourself, willingly honour others. Consider others of great worth. Willingly give everyone respect. Humble people give honour to their godly leaders.
This is the attitude of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:6-8
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!
The Bible says “In humility consider others better than yourselves”. Are you humble?
Do you consider others worthy of your great respect? That’s maturity.
b) Gentleness
Also means meekness but it’s not weakness. It’s gentleness of the strong whose strength is under control. A strong personality who is master of himself and the servant of others.
Not harsh, not aggressive not insensitive, but gentle, caring.
Humility and gentleness are found perfectly in Jesus who said in Matthew 11:29,
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
God wants you to be like Jesus and grow a gentle and humble heart.
c) Patience
The Greek word means “longsuffering.”
Not having a short fuse. Rather having a long temper. It means to endure the exasperating behaviour of others. Be patient with people that aggravate you. Are you patient? Is your fuse really long? Patience is a fruit of the Spirits work in you. It’s a hallmark of maturity.
d) Forbearing others in love.
Means to endure others, put up with others. Tolerate and be patient with others when it’s difficult. People can do things that are really annoying. You get frustrated.
God says bear with them but do it in love. Love them. Reach out to them. Remember God’s word that says “Love builds up”. This love is not a feeling it’s a commitment.
Be humble, be gentle, be patient, bear with others in love.
The first part of spiritual maturity is character. Are you cultivating a mature godly character? Are you asking the Spirit to help you grow to this?
A mature godly character doesn’t automatically come with age, but grows as you commit in Christ’s power to do it.
Second hallmark of maturity…
2. COMMIT TO PRESERVING CHURCH UNITY.
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Make “every effort” means basically to “make haste, to push on with something quickly, diligently, zealously.”
Paul says be absolutely zealous about keeping the unity of the Spirit.
Why does Paul say this? Hasn’t Jesus given us unity in him? Yes Jesus has made us one. We are family. Right now in him we are unified. But that unity is easily broken. When believers are immature and act with pride, discord, bitterness, unforgiveness, impatience, gossip, demanding their preferences to the detriment of the overall church, unity and the sense of peace that comes with it shatters.
God says, you must be absolutely zealous about preserving the church’s unity and peace. Make a commitment with all your will, strength, reason and complete attitude to do nothing or say nothing, or hold onto thoughts that will damage this unity. Keep the bond of peace.
A recent TV program showed a group of fifteen elite soldiers from the ADF learn to survive without food or water provisions in the NT Daly River area: a barren and desolate coastal plain infested with some of the biggest crocodiles in the world. The program was called “Survival School”. The soldiers had to survive on bush tucker and distill their own water with limited tools. The greatest threat to their survival was disunity and rivalry. 85% of their means to success rested in their attitude to build each other up, support each other. Unity was the key to survival.
It’s the same in God’s church. Unity is the key to strength. We’ve got to zealously preserve the unity we enjoy. Can you see why what Paul says about Christian character is so important? When you cultivate humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance with others, unity and peace are preserved.
Unity is critical because it is the outward expression of our faith in Christ. Our unity is founded on our one hope in Christ, our one Lord, the one faith, baptism and God and Father who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph 4:4-6.)
A church that strives to preserve that unity bears witness to this one Lord and one faith.
So is there anything in your heart that threatens our unity? Is there an attitude you need to change? Is there unforgiveness or a wall of division you need to eagerly start praying God will take down? Church, for Jesus’ sake, make every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit and this church’s peace.
Maturity means you develop a godly character, it means you preserve unity and it also means you…
3. GET EQUIPPED FOR SERVICE.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Eph 4:7
NLT translation puts it this way.
7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.
The Bible says in a number of places that Jesus Christ gives his church spiritual gifts. These are gifts of his grace to help the church function.
The word for gift in Greek = charisma. The word means an exercise or a function to perform.
The list of gifts in the Bible is large but not exhaustive. Mercy, administration, teaching, prophecy, evangelism, leadership, helps, creative ability, and many more. If you’re a Christian Jesus Christ has given you a spiritual gift to help his church function.
He calls you to get equipped to use your gift.
To help you get equipped, God has gifted certain people to help you become equipped.
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, Eph 4:11
God gave his church apostles. The apostles were the twelve eye witnesses to the Lord. We have their testimony in Scripture. God gave the church prophets. People who spoke God inspired word to his people. God has given the church evangelists. People who proclaim the good news to the lost and lead them to Christ. God has also given the church pastors and teachers. People who are to shepherd the flock and accurately preach and teach the word of God to his people.
The task of the pastor and teacher is not to do all the ministry but rather
12 to prepare God’s people for works of service,
God calls the pastor to equip the people for the work of service.
The most important “equipment” you need is “the word of God”.
The word of God will enable you to be a vibrant growing disciple of Jesus.
With Christ’s word in your heart, his Spirit will strengthen you, establish you in Jesus’ love, and empower you to do the work he’s prepared in advance for you to do.
The best way to get equipped for service is by coming to church. People say you don’t need to come to church to be a Christian. In exceptional situations where people are unable to access church fellowship through isolation or sickness you can maintain your faith through reading God’s word and prayer. But the core of being a Christian is devotion to the apostles’ teaching. (Acts 2:42) That means devotion to hearing the word of God; devotion to worship, fellowship and service. That can only happen when you come to church.
Show me a lukewarm Christian and I’ll show you someone who is not fully devoted to coming to church. Church worship is not an optional extra to your Christian life.
It is the very core means of your equipping.
God has given the church pastors and teachers…
so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Eph 4:12-13
Look at the results when you devote yourself to coming to church and being equipped.
The church is built up; our unity is deepened; we have a rich knowledge of the Son of God.
And we become mature –
And increasingly we move toward attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Eph 4:12-13
The fullness of Jesus’ Spirit and life fills his church and fills you.
Those are the blessings that will flow to this church community when you come to church to be taught and get equipped for service.
You say “I don’t know what I can do”. Ask God. Pray. Offer yourself to him.
Offer yourself to someone who’s serving you. Ask a leader “is there a job that’s not being done? What can I do to help serve God’s church?”
You’ve got gifts God wants to use to build the church.
No one is dispensable. We all must play our part.
So church, get equipped for service.
Come to church and learn how to grow a Christ like character. Get involved in service.
Mature Christians serve.
The last hallmark of maturity is shown in your speech.
4. SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE.
God wants you to be mature.
When we do these things Paul teaches us, we won’t be immature infants.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
I heard a crazy story once from someone who attended a church where the leader out front said that if when you worship God your standing on the front part of your foot you’re of God and if you are leaning back on your heals you’re of the devil. No doubt everyone immediately was standing on tip toes. There’s a lot of crazy, scary stuff being taught in some churches.
When you know Christ and understand his word, like a sturdy ship you can cut a straight line through a storm. Emotionally and spiritually you won’t be blown here and there by every new Christian fad or doctrine.
Paul says
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
God calls you to speak truth in love. Don’t use truth like a hammer crushing people, but admonish with love. Build others up. Let your speech be full of grace.
Paul finishes his portrait of maturity in verse 16.
It’s a picture of a body. A wonderful body. The church.
Jesus is the head. And we the church are his body.
Every part of this body is different, unique and specialized.
Each of you has unique gifts and talents.
You need Christ and we need each other.
16 From him (Christ) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
We’re joined to Jesus. Like ligaments in his body, we are spiritually connected.
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As we grow in Christ like character,
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As we zealously preserve the unity of the Spirit in his church,
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As we get equipped for service,
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As we speak in love to each other…
…something wonderful happens.
The body grows and builds itself up in love,
You get built up, I get built up, the church grows and love deepens.
As each part does its work.
You see, church renewal and growth rely entirely on God’s grace to us.
But it also relies fully on you doing your work in God’s church for his glory.
Church, God wants one thing for you.
He wants you to be spiritually mature so Jesus’ glory will be seen in this church.
God’s calling you. Will you commit to becoming a mature follower of Christ?
Pray.
Make my words yours.
Lord I commit:
to grow in Christ like character,
to zealously preserve the unity of the Spirit in his church,
to get equipped for service,
to speak the truth in love.