SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 31

TITLE: THE GOALS OF GROWTH

TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:13

INTRODUCTION: (1) LIFE RESULTS IN GROWTH. SPIRITUAL LIFE RESULTS IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH, OR AT LEAST IT SHOULD.

* WHICH LEADS TO AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. IF YOU HAVE SPIRITUAL LIFE THIS MORNING THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, ARE YOU GROWING?

** ARE YOU GROWING IN THE FAITH, ARE YOU GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER A BABE, BUT A MATURE MAN OR WOMAN OF GOD?

(2) WELL, BE SURE OF THIS, GOD’S WILL IS FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN TO GROW TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY. HIS WORD COMMANDS US TO, II PETER 3:18, I PETER 2:2 (READ THEM).

* NOW GROWTH IN CHRIST, SPIRITUAL MATURITY, CHRIST-LIKENESS, IS OUR OBLIGATION AND PRIVILEGE AND WILL ULTIMATELY TAKE PLACE AS WE ARE WITH THE LORD.

** BUT NOW, IN OUR DAILY WALK, EACH DAY WE CAN PROGRESS IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE TOWARD A FULLER, HIGHER, PERSONAL, EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND CHRIST.

*** AND WE CAN GO PAST KNOWING GOD’S WORD TO KNOWING THE GOD WHO WROTE THE WORD AND BE LIKE HIM MORE AND MORE AND KNOW HIM MORE PERSONALLY.

(3) BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? MANY BELIEVERS ENTERTAIN MISTAKEN IDEAS ABOUT WHAT THIS VITAL SUBJECT INVOLVES, OF WHAT SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS ALL ABOUT.

* FOR EXAMPLE, SPIRITUAL GROWTH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR POSITION IN CHRIST. FOR YOU SEE GOD SEES US IN HIS SON AS ALREADY PERFECT, POSITIONALLY.

** WE ARE COMPLETE IN CHRIST, WE HAVE ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN UNTO LIFE AND GODLINESS.

(4) BUT ALSO SPIRITUAL GROWTH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH KNOWLEDGE. A PERSON MAY HAVE A LOT OF FACTS, A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT THAT CAN’T BE EQUATED WITH SPIRITUAL MATURITY.

* FOR YOU SEE UNLESS YOUR KNOWLEDGE RESULTS IN CONFORMING YOU TO CHRIST, IT IS USELESS. IT MUST BE LIFE-CHANGING, IT MUST GO BEYOND OUR HEAD TO OUR FEET.

(5) BUT ONE OTHER THING. SPIRITUAL GROWTH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ACTIVITY. UNFORTUNATELY SOME FOLKS THINK THAT THE MATURE CHRISTIAN IS THE BUSY CHRISTIAN. NOT SO.

* FOR YOU CAN BE BUSY AND NOT BE GROWING IN GRACE. THERE MUST BE TIME TO SIT AT JESUS’ FEET AND TAKE IN HIS WORD AND WORSHIP HIM.

** AND THEN PROPER ACTIVITY WILL COME AS A RESULT OF THAT BY USING OUR GIFTS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST. THERE WILL BE INVOLVEMENT – OUR LIFESTYLE.

(6) NOW IF SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS NONE OF THOSE THINGS, THEN WHAT IS IT? WELL, SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS MATCHING UP YOUR PRACTICE WITH YOUR POSITION, FOR YOUR POSITION IN CHRIST IS PERFECT. IT IS AN ABSOLUTE.

* AND NOW GOD WANTS YOU TO REFLECT THAT POSITION IN YOUR DAILY EXPERIENCE, TO BE MORE LIKE HIS SON, TO GROW UP SPIRITUALLY.

** AND SUCH GROWTH IS CRITICAL. WE CAN CALL IT MANY THINGS BIBLICALLY, FOLLOWING AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS, I TIMOTHY 6:11.

- BEING TRANSFORMED, ROMANS 12:2.

- PERFECTING HOLINESS, II CORINTHIANS 7:1.

- PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK, PHILIPPIANS 3:14.

- AND BEING BUILT UP IN THE FAITH, COLOSSIANS 2:7. BUT WHATEVER WE CALL IT, THIS IS THE GOAL FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN.

(7) THE REASON BEING, WHEN WE GROW, WE GLORIFY GOD WHICH IS OUR ULTIMATE PURPOSE, II PETER 3:18.

* NOW LET ME SAY THIS, SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS NOT MYSTICAL, SENTIMENTAL, DEVOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, OR THE RESULT OF CLEVER SECRETS.

** IT COMES THROUGH UNDERSTANDING AND PRACTICING THE PRINCIPLES THAT ARE GIVEN IN THE WORD OF GOD, FOR WHAT DOES II TIMOTHY 3:16&17 SAY? (READ THEM) ALSO READ COLOSSIANS 1:28.

(8) AND BELOVED THE WORD OF GOD IS THE MASTER KEY THAT UNLOCKS THE DOOR OF GROWTH, OF MATURITY.

* AND TODAY IN OUR STUDY OF THE WORD OF GOD I WANT TO LOOK AT SOME GOALS OF GROWTH WHICH IS THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE THIS MORNING.

** AND IN OUR STUDY OF EPHESIANS 4:11&12 LAST SUNDAY WE LEARNED THAT GOD HAS GIVEN SOME GIFTED MEN TO THE CHURCH TO EQUIP THE SAINTS, TO HELP THEM GROW TO MATURITY, THAT THE SAINTS IN TURN DO THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, THAT THE BODY OF CHRIST MIGHT BE BUILT UP.

(9) NOW TODAY IN OUR TEXT WE SEE SOME OF THE GOALS OF THAT GROWTH, OF BUILDING UP THE BODY: UNITY OF THE FAITH, KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD SO THAT WE MIGHT BE MATURE AND BE LIKE CHRIST, SO WE ARE NO LONGER LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN WHO CAN BE EASILY DECEIVED BY FALSE DOCTRINE.

* AND SPECIFICALLY WE’LL LOOK AT TWO THINGS IN EPHESIANS 4:13 TODAY. NO. 1 THE PURPOSE OF BEING BUILT UP, V. 13A; AND NO. 2 THE PROCESS TO GROWTH, V. 13B.

** AND WITH THAT IN MIND WE’LL LOOK AT THE GOAL OF GROWTH BY FIRST OF ALL SEEING THE PURPOSE IN V. 13A. LOOK AT V. 13A OF EPHESIANS 4.

I. THE PURPOSE, (READ V. 13A)

A. NOW BEGINNING IN V. 13A, PAUL BEGINS TO EXPLAIN WHAT HE HAD IN MIND WHEN HE SPOKE OF THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST IN V. 12.

* AND NOTE THAT HE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT NUMERICAL GROWTH, BUT AGAIN THE ATTAINMENT OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY ON THE PART OF ALL BELIEVERS NOW.

** PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS ATTAINABLE IN THIS LIFE, NOW!

*** YET UNFORTUNATELY SOME COMMENTATORS ADVOCATE THE VIEW THAT SUCH AN ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE IS ONLY ATTAINABLE AT GLORIFICATION, BELIEVING THAT PAUL IS DESCRIBING OUR FINAL HEAVENLY UNITY AND KNOWLEDGE.

**** BUT THAT IDEA DOES NOT FIT THIS CONTEXT AT ALL BECAUSE PAUL IS NOT DESCRIBING THE FINAL WORK OF CHRIST ON BEHALF OF THE CHURCH IN HEAVEN BUT THE WORK OF GIFTED MEN OF THE CHURCH ON EARTH.

- IN OTHER WORDS, THESE RESULTS COULD ONLY APPLY TO THE CHURCH IN ITS EARTHLY DIMENSION, HERE AND NOW.

1. BUT GET THIS, THERE MUST BE A PATIENCE TOWARD THIS GOAL NOW. FOR WHAT IS THE FIRST WORD IN V. 13, IT IS “UNTIL” OR “TILL”.

* AND THIS IS A SPIRITUAL TARGET THAT WE WORK TOWARD, THAT WE GROW INTO. FOR THE WORD ATTAIN OR COME OR REACH IS ALSO USED IN V. 13.

** AND THIS GREEK WORD LIT. MEANS TO ARRIVE AT, TO COME TO, TO ARRIVE AT AS A GOAL, TO REACH AT, AND THIS WORD IS USED IN THE BOOK OF ACTS SEVERAL TIMES TO TALK ABOUT TRAVELERS ARRIVING AT THEIR DESTINATION.

*** SO WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A POINT THAT WE’RE TRAVELING TO. AND TRAVEL TAKES TIME, AND IF YOU’RE TRAVELING IN THE FIRST CENTURY, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME.

- THERE WERE NO PLANES, TRAINS, AUTOMOBILES OR BUSES.

2. SO PATIENCE IS THE KEY, GOING BACK TO V. 2 OF EPHESIANS 4. IN FACT ALL OF THE ATTITUDES OF V. 2 ARE KEY ON THIS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS, PATIENCE AND SHOWING FORBEARANCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.

* BELOVED, GROWTH AND MATURITY IS A PROCESS. AND TIME, TRIALS, STUDY AND PRAYER LEAD TO THIS GOAL. WE CANNOT ALWAYS HAVE THINGS WHEN WE WANT THEM AND HOW WE WANT THEM.

** AND THERE IS GOING TO BE DISAGREEMENTS ALONG THE WAY ON HOW TO REACH THOSE GOALS. WHAT NEEDS TO BE EMPHASIZED AND WHAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE EMPHASIZED.

*** AND THOSE WHO ARE SPIRITUALLY MATURE MUST BE PATIENT AND HANG IN THERE WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT.

3. FOR WE ARE ALL AT DIFFERENT LEVELS SPIRITUALLY, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS HERE AND DIFFERENT BELIEFS BEYOND OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH.

* AND IN THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS, WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN, THERE WAS A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE, NOT IDENTICAL, BUT SIMILAR.

** AND THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE JEW AND GENTILES THAT WERE SAVED BECAUSE OF THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND EVEN SOME OF THEIR BELIEFS THAT THEY WERE CLINGING TO. THERE WAS A LACK OF UNITY. THERE WERE BIG DIFFERENCES.

4. BUT IN CHAPTERS 2&3 PAUL TALKS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN VERSES 11-22 IN CHAPTER 2 AND VERSES 6-8 IN CHAPTER 3.

** NOW IN CHRIST, FOR THE FIRST TIME, JEW AND GENTILE HAD BECOME MEMBERS OF ONE BODY. THE TRUTH THAT GENTILES WOULD BECOME “FELLOW HEIRS AND FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE BODY” WAS FORMERLY A MYSTERY THAT HAD NOW BEEN REVEALED.

** SO NOW JEW AND GENTILE WERE ONE, BUT NOW THEY NEEDED TO ACT LIKE IT, LIVE LIKE IT AND BELIEVE LIKE IT.

*** THERE NEEDED TO BE UNITY IN THE BODY.

5. AND FIRST OF ALL THERE NEEDED TO BE UNITY, UNANIMITY, AGREEMENT OF THE FAITH, V. 13A. THEY WERE TO GROW INTO THAT. THEY HAD TRADITIONS THAT WERE NOT BIBLICAL, THEY HAD BELIEFS THAT THEY WERE HOLDING ON TO THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE HELD ON TO.

* NOW WHAT WAS THEIR COMMON GROUND IN CHRIST? WELL AS WE GO BACK TO VV. 4-6 OF EPHESIANS 4, THEY HAD SUPERNATURAL ONENESS THROUGH THE SPIRIT, THROUGH THE SON AND THROUGH THE FATHER.

** THERE WAS ONE BODY NOW, THE BODY OF CHRIST, ONE SPIRIT WHO PLACED THEM INTO THAT BODY THAT INDWELT THEM, AND ONE HOPE THROUGH THE SPIRIT, THE HOPE OF HEAVEN AND THEIR ETERNAL INHERITANCE.

*** THEY HAD ONE LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, AND ONE FAITH IN HIM THAT SAVED THEM AND ONE BAPTISM. SPIRIT BAPTISM THAT PLACED THEM INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST.

- AND LAST OF ALL THEY NOW HAD ONE FATHER WHO IS OVER ALL AND WHO LIVES THROUGH ALL BELIEVERS.

6. SO THE JEW AND THE GENTILE HAD A LOT IN COMMON. AND SO DO WE. FOR EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM THAT IS IN CHRIST HAS UNANIMITY OF THE FAITH WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE THINGS OR WE WOULD NOT BE SAVED OR IN CHRIST.

* AND I BELIEVE UNITY OF THE FAITH IN THIS CONTEXT IS AGREEMENT, UNANIMITY OF THE ESSENTIALS OF THE FAITH, THE CONTENT OF THE GOSPEL, WHAT IT TAKES TO COME TO FAITH IN CHRIST.

** AND THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF ERROR IN THAT DAY THAT WAS TRYING TO TAKE THEM AWAY FROM THE FAITH, THE CONTENT OF THE GOSPEL, THE FUNDAMENTALS, THE ESSENTIALS. TO MAKE THEM DOUBT OR GET THEM SIDETRACKED.

7. NO. 1 THERE WERE APOSTATES, WHO HAD DEPARTED FROM THE FAITH, THE CONTENT, THE TRUTHS OF THE FAITH WHO HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THEM BUT HAD NOT EMBRACED THEM, I TIMOTHY 4:1-3.

* ON TOP OF THAT THERE WERE THE JUDAIZERS WHO WERE ADDING WORKS TO THE FAITH, SAYING YOU HAVE TO BE CIRCUMCISED, GALATIANS 1:6-9 (READ THEM).

** THEN IN GALATIANS 3:23 PAUL SAID: “BUT BEFORE FAITH CAME, WE WERE KEPT IN CUSTODY UNDER THE LAW, BEING SHUT UP TO THE FAITH, THE FAITH OF CHRIST, THE FAITH OF SALVATION, WHICH WAS LATER TO BE REVEALED.”

*** NOW THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS PAUL NOW PREACHED THE FAITH IN CHRIST WHICH HE ONCE DESTROYED, GALATIANS 1:23: BUT ONLY, THEY KEPT HEARING, “HE WHO ONCE PERSECUTED US IS NOW PREACHING THE FAITH, JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH, BELIEFS THAT SAVE, WHICH HE ONCE TRIED TO DESTROY.”

**** SO THERE WERE JUDAIZERS WHO ADDED TO THE FAITH.

8. BUT ON TOP OF JUDAIZERS, THERE WERE THOSE WHO WERE SAYING THAT THE RESURRECTION WAS ALREADY PAST, FOR II TIMOTHY 2:18 SAYS: “MEN WHO HAVE GONE ASTRAY FROM THE TRUTH SAYING THE RESURRECTION HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE AND THUS THEY UPSET THE FAITH OF SOME.”

* THEN IN II TIMOTHY 3:8 IN TALKING ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS IT SAYS: “JUST AS JANNES AND JAMBRES OPPOSED MOSES, SO THESE MEN ALSO OPPOSE THE TRUTH, MEN OF DEPRAVED MIND, REJECTED IN REGARD TO THE FAITH.”

** AND THEN PAUL, WHEN HE CAME TO THE END OF HIS LIFE COULD SAY IN II TIMOTHY 4:7 (READ IT).

*** HE HAD NOT DENIED THE FAITH, BUT KEPT IT AND LIVED IT.

9. AND LET ME CONTINUE TO BUILD ON WHAT THE FAITH MEANS, WE’LL LOOK AT TITUS 1:10-16 ON THE SCREEN. AND VV. 10-16 IS TALKING ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS, AS ARE MOST OF THESE CONTEXT, UNSAVED PEOPLE.

* TITUS 1:10– FOR THERE ARE MANY REBELLIOUS MEN, EMPTY TALKERS AND DECEIVERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF THE CIRCUMCISION,

V. 11 – WHO MUST BE SILENCED BECAUSE THEY ARE UPSETTING WHOLE FAMILIES, TEACHING THINGS THEY SHOULD NOT TEACH FOR THE SAKE OF SORDID GAIN.

V. 12 – ONE OF THEMSELVES, A PROPHET OF THEIR OWN, SAID, “CRETANS ARE ALWAYS LIARS, EVIL BEAST, LAZY GLUTTONS.”

V. 13 – THIS TESTIMONY IS TRUE. FOR THIS REASON REPROVE THEM SEVERELY SO THAT THEY MAY BE SOUND IN THE FAITH,

V. 14 – NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO JEWISH MYTHS AND COMMANDMENTS OF MEN WHO TURN AWAY FROM THE TRUTH.

V. 15 – TO THE PURE, ALL THINGS ARE PURE; BUT TO THOSE WHO ARE DEFILED AND UNBELIEVING, NOTHING IS PURE, BUT BOTH THEIR MIND AND THEIR CONSCIENCE ARE DEFILED.

V. 16 – THEY PROFESS TO KNOW GOD, BUT BY THEIR DEEDS THEY DENY HIM, BEING DETESTABLE AND DISOBEDIENT AND WORTHLESS FOR ANY GOOD DEED.

** NOW THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE AND DRIVE HOME IS THE PHRASE “THE FAITH” WHICH IS USED 42 TIMES IN THE N.T. PRIMARILY MEANING THE ESSENTIAL BELIEFS IN COMING TO FAITH IN CHRIST.

*** THE FAITH IN CONTRAST TO APOSTATES, JUDAIZERS, GNOSTICS AND FALSE TEACHERS TEACHING HERESY – THAT IS THE ENEMY AND OUR CONFLICT.

**** AND GET THIS – THE WORDS “THE FAITH” IS THE GREEK WORD PIS-TIS AND MEANS A CONVICTION OF BELIEF RESPECTING MAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD AND DIVINE THINGS, GENERALLY WITH THE INCLUDED IDEA OF TRUST AND HOLY FERVOR BORN OF FAITH AND JOINED WITH IT.

(10) AND IN RELATION TO CHRIST, PIS-TIS MEANS A STRONG AND WELCOME CONVICTION OR BELIEF THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, THROUGH WHOM WE OBTAIN ETERNAL SALVATION IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

* SO WHAT AGAIN ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE BELIEFS THAT MUST BE HELD TO BE SAVED, THE ESSENTIALS, THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FAITH. (FAITH, REPENTANCE, LORDSHIP, BIBLICAL BELIEFS ABOUT CHRIST.)

** A FEW OTHER VERSES TO CONSIDER, II CORINTHIANS 13:5, ACTS 6:7 AND JAMES 2:1.

*** NOW WITH ALL THOSE SCRIPTURES IN MIND, AS WE GO BACK TO EPHESIANS 4:13, THE MEANING OF EPHESIANS 4:13 BOTH CONTEXTUALLY AND BY THE WORD USED IN OTHER CONTEXT MEANS AGREEMENT IN THE BELIEFS THAT BRING A PERSON INTO THE FAITH, THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FAITH, WHAT I CALL THE ESSENTIALS FOR FAITH, FELLOWSHIP AND SERVICE (IN CONTRAST TO FALSE DOCTRINE AND HERESY.)

(11) AND THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE HAVE AGREEMENT ON EVERYTHING AND IF WE DON’T, WE HAVE TO DIVIDE.

* NOW SHOULD WE WORK TOWARDS AGREEMENT ON EVERYTHING, ON EVERY DOCTRINE? OF COURSE WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD STUDY, HAVE OPEN HEARTS, ASK THE SPIRIT TO TEACH US, WE NEED TO BE LIKE THE BEREANS, TO EXAMINE THE SCRIPTURES DAILY.

** NOW AS WE GO BACK TO V. 13A, THE FAITH IS THE CONTENT OF THE GOSPEL IN ITS MOST COMPLETE FORM.

*** THE FAITH HERE DOES NOT REFER TO THE ACT OF BELIEF, BUT TO THE BODY OF CHRISTIAN TRUTH, TO CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE IN THAT CONTEXT.

**** AND AS THE CHURCH AT CORINTH SO CLEARLY ILLUSTRATES, DISUNITY IN THE CHURCH COMES FROM DOCTRINAL IGNORANCE AND SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY.

- BUT WHEN BELIEVERS ARE PROPERLY TAUGHT, WHEN THEY FAITHFULLY DO THE WORKS OF SERVICE, AND WHEN THE BODY IS THEREBY BUILT UP IN SPIRITUAL MATURITY, UNITY OF THE FAITH IS AN INEVITABLE RESULT.

* ONENESS IN FELLOWSHIP IS IMPOSSIBLE UNLESS IT IS BUILT UPON THE FAITH, THE FOUNDATION OF THE GOSPEL TAUGHT IN THE WORD.

** WHICH LEADS US TO OUR SECOND POINT TODAY. WE MOVE FROM THE PURPOSE TO THE PROCESS. LOOK BACK AT V. 13 AGAIN PLEASE.

II. THE PROCESS, (READ V. 13)

A. NOW THIS PURPOSE OF UNITY OF THE FAITH CONTINUES IN THE PROCESS OF ATTAINING THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD.

* NOW AS THE LORD REFINES US AND THE BODY OF CHRIST IS BUILT UP AS THE SAINTS ARE EQUIPPED, GOING BACK TO V. 12.

** AS THIS PROCESS TAKES PLACE, NOT ONLY WILL WE HAVE UNITY OF THE FAITH, BUT ALSO KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD. NOW WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

*** WELL, THE WORD FOR KNOWLEDGE IN THE GREEK MEANS FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT IS CORRECT, ACCURATE, PRECISE AND TRUE.

1. AND WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS GROWING IN THE DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST THAT WE KNOW HIM INTIMATELY, PERSONALLY.

* PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT DEEP KNOWLEDGE, FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT IS CORRECT AND ACCURATE THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST THAT COMES FROM PRAYER AND FAITHFUL STUDY OF AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD, AND I MIGHT ADD TRIALS, BEING PUT THROUGH THE REFINER’S FIRE.

** AND PAUL, AFTER MANY YEARS OF DEVOTED APOSTLESHIP AND MANY FIRES, MANY TRIALS, COULD STILL SAY IN PHILIPPIANS 3:8-10, “MORE THAN THAT, I COUNT ALL THINGS TO BE LOSS IN VIEW OF THE SURPASSING VALUE OF KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND COUNT THEM BUT RUBBISH SO THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST,

V. 9 – AND MAY BE FOUND IN HIM, NOT HAVING A RIGHTEOUSNESS OF MY OWN DERIVED FROM THE LAW, BUT THAT WHICH IS THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH COMES FROM GOD ON THE BASIS OF FAITH,

V. 10 – THAT I MAY KNOW HIM AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS, BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH.”

*** NOW WHEN YOU KNOW CHRIST LIKE THAT, EVERYTHING ELSE IS SECONDARY.

**** PAUL ALSO SAID IN PHILIPPIANS 3:10 THAT I MAY KNOW HIM, AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERING. AND WHAT A WONDERFUL GOAL.

- THE WORLD SAYS KNOW YOURSELF, LOVE YOURSELF. CHRISTIANITY SAYS KNOW CHRIST MORE, LOVE HIM MORE.

2. EPHESIANS 1:17 – “THAT THE GOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF GLORY, MAY GIVE TO YOU A SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND OF REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM.”

** AND AGAIN THIS KNOWLEDGE IS AN INTIMATE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF WHO CHRIST IS, WHAT HE HAS DONE AND WHAT HE IS DOING. IT IS KNOWING CHRIST INTIMATELY AND PERSONALLY.

*** AND THE MORE WE KNOW ABOUT HIM, AND THE MORE WE KNOW HIM THAT WAY, THE MORE WE’LL LOVE HIM AND SUBMIT TO HIS SUPREME AUTHORITY.

**** I MEAN THE MORE YOU KNOW CHRIST, THE MORE YOU’LL LOVE HIM, BECAUSE YOU’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO FIND A FAULT IN HIM, THERE ARE NO BLEMISHES IN HIM, HE NEVER FAILS.

***** AND YOU’LL SEE HIS LOVELINESS, AND HIS MAJESTY, AND HIS GLORY, AND YOU’LL CRY, HALLELUJAH WHAT A SAVIOR!!

3. YOUR CRY WILL BE, “O TO BE LIKE THEE.”

* AND THE MORE YOU’RE LIKE HIM, THE MORE MATURE YOU’LL BE SPIRITUALLY, THE NEXT PART OF V. 13, “UNTIL WE ATTAIN THE UNITY OF THE FAITH, AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, TO A MATURE MAN.”

** FOR YOU SEE, THAT KIND OF KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO MATURITY, NOT PRIDE, AND THAT KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO CHRIST-LIKENESS “TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST” – THE LAST PART OF V. 13.

4. BELOVED, THE GOAL IS TO REACH MANHOOD AND WOMANHOOD IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE AND CONFORMITY TO CHRIST.

* AND PAUL HAS IN MIND THE MATURITY OF EACH SAINT. AND THE WORDS UNTO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE WHICH BELONGS TO THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST, FURTHER DEFINES WHAT PAUL MEANS BY THE MATURE SAINT.

** FOR THE EXPRESSION “THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST” REFERS TO THE SUM OF THE QUALITIES WHICH MAKE CHRIST WHAT HE IS.

*** AND THESE QUALITIES ARE TO BE IMAGED IN OUR LIVES, THEY ARE TO BE MANIFEST IN OUR LIVES AND IN CHRIST’S CHURCH.

5. AND WHEN THEY ARE, YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN ALONG WITH MANY OTHER THINGS? THERE WILL BE UNITY IN CHRIST’S CHURCH. FOR ONE OF THE MANY BY-PRODUCTS OF MATURITY IS UNITY.

* FOR IT’S IMMATURE CHILDREN THAT FIGHT AND SQUABBLE AND WHO MUST HAVE IT THEIR WAY OR NO WAY. AND WE MAY CALL IT MANY THINGS, BUT IT’S REALLY IMMATURITY.

** IT IS A LACK OF HUMILITY, GENTLENESS, PATIENCE AND SHOWING FORBEARANCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.

*** SO WHAT’S THE GOAL THAT OUR LORD ACCOMPLISHES THROUGH REFINING? FULL CORRECT KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD WHICH LEADS TO MATURITY, CHRIST LIKENESS.

AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY: I ASK THE QUESTION I STARTED WITH, ARE YOU GROWING SPIRITUALLY? ARE YOU GROWING IN CHRIST-LIKENESS?

** WELL, THAT SHOULD BE OUR PASSION, TO BE LIKE CHRIST. AND SOMETIMES OUR GROWTH IS SLOW AND NOT AS FAST AS WE WOULD LIKE, BUT GROWTH WILL TAKE PLACE TO SOME DEGREE FOR THE TRUE CHRISTIAN.

*** AND WE CAN BE CONFIDENT TODAY THAT OUR LORD IS WORKING THROUGH THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF OUR LIVES TO GROW US, READ ROMANS 8:28&29.

**** NOW WITH THAT IN MIND, WHAT DOES THE LORD USE IN OUR LIVES TO GROW US? WELL, LET ME GIVE YOU A SHORT LIST TODAY, NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE ONE, BUT A SHORT ONE.

1. NO. 1 HIS WORD, LISTENING, READING, STUDYING, MEDITATION AND MEMORIZING IT, READ JOHN 17:17 AND I PETER 2:2.

2. NO. 2 TRIALS, READ JAMES 1:2-4

3. NO. 3 THE BODY – THE CHURCH – FOR THE ONE ANOTHERS, FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, OTHERS TEACHING AND COUNSELING US. WE NEED THE CHURCH AND SHOULD BE COMMITTED TO USING OUR GIFTS THROUGH THE CHURCH.

4. NO. 4 PRAYER, READ ROMANS 12:12 AND THE ACROSTIC OF ACTS.

5. AND LAST OF ALL NO. 5 EVANGELISM. WHEN WE COMMUNICATE OUR FAITH AND ARE OBEDIENT IN THIS AREA, WE GROW BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

* IN CLOSING, BY APPLYING THESE 5 SIMPLE TRUTHS, MAY OUR PASSION BE II PETER 3:18 (READ IT).