WHAT IS OUR WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE?PURPOSE? BUILDING UP CHRISTIANSBUILDING UP CHRISTIANSEphesians 4:11-16Ephesians 4:11-16 A!s ":4# A!s ":4# The Lord added to their The Lord added to their number daily those who number daily those who were being saved."were being saved." A!s ":4"A!s ":4"These ea$%& Ch$is!iansThese ea$%& Ch$is!ians "devoted themselves to the "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."bread and to prayer." "It was e who gave some "It was e who gave some to be apostles, some to be to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, be pastors and teachers, to prepare !od's people to prepare !od's people for works of service,for works of service, so that the body of "hrist so that the body of "hrist may be built up until we all may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the in the knowledge of the #on of !od and become #on of !od and become mature, attaining to the mature, attaining to the whole measure of the whole measure of the fullness of "hrist.fullness of "hrist. "Then we will no longer "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and forth by the waves, and blown here and there and blown here and there by every wind of teaching by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in truth in love, we will in all things grow up into all things grow up into im who is the ead, im who is the ead, that is, "hrist.that is, "hrist. $rom im the whole body, $rom im the whole body, %oined and held together %oined and held together by every supporting by every supporting ligament, grows and builds ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each itself up in love, as each part does its work.&part does its work.&'Ephesians 4:11-16('Ephesians 4:11-16( service&service&unity& unity& mature& mature& no longer infants&no longer infants&building each other up&building each other up& 1)1)IT IS *ITALL+ IT IS *ITALL+ I,PORTANT THAT WE I,PORTANT THAT WE GROW AS CHRISTIANS GROW AS CHRISTIANS I! is -i!a%%& i.p/$!an! !ha! I! is -i!a%%& i.p/$!an! !ha! 0e 1$/0 as Ch$is!ians 0e 1$/0 as Ch$is!ians 2ea3se 2ea3se 1$/0in1 1$/0in1 Ch$is!ians a$e %ess Ch$is!ians a$e %ess -3%ne$a2%e !/ !e.p!a!i/n-3%ne$a2%e !/ !e.p!a!i/n)) I! is -i!a%%& i.p/$!an! !ha! I! is -i!a%%& i.p/$!an! !ha! 0e 1$/0 as Ch$is!ians4 0e 1$/0 as Ch$is!ians4 2ea3se 2ea3se 1$/0in1 1$/0in1 Ch$is!ians a$e 53%% /5 6/&Ch$is!ians a$e 53%% /5 6/&) ) I! is -i!a%%& i.p/$!an! !ha! I! is -i!a%%& i.p/$!an! !ha! 0e 1$/0 as Ch$is!ians 0e 1$/0 as Ch$is!ians 2ea3se 2ea3se 1$/0in1 1$/0in1 Ch$is!ians a$e 0i%%in1 Ch$is!ians a$e 0i%%in1 Ch$is!iansCh$is!ians) ) I! is -i!a%%& i.p/$!an! !ha! I! is -i!a%%& i.p/$!an! !ha! 0e 1$/0 as Ch$is!ians 0e 1$/0 as Ch$is!ians 2ea3se 2ea3se 1$/0in1 1$/0in1 Ch$is!ians 0i%% ha-e a Ch$is!ians 0i%% ha-e a 5ai!h !ha! 7/esn8! /%%apse 5ai!h !ha! 7/esn8! /%%apse in a !i.e /5 $isisin a !i.e /5 $isis) ) ") ") SO,E WA+S THAT SO,E WA+S THAT WE CAN GROWWE CAN GROWAS CHRISTIANS AS CHRISTIANS We an 1$/0 2& s!37&in1 We an 1$/0 2& s!37&in1 G/78s W/$7 !/1e!he$) G/78s W/$7 !/1e!he$) We an 1$/0 !h$/31h We an 1$/0 !h$/31h %/se 5e%%/0ship 0i!h %/se 5e%%/0ship 0i!h /!he$ Ch$is!ians) /!he$ Ch$is!ians) "love one another""love one another""pray for one another" "pray for one another" "bear one another's burdens""bear one another's burdens" "e'tend hospitality(""e'tend hospitality(""forgive one another""forgive one another" We an 1$/0 2& 3sin1 We an 1$/0 2& 3sin1 /3$ G/7-1i-en 1i5!s) /3$ G/7-1i-en 1i5!s) 9) 9) SO,E O: THE SO,E O: THE E*IDENCES :OR E*IDENCES :OR GROWTH GROWTH I5 &/3$ $ea% I5 &/3$ $ea% /..i!.en! is !/ /..i!.en! is !/ G/7 an7 His W/$74 G/7 an7 His W/$74 an7 n/! !/ s/.e an7 n/! !/ s/.e pe$s/n /$ h3$h pe$s/n /$ h3$h /$1ani;a!i/n)/$1ani;a!i/n) I5 &/38$e $e13%a$I5 &/38$e $e13%a$in &/3$ a!!en7ane in &/3$ a!!en7ane a! 0/$ship) a! 0/$ship) I5 &/38$e $e13%a$%& I5 &/38$e $e13%a$%& s!37&in1 G/78s W/$7 s!37&in1 G/78s W/$7 an7 &/3 ha-e a an7 &/3 ha-e a .eanin153% p$a&e$ %i5e) .eanin153% p$a&e$ %i5e) I5 &/38$e 1$/0in1 I5 &/38$e 1$/0in1 in &/3$ 5ai!h) in &/3$ 5ai!h)