Jesus Is Equipping His Church.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] All right, go ahead and have a seat. Welcome to Village Church. If this is your first time here, [0:04] my name is Steve and I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church and I’m always thankful and [0:08] grateful to see each and every one of you. If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them [0:12] to Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 is where we’re going to camp out and we’re going to [0:18] cover a lot of ground today, but that’s by design because basically what we’re doing in this [0:24] series is each week we’re catching a glimpse as to what God’s design for His church is,

[0:32] as to what God’s vision for what He wants His church to be and become is. So in the first week [0:38] in Ephesians 1, what we did was we just took a look at the fact that the gospel is God’s eternal [0:45] plan, that He is building for Himself a people through faith in Jesus. In the second chapter, [0:52] we saw that it is a personal plan, that it is a plan for me. The gospel isn’t just true, [0:59] it’s true for me. And then in the third week, we saw that what the gospel is, God’s action plan, [1:07] that He wants to show His wisdom through the way that the church grows, the way that the church

[1:12] exercises its love for Christ, its faith in Jesus to the world around us. And so if I were to [1:19] summarize chapter four with really using one word as to what it is, as that is the God’s equipping [1:26] plan for the church of Jesus. Because God doesn’t just call you to faith in Jesus and then leave [1:33] you in this static state of just receiving from God just for the sake of being who you are, but [1:41] instead God has designed for the gospel of Jesus to equip you to grow in a life that will be used [1:48] to build the church, that you will be a disciple so that you can make disciples, that you will grow

[1:56] in really just this simple format where it will be less of you, more of God for the sake of other [2:03] people, less of you, more of God for the sake of other people. And that God desires for you to [2:11] submit your life to be discipled so that you can be used by God to make disciples. [2:20] We have such a wonderful blessing at living in the day and age that we have of having access to the [2:26] scriptures, the way that we have access to the scriptures of this ability to grow in our faith [2:31] through all of the means that God has provided, not just means of scripture and prayer, but other

[2:38] ways of knowing God, ways of having knowledge that we’ve never had before in the history of the world. [2:43] And so many of us have really 90% more knowledge of who God is and what scripture says than so much [2:51] more of the world has. Yet for so many of us, our vision for what God wants to do with and in our [2:59] lives stops with us. That we have all of these gifts from God and we have all of these ways of [3:06] knowing God and all of these ways of enjoying God, all of these ways of building knowledge of who God [3:12] is and what God wants us to do. And so often our vision is limited to what God’s going to do in me,

[3:20] what God is going to do for me, but rarely do we move on to a vision of what God wants to do [3:26] through me. Because God not only wants to work in your life, God desires to work through your life. [3:34] And as the book of Ephesians goes on, it becomes clearer and clearer that God has a pathway to [3:42] maturity in the faith that he desires for every one of us to build a life upon. And the purpose [3:49] for that maturity is so that we can be less needy and more giving into the lives of other people. [3:57] Here’s how he puts it in Ephesians chapter 4. I’m going to start in verse 11.

[4:01] And he, meaning God, gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, [4:08] and teachers. This is not an exhaustive list. In other words, God has not only given these gifts [4:14] into the church, but what the apostle Paul does oftentimes is he likes to just throw a lot of [4:20] categories to us. And so what he’s doing here is he’s throwing a large number of categories to us, [4:25] a large number of gifts that he’s given to the church, a large number of offices that he has [4:30] in the church, some that have ceased, some that will go on until the second coming inside of the

[4:35] church. But he gives all of these to us so that we will understand one key fact, and that is [4:41] that God has given a lot of gifts to his church. And so then he goes on and he says there’s a purpose [4:47] with these gifts. The reason for the gifts, verse 12, is to equip the saints for the work of ministry [4:53] for building up the body of Christ. And so if you’re looking for a verse to memorize, to understand [4:59] just in simple terms what it is to be a disciple, that’s a good one. It is to be equipped for the [5:05] work of ministry for the building up of the body of Christ. That’s the purpose of your discipleship.

[5:12] Until verse 13, we all attain, and that means that there is an end game in sight. This is not just in [5:18] perpetuity, but there is going to be an end to this. Until we all attain the unity of faith, [5:23] of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the [5:28] fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children. Every parent has that as a dream, [5:35] that they will grow up at some point. God has that dream for you, that you will not just be a needy [5:41] child. He says that you need to no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and

[5:46] carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes. [5:51] Rather, so there’s another way, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him [6:00] who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint [6:06] with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it [6:11] builds itself up in love. And so what you have between verses 12 and 16 is the pathway that God [6:18] has designed for every follower of Jesus to take is that you can start as a child, but you’re not

[6:24] supposed to end as a child. And that’s a general revelation that God has given us, is that if someone [6:29] is two years old, it’s fine that they act like a two-year-old. If someone is 12 years old and they [6:36] act like a two-year-old, we know that we may have had a problem somewhere. We know that there may be [6:41] a doctor’s visit in store because 12-year-olds naturally aren’t supposed to conduct themselves [6:48] like two-year-olds. There is a process of maturation that is supposed to take place. And if it does not [6:55] take place, there is either some form of disability or some form of help has been lacking in that that

[7:03] two-year-old was not equipped in that 10-year span to begin to act like a 12-year-old rather than a [7:10] two-year-old. And we learn really what this process is like at the beginning of Ephesians chapter 4, [7:17] starting in verse 1. The apostle Paul writes, he says, I therefore, in other words, because everything [7:23] that I said in chapter 3 is true, because God is building a church, because the church represents [7:29] the manifold wisdom of God to the heavenly realm that God is working through the people of the [7:35] Lord. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, I want to stop there, same vernacular almost that he uses

[7:44] at the beginning of chapter 3. At the beginning of chapter 3, he says that he is a prisoner of [7:49] Christ Jesus, and then he changes the article at the beginning of chapter 4, and instead of being [7:56] a prisoner of, this isn’t about what he’s been taken captive to, this is about the purpose behind [8:03] what he has been taken captive by. He has been taken captive for the Lord, so he’s of the Lord, [8:10] but God wants to do something through his captivity, and so he is to live for the Lord, [8:14] and he wants you to understand the same thing about yourself, that as a prisoner, verse 1 again,

[8:20] he urges you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, [8:27] and that’s point number one this morning, you need to walk worthy of your gifting, [8:33] you need to walk worthy of your gifting, and he goes on in verse 2, and he says,

[8:57] grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

[9:04] God has given many gifts to his church, and what I want you to understand this morning is that he [9:08] has given you gifts to exercise in the church of Jesus for your growth in being equipped and [9:16] equipping others for the sake of the gospel, but it begins with faith. You have to begin an [9:21] understanding discipleship, if we’re going to start at the ground level, with understanding that this [9:26] is ultimately going to be about what your faith is in, because faith is the foundational element [9:32] of everything in the Christian life. It is about believing that not only is God telling the truth,

[9:41] but God has the capacity to fulfill that truth, that God is not only saying things that are true, [9:47] but God is saying things that are true for you, and anything that contradicts what God has said [9:52] is not true. You have to believe that, and so the key for understanding the pathway of growth as a [10:00] disciple of Jesus Christ is if you do not begin to grow in your faith, and you just perpetually [10:07] decide to stay in an immature way of faith without ever exercising your faith in Jesus Christ, [10:14] then you do not have faith according to this, because God wants you to walk somewhere,

[10:26] and that’s the amazing thing about verse one, is that sometimes I understand that it can get [10:32] confusing because there is a paradox here, there is a tension, because so often we will say [10:38] that the gospel is about God’s grace in our lives, it is about an undeserved gift that God gives [10:43] into our lives, it is about what we receive from God, and it is all of those things, but then we [10:48] will kind of transition, and we will say you need to do something for God, you need to do something [10:55] with the gift that God has given you, you need to walk worthy, as he says here, of the calling

[11:01] that God has given into your life, and so sometimes I think some of you are confused, [11:05] and you’re like well which one is it? It’s both, and the amazing analogy that he uses throughout [11:12] this text is an analogy of simply growing up as a person, is that when we are young,

[11:21] we need somebody to give, I mean my two-year-old has never made a meal for himself, [11:26] how pathetic is that? He never made a meal for me either, that’s so selfish, he just comes to me [11:34] and he says I’m hungry, it was my wife, I’m hungry, then I also smell something, I mean you couldn’t [11:41] even do that for yourself, and clean that mess, and nobody holds it against him, why? Because he’s [11:49] two, if I acted that way you’d probably hold it against me, wouldn’t you? You say of course I’d [11:55] hold it against you, because you’re old, well so why in your discipleship do you refuse to take

[12:00] your diapers off? Do you refuse to begin to take some personal responsibility for your growth [12:07] in your relationship with Jesus Christ? I mean I know some people, let’s be honest, you’ve been [12:15] saying you’re a Christian for a number of years, a number of years, decades maybe,

[12:22] and you have not made one single disciple,

[12:26] but a lot of times what do you say? Give, give, give, feed me, I just need to be fed, [12:35] I just need to be fed, I just need to receive, I just need to receive, I just need you to give [12:41] into my life, I just need you to give into my life, I need more, I need more, I need more,

[12:47] doesn’t that sound a lot like my two-year-old?

[12:50] And see the question that you have to ask to yourself is why are you not growing and maturing [12:58] in the faith to the extent where it will be less about you and more about other people? Because [13:06] God wants you to believe that he is going to and he is doing a work in you that he wants to [13:15] reproduce into the lives of others where you not only have a faith to build yourself, but you have [13:23] enough faith in God to believe that he will not just work in you, but he will work through you [13:29] into the life of another person, because that is the plan for every single person who says

[13:36] they have faith in Jesus Christ. Every Christian has a different part to play, that’s the point of [13:41] verses 11 and 12. Every Christian has a different part to play, but the goal is the same. If you [13:49] look through verses 2 through 7, it’s interesting that he really limits the scope of the church and [13:57] discipleship, doesn’t he? Anytime he uses one word over and over, you know he’s trying to make a point [14:03] with that one word, and in this one the one word is one. He keeps saying one, there’s one baptism, [14:10] there’s one spirit, there’s one calling, there’s unity around that one thing. He’s saying over and

[14:15] over because he wants us to understand that the satisfaction that our souls are longing and what [14:20] we are looking for outside of discipleship, because all of you are struggling in that whether [14:25] you want to admit it or not. God has called you to find your satisfaction in the gospel of Jesus [14:30] Christ, but you are so tempted to lose hope that you’re going to find that satisfaction or you [14:34] think it’s not as attractive as another form of satisfaction, and so you’re very quick to wander [14:39] away from God said the one hope and one spirit is in and look for something else that will feed

[14:44] your soul better. That’s childish. You need to stop that. God has limited where your soul is [14:54] going to be fed, and he says it’s going to happen through the offices and giftings that he’s given [14:58] to the church in verse 11 so that you can be equipped for the work of ministry in verse 12, [15:04] and there is unity in the gospel mission. Verse 7 is clear on that. He says that the purpose for [15:11] growth is not what you might think the purpose for your growth is because some of you are very [15:14] vain. You don’t believe you’ve grown until somebody has applauded you for it.

[15:21] You don’t believe that it’s real growth until somebody gives you credit. [15:25] You don’t believe it’s real growth until somebody says, at a boy.

[15:30] See, the interesting thing that I’ve noticed, what real maturity gives you specifically in [15:34] discipleship, real maturity is a desire to have less of a focus on you and more of a focus on [15:39] Christ. That’s why in verse 7, he says this is all according to Christ’s gift.

[15:43] In other words, this isn’t about you becoming spectacular. This is about Christ becoming [15:46] spectacular in you. This is about people not noticing you actually because you desire for [15:51] them to know Christ because he is the source of your life. And the question is, are you becoming [15:56] more consumed with how wonderful you are? Are you becoming more consumed with how wonderful Christ [16:00] is? Are you becoming more desirous of people noticing you? Are you becoming more desirous of [16:05] people noticing Christ? Because one is maturity, the other one is childish.

[16:13] And so for us to grow, it has to stop being about us and it has to start being about Christ. [16:19] Let’s look at verse 12. In verse 12, he says something very interesting. He says that this, [16:25] these giftings, these callings, these offices have been given for the purpose of equipping [16:32] the saints for the work of ministry. Now we have an issue in our day and age that we struggle [16:38] sometimes to understand what a saint is. And so some of you have a picture that a saint is a [16:44] super Christian because to call someone a saint is to say they are a wonderful person. Oh, he’s

[16:48] just such a saint. Oh, she’s just such a saint. But saints are not appointed in the way that maybe [16:55] some of us think they are. If you have any background in Catholicism, you understand that [16:58] a saint is somebody that lived a life that is unparalleled because they gave so much of [17:04] themselves into this almost supernatural task and God even sprinkled the miraculous throughout [17:09] their lives. Then a couple of cardinals got together and then they put smoke through some [17:12] certain chimney of some certain color. And then we had a saint. All right. I don’t know where we

[17:16] got that, but it wasn’t the Bible. All right. That’s not what a saint is. A saint is a Christian. [17:21] That’s it. A saint is someone who believes the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so if you are a [17:28] Christian, here’s what I want you to understand anymore. Right now, verse 12 is about you. [17:33] He’s saying that the offices that were given to the church were given to the church specifically [17:39] to equip Christians for the work of ministry. And then we run into another category that we’ve [17:51] You know, there was a point in my day when you would surrender to the call of ministry.

[17:56] I don’t know where we got that either. Not in the Bible. It sort of is in that it is an office [18:02] that I have as an authority that God has given me inside of the church. It’s a gifting that I [18:05] exercise for the church. But the vernacular that we use is all wrong because the day that you [18:10] surrender to the call for ministry is the day that you claim Christ as your savior. [18:15] When you become a Christian, you enter into a lifestyle where you are to be equipped for the [18:22] work of ministry and the offices that God, the giftings that God, the callings that God has

[18:26] given inside of the church of Jesus Christ, of which I exercise one of those callings as a pastor, [18:32] is that my role is to equip you so that you can go outside of these walls and do ministry in this [18:39] world to bring people inside of these walls so that they also can be equipped and sent to come [18:45] back, equipped and sent to come back, equipped and sent to come back. And so that you can inside of [18:51] the life of the church of Jesus Christ be equipped to do the work of ministry. Why? So that the church, [18:58] the end of verse 12, can be built up. That this is a body that we are called to build up. And so if

[19:06] you’ve been looking for the will of God for your life and why everything that you’re putting your [19:09] hands to is so dissatisfying, here’s why. Because you’re wasting your time when you’re not seeking [19:13] to build up the body of Christ. And you are looking for satisfaction and you are giving [19:19] your life over into worship to a whole heap of things that God never called you to give your [19:24] life into. God called you to give your life into being equipped for the work of ministry, [19:31] for the building up of the body of Christ. I haven’t found another one yet.

[19:38] And then he continues. And he’s letting us know that you need to run into seeking a life of the [19:46] call of God and becoming committed to a process of equipping. It’s crazy. That’s why number two, [19:57] you need to get equipped to build the church. You need to get equipped to build the church. [20:02] You know there’s a difference between being called and being equipped. There’s a total difference [20:06] When I was younger, I figured out what I wanted to do very early in my life and that was a grace of God [20:13] for me. But if you ever meet a group of people in their early 20s who know what they want to do

[20:20] with their lives, every one of them is sure to be an expert at it. And they have more wisdom and [20:25] knowledge than any collective of experience that you could ever meet in your life. And so when I was [20:30] 19, I knew what God wanted me to do with my life, but I had no idea how to do it. [20:36] And so what I had to do was I had to enter into a long season of being equipped [20:43] to actually live out God’s call on my life. And by His grace, God put me into a long season of being [20:50] equipped so that 20 years later, by God’s grace, I have a little more maturity than I did when I

[20:56] was in my late teens. And by His grace, I will continue to grow in my maturity. But part of the

[21:08] process is that you are unwilling to commit to the process of becoming a disciple so that you can [21:15] make disciples. Some of you are even audacious to the extent where you say, I don’t need the same [21:21] process as everybody else because I’ve got that figured out. There is nothing that exposes more [21:26] immaturity in your life than the belief that you are good enough without anybody else’s help. [21:33] That is not maturity. That is pride. You need to get equipped so that you can equip. Verse 13 [21:44] holds an important key to us understanding this. He says, until we all attain. That is a statement

[21:51] that means that you’ve got to trust the process because God’s process is better than your process. [21:57] Some of you friends, you are desperate to form a vision of getting equipped. You don’t have one. [22:05] And here’s what’s crazy. You know that you’re spinning your wheels. That’s not a shocking [22:14] thing. You know you’re getting nowhere, but yet you still refuse to move. You’re spinning your [22:22] wheels. You’re not growing. But then you’re saying, but I really, I just don’t, I can’t commit [22:27] right now. I’ve got this thing going on. I’ve got that thing going on. Oh, I need something

[22:31] different than what the church is offering me because my love language is so unique. It’s not [22:36] spoken on any continent. But what’s even sadder is some of you,

[22:48] you’ve been equipped and been equipped and been equipped and been equipped and been equipped [22:57] and been equipped and you just keep coming back to the dinner table saying, equip me more. [23:04] When God says, go equip someone else.

[23:09] He says, note how he continues this. He says in verse 13 that we all need to attain to the unity [23:20] of the faith of the knowledge of God to mature manhood. See, he says, God is not done when he’s [23:30] worked in your life, that God desires to work through you and into the life of someone else. [23:38] And when you just keep running around dissatisfied with whatever new form of discipleship [23:46] that somebody somewhere that you don’t even know advertised and they sold it at some bookstore, [23:51] made a podcast about it. And so you believe that’s the one that’s going to make you feel equipped.

[23:58] That’s the one that’s finally going to itch that scratch that you have somewhere in your [24:05] soul that you believe is keeping you from being able to make other disciples. And here’s the key, [24:11] if they’ve been doing it in the church for 2000 years and somebody thinks that they’ve come up [24:16] with something that they’ve been missing, it’s probably heresy number one. And it’s definitely [24:21] crap. Number two, you don’t need it.

[24:29] The only pathway forward for many of you is to stop being about yourself and start being about [24:37] somebody else. Because it’s not about you. It’s about others. It’s about the church. [24:46] And it is going to require a movement away from the norms. And it’s going to require [24:53] often stepping into uncharted territory. I have kind of tell you a secret, I didn’t tell any other [24:59] services. And you got a promise not to hold it against me because I know how some of you are. [25:05] I’ll be personal up here and then you’ll be disrespectful about me on Monday.

[25:10] Don’t do that. I have never felt qualified to do anything.

[25:17] Never. Never.

[25:21] In the last 20 years of gospel ministry, I’ve never felt qualified to do any step of it.

[25:29] I’ve been given opportunities that I cannot believe God allowed me to do. [25:34] I’ve been in rooms with men who were giants of the faith and all I could do was look around and say, [25:40] do they know I’m in here? Because I don’t deserve to be here. [25:47] I’ve been able to preach the gospel. I’ve been able to come up and share the word. And some [25:52] Sundays I’m just like, I don’t know about this one. Maybe you’re feeling the same way right now.

[26:01] You will never feel as qualified as you need to feel to do what God wants you to do. [26:08] And sometimes the only way to get qualified is simply to do what God has called you to do.

[26:16] You will never be perfect. You will never know everything. And one of my weaknesses is that I [26:23] want to be an expert at anything I do. That’s what my wife will tell you, that buying a car with me [26:30] is a miserable experience. Because I want to be an expert and I’m not a mechanic.

[26:38] And so the father has given me these great opportunities. I mean, he’s allowing me even [26:44] right now to stand before you and preach the gospel. And I don’t feel totally equipped. [26:52] I don’t feel totally worthy. I’ve had struggles this week. I’ve had problems this week. [26:59] I’ve had irritations this week. And so I have to step into the uncharted territory of saying, [27:07] God, this has to be about you because I’m not cutting it. And the father says, just do, [27:14] just go, just love, because less of me, more of God for the sake of others.

[27:22] And if you have a vision for that, God will work through your life. [27:28] But it’s got to stop being about you. Look in verse 17, the apostle writes this, [27:35] and I love this section. I’m a sarcastic person. If you spend 10 minutes with me, [27:39] you will find that out. But the apostle baptizes sarcasm and sanctification in this section. And [27:46] that’s why I know sarcasm is not a sin. And so for those of you that don’t have a sense of humor, [27:50] God’s going to convict you to repent of your humbleness right now. Verse 17, he says,

[27:56] I say and testify in the Lord that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do. Now remember, [28:03] Gentile in Ephesians equals people who don’t know Jesus. So he’s saying, don’t walk as the Gentiles [28:09] do in the futility of their minds. In other words, they can’t even think straight. Their lives are [28:14] meaningless. Their frame of thought is meaningless. He says, they are darkened in their understanding, [28:19] alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to their hardness [28:23] of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice

[28:28] every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ. So he’s saying, don’t be like [28:34] people who don’t believe in Jesus because that’s not the way that you learn Christ. And then he [28:37] says this awesome sarcastic thing that I love in verse 21. He’s saying, assuming you have heard [28:42] about him, see what he did there? He’s saying, assuming you even know who Jesus is and were [28:50] taught in him as the truth is in Jesus. So here’s what he’s saying.

[28:57] Some of you know better. You should act better. You should be better, [29:04] but you’re not. And so it’s making me question even if you’ve ever heard of Jesus Christ. [29:12] That’s what he’s saying. He’s saying, shame, shame a little bit.

[29:18] Verse 22, then he goes into what they should already know. He says, you need to put off the [29:23] old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires [29:28] and be renewed in the spirit of your minds and to put on the new self created after the likeness of [29:35] God in true righteousness and holiness. He’s saying, you gotta move. You gotta grow up. [29:44] You gotta mature. He uses this wonderful analogy. He says, you’ve got to get rid of that old stuff. [29:50] You’ve got to get rid of that old way of thinking. You’ve got to get rid of that old way of living.

[29:53] You’ve got to get rid of those old rhythms. You’ve got to get rid of those old habits. [29:56] And he’s saying, you’ve got to put off the old self because that’s like somebody that doesn’t [30:02] know Jesus. But then he goes further and he says, you have to put on the new self. You’ve got to [30:07] come to a new way of living because here’s how the gospel works. You come to Jesus dead in your [30:14] sin. You have nothing to offer. You have nothing to contribute. You have nothing that you can give [30:20] of value into Christ. And yes, you are needy. You are nothing but need. At the moment of faith in

[30:27] Jesus, you are defined by need, not contribution. And so you come to Christ and all you can say is [30:34] give into me because I’m so needy. I need to go from death to life. There’s no greater need than [30:42] that. And so he gives himself of you. Jesus came to this earth, lived a perfect life that you cannot [30:50] live for your sake. Then he died a sinner’s death, though he himself had no sin to die for, so that [30:57] you could put off the old self. He could forgive you of your sin. And then in an amazing display of [31:03] unearthly power and authority, he rose from the dead, showing his victory and his authority

[31:10] over sin and death. And what all three of those things have in common is that he lived for others. [31:18] He died for others. And even his display of power and authority in the resurrection was for others [31:25] so that you could put off the old way of living and put on the new way of living in Christ. [31:32] And so when you come to Jesus, he gives all of himself into your life. And then he says, [31:39] follow my way of living for others. And so you come with nothing but need. And then you go [31:50] with the ability to be equipped and to equip others. That is what it looks like to put off

[31:59] the old and put on the new. But some of you, oh, you’ve got this foot back in a past that’s [32:08] hopeless. You cannot walk into the future that God has designed for you because of some hangup that [32:15] is supposed to be behind you because of some shame, because of some guilt, because of some habit, [32:22] because of some choices, because of some rhythm that you continue to repeat in your life. That [32:29] is what you had without Christ. But what you have in Christ is so much better that the Father is [32:36] looking to you. And he’s saying, leave what is in the past, in the past. Do not let it define you

[32:43] any longer. Step into a future of obedience to God where you can be equipped so that you can stop [32:52] being a self-centered child. And you can walk into the future that God has for you, [33:00] where you’re not just good for you, but you are good for others.

[33:07] You see, the question that you’ve got to ask yourself, and this is what verse 22 helps us [33:12] understand so much, when it says that you have a former manner of life.

[33:19] Consider that former manner of life. That means it’s not your manner anymore.

[33:25] And some of you, you can’t go forward because it’s not former yet.

[33:30] You can’t go forward until it’s former, friend. The pattern has a purpose, and those former [33:37] patterns have a purpose of death, and they’re killing you. But the patterns that God wants [33:42] to institute in your life are for your future and are for hope. What do you do [33:48] because of Jesus that you didn’t do apart from him? I mean, really. And maybe a better question [33:56] from verse 22 is, what have you carried over into your life as a follower of Jesus that you need to [34:03] believe in the past? What needs to be your yesterday and not your tomorrow?

[34:12] Because as a follower of Jesus, here’s the key. I am all about tomorrow.

[34:18] I don’t care about yesterday. Tomorrow is where my future is.

[34:25] But to get there, you need something vital, and that is number three today. [34:30] You need to grow up so you can help other people. Anybody ever told you to grow up? [34:37] People still tell me that. I’m starting to get bothered, [34:41] but maybe they’re telling me something I need to hear.

[34:44] But the problem with grow up is that it terminates on itself.

[34:50] I mean, the question is, well, what am I growing up to? And I think that’s the problem with some [34:55] of the visions that you have in your life. You know you’re supposed to mature in your faith. [35:00] You know you need to stop being childish in your desires and your longings. You know that you need [35:05] to do something. You know you need to grow up, but you’re not growing up to anything. I want to give [35:12] you the to anything today. You need to grow up so that you can help other people because it’s not [35:21] about you. Look at what he says in verse 14. I love it. I love it. This is just something

[35:25] that needs to testify and convict in my life so that we may no longer be children.

[35:36] Grow up. Verse 15. Speaking of the truth and love, and here’s why I feel comfortable saying [35:42] grow up is because it’s in verse 15. We are to grow up. What are we growing up towards?

[35:52] Adulthood, maturity, the pathway that God has for us. I have children and I love my children. I mean, [36:00] love them to death. And what’s fascinating about fatherhood specifically is it teaches you so much, [36:08] and I think that is why he uses in this entire chapter this vision where you go from childhood [36:13] to adulthood and the picture of childhood to adulthood is a picture where you are someone [36:18] who needs to consume and then adulthood is somewhere you give your life into other people [36:23] is because every step of maturity as an adult has that revelation and it is from God. How do

[36:28] marriages work? Let’s just use that one. Right? Marriages work when two people come together. [36:34] They love one another and then the way that marriage is physically, emotionally speaking, [36:40] stay healthy is not through selfishness, is it? It is through selflessness. If you want a healthy [36:45] marriage, here’s the key. It’s not complicated. And part of the reason your marriage isn’t healthy [36:50] is because you overcomplicated it. It’s difficult, hardest thing you’ll ever do probably, but it’s [36:55] not complicated. Be selfless. Live your life to give over into the life of your spouse and then

[37:02] your spouse lives to give of their life over into you and both of you will be filled with love. [37:07] That’s marriage. Some of you have been divorced. I know it’s a painful thing to think about right [37:12] now, but why do divorces typically happen? It’s because either one or both partners become selfish [37:18] rather than selfless. They care more about their own needs than they do the needs of their partner [37:23] and I think every single person that’s been through that pain would say there’s a lot of [37:29] validity to that statement. So marriage is something that so many people as they mature in life

[37:37] go into. It teaches you to be selfless. You want to be gutted of selfishness? Have babies.

[37:44] It guts you of selfishness. You’re not even asking for a sanctifying moment and God won’t [37:51] make them stop crying and you’re begging him to, aren’t you? I once performed an exorcism at 3am. [37:58] I didn’t believe in that stuff. I was like, God, cast the demons out. [38:02] I was like, Lord, the sleepless demon, get it out.

[38:09] Parenthood will make you do crazy things.

[38:13] But it is the greatest joy. It is the greatest opportunity in the physical realm. I believe [38:20] my greatest enjoyment of a grace that God has given me in the physical realm is fatherhood. [38:27] I do it God’s way, but I recommend it highly. Being a dad has gutted me of selfishness because [38:37] they are in need and they are in need of me and they’re not seeking to build me. They’re seeking [38:44] to take from me and it is a glorious taking in which they take and I give and I’m more joyful [38:53] when I give and there’s less of me to offer to anyone else, but there’s less of me that I want

[38:59] to give to anyone else because I’m so gladly, willingly lessening myself to make more of them [39:05] to meet their needs. And you know what’s amazing about the process of maturing as a father is that [39:11] I am less concerned about what I need than I am what my children need. And I can’t believe that’s [39:17] even possible because that is so different than the way the world wires us.

[39:25] And I say take from me, I will give. And here’s what I want you to see in that analogy because [39:31] it fits the one that he’s giving here is that that is to show us a revelation of how we are [39:38] mature as disciples of Christ.

[39:43] Where I will stop this game of selfishness where all I care about is what I want and what I need [39:51] and what I don’t think that I’m getting and how I don’t think I’m being fed and how I don’t think [39:57] this environment is good enough for me and how they need to change things to meet my needs [40:02] and I’m not going to change my schedule. They need to change their schedule. [40:07] And if you will get down to brass tacks, you have to admit isn’t that childish.

[40:16] Children are supposed to act that way, not mature adults.

[40:25] Because one thing my kids have never been really cognizant of it’s when I feel strong enough to do [40:31] anything for them. They just know that they need me to work.

[40:38] And when you grow in maturity, you do the work.

[40:45] God wants life to stop being about you and start being about others.

[40:52] The people, you know sadly over the years I’ve seen people make shipwrecks of their lives. [40:57] I’ve seen pastors shipwreck their lives. I’ve seen church members shipwreck their lives. [41:03] I’ve had friends that I went to seminary with shipwreck their lives. I mean it just happens, [41:08] but you want to know how I typically see it happen. The people that make the biggest wrecks [41:14] of their lives are the ones that go through life only caring about themselves.

[41:20] That’s typically how it happens. Verse 25.

[41:29] He says put away falsehood.

[41:32] Let each of you speak the truth with his neighbor for your members one of another. And here’s the [41:39] fascinating thing is that he takes us on this journey from childhood to adulthood, but he [41:44] continues to come back to one ethic. And that ethic is that we are supposed to give into the [41:52] lives of other people. We are members one of another. We are speaking the truth and love to [41:56] neighbors. We are receiving the truth and love from our neighbors. We are caring about other [42:02] people. He doesn’t just want you to be better. He wants you to grow up for the sake of someone

[42:09] else. And then through the rest of the chapter I’m just going to sum it up. He doesn’t just say [42:16] stop being angry. He says stop being angry and care about other people. He doesn’t just say [42:25] stop stealing. He says let the thief no longer steal and learn what it is to be generous [42:32] with his possessions. He’s saying that to put off the old and to put off the new is not about [42:37] stopping sinning. It is about replacing the need to disobey God with a need to obey God for the [42:45] sake of someone else. He says you’re a thief. It’s not enough to just stop. You need to see

[42:53] that everything that you have doesn’t belong to you and you need to open your hand and give it to [42:56] someone else. Has someone done great harm to you and you’re unwilling to forgive them? [43:05] He says this isn’t just about getting over the hurt. He says you need to forgive that person and [43:11] be kind to that person. Verse 32 says why? Because of what Christ has done for you.

[43:21] Less of me, more of God for the sake of others. So many of you want more of God in your life, [43:33] but you’ve not yet moved from a place where it terminates on you. Here’s what I want you [43:39] to understand. God is not in the business of pouring into people’s lives who are just going [43:45] to keep what he gives them. God is in the business of pouring into people’s lives who will then turn [43:52] and give everything that God gives them into someone else’s life because we know God has more [43:57] of himself to give us. Less of me, more of God for the sake of others. That is how the church is built.

[44:12] Let’s be equipped so that we can equip others.

[44:19] What’s interesting is I don’t seek to be a good husband so that I’ll get a husband of the year award.

[44:26] I don’t seek to be a good father so I get a father of the year award.

[44:32] I seek to be a good husband because I love my wife. I seek to be a good father because I love my children.

[44:40] Every goal for discipleship in your life should have another disciple’s name on the end of it.

[44:50] Less of me, more of God for the sake of others. Every week we reflect on communion, and it’s always [45:00] a purpose of confronting ourselves with the gospel of Jesus, but here’s what I want you to see today. [45:08] The bread represents the broken body of Christ. The cup represents his shed blood. [45:14] His body was broken for you. His blood was shed for you. What Christ did was for the sake of others. [45:24] Therefore what we do is for the sake of others. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, I invite you in just a moment [45:32] to the front or to the back, come and eat and drink and worship and celebrate what Jesus did to save you.

[45:41] He did it, and you can never consume so much that Jesus doesn’t have more to give, and the key to that [45:48] is knowing that everything that Jesus gives into my life, I can turn around and give to someone else [45:53] because Jesus is just going to give more to me. That’s the life of discipleship. That’s what you’re [46:00] missing. That’s what you need. When you’re ready, come and then go make disciples.