"IN LOVE"

Casey Easterwood

First Fire/Trinity UMC--Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Spiritual Growth and Maturity take place when we are ROOTED and ABIDING IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST AND PARTICIPITATING IN HIS MISSION.

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"IN LOVE"

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Main Idea: Spiritual Growth and Maturity take place when we are ROOTED and ABIDING IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST AND PARTICIPATING IN HIS MISSION.

Introduction

How many of you have ever heard these words spoken to you before?

“JUST GROW UP!”

-Maybe it was your parents

-Maybe it was your Brother or Sister

-Maybe even your friend

-Or even a school teacher…

I remember being in School throughout Elementary, Junior High, and High School

-In Elementary I heard my teachers constantly say…YOU BETTER GROW UP AND GET READY FOR JUNIOR HIGH

-In Junior High just when we thought we were grown up…WE STARTED HEARING…YOU BETTER GROW UP AND GET READY FOR HIGH SCHOOL!

-And of course, just when you get to High School and think your grown up…YOU HEAR…YOU BETTER GROW UP AND GET READY FOR COLLEGE AND “THE REAL WORLD”

Surely, we don’t need to hear these words even, now right??

Surely, we are all now fully mature in this room, right?

-I think I get a pass for being in youth ministry

IM IN THIS QUOTE “REAL WORLD” …AND IM STILL NOT GROWN UP ENOUGH YET!

-I can’t tell you how many times I still have to call my mom because I don’t understand some type of Tax thing or financial thing

The Reality is…ALL OF US…MYSELF INCLUDED…are never done growing up…IT IS A LIFELONG PROCESS!

Which brings us to our passage this morning…

Transition to Main Body

This morning we are continuing our walk through the book of Ephesians…

In Chapters 1-3: we talked a lot about who we are in Christ and What Christ has done for us

Here in Chapter 4: we have talked a lot about Unity and about being built up together by our gifts

And now we have come to here where we continue to see this IMPORTANT idea of UNITY Continue…But also something also Paul brings something else important to us…

(NIV)

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ

We see a new important theme show up in this passage in connection to UNITY…AND THAT IS…

IMPORTANT THEME: “SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND MATURITY”

So, in a way (MUCH NICER THAN WE MAY HAVE HEARD AT TIMES) Paul is writing to the Church in Ephesus, and to us here, saying…HEY WE NEED TO GROW UP!

He is saying…

-Hey, we can’t be infants in our faith forever...

-We can’t be led astray because we aren’t mature and don’t know what is truth and what is not

-We can’t be pushed around as the body of Christ by this world

WE NEED TO BE STRONG AND MATURE AS THE BODY OF CHRIST…SO THAT WE CAN SPEAK THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL AND REFLECT THE TRUE IMAGE OF CHRIST IN THIS WORLD AS A UNIFIED BODY

AND THIS CALL TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND MATURE IN OUR FAITH IS NEVER FINISHED!

-No Matter what age, stage of life, or how mature we are in our faith…THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM TO GROW

BIG QUESTION FOR THIS MORNING

With that…The big question I want us to look at and unpack this morning… HOW DO WE GROW AND MATURE AS DISCIPLES…BOTH TOGETHER AS A CHURCH…AND INDIVIDUALLY?

And overall, We are going to look at 3 big directions for growth and maturity

AND NO…ITS NOT!!

-Read Your Bible

-Pray

-And come to Church

IMPORTANT PHRASE

And to begin to unpack those directions to this question we need to look at verse 15 in

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

There are two important words in this verse that begin to give us some direction toward how we grow Spiritually as Disciples and as A Church

AND THAT PHRASE IS THESE TWO WORDS… “IN LOVE”

-This small phrase here is repeated 3 total times in the first 16 verses here of Chapter 4 (Verse 2, Verse 15, Verse 16)

-The word Love alone shows up about 23 times in the book of Ephesians

As this phrase jumped out to me not only here in this specific verse, but this chapter, and the word love as a whole I began to realize that there is a…

DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN SPIRITUAL GROWTH…AND LOVE

Read

And to Look at this connection we are going to look at Jesus’ words in

We looked at this passage during our Easter series…This Is where Jesus’ famous “I AM THE VINE” Statement shows up

So, let’s read this together…

(NIV) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

First Fire

1.Take a few moments around your table and talk about what you see in this passage…What sticks out to you in relation to GROWTH

2.Discuss

APPLICATION

In looking at and and that important phrase… “IN LOVE”

I think we see 3 big directions in helping us answer our big question this morning

HOW DO WE GROW AND MATURE AS DISCIPLES…BOTH TOGETHER AS A CHURCH…AND INDIVIDUALLY?

The first thing we see is this…

WE GROW WHEN WE…

1.ROOT OURSELVES IN CHRIST AND HIS LOVE

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Jesus’ shows us in this passage not only are we to grow mature as his disciples…BUT WE ARE TO GROW AND BEAR FRUIT FOR HIS KINGDOM

So not only are we to know Christ deeply as an individual and as a Church…but also WE ARE TO PRODUCE FRUIT OUT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM…

There is no growth without LOVE…

It is the Love of Christ that IS THE TRUE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE…

It is the Love of Christ that Unites us as the Body of Christ

It is the Love of Christ that gives us purpose and meaning

WITHOUT LOVE…WE ARE NOTHING…AND WE CAN BE NOTHING

Things don’t grow when they are not connected to some type of life giving substance…And the reality is we are no different…and the very thing that Gives us life and fuels our growth is the Love of Christ

So as God's people we cannot just acknowledge the Love of Christ…

-We can’t just read scriptures about it

-We can’t just talk about it

-BUT WE MUST ALSO LIVE IN IT, AND LIVE BY IT…

In here Jesus is pretty clear about what happens when we choose not to be rooted and growing in his love…

If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

When we are not rooted in the Love of Christ…OUR FAITH WITHERS AWAY AND DIES...AND WE PRODUCE NO FRUIT…

-We cannot survive and grow when we are separated from Christ’s Love

WE MUST DO AS PAUL SAYS IN

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

To do this we need to see this next thing about Growing in Christ’s Love

WE GROW WHEN WE…

2.KEEP GOD'S COMMANDS

says…

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

says…

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

WE ROOT OURSELVES AND ABIDE IN CHRIST'S LOVE BY KEEPING GOD'S COMMANDS

WHILE GOD HAS GIVEN US MANY COMMANDS IN SCRIPTURE…JESUS TELLS US ALSO IN THE GOSPELS THAT THEY ARE SUMMED UP IN THE TWO GREATEST COMMANDS…

(NIV) 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

TO GROW AS A DISCIPLE AND AS A CHURCH WE HAVE TO ORDER OUR LIVES AROUND THESE TWO THINGS 1.TO LOVE GOD

2.TO LOVE PEOPLE

THIS IS GOD'S MISSION FOR US AS THE CHURCH…THIS HOW WE GROW AS DISCIPLES…AND HOW WE MAKE DISCIPLES OF OTHERS

WE ARE NOT ONLY TO GROW IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST…BUT OUR FRUIT IS TO BE THE LOVE OF CHRIST AS WELL

It is in these commands…THAT TRUE… DEEP AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH TAKES PLACE…WHEN WE AS INIDIVIDUALS…AND AS A UNIFIED BODY HOLD TO THESE COMMANDS…

The question becomes how do we fulfill these commandments?

How do we Love God?

(NIV)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

The reality is we love God…BY LOVING OTHERS… BY LOVING HIS CHILDREN AS says

Which brings me to the main point here that I want us to see this morning…

WE GROW INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A CHURCH WHEN WE…

3.ENGAGE IN GOD'S MISSION

Spiritual Growth and Maturity doesn’t take place from a Distance…Our relationship with God does not grow from a distance…IT GROWS WHEN WE ENGAGE AND PARTICIPATE IN GOD'S MISSION AROUND US…WHICH IS A MISSION OF LOVE

It’s kind of like watching a sport…

-You can learn a limited amount from sitting in the bleachers or watching it on TV

-BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GROW AS A PLAYER

-YOU GOTTA GET IN THE GAME!

A lot of times as the church we get comfortable with sitting out in the bleachers or the crowd…

-We may read scripture

-We may pray

-We may learn things about God on Sunday morning here at Church

BUT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO TRULY GROW INTO THE PEOPLE GOD NEEDS US TO BE…OR TO BEAR FRUIT…

WE HAVE TO GET IN THE GAME…WE HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN GOD'S MISSION…AND EXPERIENCE WHAT HIS LOVE IS ALL ABOUT…

NOT JUST TO ONLY LOVE HIM… BUT TO LOVE PEOPLE

WE GROW NOT ONLY BY RECEIVING GOD'S LOVE…BUT ALSO BY GIVING IT AWAY…BECAUSE IT IS IN GIVING IT AWAY THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE DEPTH OF THE CROSS AND THE GOSPEL AND WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US

IT IS IN LOVING OTHERS THAT WE HELP THEM SEE THAT…

-THEY MATTER TO GOD

-THAT THEY BELONG TO GOD AND TO THE FAMILY OF GOD

-AND THAT THEY CAN TRULY FIND LIFE

AND THE BEAUTY IS THAT ALONG THE WAY WE SEE AND EXPERIENCE THE SAME THINGS

WE GROW MORE MATURE IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHO GOD IS BY LIVING IN AND BY HIS LOVE AND LOVING OTHERS

And I think this relates back to our Main Passage in Ephesians when Paul Says in

"Then we will no longer be infants"

While babies are really cute…and they make us laugh…and give us joy (Or drive us crazy haha)

BABIES CAN’T REALLY DO ANYTHING ON THEIR OWN…THEY HAVE TO BE CARED FOR…

AND AS DISCIPLES AND AS THE CHURCH…WE ARE NOT JUST CALLED TO SIT AND DO NOTHING…BUT TO CARE FOR OTHERS THROUGH THE LOVE OF CHRIST…

WE ALL START AS INFANTS IN OUR FAITH…BUT WE ARE NEVER TO STAY THERE…

WE ARE CALLED TO GROW AND MOVE OUTWARD TO ENGAGE IN MISSION…

TRINITY

I think this is so important as you guys here at Trinity prepare to enter a new season of ministry with us at First Fire

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO GROW TOGETHER IN GOD'S LOVE AS WE ENGAGE IN MISSION IN THIS COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD TOGETHER…

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LOVE OF CHRIST AS WE LIVE IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST TOGETHER AND CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER AND THOSE AROUND US IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH THE MANY MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEAR MUCH FRUIT TOGETHER

FIRST FIRE

This is vital to the transition and move we have coming up as we prepare to Move to Trinity…

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AND ENGAGE IN GOD'S MISSION TO LOVE THOSE AROUND US…

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW TOGETHER WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE IN GOD'S LOVE AS WE ENGAGE IN MISSION IN THE COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD TOGETHER…

AND IT IS IN LOVING GOD AND LOVING OTHERS AND ENGAGING IN GOD'S MISSION THAT WE AS A CHURCH ARE GOING TO GROW NOT JUST IN NUMBERS…

BUT WE ARE GOING TO GROW MORE IN OUR MATURITY AS DISCIPLES AND IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST… AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEAR MUCH FRUIT FOR THE KINGDOM

Conclusion

So, as we move towards the end here…let’s go back to our main question this morning…

HOW DO WE GROW AND MATURE AS DISIPLES…BOTH TOGETHER AS A CHURCH…AND INDIVIDUALLY?

WE GROW WHEN WE…

1.Root Ourselves in the Love of Christ

2.Keep God’s Commands (Love God, Love Others)

3.Engage in God’s Mission

Another way of saying this is This…Spiritual Growth and Maturity take place when we are ROOTED and ABIDING IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST AND PARTICIPITATING IN HIS MISSION.

The question comes for us now moving forward… WHAT TYPE OF CHURCH ARE WE GOING TO BE IN THE NOW AND IN THE COMING TIME?

--Are we going to be comfortable with where we are?

Or are we going to BE A CHURCH THAT IS GROWING MORE AND MORE MATURE AND INTO WHO GOD DESIRES US TO BE BY LIVING IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST AND ENGAGING IN HIS MISSION? A CHURCH THAT SEEKS TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL THAT WE ARE

AND LOVES PEOPLE AND SHOWS THEM THAT…

-THEY MATTER TO GOD

-THE BELONG TO GOD AND IN HIS FAMILY

-AND THAT THEY HAVE LIFE IN CHRIST…

And the truth is that It takes all of us...UNIFIED TOGETHER…Supporting one another. We are not single branches rooted in Christ. But rather a whole tree

So, as we close this morning…I want us to be praying for these two things…

-Pray for God to help you identify the things in your life that you need to let go of so you can be rooted and growing in his love

-Pray for God to guide us individually and as a whole church to identify where and how we can engage in his mission in the coming time