Series: The Importance of…
The Importance of Your Spiritual Maturity
INTRO: Welcome to this special day. We are celebrating our 8th anniversary today.
We have been in a series for several weeks now, entitled, “The Importance of…” Today I am going to look at, “The Importance of Your Spiritual Maturity.” We need to be mature Christians that are able to do the work of the Lord and accomplish good things for Him.
Most of you have heard the story of Achan found in Joshua chapter seven. Achan secretly took a Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver (about 5 pounds worth over $1500 today), and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels (about 20 ounces worth over $24,000 today).
The story went that because of his sin, the whole nation suffered. Men literally died because of his sin. Eventually he was found out and he lost all. Not only did he lose his life, his family lost their lives.
When we look at the effect of sin in our churches, we see it is costly. Our individual sins and weaknesses hurt everyone else. They affect our fellowship of believers. While it may not cause our brothers and sisters to falter and stumble, it does hurt our church. Sin is a scourge to our body of believers. It hurts our ability to do the work of the Lord. It hurts our ability to reach those who are away from the Lord. When we allow sin to be in our lives, we weaken the church.
So, when I talk about our church being weakened by sins what do I mean?
I am going to use an object lesson today, I hope this causes you to remember every time you think of this day, the need to stay strong and mature in the Lord. You will see how weaknesses cause problems in the body.
Let’s get started.
Obvious sins or “shortcomings” (you already know the list)
James 4:17(KJV) 17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
If we are not spiritually strong or mature, then we weaken our church or fellowship of believers
These sins weaken our lives, thus weaken our church or fellowship of believers
Hebrews 10:25(NKJV) 25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Praying little or not at all during our week (not in church)
Acts 6:4(KJV) 4But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
1 Thessalonians 5:17(KJV) 17Pray without ceasing.
Neglecting to read, know, and apply God’s Word daily in our lives
2
Timothy 2:15-17(KJV) 15Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase
unto more ungodliness.
17And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and
Philetus;
Smothering the love of Christ in our lives and actions
1 Thessalonians 5:19(KJV) 19Quench not the Spirit.
Clinging to bitterness instead of forgiving those around us
Ephesians 4:32(KJV) 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
These are the kind of things that affect our spiritual lives when we neglect them. I think all of us know these things. The key is we often neglect them or get too busy in life to do them.
I want to look at some scripture and see some other things that affect your individual spiritual maturity, thus affect our church. When we are weak – our church is weakened. When our church is weakened, God’s Work is not accomplished the way He wishes.
Let’s look at Ephesians 4:11-32
Ephesians
4:11-32(NKJV) 11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ,
13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness
of Christ;
14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the
cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into
Him who is the head—Christ—
16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every
joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its
share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
17This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no
longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life
of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of
their heart;
19who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness,
to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20But you have not so learned Christ,
21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the
truth is in Jesus:
22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man
which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24and that you put on the new man which was created according to
God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak
truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
26“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on
your wrath,
27nor give place to the devil.
28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor,
working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give
him who has need.
29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good
for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed
for the day of redemption.
31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put
away from you, with all malice.
32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God in Christ forgave you.
We need each other – vs. 11
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
God uses more than one to do His work
We need God’s touch through His servants – 11-12a
11And He Himself gave some to
be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers,
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry…
They can help strengthen us
They help us grow that we might work for the Lord
We need the uplifting of God in our lives – 12b
12 …for the edifying of the body of Christ,
We need unity in our midst – 13
13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
We need to be mature believers in the Lord – 13
13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
NLT renders this: that we will be mature in the Lord
We become strong, able to withstand false teachings and deceit – 14
14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
We need a consistent, correct, and constant message (spiritual diet) of truth - 15
15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in
all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
Proper nourishment promotes proper growth
Proper nourishment prevents hurtful weaknesses
We all need to be joined and knit together as an effective body each doing the Lord’s work and will
16from whom the whole body, joined and knit
together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working
by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the
edifying of itself in love.
Each gives their part to our success for the Lord
Our “body” should be full of love
We need to be special in our daily behavior and life – 17
17This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
At odds with the Lord
18having their understanding darkened, being alienated
from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of
the blindness of their heart;
19who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness,
to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20But you have not so learned Christ,
21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the
truth is in Jesus:
22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man
which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24and that you put on the new man which was created according to
God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
26“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27nor give place to the devil.
28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him
labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something
to give him who has need.
29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is
good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Never used of the devil – 27
Honesty in our actions – 28
Willing and wanting to help others – 28d
Not in practice of talking bad (gossip, slander, etc.) about the body – 29
Giving grace (undeserved love) to each other – 29c
30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption.
31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put
away from you, with all malice.
32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God in Christ forgave you.
Full of the Holy Spirit and in His control – 30
An exemplary example – 31
Full of forgiveness - 32
Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 051610am