©2005 Larry Huntsperger Peninsula Bible Fellowship

05-29-05

Growing Up Into Him

5/29/05 Growing Up Into Him

EPH 4:11-16 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

We made some progress with this passage

the last time we were in our study of Ephesians,

and this morning I want to bring us back to it

and, hopefully, complete the picture Paul is painting for us.

The last time we were here

we saw three governing principles concerning these gifts given to us by Christ.

First we saw that God’s Spirit has given every one of His children some spiritual gift.

These gifts are not the same thing as natural talents.

Our talents may be useful tools in the exercise of our gifts,

but they are not the same thing as the gifts.

A person who has a natural singing ability

may use that singing ability in the exercise of his or her gift,

but the singing ability is not the spiritual gift.

A person may have a natural talent for public speaking,

but that speaking ability does not then mean

that the person possesses the spiritual gift of teaching.

But every Christian has been equipped by the Spirit of God with some spiritual gift.

Second, all true spiritual gifts

are not gifts God gives to us,

they are gifts God gives through us to our fellow Christians.

It is one of the ways in which the Spirit of God

allows us to contribute to the growth, and healing of those around us.

When it is correctly exercised

it will leave us with a feeling of gratitude to God

that He has honored us with the ability to be of value to another person.

And third, your spiritual gift will operate just fine

whether or not you are ever able to label it,

or even consciously recognize it’s existence within you.

Nowhere in Scripture

does God ever tell Christians to label their gifts,

or even to try to figure out what they are.

What He does tell us

is that He has equipped each of us

with the ability to contribute to the growth and maturity of our fellow believers.

Then, having looked at those three principles,

we went one step farther

and saw that consistently throughout the New Testament teaching on gifts

the writers group the gifts into two broad categories - speaking gifts, and service gifts,

and then they tell us

that, when things are working as they are suppose to be working,

those with the speaking gifts

will equip those with the service gifts

for the work God wants to accomplish through His body here on this earth.

We also saw that when the speaking gifts are being used as God intended,

they will always work for the greater health,

and especially for the greater unity of the Body of Christ as a whole.

Paul’s exact words are that it should bring about ... the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

He’s not talking about some sort of external structural unity,

he’s talking about the kind of unity that can only come from a shared faith in and knowledge of the Son of God.

Paul’s wording here is both careful and remarkable.

He knows the power of the flesh within us.

He knows the potential for division that will always exist within the family of God.

He knows how many things we can find to divide us.

At the time Paul wrote this letter

there was already in place

one potentially huge source of division within the young Church.

It was the division between Jewish and non-Jewish believers.

It was a divisive force that went far beyond just cultural differences,

or doctrinal differences,

or differences in personalities or preferred forms of worship.

It went to the very heart of the true nature of this salvation

that God was offering the world through Christ.

It was clear to all those in the early church

that Christ was indeed the Messiah promised to the Nation of Israel by God.

It was not so clear, however,

just exactly what was required from a person

in order to share in this salvation.

And in those early days

it seemed both logical and reasonable

that, if non-Jews were to share in this Savior promised by God to the Nation of Israel,

they could only do so by first converting to Judaism,

and accepting all of the cultural traditions that came with that conversion.

The turmoil caused by this debate

went as deep

and was as disruptive

as anything we’ve seen between Christians ever since.

And because Paul was the divinely appointed spokesman for the non-Jewish believers in the first century

he knew the destructive power of those divisive debates as few have known them.

But He also knew

that there is within every believer

a basis for true unity

that has the power to overcome everything that would seek to divide us.

And it is to this foundation for unity

that he turns our attention in verse 4:13.

Now, of course, just a few verses earlier

he listed a number of things that we all share in common, things that do,

or at least should contribute to our unity -

one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one heavenly Father...

But then in verse 4:13

he brings us back to that one thing

that is at the heart of every true believer,

that one thing that exists only within the people of God,

and that one thing that, when we see it in another person,

has the ability to create between us and them

a trust,

and a sense of unity as nothing else can ever do.

And if we do not see it in them,

no matter how much we may talk the same talk,

and pledge allegiance to the same doctrines,

and share the same church heritage,

we will still not share a true sense of unity with them.

Long before I knew anything about the doctrines involved in this whole thing,

way back in the early days of my Christian life,

even without the head knowledge,

I knew about this basis for unity that Paul talks about here.

I knew it because I’d seen it again and again in my own life.

For nearly a year after I got out of school

I worked, first as a buss-boy, and then as a waiter at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Seattle.

I was a rather pathetic waiter as waiters go

because I’ve never been good at remembering details

and good waiting is all about remembering details.

But the job itself was a great life experience.

And I remember coming up to a table one evening,

ready to take the orders from those there,

and, as I talked with the man at the head of the table,

I suddenly knew that...

well, I knew that the spirit of God was in him,

that he was my brother.

I was so fascinated with this awareness

that I had to find out if it was true

so I talked with him for a few minutes following his meal,

took some social risks in the conversation

and discovered I was right - he was indeed a true child of the King.

That incident reminded me

of that comment made by the professor

at the end of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe.

If you know the story

you know that Lewis creates an imaginary world

in which four children have all sorts of adventures

with Aslan, a huge lion,

the form that Christ takes on Himself in Narnia.

When the children come back from Narnia

and tell the professor about all of their adventures,

he gives them some advice.

He says, “Don’t mention (your adventures) to anyone else unless you find that they’ve had adventures of the same sort themselves. What’s that? How will you know? Oh, you’ll know all right. Odd things they say - even their looks - will let the secret out. Keep your eyes open. Bless me, what do they teach them at these schools?”

As only Lewis could do,

in those few words,

in language that children could understand,

he captured the heart of what Paul is talking about

in this 13^th verse of Ephesians 4.

He is talking with us

about that one thing that, more than everything else,

forms the foundation upon which all true unity between Christians is built.

It is something that, occasionally,

as with me in that restaurant so many years ago,

we get a glimpse of in another person,

something that, more often,

it takes us extended contact with another person to see.

But once we see it,

once our spirit senses it in another person,

it gives us a level of trust in them

and a comradeship with them

that nothing else can ever do.

For those of you who are Christians

it is this one thing

that your spirits look for in me as your teacher.

And if you see it

it results in your giving me

a level of teaching authority and credibility in your life

that no amount of formal academic training on my part could ever do.

The truth is that with most Christians

most of the time

this thing we possess within us

and seek in others

is covered under layers of flesh responses,

and natural human fears and defensiveness,

and sometimes under religious doctrines and forms that divide and hide the truth.

But at the same time

it is also what our spirits are forever seeking in those around us.

So what is it?

What is this remarkable foundation for unity within the family of God?

What is it that you seek in me as your teacher?

What is it that every Christian possesses

and that our spirits seek in those around us?

And what is it that all correct use of the speaking gifts in the Church will strengthen?

Well, in a single statement

it is what the New Testament writers call the epignosis of the Son of God.

But for that to make any sense

I need to give you a little Greek language background.

There are at least 6 different Greek words

that get translated in the English text as

knowledge

or know.

But the word that Paul uses here in Ephesians 4:13

is a very special word, the word EPIGNOSIS.

...until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the epignosis of the Son of God...

It’s really a combination of two words,

gnosis = knowledge

and epi = full or complete.

Peter uses the word repeatedly in his letters.

Paul uses the word a number of times as well.

He uses it in II Timothy 3:7.

You may be familiar with that third chapter in Second Timothy.

It is that section of Paul’s letter to his young friend

in which he is seeking to prepare Timothy for some of the things

that will take place in the years ahead.

He begins the chapter by saying,

2TI 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

From there he goes on to describe some of the characteristics of that period of human history. He says,

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power...

Sounds like the evening news, huh?

But then in verse 7 he says that during that time men will be,

always learning and never able to come to the knowledge (epignosis) of the truth.

Obviously this full or complete or true knowledge

that Paul and Peter are talking about

cannot be gained simply through

collecting more and more information,

more facts.

It is a knowledge that goes beyond the simple accumulation

of facts,

or concepts,

or ideas,

or doctrines,

or verses.

But it is not a stagnant thing either,

nor is it like some kind of revelation

or vision

where we suddenly see it

and then know it fully from that time onward.

In Colossians 1:9-10 Paul prays for his Colossian brothers and sisters

with the hope that they may,

“walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the epignosis of God;”

As it is used in the New Testament

it is a kind of knowledge of God

that only the Christian can have.

Never does any statement anywhere in Scripture suggest that

a non-Christian can ever have epignosis of Christ or of God the Father.

If I were to offer my own definition of what I see the New Testament writers seeking to communicate

through this concept of epignosis

I would define it simply as a growing, intimate, personal friendship with our Lord.

It is that kind of knowledge of God

that can only result from having met Christ personally

and bowed before Him in spirit.

It is that knowledge of Christ

that can only grow through living with Him,

working with Him,

laughing with Him,

arguing with Him,

crying with Him,

learning bit by bit

not just what He says and what He thinks,

but who He is.

Let me see if I can simplify this whole thing.

Our discovery of epignosis in another person

happens when we find ourselves thinking,

“Oh my word! You’ve met HIM haven’t you!

You’ve really met Him.

You’re not just into religion,

you’re not just faithful to your church heritage,

you’re not just a “spiritual” person,

but you, too, have really met Him,

and you’ve chosen to trust Him with your life.”

OK, now it is that awareness,

that recognition between two people

that forms the foundation for all true unity within the family of God.

Because it is that knowledge about another person

that gives our spirits the ability to trust the other person,

and also gives us the hope

that this other person will truly understand what’s going on inside us.

Many years ago, now,

when I was in preparation to go to Trinidad

through The Evangelical Alliance Mission,

as part of our preparation

I attended a candidate training school.

One of the things the mission required

was for all of us to take a psychological profile test.

Their intention, I think,

was that they didn’t want to be responsible

for sending any blatantly crazy people out to the mission field.

But the test they gave us

was one written by secular psychologists.

Of course we were all instructed to answer each question honestly,

but then as we were taking the test

I became aware of this little buzz growing throughout the room.

I’m an incredibly slow reader,

so I had not yet gotten to the question

that was causing my fellow candidates such turmoil.

Then the instructor for the morning broke in and added one additional comment.

He said,

“Don’t be concerned about some of these questions

because even though the test was written by non-Christian psychologists,

it will be graded by Christians.”

And I understood why he said that

when I got to the question that said, “Do you believe you have heard the voice of God telling you things He wants you to do.”

Unless that test was graded by someone with epignosis,

someone who knew from experience

what it is to live with Christ on a personal basis,

none of us would have dared to answer that question honestly.

OK, now let me take us back to this passage in Ephesians

and share with you what I see Paul doing for us

both with the concept of epignosis

and in his comments that follow immediately afterwards.

And maybe I can do this most easily

by simply walking us through this section in progressive steps.

First, in verses 11 and 12 Paul tells us

that God has designed His church in such a way

that some of His people are given speaking gifts

that, when used correctly,

will equip the body as a whole for the work God has for us to do.

Second, in verse 13, the one we’ve focused on today,

he tells us that those with the speaking gifts do this

by building up those who listen to them in two major areas -

their practical daily trust in Christ (faith),

and their personal, intimate, growing friendship with Him (epignosis).

And I do hope you were able to hear what I just said

because it is intended to be your first great line of protective defense

against so many of the forces and the voices around us

that Satan will use in his attempts to war against the body of Christ on this earth.

Let me make it personal here.

Every time I stand before you as your pastor and teacher

my ultimate responsibility,

my God-given calling is always the same.

It certainly has nothing to do with making this local church “successful”.

If I do my job correctly,

no matter what we may be studying,

the end result will be twofold.

It will be easier for you to trust the words and leadership of your Lord,

and it will be easier for you to grow in your friendship with Him.

And with every voice you ever hear in the Christian world,

always, always, always ask yourself those same two questions with what you hear.

Did what I just heard

make it easier for me to trust my Lord with this really hard stuff going on in my life?

And did it make it easier for me

to grow in my personal friendship with Him?

And if the answer is “Yes”,

then the person you’re listening to

is using his or her gifts as God intended.

And if the answer is “No”,

then no matter how convincing they may sound,

no matter how charismatic they are,

no matter how fascinating their message may appear,

walk away from them.

And if you do that,

if you listen only to those sources

that meet those two criteria,

listen to what results.

EPH 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

EPH 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ...

You see, once we let go of those two criteria,

once we cease to measure every source we listen to

on the basis of whether or not it truly draws us directly into the Person of Jesus Christ,

not just His teachings,

not just His system,

not just His Church,

but into HIM,

once we cease to use that as the measure of the value of all things,

we open ourselves up to every ego-driven, flesh-based motivation within the world of religion,

falling victim to any religious game or charismatic voice or pretty face out there,

and find ourselves to forever be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.

But look what happens

when we choose our sources as God intends.

Paul says that we ... grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ...

Interesting wording, huh?

He doesn’t say that we grow up into maturity.

He says that we grow up into HIM.

We grow up into epignosis of our Lord,

into deeper and deeper friendship with Him,

a friendship that then gives us the ability

to relate correctly

to everything

and everyone who comes into our lives.