Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: This morning we talked about how Christ has put us together as a team with the pastor as the coach under the authority of God [Owner of the team], and the congregation as the players and we are training under His game plan [Bible] to win the spiritual championship of life in Christ.

Tonight as we continue to look at being “Connected In Growth”, I want us to see some of the specific benchmarks of our spiritual growth.

Text; Eph.

4:13-16

Remember when you were a kid and couldn’t wait till you grew up?

Remember the three most important birthdays?

13 [teenager], 16 [drivers license].

Then at 18 you are recognized as an adult whether you are or not.

These stages/ages in life are gauges/benchmarks to determine a persons growth/maturity.

Paul says there are gauges/benchmark of growth in a Christian’s life as well.

1. Christ Our Standard: 13

The only way to gauge our spiritual growth is to compare it to an absolute standard, Jesus Christ.

Malachi 3:6 (NKJV)

6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change;

Jesus lived to please God.

He came to do his Father’s will.

He put others above himself.

He patiently endured suffering.

He loved the unlovable and forgave the undeserving.

That’s our standard!

Two things to get us to this standard;

Unity of the faith- Oneness in Christian doctrine.

Oneness in fellowship.

It is impossible to achieve this unless it is built on the foundation of a commonly believed truth.

Knowledge of the Son of God- experiential understanding of the Person of Christ through prayer, study and obedience in the Word of God.

We have to put our faith into practice.

Not just when we are at church around those that know us, but in the world where people don’t know Him!

2. Defend the Faith: 14

Defending the faith is knowing in Whom you believe, what you believe and how to have a rational conversation with others about your faith.

A child has to learn and mature to be able know the difference between right and wrong.

A christian has to mature to be able to defend the faith.

But it is amazing to me how many adults are easily deceived because they have not grown!

How many of you know heaven is for real?

Bible or movie/book

How many of you know homosexuality is a sin?

Bible or hearsay

Matthew Vines wrote a book entitled “God and the Gay Christian”.

In March 2012, Matthew delivered a speech at a church in his hometown of Wichita, Kansas, about the Bible and same-sex relationships, calling for acceptance of gay Christians and their marriage relationships.

He is the founder and executive director of The Reformation Project, a non-profit ministry that works to advance LGBTQ inclusion in the church.

Quote; “I’m passionate about helping Christians and churches rethink their views on LGBTQ topics in a way that strengthens their commitment to the authority of the Bible and to orthodox Christian theology, while affirming sexual diversity”.

He believes you can have faith in Christ and still live in what God says is an abomination.

[Lev.

18:26, 20:13, Deut.

22:5, 1 Kings 14:24, Ps. 14:1, Pr. 15:9, Ezek.

16:22, 43, 1 Cor.

6:9-10, Titus 1:16, 1 Pet.

4:3, Rev. 21:8, 17:5]

3. Speaking Truth in Love: 15

We need to be honest with people about the realities of sin and how God views it as rebellion against Him.

But we also need to speak with humility/charity, remembering from where we were before Christ, but never compromising the truth of scripture!

Speaking the Truth in love comes from the scriptures not our opinions!

4. Joined and Knit Together: 16

Joined & Knit together- Knitting is the craft of interlocking loops [joining together] of wool or other yarn with knitting needles.

Paul says that Christ has “knitted together” individuals, spiritually gifted people, to work together in His authority by His power, which causes growth of the body [church] in love.

The reference to growth refers not so much to increased size as to increased faith and spiritual strength.

California redwood trees grow to be massive in size and ancient in age.

The secret to their stability and longevity is that their roots intertwine.

Underground, they’re all interconnected.

You can’t mess with one without messing with the whole grove.

When fierce winds blow, their connectedness allows them to borrow from one another and stand strong.

So it is, Paul says, with the body of Christ, the church.

Evans, T. (2019).

The Tony Evans Study Bible (p.

1397).

Holman Bible.

The reference to growth refers not so much to increased size as to increased faith and spiritual strength.

Close;

Each of us has a responsibility to grow-up in Christ and to encourage others to grow in Him as well.

That means we have to;

Get equipped through training [Prayer, bible study, worship]

Know our part as a team member [Know your spiritual gifts]

Be a participator not a spectator [Get involved in the church ministries]

Speak the truth in love [Gospel]

John 12:32 (NKJV)

32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Never quit growing!