The Recipe for Spiritual Maturity

By Pastor Matt Black

18 November 2007
Lord's Day morning
Ephesians 4:11-15

 

Introduction: Today in Ephesians 4:11-15, we’re going to see God’s plan for your growth and spiritual maturity in the Body of Christ!  The title of our message this morning is “The Recipe for Spiritual Maturity”.  I don’t know about you, but I love it when my wife makes a new recipe.  Last night my sweet wife made the best recipe for chicken noodle soup.  Big noodles with juicy chunks of chicken and fresh carrots and celery—what a recipe it was.  Now I like carrots, and I like chicken and I like noodles, but put it all together, and you’ve got something that is better than any one thing alone. 

 

This morning, I want to give you five ingredients in the recipe for Christian growth.  If you have these marks in your life, then you are a growing Christian.  The New Testament is against spiritual babyhood!  Babies are wonderful, but something is horribly wrong if a baby is not growing! I want to grow this morning!  This passage of Scripture tells us exactly how to do it.  Here we find the “Recipe for Spiritual Maturity”.

 

Let’s stand together and open God’s perfect and infallible, God-breathed Word to us in Ephesians 4:11-16, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”. 

 

[Prayer for guidance]

 

We are in a section of Scripture that tells us that we need to walk worthy of this high calling.  You need to walk in a way that is worthy of the Name by which you and I are called.  Paul begs and urges us to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called”.  Notice in verse 2, it is in the context of a local Body of believers.  Isn’t God good to join us to many other believers that love the Lord and desire that same worthy walk? 

 

In verses 7 through 10, we are told that every one of us who has come to know Christ have been given spiritual gifts.  In verse 11, we come to a certain category of spiritual gifts, that of verbal leadership.  Those verbal leaders are apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers.

 

These verbal leaders were placed in the church by Christ. 

 

I.     The First Ingredient in the Recipe for Growth is the Equipping of the saints.  There were verbal leaders given to the church that would handle the Word of God.  Remember how weak Peter was at the crucifixion?  But God endued Him with power.  Remember what Jesus the Lord told Peter after His resurrection?  Peter do you love me?  “Feed my sheep”.  Listen shepherds are given as verbal leaders—verbally giving the Word of life—the food for the sheep.  The sheep must be given this food so that they might be equipped, or as we read in verse 12, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”.  

 

  1. Believers are called saints.  Notice what Paul calls believers.  He calls you and I saints.  These are living people who are all saints.  Don’t tell the Catholic Church about this!  They think a person has to die and perform miracles to be a saint.  That’s not true.  A saint is a person cleansed by the blood and righteousness of Jesus.  To be a saint, as Paul said in Philippians 3:9, we must “be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”. 

 

B. Pastors are to “perfect the saints”.  What does this mean?

 

1.    Definition of perfection (to equip):  To perfect means to fully equip. 

 

a.    The first meaning of this word is to MEND: The word (katartizo) is translated “mend” in the book of Mark.  It refers to fishermen mending their nets—to making them ready for a big catch.  God wants you to be to mend your nets individually as a Christian and corporately as a church.  Tie those nets of your life together and be strong enough to stand against the current of this world and catch a load of fish!  Be ready and equipped to bear fruit in your life!

 

b.    The second meaning of the word “perfect: is to EQUIP: Paul’s favorite use of this word is to mend your armor and equip yourself for spiritual warfare.  What good is a soldier if he doesn’t have properly functioning weapons in battle?  “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:14).  The fortresses of sin in your life will be pulled down once you protect yourself against them.  You need to have mighty weapons—you need to be equipped to fight.  A soldier needs to be properly equipped.  The Bible tells us exactly what it means to be equipped in Ephesians 6.  But before we go there, let me take you back in time and show you that if you are properly equipped you can defeat any enemy that stands against you!

 

2.    Illustration of equipping:  This week I saw a documentary on the battle of Thermopylae.  It was King Xerxes of the Persian Empire against King Leonidas and the Greek Spartans.  This took place 60 years after Esther was Queen of the Persians.  At any rate, Xerxes’ Persian soldiers were known as the “immortals” because there were 100,000 warriors in Xerxes’ army.  So once you killed one, there were so many that instantly another took his place. It was the largest army in the world back then.  So Xerxes wants to take over the world, and he sets his sights on the last hold out of the ancient world—Athens, Greece, home of the Spartans.  But in order to get there, he has to cross a little valley called Thermopylae.  Waiting for King Xerxes and his 100,000 fighting men are 300 Greek Spartans.  300 Spartans against the immortals!  The Greek Spartans fought against the 100,000 strong Persian army. For three days 300 Spartans held off this vast army. 

 

Though the Spartans would eventually lose after three days, these 300 men were able to destroy 10,000 of Xerxes “immortals”.  What was the difference?  The Spartans were the best equipped soldiers in the world at the time.  Their whole bodies were covered in armor Together they would put their solid oak shields dipped in bronze and form a human wall.  They were impenetrable.  They would have defeated all 100,000 soldiers, but a greedy shepherd sold out the Spartans and told Xerxes of a secret way around the backside of the mountain.  Still surrounded on both sides, they still could not be defeated!  Xerxes army of immortals retreated and decided to use the bow and arrow, what was then known as the “weapon of cowards” because they shot from a distance and would not fight as men.  The Spartans all died because of the darts of the enemy.  There were small openings in their armor.  

 

But as saints of God, we cannot be defeated, for “greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world”.  Listen, if we are well-equipped as the saints and faithful of God, then “no weapon formed against us shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17). 

 

As a Christian, you need to be fully equipped growing in the Word and able to wield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.   Why?  Because there is ground to gain!  There are souls to conquer!  That’s what the equipping is for!  It is to gain the souls of men and make them fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.  That brings us to our second ingredient. 

 

II.   The second Ingredient for Growth is the Service of the saints.  Verse 12 says pastors are given “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”.   What is this ministry? 

 

  1. The ministry is not about what YOU can do.  It’s not about you.

Tool Illustration:  We are all a bunch of hammers and screwdrivers and saws.  Some of you are finely tuned cordless drills.  You don’t bless the hammer.  You don’t bless the cordless drill.  You bless the architect and the one who uses the tool!

 

Now Christ has given us a role to play in the redemption and spiritual maturing of souls.  You are important if you are a Christian, not because of you but because of the important God we serve.  We serve an awesome God with an awesome purpose. 

 

  1. This ministry is not about PROGRAMS and ACTIVITY, but it’s about PEOPLE.  It is about making people full fledged and fully mature followers of Jesus Christ.  Jesus told us to go and “teach all nations”—evangelize them, and bring them into the close fellowship and accountability of believers through baptism.   And then Jesus said we are to be “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”  And He promises to be with us in this task.  Listen we don’t just want to reach people with the Gospel—we want to see people mature!  That is the “work of the ministry”. 

 

  1. What does this ministry actually look like?  Turn over to Ephesians 6.  The equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry is described in Ephesians 6 by Paul in verse 11, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”. 

 

So, to say it again, the work of the ministry is to get lost people to be born into the family of God as baby Christians.  We love baby Christians!! They are the life and excitement of the church!  So we’ve got to get lost people to be baby Christians.

 

But don’t stop there!   The work of the ministry is to help baby Christians to become fully mature followers of Jesus Christ. 

 

III.  The third Ingredient for Growth is the Unity of the saints. 

Let’s come back to the story of the Spartans.  The Spartans’ secret was they would link their shields together, and an army of 300 became a solid human wall that was impenetrable.  These Spartans trained all their life for this one battle.  They put off food and had very little water.  Their stamina was amazing.   They were united.  That is exactly what God has for us. Once Spartan would have been killed instantly, but put three hundred Spartans on the battle field and link them together, and they become one unstoppable soldier!! God says we need each other in His church, in His Body. 

 

We are being equipped so that Christ’s Bride will be all that the Father wants it to be—as verse 13 says, “13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”.  We are to be one—united in the Word of God and in the Wisdom of God.  When Paul says that we are coming to a “unity of the faith”, he is talking about the whole scope of Christian doctrine.  He is talking about the sufficiency of the Word of God.  So if you want to grow as a Christian, you’ve got to grow in the Word—meditating in it day and night.  Why should we do this?  As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 

 

You will only be ready for the WORK of God once you have been trained by WORD of God!  You can only truly comprehend what Paul refers to as “the faith” as you commune and abide in Christ.  That is what “the knowledge of the Son of God” is.  This is the same truth that John 15:7, “If ye abide in me [KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD], and my words abide in you [UNITY OF THE FAITH], ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”  It shall be done!  In other words, you will be a fruit bearing fully mature Christian. 

 

IV.  The fourth Ingredient for Growth is the Discernment of the saints.  And here we come back to verse 14, where we left off last week.  And we have four examples of a lack of discernment: the home, the sea, the wind, and the casino.  Let’s take this verse phrase by phrase. 

 

  1. An example from the home.  The most powerful description of childishness is found in our text.  Ephesians 4:14, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”. 

 

There is a Difference between Childishness and Childlikeness.  Now don’t get me wrong.  Though we are commanded here in this text to “be no more children”, the word of God is filled with admonitions for us to be like children. 

 

The New Testament commands childlikeness.  But the New Testament condemns and forbids childishness.  What is the difference? 

 

Childishness -- when an adult acts like a child in bad ways
Childlikeness -- when an adult acts like a child in good ways

 

We need to put away childish things.  Childishness is condemned if you should be an adult.  But growing up in childlikeness is commended: it is simplicity, innocence, a hunger to learn!

 

1.    Childlikeness is commended in the Scriptures.

·         Children are commended because they have Faith.

Matthew 18:3, “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.  Lean not to thine own understanding…

 

·         Children are commended because they have Freshness. 

They say what’s on their mind in unique ways that brings God glory.  Because of this, the child is one of God’s greatest preachers.  “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise” (Matthew 21:16).

 

·         Children are commended because they have a healthy Fear of authority.

1 Peter 1:14, “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance”.    You see the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. 

 

2.    Childishness is Condemned in the Scriptures.

 

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

 

The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 5:12, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

 

Look at the traits of the spiritual child:

·         He ought to be a teacher, but he doesn’t have the discernment to do so

·         He constantly has to learn the basics over and over again

·         He either does not understand or is offended by strong meat, choking on it

·         He is unskillful in the word of righteousness

·         He does not serve (he does not by reason of use exercise his senses to discern)

 

What makes a spiritual child grow? 

·         Constant feasting on the Word

·         Exercise (service): Just do it!!!  You’ve got just one life to live!  Grow by serving.

 

3.    Paul’s struggle for growth.  But listen I want you to see Paul’s struggle for growth.  He says in verse 14, “That we henceforth be no more children”.  This plural pronoun is shocking to me.  Paul knew that he had not arrived, and that in a sense we are all growing until we get to glory.  Even after seeing the resurrected Lord and being used as an apostle, he said that he himself should get out of babyhood! 

 

 tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”. 

 

So we see the example from the home… then we see…

 

  1. Then we come to an example from the sea.  Spiritual children are like a wave tossed passenger “tossed to and fro” on a ship.  It means they lack discernment, they are easily led astray.  Spiritual children are not established in the truth.  I remember when I lived in Louisiana, I visited a friend off of Lake Ponchatrain.  Now the people who live there use a boat to even get to school.  One day we traveled around to see friends around the Lake.  It was windy and the waves were higher.  That was the first time I was introduced to motion sickness.   You get off that boat and you don’t know if you are standing on the ceiling or on the floor.  Even when you are motionless everything is moving.  It’s an awful experience.  And the Apostle Paul is saying that’s the picture of what happens to someone not rooted and established in truth. I want you to be grounded so you can’t be tossed about by those waves.

 

  1. An example from the wind “carried about with every wind of doctrine”.  Have you ever seen a baby?  They always need to be carried.  But this text says spiritual babes are so easily deceived that they are carried away as easily as a piece of paper.

 

1.    Paper illustration.  Have you ever dropped a piece of paper on a windy day? And you’re trying to chase it down and get it back...you need that sheet of paper.  You’ve seen that person in the parking lot drop that $20 bill and chase after it because it’s carried by the wind.  Maybe that’s happened to you! That’s what Paul says about spiritual babies.  They are not established in the truth. They don’t know what they believe. 

 

2.    False Prosperity Gospel.  There are men out there preaching that instead of forgiveness of sins and joy in the Holy Ghost, the essence of the Gospel is your riches and wealth and your carnal happiness.  The essence of the Gospel for them is if you are free from cancer, and if you aren’t rich and healthy, then you lack faith! 

 

3.    False Teachers.  There are many unbelievers including the preachers that are involved in this, but there are also some baby Christians.  They are actual believers following false teachers.  Listen Joel Osteen and Robert Shueller and Oral Roberts and Robert Tilton and Benny Hinn, Kenneth Hagin, T.D. Jakes, and Kenneth Copeland all “have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof!”   

 

These are men who deny some of the main fundamentals of the faith!Benny Hinn and TD Jakes both deny the Trinity.  Joel Osteen and Robert Shueller deny that Jesus is the only way.  It is well established that all of these men live outrageously lavish lifestyles, trying to establish their version of heaven on earth.  I am not exaggerating when I say that the gospel that each one of them preaches is false.  Stay away from them!  Paul said in Galatians 1:8, “though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

 

  1. Finally, he gives an example from the casino, speaking of the “the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”.  Spiritual children are easily deceived by false teachers.  In other words, children are easily manipulated, like a wave on the sea, like a piece of paper in the wind, it goes on to give an example from the gambling house: spiritually immature people are manipulated “by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”. 

 

The word “sleight” literally means “a cube” and refers to dice.  There are those out there that would like to gamble with your soul.  Avoid them!  Avoid the TV preachers.  I heard of one false teacher that said, “Ye must be born again” refers to incarnation.  I heard Benny Hinn say that there are NINE members of the Trinity.  I heard Robert Schueller say that Paul was wrong to say “O wretched man that I am”.  He said if you preach on sin, you’ll turn people off.  Yet there are some baby Christians following him.

 

The word “cunning craftiness” is also translated “subtlety” in 2 Cor. 11:3, “The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty.  They “they lie in wait to deceive”.  There is great deception in these false teachers.  They are lost.  They are the ones on the day of judgment who will say “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name”.  And Christ will say “Depart from me ye that work iniquity, I never knew you”. 

 

So if you are growing, you will be manifesting a discerning spirit!  That’s the fourth ingredient.

 

V.    The fifth Ingredient for Growth is the Union of the saints.  I want you to see this at the end of verse 13.  We are to come be “a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”.  Verse 15 says the same thing.  Instead of being dishonest like the false teachers, we are to be sincere and open—“speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”. 

 

We are to experience “the fullness of Christ”.  We are to enter into the fullness of the Christian life.  There are plenty of baby Christians who are tossed about by their own feelings or by the circumstances of life.  Other Christians survive by how others treat them.  Listen, the mature Christian is in union with Jesus Christ!!  We get our marching orders from Him.  We are loyal to no one, except as he or she is loyal to Jesus Christ.

 

Conclusion:  Are you growing?  Are you teaching others?  Are you rescuing others from the flames of hell?  Are you equipping your brethren?  Are you standing against the wiles of the devil?  The recipe for spiritual maturity is:

 

How is your spiritual growth coming along?