Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Growing Up (Ephesians 4:13-15)

Bryan Schneider · June 6, 2020

Ephesians 4:13-15

sharonrpc.org/sermons/growing-up-ephesians-4-13-15

Summary

Jesus does not save his people so that they remain spiritual infants; he grows the church together toward maturity in himself.
God's Word is the essential means by which believers become stable, discerning, and equipped for righteous living.
Immaturity leaves people vulnerable to deceptive teachers, shifting doctrines, and teachings that distort the person and work of Christ.
Clear passages of Scripture should govern the interpretation of difficult passages rather than speculation or private invention.
Speaking the truth in love includes both comforting one another and, after real love and shared life, confronting sin and error from the Word.
Growth is corporate: each member serves and builds up the body under Jesus Christ, the church's head and goal.

Where am I still behaving as a spiritual child rather than growing in discernment and obedience?
Is my understanding of Christ formed by the clear teaching of Scripture or by attractive but unstable ideas?
What regular practice will help me store God's Word in my heart?
Have I built relationships of love strong enough to support honest biblical correction?
When someone corrects me from Scripture, do I examine the Word and repent or become defensive?
How am I using my gifts to help the whole congregation grow toward Christ its head?

Spiritual maturity: Growth in biblical understanding, discernment, obedience, and likeness to Christ within the life of his body.
Doctrinal stability: Being anchored in God's Word so that novel, deceptive, or contradictory teaching does not carry a believer away.
Analogy of Scripture: The principle that clearer Scripture governs the interpretation of passages that are less clear.
Truth in love: Communicating God's truth for another person's good with genuine affection, humility, and willingness to address sin or error.