MESSAGE TEXT
Ephesians 4:11-16
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PROPOSITION
We’re talking today about God’s Body Building Program. Ephesians 4:11-16 is the ideal body building kit. Here's the message in brief. Ephesians 4:11-16 answers two key questions: Where do you go to grow up spiritually? You go to church. And it also answers a second question: What does a spiritual grown up look like? They look like Jesus. God’s purpose in salvation was not just to save you and bring you to heaven. His purpose was to fill you with Himself. So, He fills you and gives you spiritual gifts, whereby you experience Him not just working for you and in you but also through you. This is truly one of the most exciting things about Christianity.
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OUTLINE
Patrick Morley said that what a child needs to be whole are four things: Love. Structure. Roots. Wings. He calls these things a “cocktail of affirmation.” Equip your children for life. These four things are also necessary for healthy churches. Equip your church for life. In God’s Body Building Program...
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Appreciate the trainers (v.11) They know how to build spiritual muscle. Love. (Belonging)
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Embrace the process (v.12-13) Set realistic goals. Structure. (Security)
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Watch out for exploitation (v.14) Proper technique and safety are paramount. Roots. (Identity)
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Stay balanced in your approach (v.15-16) Two spiritual muscle groups – truth and love. Wings. (Purpose)
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CONCLUSION
One person holds truth and love perfectly together. On the cross, why did Jesus die? First of all, because of the truth. The truth is we are sinners, and we are lost. Unless someone pays for that sin, we are lost eternally. When Jesus Christ went to the cross, it was the most insulting thing anyone has ever said to you. When Jesus went to the cross, he was saying, “You are so lost, you are so messed up, you are so condemned, nothing less than the death of the Son of God can save you.”
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On the other hand, there’s also love. Jesus went to the cross because he loved us. “You are a person of such worth and value that I’m willing to die for you.” until you understand the magnitude of his love, you won’t be able to accept that truth that you’re that lost.
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The gospel is the ultimate message of truth and love. If you understand it and you take it in and you realize he did this for you on the cross, that humbles you out of ever telling the truth abrasively, and it affirms you out of your need to always please people. Therefore, you’ll speak the truth in love exactly the way you need to. Which is what I’m doing right now.