Introduction: This week, we want to take a look at how all of this actually takes place in the lives of every individual believer that makes up the body of Christ.
The purpose of the Body of Christ is to grow and mature: In order for that to happen, the members that make up the body of Christ also have to grow and become mature like Christ in Vs 13. So how does this happen?
Our purpose in the Body of Christ is to:
I. No Longer be as Children– Vs 14 “That we henceforth be no more children”. We are to no longer be as children and immature, being led astray by false teaching. A person that is “carried about with every wind of doctrine” is a person that believes every doctrine that comes his or her way, just a like a child believes everything he/she is told. This is not what Christ wants for the believer that makes up the body of Christ.
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- Remember there is “the sleight of men”- deceivers, cheaters in the faith, men who will cheat others of the truth”. Paul told the Galatians “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth”, Galatians 3:1. Here there were men who were teaching that salvation was by faith but they also needed to keep the law and their works- that was a lie.
- Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves”.
- Remember there is “cunning craftiness”- deceivers who act clever and sound correct. These only deceive and lie.
- Matthew 15:9 “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men”.
- II Peter 2:1 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction”.
- These men are so plentiful that “they lie in wait to deceive”.
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- Solution: Read the Bible, study the Bible, meditate in the Bible, learn the Bible, search the scriptures.
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- II Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.
- Acts 17:11 “they receive the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so”. Always confirm what you are hearing from the Word of God.
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- Solution: Read the Bible, study the Bible, meditate in the Bible, learn the Bible, search the scriptures.
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II. Grow up in all things– Vs 15 “may grow up into him in all things”. Notice how we grow up, by”speaking the truth in love”.
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- I 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”. As children, we spoke a certain way, but when we got older, we didn’t say some of those things that we would say as a child, why? because we had grown up.
- Here we are told that we grow up by speaking the truth IN LOVE.
- What is truth? The Word of God is truth- John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth”. So when we speak the the Word of God to others, we don’t compromise or minimize it, we speak what it says. However, the way to do it is with Love.
- Jesus Christ was full of Grace and Truth when He spoke to others, here are two examples of something we can do in our lives to “grow up into him”.
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- The Lost Person– Mark 10:17-22 Many of us have dealt with a lost person, the question is, have you dealt with them like Jesus, full of grace and truth?
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- Grace– vs 21 “then Jesus beholding him loved him” and told him.
- Truth- Vs 21 “sell whatsoever thou hast” Your possessions are going to keep you from having eternal life. You can tell them this story from the bible.
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- The Sinner– John 8:1-11 Many of us have dealt with a person that has committed a sin against God, the question is, have you dealt with them like Jesus, full of grace and truth?
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- Grace– vs 11 “Neither do I condemn thee” You’ve been forgiven, you won’t get what you deserve.
- Truth– vs 11 “go, and sin no more”. We should hate sin, depart from sin, put away sin, etc.
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III. Do our part in the building– Vs 16 “compacted by that which every joint suppliers”. Just like putting together a puzzle, every piece joined together and compacted makes the puzzle fit together perfectly.
- The same is true in the body of Christ, every member effectually works together and fits in the body perfectly.
- Christ takes every joint or believer and the believer is:
- fitly joined together with all the other believers
- has his work compacted with that supplied by other believers
- helps to increase the body
- helps to edify the body in love
- I Corinthians 12:4-7 “but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal”.
- I Timothy 4:14-15 “give thyself wholly to the; that thy profiting may appear to all”. When you are not here, someone else is missing out.
This is a challenge to us believers. Are we fitly joined together in the body of Christ, in the local church, where our gifts are being used for this purpose. Are we giving our best to get the job done?
Each one of us have a duty and responsibility to reach those that are in our sphere of influence. This is how we can all do our part and make increase of the body of Christ.
Conclusion: Because we make up the body of Christ, and the body of Christ is to grow, then we are to grow individually. You and I grow by no longer being as children, growing up in all things, doing our part in the building. This is challenge and a responsibility for all of us.