Growing Up in Christ: Embracing Spiritual Maturity Together
Summary
### Summary
This morning, we gathered to worship and praise God, acknowledging His overwhelming blessings in our lives. We prayed for various individuals in our community who are struggling, lifting them up by name and asking for God's intervention in their lives. We also prayed for our nation, its leaders, and for a revival that begins within the church and spreads outward.
The core of today's message focused on spiritual maturity and the importance of growing up in Christ. We began by reflecting on how children are loved and valued by God, but also how it is expected for them to mature. Similarly, as Christians, we start as spiritual infants but are called to grow and mature in our faith. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians outlines what it means to grow up spiritually, emphasizing the need for commitment to a local body of believers.
We discussed the dangers of being a "Lone Ranger" Christian and the importance of being part of a local church community. The local church serves as an incubator for spiritual growth, providing the support and accountability necessary for maturity. We also touched on the challenges of church commitment, including dealing with difficult people and situations, but highlighted that these challenges are essential for our growth.
Paul's call for unity in the church involves three key elements: complete humility, patience, and speaking the truth in love. True humility is about seeing ourselves as God sees us, being open to correction and improvement. Patience involves bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain unity. Speaking the truth in love means addressing issues honestly but with grace, aiming for restoration rather than condemnation.
We concluded by emphasizing that growing up in Christ involves becoming real, loving, and being loved. It requires humility, patience, and honesty, all motivated by love and grace. We prayed for God's help in yielding ourselves to Him, committing to one another, and growing up in Christ.
### Key Takeaways
1. Spiritual Maturity is Essential: Just as children are expected to grow and mature, so are Christians. Spiritual maturity involves moving beyond being spiritual infants to becoming more like Jesus. This growth is not optional but a fundamental expectation from God. [29:49]
2. Commitment to a Local Church is Crucial: Being part of a local church community is essential for spiritual growth. The church serves as an incubator for maturity, providing the support, accountability, and resources needed to grow in faith. [34:21]
3. Humility, Patience, and Honesty Foster Unity: Paul emphasizes that unity in the church requires complete humility, patience, and speaking the truth in love. True humility is about seeing ourselves as God sees us, while patience involves bearing with one another in love. Honesty means addressing issues truthfully but with grace. [38:24]
4. The Church as a Family: The church is meant to be like a family reunion, where the common denominator is the blood of Jesus Christ. It is a place where we learn to love and be loved, despite our differences and imperfections. This familial bond is essential for spiritual growth. [36:53]
5. Grace and Love are the Foundation: Growing up in Christ involves being motivated by love and grace. It requires us to be linked together in a local body of believers, learning to love the unlovely, and extending grace to one another. This is how we become real and mature in our faith. [47:40]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[05:25] - Prayer for the Community
[06:49] - Prayer for the Nation and Leaders
[08:13] - Invocation and Opening Prayer
[16:33] - Children's Church Prayer
[26:49] - Introduction to the Sermon
[27:19] - The Importance of Spiritual Maturity
[29:49] - Growing Up in Christ
[31:19] - Commitment to a Local Church
[34:21] - The Church as an Incubator for Growth
[38:24] - Unity Through Humility, Patience, and Honesty
[40:24] - The Role of the Church as a Family
[45:00] - Speaking the Truth in Love
[47:40] - Grace and Love as the Foundation
[50:16] - Closing Prayer and Call to Commitment
[51:17] - Holy Communion
[56:56] - Recitation of the Nicene Creed
[01:03:52] - The Lord's Table and Communion
[01:15:54] - Final Blessing and Dismissal
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV) - "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
#### Observation Questions
1. According to Ephesians 4:1-3, what are the key characteristics Paul urges believers to embody?
2. In the sermon, what reasons were given for why spiritual maturity is essential for Christians? [29:49]
3. How does the sermon describe the role of the local church in fostering spiritual growth? [34:21]
4. What are the three key elements Paul mentions for maintaining unity in the church, as discussed in the sermon? [38:24]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul emphasize humility, patience, and bearing with one another in love as essential for unity in the church? How do these traits contribute to spiritual maturity?
2. The sermon mentioned the dangers of being a "Lone Ranger" Christian. What are some potential pitfalls of not being committed to a local church community? [32:50]
3. How does the concept of the church as a family, as described in the sermon, help us understand our responsibilities towards one another? [36:53]
4. What does it mean to speak the truth in love, and why is it important for spiritual growth and unity in the church? [45:00]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own spiritual journey. In what ways have you grown spiritually since you first became a Christian? Are there areas where you feel you still need to mature? [29:49]
2. How committed are you to your local church community? What steps can you take to deepen your involvement and support others in their spiritual growth? [34:21]
3. Think of a recent situation where you had to exercise patience and humility within your church community. How did you handle it, and what could you have done differently to foster unity? [38:24]
4. Identify a person in your church who you find difficult to get along with. How can you practice bearing with them in love and contribute to the unity of the church? [40:55]
5. Have you ever experienced a time when someone spoke the truth to you in love? How did it impact your spiritual growth? How can you apply this principle in your interactions with others? [45:00]
6. The sermon emphasized the importance of grace and love as the foundation for growing up in Christ. How can you show more grace and love in your daily interactions, both within and outside the church? [47:40]
7. Consider the idea of the church as a family reunion. How can you contribute to making your church a place where people feel loved and accepted, despite their differences and imperfections? [36:53]
Devotional
Day 1: Spiritual Maturity is Essential
Spiritual maturity is a fundamental expectation from God, just as children are expected to grow and mature. As Christians, we start as spiritual infants but are called to grow and become more like Jesus. This growth is not optional but a crucial part of our faith journey. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians outlines what it means to grow up spiritually, emphasizing the need for commitment and the pursuit of Christ-like character. Spiritual maturity involves moving beyond the basics of faith and developing a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. [29:49]
Ephesians 4:14-15 (ESV): "So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to move beyond spiritual infancy and grow in your relationship with Christ?
Day 2: Commitment to a Local Church is Crucial
Being part of a local church community is essential for spiritual growth. The church serves as an incubator for maturity, providing the support, accountability, and resources needed to grow in faith. The dangers of being a "Lone Ranger" Christian are significant, as isolation can lead to stagnation and vulnerability. Commitment to a local body of believers helps us navigate the challenges of faith, including dealing with difficult people and situations, which are essential for our growth. [34:21]
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: How can you deepen your commitment to your local church community this week? What specific actions can you take to support and encourage others in your congregation?
Day 3: Humility, Patience, and Honesty Foster Unity
Unity in the church requires complete humility, patience, and speaking the truth in love. True humility is about seeing ourselves as God sees us, being open to correction and improvement. Patience involves bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain unity. Speaking the truth in love means addressing issues honestly but with grace, aiming for restoration rather than condemnation. These elements are crucial for fostering a unified and loving church community. [38:24]
Colossians 3:12-14 (ESV): "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
Reflection: Think of a recent conflict or disagreement within your church community. How can you apply humility, patience, and honesty to help resolve it and foster unity?
Day 4: The Church as a Family
The church is meant to be like a family reunion, where the common denominator is the blood of Jesus Christ. It is a place where we learn to love and be loved, despite our differences and imperfections. This familial bond is essential for spiritual growth, as it provides a supportive environment where we can grow in faith together. The church family helps us navigate the challenges of life and faith, offering encouragement, support, and accountability. [36:53]
1 Peter 4:8-10 (ESV): "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."
Reflection: How can you contribute to the sense of family within your church community this week? What specific actions can you take to show love and support to your church family?
Day 5: Grace and Love are the Foundation
Growing up in Christ involves being motivated by love and grace. It requires us to be linked together in a local body of believers, learning to love the unlovely, and extending grace to one another. This is how we become real and mature in our faith. Grace and love are the foundation of our spiritual growth, helping us to navigate the challenges of life and faith with a Christ-like attitude. [47:40]
Ephesians 4:2-3 (ESV): "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you found it difficult to extend grace and love. How can you approach similar situations in the future with a Christ-like attitude of grace and love?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Father, we pray this morning that you'll speak to our hearts and our minds, speak into our lives so that we can become ever closer followers of your Son, Jesus Christ. Father, this morning, as we gather, there are a number of people who are struggling. We want to lift them up by name." [05:25] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We pray, Father, for a return to faith. And we pray, Father, for revival that begins in your church, your fellowship, your body of church. of believers and spreads outwards. Father, we ask that you would be with our civil authorities for President Joe, Governor Ron, Mayor D.C., and other authorities in our lives individually, that they would have wisdom, that they would have godly wisdom." [06:49] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We need to stop this Christian cancel culture garbage. We need to stop condemning one another. We need to stop attacking and abusing our brother. We need to stop embarrassing the person that's our right arm or our left arm. We need to realize that when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. And when one part of the body is exalted, we're all exalted. We're in this together." [44:24] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "With all of my heart I believe that Christ wants his church to be like the neighborhood bar. Unshockable. A fellowship where people can come in and say I'm sunk. I'm beat. I've had it. We Christians need to do a better job at handling the hurts and the embarrassments of life that every single one of us suffer. None of us are clean." [42:53] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We grow not only as we learn humility, but we grow into maturity by patiently enduring with one another in love. Verse 2, going forward, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort. It didn't say try a little bit. It said make every effort. Leave no stone unturned to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." [40:55] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Maturity, according to Paul, begins with an individual commitment to a local body of believers. In verse 2 he says that we need to learn to bear with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There's one body, there's one spirit, just as you were called to one hope and you were called. One Lord, one faith, one baptism." [31:19] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Both de-church people and professional church shoppers have failed to heed Paul's call for believers to be committed and accountable to other believers in a local church setting. In fact, a local church is the incubator that God has chosen to produce sustained growth. If you think of it in military terms, the local church becomes the rear area logistics area. It's where you get your beans and bullets and band-aids, your marching orders." [34:21] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We need to be people who know what we believe and internalize that and let that be the thing that guides us. We don't use our morality and we don't use our rules and laws as a wall to keep the world out. We only grow as we learn to speak the truth in love. Verse 15. If we speak the truth in love we will in all things grow up into him who is the head that is Christ." [45:30] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We need others to help us round off the edges to challenge our innate selfishness and to force us to become what God is. A thoroughly relational being whose motivation whose way of operating is pure grace. Unmerited favor. Becoming real is hard and I want to close by reading to you from a theological book it's entitled Skin Horse." [48:12] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "It's tough to commit to a local church. But it's also essential that we do so if we expect to grow up in Christ. It's the crucible that God uses to refine us. It's the grinder he uses to knock off the rough edges. It's the incubator he uses to foster growth. Someone said that the church is like Noah's Ark. If it wasn't for the storm on the outside, the stench on the inside would be unbearable." [37:53] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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