Maturity

Introduction

A. When do you know a person is mature? It’s easy to look at a baby or a child and know that child is moving toward maturity but none of us would say the child is mature. Even into adulthood, it isn’t always easy to know when a person is mature. Maturity and age do not necessarily go together. Our culture arbitrarily sets a standard of age 18 as that age of adulthood; 21 as the age to take in alcohol and in most states to possess a gun; and auto insurance companies set the age at 25 for rate reductions. Those discrepancies alone demonstrate that there isn’t an agreement about maturity.

B. We have all known those who were young and wise for their age. We have also known older ones who were still not very wise or mature. On the whole, we know that a person moves from infancy to maturity. At some point, a person takes on the thinking of a mature person. Along the way we need help to grow and mature. To grow into maturity is to learn from others; to watch others; and to allow others to guide us. What is true about living is also true about walking with Christ. In Ephesians 4:1-6, Paul writes that unity exists as God’s gift to his people. However, we have to maintain that unity and in 4:7-16, Paul writes that every follower of Jesus has the responsibility to protect unity. Every person who follows Jesus is responsible for unity. While there are different functions to assist in maintaining unity, every person is responsible for unity within their function and role.

C. Today we are going to begin understanding in practical ways what maturity looks like. Paul is laying the foundation for much of his application to come in the latter chapters. Here is one of the truths for today — a mature person wants Christ to be seen more than his or her desires. Real maturity is found in lifting up Christ rather than self. A challenging way to think and as we will see in future weeks, a challenging way to live.

The Gift

A. Paul began this letter writing about the spiritual gifts which are found only in Christ — adoption as God’s children, forgiveness, the Holy Spirit — only found in Christ. These spiritual gifts remind us of God’s grace and mercy. In 4:7-10, Christ is the gift giver. Christ gives grace to each believer — his favor — to each believer. But this favor is not merely a blessing. Paul’s intent with the word is to focus on some ability to carry out God’s will. In chapter 3:7-9, Paul uses this same idea to describe his ability to preach to the Gentiles. It was God’s grace which allowed him to preach to the Gentiles and it was his privilege to extend God’s grace to others. Here in chapter 4, the same point is being made. Christ has given abilities or grace to every person proportionately. In other words, this grace or ability is given according to what is needed to carry out the ability. Let’ make this plain — Christ gives the gift & he gives the power necessary to use the gift to carry out its purpose.

B. This is possible because Jesus has been completely triumphant. From the realm of the dead (descent into the lower earthly regions) to his ascent above the heavens — Jesus is Lord of all. He has been completely victorious. All of his enemies have been beaten. As Paul has already written in 1:20-23, all things lie subject to Christ. And in 1:23, this triumph has been extended to his body, the church. Everything is filled up in Jesus. Every enemy of God has been beaten. Every demon, power, and unseen creature is now subject to Jesus. And we who are his body share in this victory. We share through abilities. These abilities come from God and these abilities are empowered by God and these abilities when used to carry out God’s will results in unity being maintained.

C. Verses 11-16 is one long sentence. Paul gives five groups who contain certain abilities — teaching. The apostles and prophets according to 2:20 are the foundation of the body with Christ as the cornerstone. The apostles were the eyewitnesses of Christ’s work. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:8-9 that he was the last apostle. There are no longer any apostles but their words; their teaching still lives on in scripture.

i. The prophets are not the OT prophets but those living at the time of Paul. These were the ones who were prompted by God to speak his word when there was uncertainty.

ii. Evangelists are those who traveled spreading the gospel.

iii. Pastors are shepherds. They were the ones who were to lead God's people through demonstrating what faith looks like.

iv. Teachers are those given the grace to instruct about Jesus making plain what it means to follow Jesus as his disciple.

D. Paul says these five groups have a special task — to equip others to do the work of ministry. In other words, these use their gracious gift to prepare others to use their abilities to strengthen and support and encourage the body of Christ. These are not the only ones with gracious gifts; everyone has a gift of grace but these have a gift to prepare others to use their gift.

E. These gifts are to be used so that we all reach unity. Unity already exists. Paul’s point is that we must maintain this unity and those who teach prepare others to use their gifts so that the body of Christ practices the very thing that Jesus died to accomplish — unity. Here’s the punch line. Teachers help others mature. Teachers help the infant — the immature — become a full grown body of Christ.

The Mature

A. To understand the difference in spiritual maturity with spiritual immaturity, Paul uses the image of an infant. No one would claim that an infant is mature. In fact, an infant is easily fooled. Children are different but most children are gullible. One can playfully and sometimes harmfully tell stories that the child believes, accepts, and acts upon. Paul says this is one of the signs of the spiritually immature. Infants and children think only of what will benefit them. They think about themselves not others except as others can help them. Life is centered on them. Paul writes that there are two ways to recognize the immature. They are easily swayed by false teaching. The spiritually immature are not able to discern what is about Christ and what is not. Go back to verse 13 — this unity in the faith — means unity in doctrine (remember the one faith in 4:5).

B. The spiritually mature focus on Jesus. The spiritually immature focus on the self. The spiritually immature are without focus and direction. They are easily persuaded to do and think those things that feel good. What will make me feel good; what pleases me; what will help me. These are the thoughts of the spiritually immature. The spiritually mature is interested in making sure that Jesus is the focus. When we begin words with “I don’t think it matters what we believe about… then we are voicing our immaturity. The mature person begins with these words “What matters to God matters to me.” We may debate and disagree about what matters to God but the spiritually mature begins with a common view — we care that Jesus is seen.

C. To make sure we do not miss the point, Paul changes illustrations from infants who are gullible and selfish to the image of a properly functioning body. The body cooperates with the head, the source of thinking. Christ is the head. He is Lord and we operate in order to make sure that the head is honored. Love is the key. We work together in love. We love each part both the mature and the immature. We speak to each other in love. We assume that people operate in love. We assume the best of others because we love. From this point on, Paul is going to describe in greater detail what it looks like for someone who is mature to follow Jesus. It is challenging and best of all, it allows us to live in such a way that people will know that Jesus is Lord. Invitation.

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