WHAT DOES A GROWNUP CHURCH LOOK LIKE? (7 OF 12)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16
This content is part of a series.
What Does A Grownup Church Look Like? (7 of 12)
Series: Unlocking The Mystery
Jeff Strite
Ephesians 4:1-16
OPEN: My grandson Benjamin (the apple of my eye) is 2 years old, and I know that one day someone is going to ask him this question:
''What are you going to be when you .... (grow up)?''
As I was doing research for the sermon this morning I found there was huge number of children's books with this title: ''WHEN I GROW UP'' or something like it.'' (we showed a picture from the ''Little Critters'' series of books by that name). In other words, they're asking: ''What do you want to be when you grow up?''
And kids love that.
They want to grow up to be something - a doctor, a lawyer, a ballerina, a cowboy or an Astronaut - but they want to grow up.
And Jesus understood that need.
That's one of the reasons He told us ''Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.'' Matthew 5:48
Now, when you hear that word ''Perfect'' you'd might think that Jesus was saying that we need to be SINLESS like God is. But that's not true.
The Greek word there is ''telios'' which literally means ''complete'' or ''mature.'' In fact, that how the word is translated in Hebrews where we read: ''... solid food is for the MATURE (the grownups) ...'' Hebrews 5:14
So when Jesus said ''be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect, He was actually saying ''Grow up to be like your Heavenly Father.'' So Jesus wants us to grow up as Christians.
But apparently, He also wants His Church to grow up.
Look again at Ephesians 4:13-15. We're told that Jesus wants us to ''attain ...to MATURE manhood, (and) to the measure of the STATURE of the fullness of Christ so that we may NO LONGER BE CHILDREN... (and) speaking the truth in love, we are to GROW UP in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.''
As a church, if we want to please Jesus, we must make it our objective to ''GROW UP.''
(Pause) But ... what does that mean? How could WE possibly know what a g ...
Series: Unlocking The Mystery
Jeff Strite
Ephesians 4:1-16
OPEN: My grandson Benjamin (the apple of my eye) is 2 years old, and I know that one day someone is going to ask him this question:
''What are you going to be when you .... (grow up)?''
As I was doing research for the sermon this morning I found there was huge number of children's books with this title: ''WHEN I GROW UP'' or something like it.'' (we showed a picture from the ''Little Critters'' series of books by that name). In other words, they're asking: ''What do you want to be when you grow up?''
And kids love that.
They want to grow up to be something - a doctor, a lawyer, a ballerina, a cowboy or an Astronaut - but they want to grow up.
And Jesus understood that need.
That's one of the reasons He told us ''Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.'' Matthew 5:48
Now, when you hear that word ''Perfect'' you'd might think that Jesus was saying that we need to be SINLESS like God is. But that's not true.
The Greek word there is ''telios'' which literally means ''complete'' or ''mature.'' In fact, that how the word is translated in Hebrews where we read: ''... solid food is for the MATURE (the grownups) ...'' Hebrews 5:14
So when Jesus said ''be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect, He was actually saying ''Grow up to be like your Heavenly Father.'' So Jesus wants us to grow up as Christians.
But apparently, He also wants His Church to grow up.
Look again at Ephesians 4:13-15. We're told that Jesus wants us to ''attain ...to MATURE manhood, (and) to the measure of the STATURE of the fullness of Christ so that we may NO LONGER BE CHILDREN... (and) speaking the truth in love, we are to GROW UP in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.''
As a church, if we want to please Jesus, we must make it our objective to ''GROW UP.''
(Pause) But ... what does that mean? How could WE possibly know what a g ...
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