YouTube video sermon
Ephesians 4:11-16
Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Ephesians 4. As most of you know, Melissa and I are now proud parents of a high school graduate. And while I’m not certain that I speak for all men, I do think my summation of the last couple of weeks is common in most marriages and families with teenagers.
For example, it started with prom about a month ago and a half ago. Melissa texted me one morning and said Jordan can’t find reservations anywhere can you help get him and Maddie get a table somewhere? Is it possible for them to eat at the club? Do you know of any places that he could try? I texted back and said give me a few moments and let me see what I can do. “By the way, why is he waiting until the last minute?” I thought to myself, “It’s time to grow up.”
Anyway, I get on the phone with Buzz Cleveland, who has all kinds of social connections, and explain the situation. Buzz says, “Sure, give me just a few minutes and let me see what I can do.” Sure enough, a little while later Buzz calls me back and says I got a table for two at Nantucket for 6PM. Great! Dad is looking good. Gonna save my son’s reputation and do it in style. So, I text everybody to let them know and later that day I get a message from Jordan. “Hey dad, thanks, but we’re going to eat with Jay and his girlfriend at California Dreaming.” I think to myself, “California Dreaming vs. Nantucket… It’s time to grow up.”
No problem. I get it. You want to hang out with friends instead of it being just the two of you. That’s cool. So, not wanting to give up the table that Buzz was able to secure at the last minute, I decided that Melissa and I could go and have a nice date. But then I was informed that she couldn’t go because it was too close to the time of their prom pictures, which were scheduled to be at Maddie’s house and she wouldn’t be able to get there in time. I said, “You don’t need to go take prom pictures. Maddie’s parents will take pictures. We’ll just get some from them.” Melissa looked at me, as if to say “it’s time to grow up.” This is what mommas do. We take prom photos. You and Parker go. So that’s what I did.
Fast forward about a month and now we’re sitting at the Bons Secor Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville watching Jordan’s graduation and Melissa sends me this text with crying faces and old pictures of Jordan when he was in 1st grade that says, “Our baby is all grown up.”
That’s kind of typical for families, isn’t it? You have kids and spend the next 18 years wishing they’d grow up to the next phase of life. “I can’t wait until he can sit up and hold his own bottle.” Next thing you know he’s walking. “I wish he could tell me what’s wrong.” Next thing you know you’re saying, “I wish he would stop talking.” You find yourself thinking, “I’m ready for you to get dressed by yourself and make your own lunch.” Then comes every parent’s complaint, “I can’t wait until you can drive.” Next thing you know you have 4 cars in the driveway, prom is here and graduation is just around the corner. And you say to yourself, “They grow up so fast. Where did the years go?” With that as introduction, let’s read what Paul has to say about growing up into Christ.
11 And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 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. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
“Our Father and our God, as we humbly submit ourselves to the authority of Your most holy Word we pray that what we know not – teach us; what we have not – give us; and what we are not – make us; for Your Son’s sake, amen.”
A few weeks ago, we turned the pages from Chapter 3 to Chapter 4. I know that sounds pretty remarkable. Chapter 4 usually always follows Chapter 3. But in this case, in this letter, it’s more than just the next chapter in the book. In Ephesians it marks the dividing line between the first section (chapters 1-3) and the second section (chapters 4-6). So, we’ve crossed the Mississippi (so to speak). We’ve crossed the Atlantic. We’ve concluded the first half of the journey and now we’re on to the final half.
Remember, the first section (chapters 1-3) are all dedicated to what God has done for us in/through the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is what God has done for you. These are the blessings that are yours because of Jesus. Look at everything you have because of Jesus. That’s the first section. The second section (chapters 4-6) are dedicated to who we become and what we do as a result of the first section. So, chapters 4-6 are almost all action items, verbs, doing and becoming. Another way of understanding it is the first section is our identity in Christ and the second section is our behavior as Christ-followers. Identity in Jesus (first). Behavior as Jesus-followers (second).
And one of Paul’s motivations and hopes in writing this letter is to bring together two groups of people that would otherwise (outside of their identity in Jesus) absolutely detest one another. You think blacks and whites are bad in 21st century America? You think Republicans and Democrats are bad today? You think northerners and southerners are bad? You think Tiger fans and Gamecock fans hate each other? All of these divisions put together don’t come close to describing the rift and hatred that Jews and Gentiles had for one another. And one of Paul’s great desires was to unify these two groups of people under the authority of Jesus, and help them to see that one of their jobs was to embody the radical grace and mercy and transformation that Jesus offers by being reconciled to one another. And that’s part of why he structures this letter the way he does. Identity first. Behavior second.
This morning we find ourselves in the second section; the behavior part, but remember, it’s Christian behavior BECAUSE of who we are in Jesus. And one of the things that Paul tells them to do is grow up.
It’s Time To Stop Being Children
That’s what verse 14 says, “so that we may no longer be children…” God has given His church various people: apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers, and one of their responsibilities is to help us grow up. That’s verses 13-14. Children are children. They tend to be wobbly; especially when they’re younger. You walk around with your arms outstretched waiting to catch them every time they begin to stumble. I believe it was Shakespeare that said eventually you become wobbly all over again. But that’s a sermon for another time.
Children are wobbly and they’re also easily distracted. They respond immediately to what’s most appealing to them – even things that may not be the best for them. You know this. Take a small child to a fair or an amusement park or even to a toy store or candy store. There’s this multi-colored lollypop that’s larger than the average person’s head and it’s on this tiny little stick, and you offer them a smaller piece of candy and what do they say? “No! I want this one.” “But you can’t hold that big thing. See, I can’t even hold it.” Doesn’t matter; that’s the one they want.
They’re wobbly. They’re easily distracted. And that’s why Paul encourages us to stop being children. He says we need to not be wobbly (spiritually speaking) but rather be marked by stability. When you were growing up, or when you had kids in your home, do you remember the inflatable punching bag? Most of the ones I recall had a clown image on them and when you blew them up they were about 4’ tall and kind of like a cone or a cylinder. You could punch that little clown all day long and he would pop right back up. Why? Because the base had some form of weight in it – some lead beads or sand or something. It had a sturdy foundation; and although you could knock it over, it always popped back up. That’s what Paul is saying about us. We need to have a solid doctrinal base.
No longer like children – forever changing their minds. Forever changing your mind about what you believe. Changing your mind about the doctrine of Scripture. Changing your mind about the doctrine of God. Changing your mind about the doctrine of man and sin. Changing your mind about the nature of marriage. Changing your mind about biology and sexual ethics. Changing your mind about so many things that the Bible is clear about. Yes, I understand that there are questions with regard to certain biblical passages that we can differ on, but there’s an awful lot that’s plain to see (even for the first-time, casual reader of Scripture).
I mean, the image is great. Our youngest nephew is almost a year old, and it’s a marvelous thing watching our teenage boys try to entertain him. They begin by pulling out the blocks, then Henry changes his mind and wants to play ball, then he changes his mind again and wants to ride his scooter. Eventually, my boys will plop down beside me on the couch and say, “Man, I can’t keep his attention on anything.” Of course, I sympathize with them and try to use that moment to teach them of the adult realities of life. You know where little Henry came from, right? Let’s not go there. That kind of thing.
But it’s fascinating because if we just take a step back we’re not very far removed from Henry. One day Jordan wants to put new wheels and tires on his truck, the next day he’s talking about buying a new motor for the John boat, the next day it’s something else. We do the same thing. But the issue here is far greater, isn’t it? “…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.”
Paul’s concern isn’t only that people wouldn’t have a settled conviction about things, not simply that they’re distracted, but his concern was for the underlying deceit, which finds its source in the Devil, the serpent, who deceived Eve by his great cunning when he said, “Did God really say…” (Genesis 3:1). That’s the deceit we’re faced with today. Did God really say… And that’s why I read from Paul’s letter to Timothy, because Paul’s answer to Timothy was to point people back to Scripture. And the stabilizing influence that’s identified in this passage and called for in these verses is that which comes about by the ongoing, persistent, faithful exposition of Scripture, rightly understood and applied. It’s God’s Word being taught, believed, meditated on, and applied that actually saves us from being tossed to and fro.
It’s Time To Grow Up Into Christ
That’s verse 15, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ…” Now, Paul isn’t giving us guidance here on human anatomy. Although some of us are described as being “heady” theologically or philosophically, we know that literally and physically we don’t grow up into Christ’s head. That’s not what Paul is saying here. No, what he doing is he’s using the analogy of growing up in the physical world and applying it to the body of Christ. In the same way that you and I and our children and grandchildren grow up into toddlers, and then children, and then teenagers, and then adults, so too the Church needs to grow up in relation to Jesus. In other words, those of us that are here today that call ourselves followers of Jesus need to be growing in our Christian character. We need to be seeing, day by day, more of the Fruit of the Spirit in our character and daily living. We need to be more Christ-like. That’s what Paul is saying here when he speaks of growing up into Him who is the head, into Christ.
Now, I want to highlight how we do this. Paul says we do it by “speaking the truth in love.” Most of us, myself included, have used this phrase and almost all of us have used it incorrectly. We’ve used it out of context. We didn’t intend to, mind you. And in fact, it was probably correctly understood when we used it, but most of the time we use this as justification for saying something particularly uncomfortable to a friend or family member. “Oh, I’m just speaking the truth in love…” and that’s probably right and good in those situations, but that’s not how Paul is using that phrase here.
Look at the end of verse 14. At the end of verse 14 Paul is describing the way that false teachers and the world speak to us, by cunning and craftiness and deceitful schemes. And he contrasts that type of instruction with truth and love. There are some who teach by error and deceit, but you are to teach by truth and love. These folks don’t love the people to whom they speak. If they did, then they wouldn’t seek to deceive them. Folks, does any of this sound like 21st century America? We have young people that are being fed lies on all fronts – racially, sexually, economically, politically, and yes, even theologically – by those that claim to love them, but who are twisting and distorting reality in order to win their affections.
Notice also the balance implied here – truth AND love. The late theologian, John Stott, speaks of the “truth gang.” He says there are some people that are so concerned about the truth, that as soon as they get the first scent of heresy “their nose begins to twitch, their muscles ripple, and the light of battle enters their eyes.” They’re always looking for a fight. You know it’s true. “I see you didn’t use the King James Version this morning.” “No, I’m sorry.” “Well, you can be sorry, if you like” and before you know it, here we go locked in battle. On the other hand, on the other end of the spectrum there’s the loving group. Oh, they’re so loving. We’re so loving that we’re prepared to just about sacrifice every central truth of biblical revelation that exists in order that everyone might know how loving we are. No, it can’t be. Both of those approaches are unbalanced and unbiblical. Truth becomes hard if it’s not softened by love. And love becomes a sentimental notion if it’s not strengthened by truth. That’s what Paul is saying when he calls us to grow up in every way into Him who is the head.
It’s Time To Do Our Part Properly
Look at verse 16, “…the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” In other words, each part of the Body of Christ in its own uniquely God-ordained way exists to help the other parts. And of course, Paul isn’t speaking about parts of a human body, he’s talking about you and me in the context of the Church. It’s from the head that the harmonious function of the body takes place. It’s true of human physiology and it’s true of the Church. It’s time to do our part.
2020 certainly brought us all challenges and disappointments, but it also brought us opportunities and satisfactions. One of the challenges that my church and many others like it faced, was how to be the Body of Christ when we couldn’t gather. We quickly moved to implement online services and hold Bible studies and small groups using ZOOM. We all looked for ways to help and serve our friends and family and neighbors. Those were some of the blessings that COVID-19 brought. But it also brought the challenge of gathering the flock again.
Just the other day I was reading an article titled Podcast Pastor. Listen to part of what the author wrote, “God has designed normal Christianity – vibrant, healthy, durable, culture-shaping, mission-advancing, justice-elevating, Christ-exalting Christianity – to be a web of relationships, in local churches, led by faithful shepherds, who live as examples and care for the souls of their particular sheep.” Folks, no online preacher or virtual church can take the place of the real Body of Christ. He went on to say, “Gathering with God’s people every week – gathering, not just putting on your headphones and listening to a worship song – but to exalt Jesus together, and hear each other say great things about the One whom we love and cherish, is the way God means for us to thrive in relation to him. I have found this weekly rhythm of corporate communion with God essential to my faith over the last fifty years.” The effective functioning of Mountain Hill Community Church, or this church and that church, the big church and the little church, the downtown church and the rural church, the African-American congregations and the Asian congregations and the Hispanic congregations, and all of the others corporate gatherings of genuine believers in Jesus Christ needs all of the moving parts to be involved in gospel ministry.
It’s time to stop being children. It’s time to grow up into Christ. It’s time to do our part in the ministry.