WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 The title of my message for the sake of the recording is Christ the Head and Builder of the Church. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:09.000 First passage is Colossians chapter 1 starting in verse 15. 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:12.000 This is speaking of Jesus, Jesus Christ. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:18.000 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:23.000 For by him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:27.000 whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:32.000 All things were created by him and for him. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:37.000 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:40.000 And he is the head of the body of the church. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:48.000 He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:54.000 Some other translations will say preeminence or first place. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:57.000 So that he might have the supremacy. 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:02.000 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:09.000 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:13.000 by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:16.000 So that's a, there's a lot in there. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:21.000 But a few of the things I want to pull out there is that first of all, 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:23.000 Jesus is before everything. 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:24.000 He's the first. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:29.000 He's the origin point of not only everything that we experience in creation. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:33.000 God said he created everything through Jesus and for Jesus. 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:42.000 So he's the origin and the author and the means of all creation, and it was all created for him. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:44.000 So he's the beginning and the end. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:46.000 He's the Alpha and the Omega. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:50.000 And in like fashion, he is the beginning of the church. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:53.000 Okay, how is he the beginning of the church? 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:55.000 Well, it says it right there. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:57.000 He's the head of the body of the church. 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:01.000 He's the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:05.000 Okay, the Bible teaches that we are born dead in our sins. 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:06.000 We get that from Adam. 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:08.000 We're alienated from the life of God. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:09.000 Okay. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:11.000 And Jesus came down. 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:14.000 There's nothing we could do to undead ourselves. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:19.000 But God sent his son to undead us by becoming dead on the cross. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:23.000 And he brings humanity into his death, puts to death the old creation. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:27.000 And God raises him from the dead and brings him into new life. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:34.000 So that all who repent and believe in him are born again into new life through Christ's resurrection. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:37.000 And become a second born. 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:40.000 Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.000 We are the second, third, fourth. 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:47.000 Everybody who puts their trust in Jesus is born again through Christ. 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:54.000 And we get to partake of Christ's child relationship with the Father. 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:54.000 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:57.000 We're born again through the resurrection of Jesus. 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:03.000 So what Peter is referencing in 1 Peter, he says, there's a verse I prayed earlier. 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:10.000 He, you know, praise God, who caused us to be born again through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:13.000 Which is really interesting terminology. 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:18.000 Think of Peter just kind of putting himself in front of everybody throughout his ministry. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:19.000 Read the gospels. 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:20.000 He's always first. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:22.000 And he's like, everyone else will forsake you all. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:23.000 You know, I won't. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:24.000 And then he ends up denying him. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:25.000 Worse than everybody. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:32.000 And I just have this image of, you know, after Jesus restores Peter, after he rises from the dead, 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.000 he calls Peter to feed his sheep. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:40.000 I have this image of Peter having a big reset button on his life. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:49.000 And he backdates it to, well, Jesus, he caused us to be born again through the resurrection of Jesus. 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:51.000 I got a new start. 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:53.000 And it required my Savior to die. 00:03:53.000 --> 00:04:00.000 And the old self that thought it could do it, that thought it had what it takes to follow Jesus and be faithful, 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:03.000 I found out it doesn't. 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:06.000 I need someone else to do it for him. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:08.000 And that's the power of Jesus. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:13.000 And I love the language Peter uses in this kind of a rabbit trail, but just he's, 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:17.000 he's on the same playing field with all these believers who tried to us. 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:21.000 He caused us to be born again through the resurrection of Jesus. 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:23.000 Which is great. 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.000 But anyway, the point is that Jesus is the beginning. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:27.000 He's the firstborn from among the dead. 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:29.000 And we come out of him. 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.000 Our new life is founded in Christ. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:33.000 Okay. 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:39.000 And then we are plugged into this living organism called the church of which Jesus is the head. 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:42.000 So if you think of a body, think of a head. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:45.000 Like, let's talk to my kids this morning. 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:48.000 What does a head do for the body? 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:50.000 Any of you kids want to answer that? 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.000 What's the head do? 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:54.000 Raina. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:55.000 It controls the body. 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:56.000 That's a great answer. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:57.000 Your brain's in your head. 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:58.000 Okay. 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:01.000 So a healthy body does what the brain tells it to do. 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:06.000 An unhealthy body doesn't do what the brain tells it to do. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:07.000 Okay. 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:08.000 So paralysis. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:14.000 Someone who's paralyzed has somehow, there's a connection lost between the head and the rest of the body. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:15.000 So it's not working right. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:16.000 Okay. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:18.000 And so I think this is a great image. 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:22.000 And this is the Bible uses this imagery for a purpose. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:24.000 That's what Jesus is for the church. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:26.000 He's our living connection. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:27.000 He's our source. 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:28.000 Okay. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.000 So in that way, he's the head, but he's also boss. 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:32.000 He's key. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:37.000 He's the actual, uh, admin administrator of the body. 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:44.000 The body with all of its parts works good when it's obeying what the head says, just like your body, like any part of your body. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:45.000 That's not a brain. 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:48.000 You're obeying your brain is defective. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:49.000 There's something wrong. 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:54.000 There's special attention given to it so that it can be restored and then used again. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:56.000 Like you're a broken your arm or something. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:57.000 You can't use it. 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:02.000 You know, it's just like so much of your mind and heart and thoughts are, how do I get my arm to work? 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:03.000 Right? 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:04.000 Uh, well, it's the same way. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:09.000 He has the same attitude and care for all of those who are his members in the body. 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:10.000 Uh, so that's headship. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.000 You can think of headship. 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:13.000 Uh, there's a lot written about headship. 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.000 Uh, there's a lot of debates about headship. 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:23.000 Like this headship mean like authority or does headship mean like source and usually like in, in like gender role, uh, uh, debates in the church. 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:26.000 Uh, you know, complementarianism versus egalitarianism. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:28.000 One side will take one stance versus another. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:29.000 They're both in there. 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:31.000 And they both just are. 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:34.000 Uh, Jesus is the supreme authority. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:35.000 He is the boss. 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:36.000 He's the brain. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:40.000 The body absolutely must do what Jesus says. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:43.000 When it does what Jesus says, it's healthy. 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:46.000 When it doesn't do what Jesus says, it's unhealthy. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:47.000 Okay. 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:48.000 He's the authority. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:49.000 He's also the source. 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:50.000 He does. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:55.000 He's not just some disconnected deity up in heaven, casting down commands. 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:57.000 And then if we obey the commands, we're good. 00:06:57.000 --> 00:06:59.000 And then if we don't obey the commands, we're bad. 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:00.000 That's not how it is. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:07.000 He's the life source through which if we're not livingly connected to Jesus through the gospel, we can't like we're dead. 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:08.000 Like we're dead. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:09.000 We can't obey. 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:11.000 We're actually severed from Christ. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:12.000 So we need both. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:13.000 Okay. 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:14.000 So I think both analogies hold up. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.000 Uh, headship means authority. 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:17.000 It means life source. 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:22.000 Um, okay. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:23.000 We'll move on from Colossians. 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:28.000 We're going to move to Ephesians chapter four, uh, verses one through 16. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:32.000 Anyway, uh, this, I hope this is a preview. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:35.000 This is kind of a, an appetizer on the doctrine of headship. 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.000 There's so much in the Bible about this Ephesians and Colossians. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:42.000 It's like every other verse is head, you know, I just, there's, there's so much in there. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:47.000 So, um, I want to give us a little bit of excitement about thinking about this. 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:53.000 And then maybe we go in and pray about this, read about this, try to understand what is like, what, Lord, what does headship mean for me? 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:54.000 Uh, so I encourage you to do that. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:08:05.000 But we're going to talk about Ephesians four, uh, verses one through 16, uh, that, uh, kind of unpacks what this looks like in the experience of the church. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:11.000 Uh, starting first one, as a prisoner of the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you've received. 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:14.000 Be completely humble and gentle. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:16.000 Be patient, bearing with one another in love. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:19.000 This is speaking to the body parts here. 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:23.000 Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:29.000 There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called. 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:36.000 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:41.000 But each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:42.000 Okay. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:49.000 So we have a common grace, a common faith, common experience as believers in the church. 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:52.000 We all get the same deal, same hope, same gospel. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:53.000 It saves each one of us. 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:59.000 But then we have a particular grace and that is our function as members of the body. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:05.000 The particular way we uniquely function as a unique Christ body part. 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:06.000 Okay. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:08.000 And that function is different than the other members. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:13.000 And it's important to know who we are and it's important to have humility here to realize Jesus did this. 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:17.000 He gave each one a unique faith. 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:19.000 And that thing is different than other people's things. 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:20.000 And we got to be careful. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:24.000 Even when we think about each other and stuff, it's just like, why is that, you know, goofball? 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:26.000 Like, why can't they see like I see? 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:34.000 Well, hey, God, he, Jesus apportioned grace with particularity. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:42.000 And we together, all together in one body holding fast to the head, represent Jesus. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:45.000 But all by ourselves, we're a body part. 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:46.000 Okay. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:51.000 And we ought to have value for the uniqueness of the other body parts. 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:58.000 In light of the fact that Jesus actually is the one making you unique and giving you unique grace for the ministry he's called you to in the body of Christ. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:01.000 I live like rabbit trail here. 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:03.000 Moving on, verse 8. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:04.000 This is why it says, 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:08.000 When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:13.000 What does he ascended mean except that he also descended to the lower earthly regions? 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:18.000 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:26.000 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:32.000 to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up, 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:38.000 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:42.000 attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:48.000 Then we will be no longer infants tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:51.000 and by the cunning and craftiness of men and their deceitful scheme. 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:59.000 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is Christ. 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:08.000 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:11.000 as each part does its work. 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:15.000 As I think the ESV puts it, as each part is working properly. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:22.000 So, starting off there, again, Jesus, you know, the context here leading into this is, 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:25.000 hey, there's some particularity of the grace that's been given. 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:27.000 There's each body part that's unique. 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.000 1 Corinthians 12 talks a lot about this. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:34.000 It talks about ears and eyes and mouths and feet and all that kind of stuff. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:37.000 And it's using it to illustrate, hey, there's a uniqueness to each member. 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:38.000 Okay? 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:39.000 And we have a need for each other. 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:41.000 We shouldn't despise each other. 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:48.000 And now he also says, you know, in addition to these particular graces that are unique to every single member of the body of Christ, 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:51.000 he's also given leadership gifts. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:56.000 He's given apostles, he's given prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:59.000 You know, this is often referred to as the five-fold ministry. 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:06.000 These are gifts that Christ himself as king and head gives for the equipping of the body for the work of ministry. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:13.000 So each one of us has a ministry from God that we are called to exercise towards each other. 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:27.000 And then he gives leadership gifts to the body, like the actual person themselves are the gift to the body for the building work of equipping all those members to do the work of ministry. 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:29.000 It's part of the gift of leadership, you know. 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:30.000 And it comes from Christ. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:31.000 This is not a man-centered thing. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:35.000 These actually come from Jesus Christ instead of himself as the head of the church. 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:36.000 He gives them. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:42.000 So we have a full expectation that in a New Testament church, we'll see these things active. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:44.000 You know, we'll see these things active in ministry. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:49.000 We'll see these things, hopefully, God willing, active in the eldership team and the leadership. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:55.000 You know, we would view Josh as playing this apostolic role as being a church planter, kind of a missionary. 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:58.000 And we expect the rest of that to follow. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:04.000 But what's interesting is these don't, these guys aren't professional pastors. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:07.000 They're not the ones doing all the ministry. 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:12.000 They're equipping the body for the work of ministry. 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:21.000 We all have responsibility from God to build each other up as part of the ministry that we've got from Jesus Christ as a living member of the body. 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:25.000 These gifts are there to help equip, to build up, to mature. 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:26.000 Okay. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.000 Which brings to this next section here. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:31.000 What's the goal? 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:41.000 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. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:42.000 This is the goal. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:49.000 God is glorified when we are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ together. 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:57.000 I think it's often well known, I believe, in Christian circles, especially evangelical Christian circles. 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:01.000 There's a verse in Romans 8, 29 that says, 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:06.000 Those who he foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, Jesus. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:07.000 Okay. 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:08.000 So that's our destination. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:11.000 If we're in Christ, we have a destination. 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.000 Becoming like Jesus. 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:14.000 Okay. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.000 And that's accepted. 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:21.000 We all believe, hopefully we all believed, that's our destination. 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:24.000 If we're in Christ, God is conforming us to the image of his Son. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:25.000 That's where we're headed. 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:27.000 That's his will for our life. 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:28.000 It's his express will. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.000 Lord, what's your will for my life? 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:35.000 To be conformed to the image of my Son, Jesus. 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:36.000 Okay. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:37.000 So how do we do that? 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:41.000 Do we just read our Bibles by ourselves? 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:42.000 Listen to sermons? 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.000 You know, me, myself, and Jesus? 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.000 You know, video church. 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:57.000 Like, there's such an individualistic mindset in our culture that can take a promise like that and just say, 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:02.000 alright, here, I'm going to become like Jesus now. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:04.000 You need all those things. 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:05.000 You need the Bible. 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:07.000 We need the Holy Spirit. 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:15.000 But, this, that truth has to be compared to other truths in the Bible, especially this passage here in Ephesians 4. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:21.000 God has chosen the church as the means for conforming us to the image of Jesus. 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:34.000 So, he gave all these gifts for, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we 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. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:37.000 It's necessary. 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:46.000 The interdependent ministry of the different members of the body of Christ in the local church is essential for making this happen. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:49.000 This Romans 8.29 promise of becoming like Jesus. 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:50.000 This is how it works. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:51.000 Okay. 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:54.000 And, reading the Bible is important. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:56.000 And, walking by the Spirit is important. 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:58.000 All of those things are talked about in the Bible. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:00.000 But, we don't pick and choose. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:06.000 We get the whole counsel of God when we look at what the whole counsel of the Bible tells us about a given topic. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:10.000 So, anyway, the church is essential for sanctification. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:13.000 Moving forward, it says, verse 14, 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:22.000 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 the cunning and craftiness of men and their deceitful scheming. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:25.000 That's a great, that's such a great description of immaturity. 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:26.000 Okay. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:27.000 You're just knocked back and forth. 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:29.000 You read one thing, oh man, I believe that. 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:30.000 And you read another thing that says something different. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:31.000 You're like, oh, I believe that. 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.000 And you're just kind of tossed all over the place. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:35.000 Well, that's immaturity. 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:36.000 And you're susceptible to deception. 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:40.000 An immature believer is susceptible to being deceived. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:41.000 Okay. 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:56.000 But, through the church, an immature believer, through the manifold grace of God, can be grown up into maturity. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.000 How does that happen? 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:15.000 Verse 15, instead, instead of staying in this place of immaturity, in your own little echo chamber, listening to all your own ideas and listening to people who affirm all your own ideas and kind of just running in a circle of isolated self feedback. 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:25.000 Instead of that, instead speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up in the head, who is the head, that is Christ. 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:28.000 You can't see the back of your own head. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:29.000 Okay. 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:30.000 And God's ordained it like that. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:32.000 You don't get to see the back of your own head. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:36.000 There are truths in the Bible that God is going to speak to you. 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:37.000 And that's awesome. 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:42.000 There are other truths in the Bible that he's ordained other people speak to you and you don't get to find it all by yourself. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:43.000 Wow. 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:45.000 That's a blow to your pride. 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:51.000 God has ordained that you not be able to find out all of his will all by yourself. 00:17:51.000 --> 00:18:02.000 He's ordained that you humble yourself and you be in a church where other people can speak into your life and tell you all the stuff that you can't see about yourself. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:03.000 Ooh. 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:06.000 Sounds scary. 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:08.000 But it's awesome. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:15.000 Like if our ultimate goal is to become like Jesus and I don't want to be like me anymore. 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:16.000 Like I'm tired of me. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:17.000 I don't want to be like me. 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:20.000 Like me is terrible. 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:25.000 Me ran my life into an absolute pit of sin and horribleness. 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:26.000 I don't want to be like me anymore. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:27.000 I want to be like Jesus. 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:28.000 He saved me. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:30.000 We're stoked about that. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:32.000 I'm going to be stoked. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:37.000 Like it doesn't feel good to get challenging feedback from people. 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:40.000 But like my spirit says, yes, amen. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:48.000 I don't want to stay stuck in this immature, unsanctified, selfish world that I live in. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:49.000 I want to come out of that. 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.000 I want to be like Jesus. 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:53.000 And we're stoked about that. 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:54.000 I challenge you. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:57.000 The spirit will make you stoked about this. 00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:59.000 It's not fun necessarily. 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:02.000 No discipline for the time seems pleasant. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:09.000 Hebrews 12 says that by afterward, it produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who've been trained by it. 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:14.000 And the church is God's mean of disciplining us from immaturity to maturity. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:18.000 That's how he set it up. 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:20.000 Moving on, verse 16. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:34.000 From him, meaning Jesus, the whole body joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:39.000 So I meant to have my ESV here as well. 00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:44.000 The way ESV renders this is as each part is working properly. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:48.000 This is more than just each part doing their job. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:49.000 It's effective. 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:54.000 You can do your job when you're a body part that's working properly. 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:55.000 Okay? 00:19:55.000 --> 00:20:04.000 So like if I'm a surgeon and I got to use my hands, but my hands aren't obeying my brain, I can't do surgery. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:08.000 So this is where the pride of man can come in. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:15.000 I can still do my part in the body of Christ, but not the obedience to the head. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:18.000 No, you can't. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:20.000 No, you can't. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:26.000 I can still do my part in my head as each part is working properly, holding fast the head. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:27.000 Okay? 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:42.000 When we are joined to the head, Jesus, each one of us individually joined to the head, Jesus, walking in the light, we confessed our sin for putting our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit fills us with light. 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:47.059 light. It's just a game changer. The Holy Spirit just fills us with peace, fills us with light. 00:20:48.299 --> 00:20:55.619 There's joy and peace with God. There's love towards man. And you can be effective. Okay? 00:20:55.640 --> 00:20:58.960 You can be used by the surgeon to do this heart work. They can speak the truth in love. 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:07.200 But if you're not, here's the deal. When you're not connected to the head through sin, 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:11.860 through unbelief, you know, maybe unforgiveness towards people, like things like this, 00:21:13.180 --> 00:21:19.200 you still remember what to do. And that's the problem. You can roll on that for a long time. 00:21:20.100 --> 00:21:22.779 Jesus says that the light, the eye is the lamp of the body. 00:21:25.259 --> 00:21:30.580 But if the light within you becomes darkness, how great is that darkness? 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:36.380 I believe he's speaking of those who have a form of godliness that deny the power. 00:21:36.380 --> 00:21:41.080 They remember what it is like to do all the ministry stuff. They're actually pretty good at it. 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:45.520 But they thought they didn't need to be daily connected to the head. 00:21:46.560 --> 00:21:49.740 They thought, well, I can hold this unforgiveness for a little while. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:55.580 They owe me. They owe me an apology first before I go forgive them. No, they don't. 00:21:56.140 --> 00:21:58.460 I mean, yes, they do before God, but that's between them and God. 00:22:00.100 --> 00:22:01.320 You hold out unforgiveness. 00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:03.759 You're alienated. 00:22:04.740 --> 00:22:09.899 You're a member who's not livingly obeying Jesus. 00:22:10.339 --> 00:22:11.259 You're in the darkness. 00:22:11.980 --> 00:22:14.399 And you can't be affected. You can't effectively do his work. 00:22:14.460 --> 00:22:19.740 So it's essential that each one of us be a properly working body part. 00:22:19.740 --> 00:22:20.299 Okay. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:26.359 Anyway, what is this? 00:22:27.120 --> 00:22:29.359 Colossians 2, 18 through 19 speaks of this. 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:30.500 I'm just going to turn there real quick. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:37.319 So that passage in Ephesians 4 talks about what it looks like to be well connected to the head. 00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:38.319 You work properly. 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:39.319 You speak the truth in love. 00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:40.039 The body grows. 00:22:40.039 --> 00:22:44.940 Paul speaks in Colossians 2, verse 18, saying, 00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:50.220 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. 00:22:50.759 --> 00:22:53.480 Such a person goes into great detail about what he's seen. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:56.740 And his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 00:22:57.299 --> 00:22:59.639 He has lost connection with the head. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:06.359 From whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:10.279 So here's an example of someone who has lost connection with the head. 00:23:11.419 --> 00:23:12.699 They're still rolling in ministry mode. 00:23:12.779 --> 00:23:13.899 See, like they're teaching. 00:23:14.639 --> 00:23:19.619 They're in this church context saying all kinds of things and actually leading people astray. 00:23:19.719 --> 00:23:23.039 And their mind is puffed up with idle notions. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:26.439 Their unspiritual mind is puffed up with idle notions. 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:33.339 And people are listening to them because it sounds like Christian adjacent, you know, or whatever. 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:41.599 Maybe it's actually real doctrine, but it's severed from the power, the source of life that makes it effectual. 00:23:42.779 --> 00:23:45.579 And he says, a person like that, they've lost connection with the head. 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:46.179 Okay. 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:48.579 So it's a warning for us. 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:53.799 We need to be effective as members of the body of Christ for this ministry of building up in love. 00:23:54.379 --> 00:23:55.599 We need to live in connection with Jesus. 00:23:56.139 --> 00:23:56.299 Okay. 00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:59.519 Your secret life with the Lord is of utmost importance. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:23:59.819 Okay. 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:03.160 And it's so simple. 00:24:03.339 --> 00:24:04.859 Like children can understand this. 00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:12.240 If we walk in the light as he is in life, we have fellowship with each other and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:13.220 Okay. 00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:18.660 And if we're walking in the darkness, we have hidden sin that we're refusing to bring into the light for whatever reason. 00:24:19.360 --> 00:24:24.319 Hey, we're lying and we're not agreeing with the truth. 00:24:24.600 --> 00:24:29.700 And we experience that state, that disconnect with God. 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:31.779 We actually experience that relationships almost immediately. 00:24:32.620 --> 00:24:34.279 You start having conflict with people. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:36.380 You start having evil thoughts about people. 00:24:36.860 --> 00:24:39.420 Like this immediately starts messing up relationships. 00:24:40.360 --> 00:24:40.900 What's the solution? 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:41.720 Get back into the light. 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:42.019 Okay. 00:24:42.380 --> 00:24:42.539 Okay. 00:24:43.120 --> 00:24:43.880 Come to Jesus. 00:24:44.380 --> 00:24:47.620 He freely forgives us our sins because he atoned for on the cross. 00:24:47.740 --> 00:24:48.360 We confess him. 00:24:48.440 --> 00:24:52.860 He's faithful and just to forgive us, cleanse us, and then boom, we're back in fellowship. 00:24:52.980 --> 00:24:53.720 We're back in relationship. 00:24:54.600 --> 00:24:55.559 So it's important. 00:24:55.640 --> 00:25:01.339 It's important that we steward that part of our life and realize the impact it has on other people in the church. 00:25:04.700 --> 00:25:05.100 Okay. 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:08.380 Where am I here? 00:25:08.380 --> 00:25:10.680 Well, yeah. 00:25:10.740 --> 00:25:17.700 I think that this passage in Ephesians here gives us a sense of ultimate goal. 00:25:17.760 --> 00:25:19.280 What's the ultimate goal for the church? 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:21.560 That Christ would be put on display. 00:25:22.260 --> 00:25:22.480 Okay. 00:25:22.740 --> 00:25:26.620 That Jesus would have an accurate representation of himself on earth. 00:25:27.280 --> 00:25:28.580 God is pleased with his son. 00:25:28.660 --> 00:25:31.120 He says, behold, this is my son in whom I'm well pleased. 00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:35.359 His goal is to glorify himself through Jesus Christ. 00:25:35.479 --> 00:25:38.079 He's the means of glorifying himself on earth, Jesus. 00:25:38.859 --> 00:25:43.439 Now, through the church, the body of Christ, he glorifies himself in the same way. 00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:43.539 Okay. 00:25:44.340 --> 00:25:53.059 Conforming us to the image of Christ together so that those who hold the name of Jesus would glorify God. 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:54.200 Okay. 00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:55.860 He's glorified in one way. 00:25:56.340 --> 00:25:59.000 That we would be conformed to the image of Jesus together. 00:25:59.120 --> 00:26:02.200 That is actually, that's the definition of maturity it gives here. 00:26:02.740 --> 00:26:03.380 What's maturity? 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:09.500 We go from immaturity to mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 00:26:09.500 --> 00:26:10.359 That's what maturity is. 00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:13.380 So if I want to know, like, what's it mean to be a mature Christian? 00:26:14.140 --> 00:26:15.019 It's Jesus. 00:26:16.460 --> 00:26:18.859 And I can't do that by myself. 00:26:19.700 --> 00:26:23.200 I do that under the headship of Christ in his church. 00:26:25.480 --> 00:26:25.880 Okay. 00:26:26.059 --> 00:26:29.559 And the other means here is speaking the truth in love. 00:26:29.660 --> 00:26:31.400 Healthy body parts connected to the head. 00:26:32.059 --> 00:26:34.019 How does he move us from immaturity to immaturity? 00:26:34.460 --> 00:26:36.859 Speaking the truth in love. 00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:37.839 Together. 00:26:38.180 --> 00:26:38.960 Both of those things. 00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:41.299 It's not just loving silently. 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:45.299 It's just not, not just speaking without love. 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:47.500 They go together. 00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:49.079 Okay. 00:26:49.259 --> 00:26:50.960 We can't, we can't let go of either one. 00:26:51.900 --> 00:26:56.759 There's this super passive Christian culture now where we just kind of love everybody to hell. 00:26:57.480 --> 00:26:58.640 You know, it's going to be a witness. 00:26:59.099 --> 00:26:59.940 It's going to shine a light. 00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:04.519 Pray that God opens a door for a conversation and you pray for like until you're dead. 00:27:04.940 --> 00:27:07.779 You know, it's for whatever reason, God didn't open the door. 00:27:07.779 --> 00:27:13.579 They didn't ask you some, you know, mysterious question that would indicate to you that now is the right time to talk about Jesus. 00:27:13.579 --> 00:27:14.019 Okay. 00:27:14.019 --> 00:27:14.980 So we don't do that. 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:18.519 And then there's the other side where we're just hammering away. 00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:20.699 Truth, truth, truth, truth, truth, truth, truth, truth, truth. 00:27:21.299 --> 00:27:22.579 And you don't really care about the people. 00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:23.879 Like both are bad. 00:27:24.679 --> 00:27:25.599 Jesus is both. 00:27:26.259 --> 00:27:27.379 You know, law came through Moses. 00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:29.659 Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 00:27:29.799 --> 00:27:30.819 He's, he's both. 00:27:30.819 --> 00:27:34.659 He's got real love and he's got real truth, baby. 00:27:34.779 --> 00:27:35.159 It's both. 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:39.039 And he says, those of my love, I rebuke, be zealous, therefore, and repent. 00:27:39.159 --> 00:27:40.079 Jesus is in our church. 00:27:40.259 --> 00:27:41.539 We're going to experience that. 00:27:41.779 --> 00:27:43.839 Like just come to terms with it. 00:27:43.919 --> 00:27:46.419 You are immature in some sense. 00:27:46.420 --> 00:27:52.279 And if you're in his church, he's going to speak to you about that. 00:27:53.019 --> 00:27:53.420 Okay. 00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:56.800 Like you can't be in his church and not get talked to. 00:27:57.279 --> 00:28:00.700 That's just like, none of us are getting out of this because are we like Jesus yet? 00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:02.100 No. 00:28:02.600 --> 00:28:08.759 So that means he's going to talk to you specifically about the areas where you're not like Jesus. 00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:11.299 And that's, that's awesome. 00:28:11.400 --> 00:28:12.379 That's actually his love. 00:28:13.400 --> 00:28:17.680 And we can make it easier when people know that we love him, but we love him. 00:28:18.059 --> 00:28:18.220 Okay. 00:28:18.660 --> 00:28:19.759 And we're not going to do it perfect. 00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:25.319 This is where as like this, this applies to both the giving side and the receiving side. 00:28:26.379 --> 00:28:32.379 We ought to have mercy for people when they're coming to talk to us about things that like 00:28:32.379 --> 00:28:34.599 neither, like just neither one of us want to have this conversation. 00:28:34.599 --> 00:28:40.899 So I can extend them mercy that like, you know, they probably don't want to talk to me about 00:28:40.899 --> 00:28:47.099 my, you know, frustration, my bad energy, whatever it is that I need challenging on. 00:28:47.399 --> 00:28:48.199 They don't want to talk to me. 00:28:48.399 --> 00:28:49.559 I can extend them grace. 00:28:49.639 --> 00:28:53.119 I can extend them love and in generosity, you know? 00:28:53.299 --> 00:28:54.299 And so this works both ways. 00:28:54.319 --> 00:28:56.419 We can have love to the people we're talking to. 00:28:56.519 --> 00:28:58.659 And then we need to have love for the people who are talking to us. 00:28:58.660 --> 00:29:07.420 And when we do that and we're working properly, the body builds itself up in love and we together 00:29:07.420 --> 00:29:14.940 become like Jesus, a more full representation of the character and the nature of Jesus Christ. 00:29:15.360 --> 00:29:20.279 And God has chosen that as his particular means of glorifying himself on earth. 00:29:20.279 --> 00:29:28.200 Just like he chose sending Christ in the flesh to glorify himself 2,000 years ago, that was 00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:31.839 his particular way of glorifying himself was sending Jesus to do it. 00:29:32.779 --> 00:29:35.059 Now through the church, he's doing the same thing. 00:29:36.639 --> 00:29:37.160 Okay. 00:29:37.160 --> 00:29:46.620 I'm not sure if I have time to talk about the builder side, but I'll mention this. 00:29:46.840 --> 00:29:54.320 First Peter 2 verses 1 through 10 speaks of the builder motif, the house motif, you know, 00:29:54.320 --> 00:30:00.519 the church as being the house and Jesus is the builder and he's a cornerstone. 00:30:00.860 --> 00:30:01.380 Okay. 00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:06.620 And that we like living stones are being built together into a house. 00:30:07.160 --> 00:30:08.800 We're being built together into a house. 00:30:09.120 --> 00:30:09.860 He's the builder. 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:15.740 And he says to those who believe this stone is precious. 00:30:16.560 --> 00:30:19.560 I think it's just a great, that's a great witness test for us. 00:30:20.100 --> 00:30:21.220 Is Jesus precious to you? 00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:25.080 This is like, well, I think this is one of the first fruits in a true believer's life is 00:30:25.080 --> 00:30:27.300 my savior is precious to me. 00:30:27.840 --> 00:30:30.740 In light of what he saved me from, he's precious. 00:30:31.580 --> 00:30:36.040 It says to those who believe he's precious and he will never put them to shame. 00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:38.819 That's an awesome promise to take to the bank. 00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:40.200 Jesus is the builder of the church. 00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:41.099 He promises that. 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:45.399 He says that to Peter, I'll build my church and gates of hell won't prevail against it. 00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:51.279 And it says to those who believe he's precious to you and whoever trusts in him will never 00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:52.059 be put to shame. 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:57.059 That's a promise to take to the bank, especially in light of there's sinners in the church. 00:30:57.059 --> 00:30:58.819 So there's leaders here to let us down. 00:30:58.819 --> 00:31:01.480 But ultimately, who's building the church? 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:02.059 It's Jesus. 00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:08.099 And if you trust in him, if you come to him, as it says, like a living stone, you will be 00:31:08.099 --> 00:31:11.659 built together into a house for the Lord and you will not be put to shame. 00:31:12.279 --> 00:31:13.179 The Bible says that. 00:31:13.339 --> 00:31:15.119 It's an awesome promise to hold on to. 00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:18.339 And there's a warning for those who don't believe. 00:31:18.419 --> 00:31:22.659 It says he becomes a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, which is just interesting. 00:31:22.660 --> 00:31:24.820 Like, just have a category in your mind for this. 00:31:26.840 --> 00:31:31.320 If you trust in Jesus, you're going to be built up in him. 00:31:31.620 --> 00:31:32.560 You know, it won't be put to shame. 00:31:33.700 --> 00:31:40.680 But if you don't, he's going to oppose you in his church and he'll be a stumbling block 00:31:40.680 --> 00:31:42.279 to you and you'll be offended. 00:31:44.140 --> 00:31:52.160 Like, wash your laundry list of offenses through that lens of interpretation. 00:31:52.660 --> 00:31:53.180 Okay. 00:31:53.800 --> 00:31:56.880 Am I really offended at wrong that's been done to me? 00:31:57.940 --> 00:32:01.259 Or do I actually have a problem with Jesus in the way he works? 00:32:04.019 --> 00:32:04.960 It's one or the other. 00:32:05.180 --> 00:32:08.580 We have one of those two experiences as our option. 00:32:09.800 --> 00:32:13.740 And just want to encourage you to consider that, especially if you have a tendency to get 00:32:13.740 --> 00:32:17.000 offended when people challenge you on stuff that's just plain and plain. 00:32:17.080 --> 00:32:17.640 It's right on the Bible. 00:32:18.060 --> 00:32:20.220 You know, I've been guilty of this. 00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:21.779 The Lord has corrected me. 00:32:21.779 --> 00:32:23.839 It's like, hey, you actually don't love the truth. 00:32:24.339 --> 00:32:25.660 You love telling the truth to other people. 00:32:25.740 --> 00:32:26.639 You don't like hearing it yourself. 00:32:28.839 --> 00:32:29.759 I need to be corrected. 00:32:30.599 --> 00:32:31.259 I need to say, you know what? 00:32:31.299 --> 00:32:33.119 No, everything that comes from you is good. 00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:40.399 And who am I to think that I can just sit me, myself, and my Bible and hear from God and 00:32:40.399 --> 00:32:41.579 refuse to hear from other people? 00:32:41.899 --> 00:32:42.679 That's just insane. 00:32:43.539 --> 00:32:44.259 That's proud. 00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:46.279 I want to hear it. 00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:46.779 You know? 00:32:47.239 --> 00:32:48.399 And I don't want to be offended by it. 00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:52.759 Even if it hurts my pride and hurts my flesh, I want to hold fast to Jesus. 00:32:52.759 --> 00:33:00.119 And I want to know that he is dead set on offending my pride and making me dependent on him. 00:33:00.180 --> 00:33:01.140 You can guarantee it. 00:33:01.619 --> 00:33:02.339 Expectations are key. 00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:03.799 Michael says expectations are key. 00:33:04.180 --> 00:33:04.960 Here's an expectation. 00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:06.720 He will offend your pride. 00:33:07.900 --> 00:33:08.220 All right? 00:33:08.220 --> 00:33:09.240 And we need it. 00:33:09.740 --> 00:33:10.500 It's our life. 00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:10.819 Okay? 00:33:13.900 --> 00:33:15.339 But anyway, Jesus is the builder. 00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:17.360 There's a lot we can think about that. 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:19.019 He's the one who builds the church, not men. 00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:19.740 Okay? 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:21.140 So we don't have to worry. 00:33:21.700 --> 00:33:22.059 Okay? 00:33:22.420 --> 00:33:24.339 About bad men screwing everything up. 00:33:24.819 --> 00:33:25.660 There are bad men. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:26.460 Okay? 00:33:26.860 --> 00:33:28.140 Can't screw Jesus' plan up. 00:33:28.220 --> 00:33:28.720 He's the builder. 00:33:29.360 --> 00:33:30.039 I will build my church. 00:33:30.140 --> 00:33:31.779 The gates of hell will not prevail against it. 00:33:32.039 --> 00:33:33.059 We can take it to the bank. 00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:34.759 Okay. 00:33:35.220 --> 00:33:37.519 In closing here, I'm going to try to wrap this up. 00:33:38.779 --> 00:33:39.220 Exhortations. 00:33:39.299 --> 00:33:40.860 I have six exhortations. 00:33:41.420 --> 00:33:43.680 I already did it, but I'm going to just run through them again. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:45.339 Number one, hold fast to the head. 00:33:45.420 --> 00:33:46.940 It's essential that we hold fast to the head. 00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:48.980 We get our life from Jesus. 00:33:49.620 --> 00:33:51.180 We get our marching orders from Jesus. 00:33:51.460 --> 00:33:56.819 When we're obeying Jesus, we are loving people the best way that we can possibly love them. 00:33:57.660 --> 00:34:03.100 When we're connected to Jesus and we're obeying his commands for us, 00:34:04.220 --> 00:34:07.940 we are effectively operating as a member of the body of Christ. 00:34:08.219 --> 00:34:11.819 And it's the most loving thing we could possibly do for anybody else. 00:34:14.179 --> 00:34:15.419 Second is trust the builder. 00:34:15.939 --> 00:34:16.799 He's the one who's building. 00:34:17.299 --> 00:34:18.039 We're not the builders. 00:34:18.219 --> 00:34:18.699 He's the builder. 00:34:19.259 --> 00:34:20.079 We trust Jesus. 00:34:20.500 --> 00:34:21.179 We come to him. 00:34:21.239 --> 00:34:22.199 We put our trust in him. 00:34:22.319 --> 00:34:22.980 We obey him. 00:34:23.239 --> 00:34:27.119 And he's the one who sets each member in the body as he sees fit and he builds his church. 00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:29.919 Number three, this is a really practical one. 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:35.180 Number three, we need to build relationships and we need to speak the truth in love. 00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:35.940 Okay? 00:34:36.500 --> 00:34:46.139 Like relationships, building actual friendships with people is how we build the, what does it talk about? 00:34:46.139 --> 00:34:49.279 The supporting ligaments, okay? 00:34:49.400 --> 00:34:51.980 That hold us together because we love each other. 00:34:52.699 --> 00:34:59.539 And it actually, there's a bond there that can withstand the challenges of speaking the truth in love to each other. 00:34:59.739 --> 00:35:03.139 If we don't have those bonds there, you just, you sever relationship. 00:35:04.259 --> 00:35:04.480 Okay? 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:06.460 So we need to build relationships with each other. 00:35:06.559 --> 00:35:15.039 We need to say, Lord, I want to build relationships with the different members of the body of Christ so that we can speak the truth in love and grow up into him. 00:35:15.539 --> 00:35:20.139 If we're living in our isolated little world, you won't build relationships with people. 00:35:20.500 --> 00:35:28.659 And therefore, you won't be able to participate in this love speaking maturation process that the Holy Spirit is working in the members. 00:35:28.760 --> 00:35:30.420 So we need to build those relationships. 00:35:30.780 --> 00:35:34.099 And then when we build those relationships, we need to be speaking the truth in love. 00:35:34.099 --> 00:35:34.460 Okay? 00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:46.099 We need to, as you're getting to know people, as they're bearing their hearts and you're opening your heart to them, we're confessing each other's sins, we're bearing each other's burdens, we need to speak the truth in love. 00:35:46.539 --> 00:35:46.759 Okay? 00:35:47.279 --> 00:35:54.779 God has ordained that he use these different members to communicate heavenly mysteries that can set us free. 00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:58.699 And I need you, you need me, we need each other. 00:35:58.739 --> 00:35:59.599 That's just how it works. 00:36:00.239 --> 00:36:01.759 But we got to be intentional about it. 00:36:01.759 --> 00:36:03.199 We can't just keep it all on Sunday morning. 00:36:03.199 --> 00:36:06.279 I mean, actually, I say, I'm going to open up my schedule. 00:36:06.379 --> 00:36:09.939 I'm going to open the priorities in my life and I'm going to intentionally invest in relationships. 00:36:10.500 --> 00:36:11.500 And we won't go there. 00:36:11.819 --> 00:36:11.960 Okay? 00:36:12.899 --> 00:36:15.239 Number four, be a body part that's working properly. 00:36:15.759 --> 00:36:19.039 This just speaks to the, you know, just the picture about holding fast ahead. 00:36:19.419 --> 00:36:22.619 We can't do this work unless we are working properly. 00:36:22.619 --> 00:36:25.440 We have to repent from sin. 00:36:26.440 --> 00:36:26.679 Okay? 00:36:28.839 --> 00:36:30.799 Ongoing, unrepentant, hidden sin. 00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:33.500 It darkens. 00:36:34.259 --> 00:36:34.460 Okay? 00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:35.599 It's walking in the darkness. 00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:37.759 And it's sobering. 00:36:37.900 --> 00:36:38.119 Okay? 00:36:38.219 --> 00:36:38.739 It's sobering. 00:36:38.739 --> 00:36:41.500 We're like, we need to repent from sin. 00:36:42.419 --> 00:36:44.019 It can't get any simpler than this. 00:36:44.439 --> 00:36:46.759 If the Spirit is in you, He won't let you rest. 00:36:47.219 --> 00:36:47.479 Okay? 00:36:47.919 --> 00:36:50.259 This is the hallmark of the Spirit of God living in someone. 00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:54.639 Those who are born of God do not make a practice of sinning. 00:36:54.639 --> 00:37:00.859 Those who make a practice of sinning, they're not born and gone. 00:37:00.980 --> 00:37:02.859 1 John 3 says that. 00:37:03.500 --> 00:37:04.859 Does that mean Christians don't fall into sin? 00:37:05.079 --> 00:37:05.359 No. 00:37:06.819 --> 00:37:09.179 It says, I can't be comfortable. 00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:11.440 I can't live there. 00:37:12.379 --> 00:37:12.639 Okay? 00:37:13.359 --> 00:37:16.139 He makes you deeply uncomfortable. 00:37:17.039 --> 00:37:19.460 That's evidence that the Spirit is living inside of you. 00:37:19.980 --> 00:37:22.940 Like, think of your central nervous system, your nerves. 00:37:22.940 --> 00:37:28.579 If you saw someone and they had a nail just sticking out of their hand, 00:37:29.200 --> 00:37:30.400 and it's bleeding all over the place, 00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:32.280 and they're just casually having conversations, you know, 00:37:32.659 --> 00:37:33.659 acting like it's not there, 00:37:34.300 --> 00:37:35.579 that would be very weird. 00:37:36.280 --> 00:37:36.559 Okay? 00:37:37.019 --> 00:37:38.019 That would be super weird. 00:37:38.139 --> 00:37:41.460 You would think, okay, something is wrong with this person. 00:37:42.880 --> 00:37:43.800 And there would be. 00:37:45.460 --> 00:37:48.659 Either they're putting all of their thought and energy into 00:37:48.659 --> 00:37:52.079 ignoring this tremendous pain that's in their hand, 00:37:52.079 --> 00:37:53.980 or they literally don't have pain in their hand 00:37:53.980 --> 00:37:56.119 because their central nervous system isn't working. 00:37:57.159 --> 00:37:58.259 Those are the two options. 00:37:59.139 --> 00:37:59.360 Okay? 00:37:59.759 --> 00:38:04.199 So if you're living a life of unrepentant sin in the dark, 00:38:05.900 --> 00:38:07.960 you're either going crazy, 00:38:08.179 --> 00:38:10.539 and the Spirit is hammering on the door of your heart right now saying, 00:38:10.659 --> 00:38:10.840 repent. 00:38:11.639 --> 00:38:12.719 Come into the light. 00:38:12.880 --> 00:38:13.619 It's painful. 00:38:13.619 --> 00:38:15.839 I need to get right with the Lord. 00:38:16.839 --> 00:38:19.440 And you're deeply in a state of unrest, 00:38:19.559 --> 00:38:21.719 and the Lord is using that to bring you into repentance. 00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:24.519 Or you're justifying yourself, 00:38:24.619 --> 00:38:25.759 and it actually doesn't hurt that bad. 00:38:26.539 --> 00:38:28.759 And the only time you really think about it when people confront you, 00:38:29.199 --> 00:38:30.319 and then you push back. 00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:32.639 That's fine. 00:38:32.739 --> 00:38:33.239 It doesn't even hurt. 00:38:34.000 --> 00:38:34.219 You know? 00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:35.739 Well, actually, that's worse. 00:38:35.980 --> 00:38:36.699 That's a lot worse. 00:38:37.299 --> 00:38:38.299 That means you need to get born again. 00:38:38.300 --> 00:38:40.320 Because if the Spirit lives inside you, 00:38:40.760 --> 00:38:41.720 He won't let you. 00:38:42.519 --> 00:38:42.700 Okay? 00:38:42.740 --> 00:38:44.260 It says the seed of God keeps Him. 00:38:44.660 --> 00:38:45.280 1 John 3. 00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:46.880 So, it's important. 00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:49.120 You need to be working properly 00:38:49.120 --> 00:38:51.360 to be an effective member of the body of Christ. 00:38:51.500 --> 00:38:51.700 Okay? 00:38:52.680 --> 00:38:53.460 It's essential. 00:38:54.300 --> 00:38:54.940 Number five, 00:38:55.340 --> 00:38:57.380 me, my Bible, and Jesus is not enough to mature. 00:38:58.080 --> 00:38:59.940 We already talked about that in detail. 00:39:00.280 --> 00:39:01.519 But again, it needs to be said, 00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:04.100 the church has fallen on hard times. 00:39:04.820 --> 00:39:05.060 Okay? 00:39:05.059 --> 00:39:08.380 We are very individualist. 00:39:09.719 --> 00:39:11.820 Well, the Word of God is the same. 00:39:12.380 --> 00:39:13.699 The Word of God doesn't change with our culture. 00:39:14.619 --> 00:39:14.980 It doesn't. 00:39:15.940 --> 00:39:18.259 He's ordained this particular means 00:39:18.259 --> 00:39:21.059 to perfect us and to mature us 00:39:21.059 --> 00:39:23.139 into the image of the Son, Jesus. 00:39:23.920 --> 00:39:24.059 Okay? 00:39:25.719 --> 00:39:27.320 Number six, it's all about Him. 00:39:27.759 --> 00:39:27.900 Okay? 00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:30.259 So, this corrects, like, you can, 00:39:30.460 --> 00:39:32.360 like, there's so much awesome stuff about the church 00:39:32.360 --> 00:39:32.920 in the New Testament. 00:39:33.019 --> 00:39:34.440 We can have a very high value for the church, 00:39:34.519 --> 00:39:34.980 and that's good. 00:39:35.759 --> 00:39:37.219 But you can actually get weird about it. 00:39:37.239 --> 00:39:39.099 You can become, like, a church-centered church. 00:39:41.340 --> 00:39:43.559 And instead of a Christ-centered church. 00:39:43.980 --> 00:39:44.199 Okay? 00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:47.579 And I think about this, like a bride, 00:39:48.420 --> 00:39:50.079 you know, a beautiful bride on a wedding day, 00:39:50.380 --> 00:39:51.420 got makeup all done up, 00:39:51.460 --> 00:39:52.820 and, you know, just looks beautiful. 00:39:53.639 --> 00:39:55.860 And she's just looking at herself in the mirror 00:39:55.860 --> 00:39:59.279 and glorying in how beautiful she is. 00:40:00.239 --> 00:40:01.360 There's something a little weird about that. 00:40:02.139 --> 00:40:02.460 Right? 00:40:02.960 --> 00:40:03.239 Why? 00:40:03.239 --> 00:40:04.719 Why is she beautiful? 00:40:05.399 --> 00:40:06.079 Who's it for? 00:40:07.279 --> 00:40:07.939 Her husband. 00:40:08.879 --> 00:40:09.119 Okay? 00:40:09.479 --> 00:40:10.179 That's the whole point. 00:40:11.419 --> 00:40:13.419 Her affection is for her husband. 00:40:14.899 --> 00:40:17.599 She's made herself beautiful for Him. 00:40:19.019 --> 00:40:20.579 A healthy church, you know what we do? 00:40:21.859 --> 00:40:23.439 My Savior, He loves me. 00:40:23.859 --> 00:40:24.119 Okay? 00:40:24.119 --> 00:40:26.699 And I want to be beautiful for Him. 00:40:26.960 --> 00:40:28.039 We are feminine. 00:40:28.239 --> 00:40:30.960 In relation to Christ, we are the bride. 00:40:31.079 --> 00:40:33.099 We are all feminine in relation to Jesus Christ. 00:40:33.880 --> 00:40:35.940 Now, within the church, we image that differently. 00:40:36.119 --> 00:40:37.759 Men are men, and women are women. 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:42.000 But the reason God cares so much for those gender role distinctions 00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:43.920 is because of this truth. 00:40:45.080 --> 00:40:48.020 Jesus is the Savior of the body. 00:40:48.019 --> 00:40:51.059 And we owe Him our obedience. 00:40:51.900 --> 00:40:52.239 Okay? 00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:53.679 It's beautiful to Him. 00:40:54.480 --> 00:40:55.420 But it's not for us. 00:40:56.079 --> 00:40:56.960 It's not for us. 00:40:57.480 --> 00:40:58.219 It's for Him. 00:40:58.980 --> 00:41:00.059 That He would be pleased. 00:41:00.420 --> 00:41:00.960 And He is. 00:41:01.980 --> 00:41:02.179 Okay? 00:41:02.579 --> 00:41:07.339 But just so that we don't, you know, start smoking too much of our own stuff here, 00:41:07.859 --> 00:41:09.079 it is not about us. 00:41:09.480 --> 00:41:10.419 It's about Jesus. 00:41:11.219 --> 00:41:16.699 And the day, there are warnings throughout the Bible about those who were stewards, 00:41:17.019 --> 00:41:21.079 who were given a responsibility for a stewardship, a vineyard for God. 00:41:22.659 --> 00:41:23.859 And it's all about them. 00:41:23.940 --> 00:41:24.619 It becomes about them. 00:41:24.739 --> 00:41:25.199 They want it. 00:41:25.279 --> 00:41:25.960 They want the fruits. 00:41:26.039 --> 00:41:27.519 Well, who are the fruits for that vineyard? 00:41:28.139 --> 00:41:28.379 Him. 00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:31.379 And we'll turn to the same thing. 00:41:32.799 --> 00:41:33.919 This is all about us. 00:41:34.000 --> 00:41:37.159 If we become a church-centered church, yes, we hold high the value of the church. 00:41:37.440 --> 00:41:38.279 But it's because of Him. 00:41:38.919 --> 00:41:39.139 Okay? 00:41:39.879 --> 00:41:41.599 A healthy church is a Christ-centered church. 00:41:42.579 --> 00:41:43.899 Their affections are for Jesus. 00:41:45.039 --> 00:41:50.759 First Peter talks about we are a chosen people to show forth the excellencies of Him 00:41:50.759 --> 00:41:53.079 who called us out of darkness and into light. 00:41:53.639 --> 00:41:56.899 So a healthy church where all the members are connected to the head and we're speaking the truth to one another, 00:41:57.019 --> 00:41:59.039 we're talking about Jesus to each other. 00:41:59.500 --> 00:42:01.119 And we are really excited about Jesus. 00:42:01.119 --> 00:42:08.739 You're going to pick one defining attribute of a healthy church is you come in the midst and people are excited about Jesus. 00:42:10.339 --> 00:42:10.859 That's it. 00:42:11.440 --> 00:42:12.639 They're excited about Jesus. 00:42:13.480 --> 00:42:14.539 They're excited to obey Him. 00:42:14.940 --> 00:42:16.139 They're excited to become like Him. 00:42:16.500 --> 00:42:20.199 They're excited to find out who He's really like in the Bible and not just hear about it from other people, 00:42:20.199 --> 00:42:22.179 but like, Lord, I want to know you myself. 00:42:22.839 --> 00:42:24.039 I want to get in God's Word. 00:42:24.099 --> 00:42:26.279 I want to hear and know you. 00:42:27.739 --> 00:42:29.379 They all speak of His glory. 00:42:29.380 --> 00:42:33.599 So, I think that's it. 00:42:34.400 --> 00:42:35.320 Jesus is the head. 00:42:35.539 --> 00:42:36.140 He's the builder. 00:42:37.059 --> 00:42:37.880 He's the beginning. 00:42:38.119 --> 00:42:38.760 He's the end. 00:42:39.860 --> 00:42:41.860 He's the one who this is all for. 00:42:41.860 --> 00:42:47.280 So, even as we go through these upcoming teachings on the church, I think it's good to have that perspective. 00:42:48.180 --> 00:42:49.660 You know, it's from Him. 00:42:50.039 --> 00:42:50.760 It's through Him. 00:42:51.140 --> 00:42:51.860 And it's to Him.