SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 32

TITLE: THE GOAL AND MARKS OF MATURITY

TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:14-16

INTRODUCTION: (1) IT HAS BEEN WELL SAID THAT TRUTH WITHOUT LOVE IS BRUTALITY, BUT LOVE WITHOUT TRUTH IS HYPOCRISY.

* ALSO IT’S BEEN SAID THAT TRUTH WITHOUT LOVE IS HARSHNESS, AND LOVE WITHOUT TRUTH IS HERESY, SO WE NEED TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE.

** THE REASON BEING TRUTH AND LOVE GO HAND IN HAND, ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER CREATES IMBALANCE AND ERROR.

(2) FOR YOU SEE, YOU CAN SPEAK THE TRUTH ALL YOU WANT TO, BUT IF YOUR WORDS AND ATTITUDES ARE NOT LOVING YOU ARE LIKE A SOUNDING GONG OR A CLANGING SYMBOL, ACCORDING TO I CORINTHIANS 13:1&2 (READ THEM).

* BUT ON THE OTHER HAND IF YOUR WORDS AND ATTITUDES ARE FILLED WITH LOVE, BUT YOU ARE NOT SPEAKING TRUTH, YOU ARE SPEAKING LIES, WHICH IS CONTRADICTORY TO LOVE, FOR LOVE REJOICES IN THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO I CORINTHIANS 13:6 (READ IT)

** AND TRUTH IS THE WORD OF GOD, FOR JESUS SAID IN JOHN 17:17.

(3) SO THE BALANCE OF THE MATTER IS WE NEED TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE. ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT IS OUT OF BALANCE, OUT OF WHACK.

* BUT GET THIS, IF WE WANT TO BE LIKE CHRIST, WE MUST SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE FOR HE ALWAYS SPOKE THE TRUTH IN LOVE, EVEN WHEN HE WAS DIRECT AND CUT RIGHT TO THE POINT WITH PEOPLE.

** FOR YOU SEE JESUS WAS AND IS GOD, AND GOD IS TRUTH AND GOD IS LOVE. AND IF WE WANT TO BE LIKE CHRIST, WE MUST SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE.

(4) AND THAT SHOULD BE OUR GOAL. “I WANT TO BE LIKE CHRIST, I WANT TO BE LIKE HIM.” AS THE HYMN SAYS: “O TO BE LIKE THEE BLESSED REDEEMER, THIS IS MY CONSTANT LONGING AND PRAYER; GLADLY I’LL FORFEIT ALL OF EARTH’S TREASURES, JESUS THY PERFECT LIKENESS TO WEAR.”

* THE CHORUS GOES, “O TO BE LIKE THEE!! O TO BE LIKE THEE, BLESSED REDEEMER, PURE AS THOU ART! COME IN THY SWEETNESS, COME IN THY FULLNESS, STAMP THINE OWN IMAGE DEEP ON MY HEART.”

** AND BELOVED THAT SHOULD BE OUR DESIRE, OUR PURSUIT, OUR PASSION, OUR PURPOSE, OUR GOAL. (AND IN A SOCIETY WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO BE LIKE LEBRON OR DONALD TRUMP OR SOME MOVIE OR ROCK STAR, WE SHOULD WANT TO BE LIKE CHRIST AS BELIEVERS.)

(5) AND THAT IS THE GOAL OF OUR TEXT TODAY, THAT WE HAVE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST.

* THAT WE MATURE AND GROW INTO CHRIST-LIKENESS AND NOT BE IMMATURE SPIRITUAL CHILDREN THAT ARE TOSSED TO AND FRO BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE.

** BUT THAT WE IN CONTRAST TO FALSE TEACHERS SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE AND GROW UP IN ALL ASPECTS INTO HIM, WHO IS THE HEAD OF HIS CHURCH, CHRIST.

*** AND THAT THE WHOLE BODY OF CHRIST WILL BE BUILT UP AND GROW IN LOVE.

(6) AND BECAUSE OF THOSE TRUTHS, I’VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE THIS MORNING, “THE GOAL AND MARKS OF MATURITY.”

* AND UNDER THAT THEME WE’LL LOOK AT 2 THINGS TOGETHER. NO. 1 THE RESULT OF THE EQUIPPING PROCESS, V. 14; AND NO. 2 THE REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF NOT BEING IMMATURE, VV. 15&16.

** SO WE’LL LOOK AT THE RESULT AND THE REQUIREMENT THIS MORNING UNDER THE HEADING OF “THE GOAL AND MARKS OF MATURITY.”

*** AND WITH THAT IN MIND, LOOK AT V. 14 WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT, THE RESULT.

I. THE RESULT, (READ V. 14)

A. NOW V. 13 OF OUR STUDY LAST SUNDAY GAVE A GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE GOAL OF GROWTH SET BEFORE GOD’S PEOPLE.

* NOW VV. 14-16 SET FORTH THE RESULTS OF ATTAINING THAT GOAL. WE MAY THINK OF THESE AS THE MARKS OR RESULTS OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY.

** AND FIRST OF ALL ONE PROMINENT TRAIT OF THE MATURE CHRISTIAN IS DOCTRINAL STABILITY. FOR WHEN WE ARRIVE AT THE MEASURE OF THE FULL STATURE OF CHRIST, WE ARE NO LONGER INFANTS AT THE MERCY OF ERROR.

*** PAUL PUT IT LIKE THIS, “NO LONGER CHILDREN, TOSSED TO AND FRO (LIKE WAVES OF THE SEA) AND CARRIED ABOUT WITH (BY) EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE.”

1. AND THE WORDS TOSSED TO AND FRO OR TOSSED HERE AND THERE, BACK AND FORTH, AND CARRIED OR BLOWN ABOUT ARE WORDS THAT MIGHT BE USED OF A SHIP ABANDONED ON A STORM-TOSSED SEA, A CLEAR PICTURE OF INSTABILITY AND HELPLESSNESS.

* AND WIND OF DOCTRINE SUGGESTS THE SHIFTING CURRENTS OF FALSE TEACHING, BLOWING NOW FROM THIS QUARTER OR DIRECTION, NOW FROM THAT.

** AND TO BE “CARRIED ABOUT BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE” IS TO BE SWEPT ALONG BY WHATEVER RELIGIOUS CURRENTS MAY BE BLOWING MOST STRONGLY AT THE TIME.

2. NOW SPECIFICALLY, THE PARTICULAR WIND OF DOCTRINE PAUL PROBABLY HAD IN MIND FOR THIS TIME WAS GNOSTICISM THREATENING THE CHURCHES OF ASIA WHEN HE WROTE THIS LETTER.

* AND GNOSTICISM COMBINED A BARE MINIMUM OF CHRISTIAN TRUTH WITH JEWISH RITUALISM AND ORIENTAL MYSTICISM, AND THIS HERESY PERVERTED THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION BY GRACE, MISCONSTRUED THE CHARACTER OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, AND CAST A SHADOW OVER THE GLORY AND MAJESTY OF CHRIST.

** AND PERSONS WHO LACK SPIRITUAL STABILITY, WHETHER THEY LIVE IN THE FIRST OR THE 21ST CENTURY, ARE ALWAYS EASY PREY FOR PEDDLERS OF POISON AND HERESIES LIKE THESE.

3. AND LET ME PAUSE HERE FOR A MOMENT AND POINT OUT THAT IN MY UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT FALSE DOCTRINE, LIT. FALSE TEACHING, OR ERROR HAS TO DO WITH DOCTRINES OR TEACHINGS THAT TAKE AWAY FROM OR DENY THE ESSENTIALS OF THE FAITH, THE BELIEFS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR FAITH IN CHRIST, FOR SALVATION.

* WHICH WOULD INCLUDE GNOSTICISM, APOSTASY, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE JUDAIZERS AND THOSE WHO DENY THE DEITY OF CHRIST, ETC. ROMANS 16:17&18, COLOSSIANS 2:8, I TIMOTHY 4:1, 2&3,

II TIMOTHY 4:3&4, II TIMOTHY 3:1, 5&7, TITUS 1:16,

I JOHN 2:22&23, I JOHN 4:1&2, II JOHN 10, II TIMOTHY 2:25.

** AND THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, WHAT THE N.T. CALLS ERROR IS FALSE TEACHING THAT DENIES THE FAITH, THAT TEACHES CONTRARY TO THE ESSENTIALS OF THE FAITH, THAT LEAD TO FAITH IN CHRIST, BELIEFS THAT ARE CONTRARY TO THE FAITH, THE TRUTH OF SALVATION, THE TRUTH OF CHRIST.

4. THINGS THAT THE CULTS TEACH, THAT FALSE RELIGIONS TEACH AND PREACH, NOT DOCTRINES THAT ARE IMPORTANT, BUT NOT ESSENTIAL TO THE FAITH. (ILLUST. ESCHATOLOGY)

* NOW WITH THAT DEFINITION OF FALSE TEACHING, ERROR IN MIND, NOTE THAT FALSE TEACHING WIELDS ITS PECULIAR POWER BY THE TRICKERY OF MEN AND BY CRAFTINESS IN DECEITFUL SCHEMING, V. 14.

** AND IT’S INTERESTING THAT THE WORD TRANSLATED TRICKERY IN THE NASB AND NKJV, CUNNING IN THE NIV AND SLEIGHT IN THE KJV, IN THE GREEK LIT. MEANS DICE PLAYING, BECAUSE DICE PLAYERS SOMETIMES CHEATED AND DEFRAUDED THEIR FELLOW PLAYERS BY LOADING THE DICE OR USING OTHER SCHEMES.

*** THE IDEA BEHIND THIS WORD IS DECEPTION.

- AND THAT’S WHAT FALSE TEACHERS DO. THEY DECEIVE, THEY COME AS ANGELS OF LIGHT, THEY COME AS SHEPHERDS IN SHEEP CLOTHING, II CORINTHIANS 11:13-15, MATTHEW 7:15&16 (READ THEM).

5. AND FOLKS AS WE GROW IN OUR FAITH, AS WE MATURE, WE COME TO KNOW THE TRUTH SO WELL, THAT WE SPOT ERROR A MILE AWAY.

* WE DO NOT HAVE TO STUDY ERROR, ROMANS 16:19. (READ IT)

** WE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH, FOR FALSE TEACHERS USE TRICKERY AND DECEPTION AND MIX TRUTH WITH ERROR.

*** BUT NOT ONLY DO THEY USE TRICKERY, THEY USE CRAFTINESS IN DECEITFUL SCHEMING.

**** THEY ARE SKILLED AND CUNNING IN PEDDLING THEIR TEACHING, THEY’LL DO ANYTHING TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR PURPOSES, THEY’LL SAY ANYTHING TO GET A FOLLOWING, THEY’LL STOP AT NOTHING IN THEIR EFFORT TO ENSNARE GULLIBLE AND FICKLE SOULS.

***** AND BELOVED FALSE TEACHERS HAVE A PLAN OF ATTACK, THEY HAVE A METHOD, AND THEY LIE AND TELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR, INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR LIKE PAUL, GALATIANS 4:16 (READ IT).

6. AND AS WE GO BACK TO V. 14 OF OUR TEXT, THE RESULT OF MATURITY IS WE WILL NO LONGER BE CHILDREN SPIRITUALLY THAT ARE TOSSED HERE AND THERE BY FALSE TEACHING, ERROR. AND THAT’S WHAT ERROR IS BELIEVERS.

* NOW IN CONTRAST TO THE ERROR TALKED ABOUT IN V. 15, WE’LL SEE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US A REQUIREMENT IN CONTRAST TO FALSE TEACHERS AND LIARS, WHO SPEAK LIES AND HATE THE TRUTH, FOR THE REQUIREMENT IS WE ARE TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE.

** LOOK AT V. 15 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR SECOND POINT TODAY, THE REQUIREMENT.

II. THE REQUIREMENT, (READ V. 15)

A. NOW THE REQUIREMENT FOR US THAT KNOW THE TRUTH OF CHRIST, AND KNOW CHRIST, AND ARE LIKE CHRIST IS TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE AND CONTINUE TO GROW UP IN HIM, THE ONE WHO IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.

* AND MAKE A MENTAL NOTE THAT THE VERB TRANSLATED SPEAKING THE TRUTH MEANS TO SPEAK, DEAL, OR ACT TRUTHFULLY, LIT. TRUTHING IT, TRUTHING IN LOVE, IN CONTRAST TO THOSE WHO LIE WITH WINDS OF DOCTRINE, THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUTH, FALSE TEACHING.

**AND THE SPIRITUALLY EQUIPPED CHURCH, WHOSE MEMBERS ARE SOUND IN DOCTRINE AND MATURE IN THEIR THINKING AND LIVING, IS A CHURCH THAT WILL REACH OUT IN LOVE. TO PROCLAIM THE FAITH, THE SAVING GOSPEL, THE TRUTH.

1. BELOVED, GOD DOES NOT GIVE US KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, GIFTS AND MATURITY TO KEEP BUT TO SHARE, TO PROCLAIM.

* HE DOES NOT EQUIP US TO STAGNATE BUT TO SERVE. WE ARE NOT GIFTED AND EDIFIED IN ORDER TO BE COMPLACENT AND SELF-SATISFIED, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THE LORD’S WORK OF SERVICE IN BUILDING UP AND EXPANDING THE BODY OF CHRIST.

** AND IN LOVE IS THE ATTITUDE IN WHICH WE EVANGELIZE AND SHOULD ALWAYS SPEAK.

*** AND A LIFE THAT SPEAKS THE GOSPEL WITH A SPIRIT OF LOVING SACRIFICE WILL BE MOST CONVINCING.

2. AND MANY TIMES FOR THE IMMATURE BELIEVER, RIGHT DOCTRINE CAN BE NO MORE THAN COLD ORTHODOXY AND LOVE CAN BE NO MORE THAN SENTIMENTALISM.

* BUT THE MATURE MAN, THE MAN WHO IS GROWING UP IN ALL ASPECTS INTO CHRIST, V. 15 AT THE END, WHO IS GROWING UP INTO CHRIST-LIKENESS IS CONSISTENT IN HAVING SUFFICIENT WISDOM TO UNDERSTAND GOD’S TRUTH AND EFFECTIVELY PRESENT IT TO OTHERS.

** AND LET ME ADD, THAT PERSON HAS THE HUMILITY AND GRACE TO PRESENT IT IN LOVE AND IN POWER.

*** AND GET THIS BEFORE I MOVE ON TO V. 16. THE COMBINATION OF TRUTH AND LOVE COUNTERACTS THE TWO GREAT THREATS TO POWERFUL MINISTRY AND WHAT ARE THEY?

* LACK OF TRUTH AND LACK OF COMPASSION, WE NEED TO SPEAK GOD’S TRUTH IN LOVE. (NOW LOOK AT V. 16)

B. READ V. 16. NOW A FINAL TRAIT OF THE MATURE CHRISTIAN IS THAT HE FAITHFULLY FULFILLS HIS APPOINTED FUNCTION WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST AND THUS CONTRIBUTES HIS PART TO THE OVERALL GROWTH OF THAT BODY.

* THE LANGUAGE OF V. 16 PICTURES THE BODY OF CHRIST (THE CHURCH) AS AN ORGANISM IN WHICH EACH MEMBER CONTRIBUTES TO THE GROWTH OF THE WHOLE BODY.

** IN OTHER WORDS, DRAWING FROM CHRIST THE HEAD, THE BODY EFFECTS ITS OWN GROWTH AND THIS PROCESS TAKES PLACE ACCORDING TO THE PROPER WORKING OF EACH INDIVIDUAL PART.

1. THE GROWTH OF THE BODY OF CHRIST IS ON THE SCALE OF, IN PROPORTION TO THE WORKING OR PROPER FUNCTIONING OF EACH INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN, AND WE ALL HAVE A FUNCTION THROUGH OUR GIFTS.

* AND THE THOUGHT IS THAT EACH CHRISTIAN IS A POINT OF SUPPLY FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST, A CHANNEL TO RECEIVE AND PASS ON LIFE FROM CHRIST.

** IN FACT, A PARAPHRASE OF V. 16 MIGHT MAKE THE MEANING OF THIS CLEAR, “UNDER HIS (CHRIST’S) CONTROL ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY FIT TOGETHER, AND THE WHOLE BODY IS HELD TOGETHER BY EVERY JOINT WITH WHICH IT IS PROVIDED.

*** SO WHEN EACH SEPARATE PART WORKS AS IT SHOULD, THE WHOLE BODY GROWS AND BUILDS ITSELF UP IN LOVE.

2. AND BELOVED, AS WITH ALL LIVING ORGANISMS, SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN THE CHURCH DOES NOT COME FROM FORCES OUTSIDE, BUT FROM THE VITAL POWER WITHIN THAT CAUSES THE GROWTH OF THE BODY FOR THE BUILDING UP OF ITSELF.

AND AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY: (1) ALL OF THIS IS IN LOVE, WHICH IS ALWAYS TO BE THE SPIRIT OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS.

* LOVE IS THE SPIRIT OF OUR FELLOWSHIP AS BELIEVERS AND LOVE IS THE WAY UNITY IS MAINTAINED IN THE CHURCH.

** AND THAT’S WHY IN V. 2 THE PHRASE “IN LOVE” IS USED, IN V. 15 THE PHRASE “IN LOVE” IS USED AND IN V. 16 THE PHRASE “IN LOVE” IS USED.

*** AND TRUE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER AS BELIEVERS WHICH COMMUNICATES TO THE WORLD THAT WE ARE THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST DOES NOT COMMUNICATE LIBERALISM OR MUSHINESS, BUT SACRIFICE.

(2) AND AS WE GROW AND MATURE IN CHRIST, WE WILL SACRIFICE FOR EACH OTHER AND ACT LIKE CHRISTIANS WALKING IN HUMILITY, GENTLENESS, PATIENCE AND SHOW FORBEARANCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.

* AND WE WILL BE DILIGENT TO PRESERVE THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE.

** AND THIS WILL BE MORE AND MORE OUR DESIRE AS WE GROW INTO LIKENESS TO OUR HEAD WHICH IS CHRIST.

(3) AND I WANT YOU TO GET THIS AND UNDERSTAND THIS BEFORE I CLOSE, THE EXPRESSION “THE HEAD” WHICH IS CHRIST INDICATES CHRIST’S AUTHORITY, LEADERSHIP AND HIS CONTROLLING POWER. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHRIST’S HEADSHIP.

* AND CHRIST IS NOT ONLY THE SOVEREIGN HEAD AND THE RULING HEAD BUT ALSO THE ORGANIC HEAD. HE IS THE SOURCE OF POWER FOR ALL FUNCTIONS AND HE IS THE SOURCE OF TRUE LOVE.

** AND AS HUMAN BEINGS ARE DECLARED OFFICIALLY DEAD WHEN THEIR EEG IS FLAT, SIGNIFYING BRAIN DEATH, AS THE BRAIN IS THE CONTROL CENTER OF PHYSICAL LIFE.

*** SO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ORGANIC SOURCE OF LIFE AND POWER TO HIS BODY THE CHURCH.

(4) AND TO GROW IN HIS LIKENESS AND LOVE IS TO BE COMPLETELY SUBJECT TO HIS CONTROLLING POWER, OBEDIENT TO HIS EVERY THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION OF HIS WILL.

* IT IS TO PERSONIFY PAUL’S PRAYERS, FOR TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST, PHILIPPIANS 1:21. AND IT IS NOT LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME, GALATIANS 2:20.

** I CLOSE AGAIN WITH II PETER 3:18. (READ IT AND PRAY).