3 Marks of A Growing Christian

Transcription

1 Message for THE LORD'S DAY MORNING, August 13, 2017 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister TOPIC: Christian Living 3 Marks of A Growing Christian Ephesians 4:11-32 (NKJV) Our scripture text this morning comes to us from Paul's Letter to The Ephesians, chapter four. For right now I would like to just read verses We will look at more of this chapter later in the message. PRAYER EPHESIANS 4:11-13 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till 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; ************ I N T R O D U C T I O N ILLUSTRATION: In his book HOLY SWEAT writer Tim Hansel relates this personal story... A close friend of mine was asked back to his forty-year high school reunion. For months he saved to take his wife back to the place and the people he d left four decades before. The closer the time came for the reunion, the more excited he became, thinking of all the wonderful stories he would hear about the changes and the accomplishments these old friends would tell him.

2 One night before he left he even pulled out his old yearbooks, read the silly statements and the good wishes for the future that students write to each other. He wondered what ol Number 86 from his football team had done. He wondered if any others had encountered this Christ who had changed him so profoundly. He even tried to guess what some of his friends would look like, and what kind of jobs and families some of these special friends had. The day came to leave and I drove them to the airport. Their energy was almost contagious. I ll pick you up on Sunday evening, and you can tell me all about it, I said. Have a great time. Sunday evening arrived. As I watched them get off the plane, my friend seemed almost despondent. I almost didn t want to ask, but finally I said, Well, how was the reunion? Tim, the man said, it was one of the saddest experiences of my life. Good grief, I said, more than a little surprised. What happened? It wasn t what happened but what didn t happen. It has been forty years, forty years and they haven t changed. They had simply gained weight, changed clothes, gotten jobs but they hadn t really changed. And what I experienced was maybe one of the most tragic things I could ever imagine about life. For reasons I can t fully understand, it seems as though some people choose not to change. There was a long silence as we walked back to the car. On the drive home, he turned to me and said, I never, never want that to be said of me, Tim. Life is too precious, too sacred, too important. If you ever see me go stagnant like that, I hope you give me a quick, swift kick where I need it for Christ s sake. I hope you ll love me enough to challenge me to keep growing. Holy Sweat,, Tim Hansel, 1987, Word Books Publisher, pp

3 In our scripture text today, the apostle Paul challenges you and me to keep growing! In verse 13, Paul expresses God's desire to see us keep growing......till 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; In this fourth chapter of Ephesians, Paul gives us 3 Marks of A Growing Christian. Let's look at these together shall we? **************** Mark 1: A Growing Christian Is Marked By STEADFASTNESS Ephesians 4:14-16 (NKJV) 14 that 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, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head Christ 16 from 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. 1. The word steadfast means to be unwavering or immovable or fixed in one's position or direction. 2. STEADFASTNESS is one of the marks that you and I are growing spiritually. In these verses I just read, Paul points out three areas where we must be STEADFAST.

4 (A) We must be steadfast in our DOCTRINAL beliefs. v. 14 that 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, All of you guys who own a boat know the importance of having an anchor. When you arrive at your fishing spot, you drop anchor and that anchor keeps your boat from drifting away and being tossed around by the rough waves. That anchor keeps your boat fixed in position. We live in a world that is filled with false teachings, and lies, and deceptive philosophies. Paul compares these false teachings to waves tossing to and fro. The only way you and I can be keep from being swept away by the winds of false doctrine is to anchor our souls firmly in the doctrines of God's holy word. A growing Christian is a student of God's word. A growing Christian knows what he or she believes, and those beliefs are anchored in God's unchanging word. A growing Christian will not be carried away by false teachings but will remain steadfast in his or her doctrinal beliefs. John 8:31,32 (NKJV) 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

5 Brothers and sisters, are you still reading, and studying God's word? Do you know what your doctrinal beliefs are and are those beliefs firmly rooted in God's unchanging word? We must be steadfast in our DOCTRINAL BELIEFS! (B) We must be steadfast in our spiritual DEVELOPMENT (v.15) v.15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head Christ The goal of the Christian life is grow to become more and more like Jesus Christ. He is the standard by which we are to measure our spiritual development. You and I cannot determine how much we are growing by measuring ourselves by other Christians. We can't really even measure how much we are growing by where we were in our spiritual life five years ago... or ten years ago...or even where we were when we first became a Christian. If you want to see how much you have grown and developed spiritually, ask yourself, Am I becoming more like Jesus Christ? Am I growing in my LOVE for others? Am I growing in my HUMILITY? Am I growing in my HATRED of SIN?

6 Am I growing in my desire to SERVE THE LORD BY SERVING OTHERS? Am I growing in my PRAYER LIFE? Am I growing in THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control Am I becoming more and more SELFLESS? We must be steadfast in our DOCTRINE. We must be steadfast in our spiritual DEVELOP- MENT. And next... (C) We must be steadfast in our DEVOTION (v.16) 16 from 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. What Paul is telling us here is that one way we can know we are growing spiritually is when we use our God-given talents and gifts to serve others and to help build up others in the local Church. Our motive in doing our devoted service in the Church is not to bring glory and honor and recognition to ourselves, but rather to bring glory and honor and recognition to the LORD JESUS CHRIST!

7 So the FIRST MARK OF A GROWING CHRISTIAN IS STEADFASTNESS. Are you steadfast in your DOCTRINE? Are you steadfast in your DEVELOPMENT? And are you steadfast in your DEVOTION? Now let's consider... Mark #2: A Growing Christian Is Marked By HOLINESS Ephesians 4:17-24 (NKJV) 17 This 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, 18 having 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; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Illustration: I remember reading the story several years ago about a cowardly Civil War soldier who didn't want to be identified with either the Union or Confederate armies. To hide his true allegiance, he wore a Union Army jacket and Confederate Army pants and Confederate cap. Well, one day in a heated battle between the Union and Confederate troops, the cowardly soldier wound up getting shot by both sides!

8 1. I believe there are a lot of Christians who are a lot like that cowardly Civil War soldier. On Sunday they put on their Christian uniform so to speak, but then the other six days of the week they wear their worldly uniform so no one will ever suspect they are a Christian soldier. 2. One of the marks that we are truly growing spiritually, is when our life is characterized by THE HOLINESS OF CHRIST, not just on Sunday morning, but all through the week. 3. Paul is telling us in these verses I just read that you and I cannot live a life of unholiness and walk in the sinful ways of this world, and profess to truly know Christ! 4. You see, the day you and I accepted Jesus Christ as our LORD and SAVIOR, two things happened. One, our old sinful self was put to death and buried. And two, we became a new creation in Christ Jesus. That means, we are to deny our old self. We are to disassociate ourselves from our old self. We are to have nothing to do with our old self. We are to forsake the ways of our old self, and we are to live a life of holiness that brings glory and honor to Christ.

9 5. Brothers and sisters, it is absolutely impossible to live a life of UNHOLINESS and SINFULNESS and at the same time GROW SPIRITUALLY! You simply cannot do it! Let me illustrate... Several years ago scientists did some research on baby sharks. They discovered if you confine a baby shark to an aquarium, the shark will never grow any bigger than the aquarium. Although the shark has the potential to grow much larger, his growth is limited by the environment it is in. But when they placed those same sharks in the ocean, they began to grow and thrive. 6. Brothers and sisters, GOD has blessed you and me with so much potential! But if we confine ourselves to an environment of sinful habits and a sinful lifestyle we will never grow to become all God created us to be! 7. A LIFE OF HOLINESS is like a vast ocean where you and I can grow and thrive spiritually. Living a life of holiness is not optional in the Christian life, it is absolutely essential! I PETER 1:15,16 (NKJV) but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy.

10 A Growing Christian Is Marked by STEADFASTNESS. A Growing Christian Is Marked by HOLINESS Finally... Mark #3: A Growing Christian Is Marked By CHRISTLIKENESS Ephesians 4:30-32 (NKJV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. 1. Paul is telling us here that it deeply grieves the Holy Spirit when we don't grow spiritually. He is deeply grieved when we cling to toxic, poisonous attitudes such as: bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor (clamor=chronic complaining), or evil speaking, or malice. 2. These things will greatly hinder us from growing into Christ-likeness. These things did not characterize the life of Christ and they must not characterize our lives either.

11 3. One of the evidences that you and I have grown up spiritually is when our lives are characterized by Christ-like KINDNESS...and Christ-like TENDER- HEARTEDNESS...and Christ-like FORGIVENESS. A GROWING CHRISTIAN IS MARKED BY CHRISTLIKENESS! ***************************************************** C O N C L U S I O N Is Jesus Like Joe? Joe was a drunk who was miraculously converted to Christ in an old downtown mission. Before his conversion, Joe had a reputation for being a dirty, smelly wino for whom there was no hope. But after accepting Christ as his Lord and Savior, everything changed. Joe became the most kind and tenderhearted person anyone associated with the mission had ever seen. Joe spent his days and nights hanging around the mission doing whatever needed to be done. Whether it was cleaning up vomit left by some violently sick alcoholic or scrubbing toilets after careless men left the restroom filthy, JOE DID WHATEVER HE WAS ASKED TO DO WITH A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE. He helped feed the hungry men who wandered in off the street. He helped drunks change out of dirty clothes into clean ones and he would tuck them in their beds at night. Nothing was beneath Joe. One evening while the Mission Chaplain was delivering his evening gospel message to the usual crowd of sullen men with drooped heads, one man knelt down on the floor and kept shouting, Dear God, make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! Please make me like Joe!

12 The chaplain stopped preaching and spoke to the man on his knees. He said to the man, I think it would be better if you prayed, Dear God, make me like JESUS. The man looked up at the chaplain and said, Is JESUS like JOE? ----author unknown Christian, are you growing? Are you growing in STEADFASTNESS? Are you growing in HOLINESS? Are you growing in CHRISTLIKENESS?