Series: Growing up in God’s Family Ephesians 4:11-16

Growing up in God’s Family 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

Growing up in God’s Family 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Growing up in God’s Family 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Growing up in God’s Family 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

Growing up in God’s Family 15 but speaking the truth in love, 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

Growing up in God’s Family 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Growing up in God’s Family Today we close out this series of messages with a focus on the final stages of growth which brings a follower of Jesus to maturity.

Growing up in God’s Family

Clearly God’s expectation is that we would all grow to the level of maturity. His desire is that we never stop growing in our relationship with Him.

Growing up in God’s Family

1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God

Growing up in God’s Family 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits.

Growing up in God’s Family The writer urged these followers to press on to maturity. They were to move beyond the basic knowledge of the faith. This goal of maturity was a result of their choice to press on (vs.1) and God’s causing the growth (vs. 3)

Growing up in God’s Family 1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.

Growing up in God’s Family 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

Growing up in God’s Family 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

Growing up in God’s Family Paul tells this church that they are stuck in childhood and need to grow up.

Growing up in God’s Family 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

Growing up in God’s Family Following his description of the God like love we are to have for one another Paul declares that to grow up we must put aside childish things.

Growing up in God’s Family Last week we considered childish things like willful defiance, superficial commitments, making idols of people or ways of worshipping and serving, and being easily swayed away from truth.

Growing up in God’s Family

We resist change We resist change We always want Jesus as our Savior but sometimes we do not want Him We always want Jesus as our Savior but sometimes we do not want Him as our Master as our Master

Growing up in God’s Family We get satisfied with a mediocre relationship and no longer hunger We get satisfied with a mediocre relationship and no longer hunger for God or pursue our full potential for God or pursue our full potential in Christ. in Christ.

Growing up in God’s Family We neglect the Word of God and We neglect the Word of God and drift away from the truth drift away from the truth or resist the truth we do know or resist the truth we do know

Growing up in God’s Family We forget that the entire journey We forget that the entire journey is by faith and get worn out serving in our own strength

Growing up in God’s Family

Series: Ephesians 4:11-16