Proven Character and Willing Sacrifice in Spiritual Maturity

Just right there who you are, praying over one another. Father, I pray over every individual that's walked in this room. Not one person will leave the same way they came down. I ask you for tender hearts, eyes open, ears, received hearts, prepare. Lord we blessed. Those who are ministering to the younger portion of the church. I know in every word they say. Pour into those lives, we ask, Father. We give this day to you, Holy Spirit. You have your way in our midst. We thank you for the gathering together of the saints. We pray over the church in the city, not just those who gather here, but the body of Christ in this city. Do something powerful with the city of Claremont and Awasha, we pray, Father. In Jesus' name.

Do you agree with that? Say amen. Well, find somebody you haven't had a chance to hug yet and greet them in the Lord and as our upper elementary step out to class. Introduce yourself, would you? Well, you act like you want to be here. I like that. Don't you love the body of Christ? I love the body of Christ. I mean that. And the only way that can really happen in our heart is when we see Christ in each other. If you don't see Christ in someone, you're going to look at their flesh. And I promise you, it won't take long to find some reason not to like them. But if you look at Christ in them, you're endeared to them. You're drawn to them. You want to be with them. And sometimes somebody's going through a difficult time and you're right there for them at that moment.

So today we're going to be talking some about that, about what it really means to mature. In Christ, as you know, we're in the series called Formed in Christ in Philippians 2. We're going to be in verse 19 down through 30. If you have the sermon material next to you, you can go through that or you can follow there in the scriptures as we go through this. I want you to know there is a biblical call to maturity. Today's message will be a little bit different in the sense. Not so much from the last couple of weeks, but it is a call to maturity. Many believers have never seen that call. They believe they are to attend church somewhere. They're to come and they give an offering and they worship, they sing songs, and that's their Christianity. But what we see in the Word of God, if you were to go back to the New Testament. You see, every believer as a minister, and every believer with a responsibility to mature and grow. And it's been unfortunate that we have divided the church between the clergy and the layman. And for 40 years now, starting in 1986, we have preached against that idea that somehow there's a difference. I know there's gifts and callings. I know there's honor and all those things, but we've done the church a disfavor, and we will never mature and disciple people into what Christ is doing as long as they see themselves as laymen. Because the scripture says that the saints are to be equipped for the work of the ministry. And that is swimming upstream. Against the mindset of the normal congregation, not only in America, but literally around the world. We've had years and decades and centuries of the Roman mindset in our mind of priests and laymen. And I'll never forget in the early 80s, seeing that and struggling with that and saying, God, what about your church? And I looked for the word clergy and I couldn't find it. And uh the Matthew Henry commentary said it was the heritage of God. And I thought, well, that's the body of Christ. We're a royal priesthood. Not taken away from anybody, just recognizing that. And what about the layman? Well, I found that in the amplified in the Old Testament. And I looked it up and it says, those who cannot participate in the holy things of God. And I thought, well, that is an offense to call somebody a layman. It means they're not a professional at it. Well, we don't want professionals at it. We want all of us to mature.

So today, the Holy Spirit working in us is going to call every one of us to a place of maturity. And Paul even gives a command. It's not optional. Maybe you've considered it's optional for you. I'm going to leave that to my wife. I'm going to leave that to my husband. I'm going to leave that to somebody else. That's not where I am right now. Well, I'm going to tell you it is where you are right now. And I'm going to tell you by the scripture that there is a call. For spiritual maturity. It's not measured by what you do, by the way. It's not measured by what you know or what you've read or the knowledge that you have. Sometimes we think it is. If I know more than you, then I must be more mature than you. That's not what measures maturity. And in this passage, Paul gives us some understanding of it, of what real genuine concern is for people. And what it means to have proven character and the willingness to give up of ourselves in sacrifice, to even suffer humbly, and to be able to honor those among us who sacrifice. Now that is the word today, so I want you to follow through. Last week we were talking about the process of maturity. Remember that? And the idea that we're to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling Likely quoting Philippians 2:12. I want to emphasize that because it wasn't working for salvation. You remember we're not going to work for salvation, but we'll work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God is what at work in you, both to will and to do his good pleasure Likely quoting Philippians 2:13. So no one is without excuse because it gives you the want-to and the ability. Are you with me? The want-to and the ability. You say, Well, I don't have the want-to. Well, ask for the want-to. Right? We were teaching that last week. One of the most honest prayers you can pray is, God, I don't want to, but give me the want to. Because he said, I'll give you want to, the desire, and the ability to do what? And this passage is to grow up into Christ. Grow up in the head. And I'm passionate about this because there's nothing that's going to bless a community in Christ or people. Other than others growing up into Christ. That is his fulfillment, growing up Christ ahead. Out of that then comes ministry. Out of that is where it flows. Does it flow in what you do? Does it flow in your skill? Thank God for skills. Thank God for natural talents. Thank God for acquired skills. But it flows out of the maturity of Christ.

So Philippians 2:19 says this: I hope in the Lord. Notice what he says there, how he says that. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon. That I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interest, not those of Jesus Christ. Pay attention to that. But you know that Timothy has proved himself because, as a son with his father, he has served with me in the work of the gospel Likely quoting Philippians 2:22. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co worker, fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For the he longs for all of you and is distressed. Watch this is distressed because you have heard he was ill. Indeed, he was ill and almost died. But God had mercy, hallelujah, on him and not on him only, but also to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore, I am all more eager to send him, so that when you see him again, you may be glad, and I may have less anxiety. So then welcome him in the Lord with great joy and honor people like him. Because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourself could not give. Now, already in this passage of 2nd or Philippians 2, he has told us to not hold on to anything but to consider others more highly than ourselves, and not only to take interest in our own self, but in the interest of others. He's not telling you to neglect your needs, but to broaden it to include others. And then he gives Christ the example. So he walks through that that God in the flesh, God in the form of God, took upon flesh to be going to form. He did not try to hold on to anything to his advantage. So using Jesus as an example, but that he became obedient even to the point of death. And then he says to us, That's your example. Here's how you do it. Now work out what Christ has done for you. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And I just mentioned it, I want to say it again that you'd feel the weight of spiritual maturity. If you don't feel the weight of spiritual maturity, I'm asking you to hear this verse today. The weight that you're to work out. If you're saved, you're to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. That's not being afraid of God, but it's recognizing and reverence that God is, who he says he is, and the work that Christ has done for us on the cross. To pay the full penalty for our sin. That is done by our faith in him. He did that for us. That means we are all called to grow in him. And he gives us both the desire and the ability to do that. Okay?

So with that, he says, then he gives us examples today. We're going to look at two men, Timothy and Epaphroditus, who are just ordinary people. There's ordinary individuals that Paul points out, not just as Jesus as an example, but there are people in the body of Christ that live that out. Isn't that great? There are people in this room right here that have lived that out and are living it out. It's not once you arrive, but everybody in this room is growing in the grace of the Lord Jesus. So may we be called today to maturity. So let's look at what that looks like. What does that look like? What are the marks of maturity? So we're given these examples to live this out. So this passage gives us four marks.

The first one I want to talk about was said of Timothy. It was a mark of what you'd call sincere concern. Now let's talk about that. Look at the verse that goes with that. I have no one else like him. Who will show genuine concern for your welfare? This is amazing. For everyone looks out for their own interest, not those of Jesus Christ. Notice he didn't say they look out for the interest of others. He said they look out for the interest of his lookout for the interest of Jesus Christ. Meaning, once you look out for his interest, that includes his people. Are you with me? So he says here there is a mark, and I'm saying it is a mark of maturity. Paul, in this situation, did you notice he says, I hope in the Lord Jesus to Possibly quoting Philippians 2:19 come to you. Now he's in prison. He's coming to the end. He doesn't know when it's coming to the end, but it has so happened. We know by history, that this imprisonment was a two-year imprisonment. And he was coming to the end of it. And this prison was a different prison than he was put in five years later. Five years later, he was put in a dungeon in Rome. And it's out of that dungeon, which was far worse than where he is here when he writes to Philippi. He actually wrote to Timothy his last letter in that dungeon. I cannot imagine the circumstances of that dungeon. This one was like house arrest, tied to a guard, a Roman guard, and he was allowed to have people to come and go to him. You see that at the end of Acts, where he was there in that rented house, he was teaching and preaching, and people were growing, and that was the circumstance that was here. But here's the situation. Philippi is different than what we just learned in Corinthians. We just came out of 2 Corinthians. Y'all remember that? And Paul is saying, I hope in the Lord to come to you. He's saying this, my life is not me, it's not my own. He could be said this way if the Lord wills, I'll get out of this prison. If the Lord wills, I'll be coming to you. So when he says, I hope in the Lord Jesus, he's saying, God directs my life. I own nothing, I possess nothing, I control nothing. I don't even know what's going to happen for the future, but I think it's coming close. He had a sense that he was going to be getting out. And he said, Because of that, I hope in the Lord. In Corinthians, you might remember the last part, 2 Corinthians 13, he writes to them about their sin. And he says to them, in 2 Corinthians, I warn those who have sinned before, and all the others I warn them in my absence. And you think I didn't do anything? When I get there, I'm going to do something about it. I'm not going to spare any of you. So he's coming hard against the Corinthians because of their sin. But in Philippi, it's different. Now they had division that was starting to go, and we'll get into that later, but he's actually commending them, and he said, I can't wait to see you. I really want to see you. And I'm sending Timothy.

Now, here's the thing about Timothy having a mark of genuine concern. Timothy cared for the matter of Christ, which meant he cared for other people as well. And there's two aspects of Timothy's care I want you to see in the scripture. Number one, his concern was genuine. That word there means no. Counterfeit. You can fake concern for a while, can't you? But after a while, you will not do it. I mean, I can text to you, I'm praying for you. But is it true? Come on, stay with me. You know, there's a group meeting comes in, my brothers need the hospital praying. I often think, Lord, are we praying? Are we just texting? The idea is that I really carry a sincere concern. There's some in this room that know what I'm talking about, of carrying a sincere concern that's given to you by the Holy Spirit. I can't make it. God puts it in you. A couple of Sunday mornings ago, about to pray over James. He was going down the Tallaqual. And the Spirit of the Lord, I felt rise up inside of me. And I started interceding for a pastor in Edmund, Oklahoma. Where did that come from? I texted him and I said, Brother, I have got you on my heart praying right now for you. And I don't know what you're going through, but may the glory of Christ outshine the burden you're carrying. That afternoon, he sends me a voicemail. He said, 5 30 that morning, something terrible took place. And I'm sitting here, and he told me who the friend's name was because I grew up with him. He's sitting beside me. He's a very successful businessman. I showed him your text. And I turned to this other one that knew what was going on, and I showed him your text. And he said, You don't know what that meant. Here's what I'm telling you: you can't make that up. You cannot make that the Holy Spirit has to burden you. Timothy had some kind of sincere concern, didn't he? And what's interesting about this care that God had given to Timothy for this concern, this burden, is that it was a concern for the things of Jesus Christ. I would expect him to say, he has a sincere concern for you. But that's not what he says. He has a sincere concern for the things of Jesus Christ. Can I tell you, if you have a sincere concern for the things of Jesus Christ, you're going to end up concerning about his people, aren't you? It just happens that way. I've watched it. I've watched people mature, and this is a mark of maturity when they carry other people. I can't make that happen. It's not your doing, it's who you are. It's a mark of spiritual grace.

I know when we launched over in a wassel. We didn't know who among us would God would use. We don't appoint leaders and then give them responsibilities. We find out who's already caring for the people and acknowledge that. Does that make sense? It's a whole different order. So I watched. I watched they would come to me and they'd say, you know, I haven't seen so-and-so lately. I've sure been praying for them. Do you know anything about them? I marked that. I've been carrying them people in my heart. I wonder how they're doing. I marked that. You know why I'm marking it? That's spiritual maturity. Those who are growing in the Lord and mature, they're always carrying other people. No offense. But the immature are always needing. Do you follow me? They're always needing. I'm not saying that you don't have needs as you mature, but your heart is concerned for others. It's a mark. This is how you can tell. Well, not you're maturing or not. And this is what he said concerning Timothy, that his interest was in that of Christ. And he said, Timothy, the word there is concern. It has the idea of the same word of anxiety when Paul said, Don't be anxious for anything. And yet he uses this word because why? It's not worry, anxiety, it's the burden of it. The burden of it. If you've never experienced that, I pray today. That you would desire to say, Lord, would you burden me for what you're burdened for? What if in this house, the mature ones that we have, the house will begin to grow more and more? I've watched over the years, Chris, people grow more when they're caring for somebody else than any time in their life. In fact, I'm gonna tell you you can't grow. You can read your Bible and you can pray, but you can't grow spiritually mature without caring for his body. You can get smart, you have more knowledge than the rest of us, you can be full of scripture, but your own heart will not grow until you start taking on responsibility for other people. When we use the term every member of minister, that's what I'm talking about. We sat around the table this last week with 17 leaders that came in from Canada. And we're emphasizing discipleship because we do a lot of discipleship. And I heard them one after another say, I need to ask God to give me the want to. Because they knew what it required. They knew if they did that, when you start caring for someone else, then it's a whole different mindset. It's a mark of maturity.

Well, there's another mark that Timothy proved, and it was a mark of proven character. This doesn't happen quickly. Listen to what he says. But you know, he's saying to the Philippians, you know, Timothy. Because why? Because they go back to Acts chapter 16 and 17. When Paul birthed the church in Philippi, Timothy was with them in the persecutions. He was with them in the trials. He was with them in the sufferings. And those he said, this was not a quick thing. This was over time. He said, You know that Timothy has proved himself. Because as a son with the father, he has served me in the work Likely quoting Philippians 2:22. Listen to that, the work of the gospel. Can I say this? Maturity is not claimed, it's proven. He proved himself. What does that mean? They knew what he had suffered, they knew what he had walked through. It wasn't the first time they knew him. And Paul uses a relational picture here. I think this is interesting. As a son with his father, he has served me. He served Paul as a son. That word serve me is the same word as do loss or a bondservant. He said he served me as this. And here's what's interesting to me. He said, as a son. Now we use the term spiritual fathers and spiritual sons. How many have heard us talk about that? I believe in it, it's a principle, it's a pattern, and it can become a person. But let me say it this way. Sometimes we claim it too quickly. That's my spiritual father, or that's my spiritual son. Let me caution you on that. Because this was years of proving, years of suffering, years of walking it out. A true as a true spiritual son. So sometimes we say, Oh, that's my spiritual son. Well, why do you say that? Have they really walked it out? Are you really a true spiritual father? Yes, I believe in it. But the idea is Paul only had probably three by name. Now there might have been more, but there's Timothy, and there was Titus, and there was Onesimus that he birthed into Christ in prison. So though we believe in it, I want you to see this is deeper than what a lot of people claim it to be. Because he proved himself serving as a servant in the gospel. He was saw the call of God upon Paul's life and said, I want to be a part of it. So maturity is not about our talent, is it? It's not about what we can do. But remember, Timothy, listen, he was young. And according to the scriptures, he had a timid temperament. You remember Paul had to write to him and say, the Holy Spirit you've received is not a spirit of timidity, but it's a power and of love and Possibly quoting 2 Timothy 1:7 a controlled mind. He ordinarily, it wasn't his temperament. Spiritual maturity has nothing to do with temperament. You grow into Christ, the temperament's given to you by God, but spiritual maturity is when there's marks of it, of true provenness that you've walked out, the character that's there. Maturity in that sense is not about natural talent, is it? It is about proven faithfulness.

So here's what happens. Watch on Paul. Though Paul does not name himself among these examples of spiritual maturity, surely he was. Because the very person he needed was Timothy and Epaphroditus, and he wants to send them back. And he said, I desire to send Timothy to you. And he makes mention of that. I hope in the Lord to send Possibly quoting Philippians 2:19 him as soon as I find out how it goes with me. Now let's talk about that a little bit. This point of view is that we got to understand the prisons. That means that they didn't feed them. They didn't give them clothes in the prison. You had to bring food to the prisoner. Did you know that's still true in certain parts of the world? The family come and bring clothing and they bring food. I'm thinking about this situation here with Paul and what it meant for them to send apaphroditus and what it meant for Timothy to be there to serve.

What it shows me is that there's another mark of maturity. Get ready for this a mark of sacrifice. I can see maturity on someone when they will sacrifice when no one else would sacrifice. You want to look at a maturity in a parent, what do they do? They give of themselves, do they not? And Paul said a parent lays up for the children, not the children for the parents. Now I guess parents get older, and it's proper then for the children to care for them. But the idea being sacrificed is a mark of maturity. And the mark of maturity is that what is God ask of me? And he says of Epaphroditus, my brother, my co worker, my fellow soldier, who's also your messenger Likely quoting Philippians 2:25, you sent to take care of my needs. Listen to what he calls him. He calls him a family member. He's a brother. I think it's interesting. He calls him a co worker. And I like that because Paul is not one over somebody, he's a co worker. He labors alongside. Paul always included the Timothy's and the Titus as if they were writing the letter. He writes to the church and says, us, apostles, when it's he and Timothy. He includes Timothy as if Timothy was writing it. Here he calls Epaphroditus a co-worker. He calls him a fellow soldier. Why? Because they had fought together. I'm telling you, there's nothing that will bind you closer to somebody than you go through hell together. You fight the beast at Ephesus. When you come through that, you're close to them because you know the faith and the maturity. When I look back over the years, my high respect are those who walk through those difficult times. Why? Because it's a mark of maturity, it's a mark of sacrifice. And so he is the Philippian delegate that has been sent to him to bring some money. I don't know how he carried that money. I don't know if it was in shekels, if it was in gold or silver. I don't know how he did it. But there's a map that shows how far he had to travel. He had to travel from ancient Philippi all the way over to Rome, about 900 miles. It would have taken him at least six weeks to get there, traveling over the Andriatic Sea, danger, just to go do what? To take supply funds for Paul who was in prison. How's he going to eat? How's he going to be clothed? How's he going to be taken care of? He's there for the cause of Christ. He's there for the labor. And Timothy would have identified with him. And the same way as Epaphroditus. And in that time he says, he gave of himself. No wonder Paul was so appreciative of the church of Philippi when he said, No one shared with me. It wasn't just sending an offering, it was livelihood. Man. To be able to go and serve. That's not making a trip to Tulsa, that's a long ways. Apaphroditus was a mark of maturity. Even when it said of Jesus, he was obedient even to the point of death Possibly quoting Philippians 2:8. Aphyroditus was at the point of death. It's interesting how Paul uses that analogy, isn't it? As an example that just ordinary people giving of themselves, you may not ever be asked to sacrifice to the point of aphroditus. But my call to me and to you this morning is what's the Holy Spirit saying to you? As a mature, is there a mark of sacrifice? Is there a mark of concern for others? I've watched it. Christian, I've watched over the years. I've watched people mature and they grow. And what happens is when they start giving themselves to other people and sacrificing, so they just have a measure among them I can't explain. They just start walking among the people in a different way. It's not their talent, it's not their gift. But it's truly who they are. Sometimes I say regularly, it's not what you do, it's who you are. If our identity is in what I do, then I'm going to be lost if I don't do it anymore. The church is filled with identity in action. I'm this. I'm that. And if I'm not doing that anymore, I'm a nobody. We've done you a disfavor. If we've not said, wait, let your labor come out of who you are. Let your labor come out of your gift and grace. Value what needs to be valued because that's the mark of maturity. You can actually preach and teach and do other things and activity and never mature. But the way you see the mark of maturity is what he gives us here. It's a place. This one is a sacrifice.

Notice what Paul did. There's three observations I think I can say about this one. About Epaphroditus. Paul says he almost died. Now, he literally was at the point of death. And that Greek idea there is the same thing as with Jesus: that he was obedient even to the point of death. Number two, he risked his life. That word, Greek word, is like a gambler. He gambled on his life, meaning he didn't know what the future meant, but this is what God wants me to do. I'm going to go do it. Man, a mark of maturity is when I say, okay, God, I'm going to obey you even at risk. Even at risk. That doesn't mean you don't have boundaries. It doesn't mean you don't have schedules for your family. That's not what I'm saying. But there's got to be a place in the body of Christ, not just in America, but every nation of the world where people see their Christianity called to mature in the grace of God. And the mark of it cannot be overlooked. We can see somebody's mature because they know something, but when you start seeing, are they at that point of sacrifice? Another thing I think is interesting about Epaphroditus, he was distressed over the fact they would hear that he was sick. Man, that's huge, isn't it? That he was concerned because somebody else would be concerned. It wasn't because he's ashamed of being sick. Can you imagine what it'd be like if he had died 900 miles away? We don't, you know, think about that. No wonder Paul was burdened about it. He couldn't have gotten word to them. What happened to aphroditis? But apaphrodis was concerned that they would be burdened to find out he was ill. Give me some mature people. I remember, I mentioned to Gene this morning. I remember when Tom Was that dying with leukemia calling you, many of you in the church, to check on you when you were sick? I was like, Tom, where does that come from? It's not about him. So what it was about Epaphroditis. He was concerned that they would be overburdened by the that's interesting, isn't it? Maturity is a willingness to be inconvenienced. It really is a willingness to say, God, what are you doing? What are you doing in me? Can I say something to you in this room? I just trust that in the coming weeks and months and years, people look at you and say, Man, you're not the same person you used to be. And don't take that as offense. In fact, one of our sisters this last week in our class at Christ College, she said, Glenn, I don't want to offend you, and I don't want to be too bold. But I came here in 2001, and I gotta tell you, you're not the same guy that I saw in 2001. In fact, you were a little prideful in 2001. And I said, honey, if you thought I was prideful in 2001, you should have known me in the 80s. That ought to be a mark of our life. That God is growing you. Right? He's changing you. That you're not the same as you used to be. I want that for all of us. I want it for me, the rest of my life, to say, Lord, may I grow in the grace of the Lord Jesus? And you can only do that when you say, I want to care for the things of Christ. Because when you care for the things of Christ, it's a marker, isn't it? It's a marker. Which is powerful because he said, God had mercy. Paul said, God had mercy on me. We don't know if it was a miraculous healing, if it was a recovery. But he made it. And he said it would have been sorrow upon sorrow. Can I say something here? Being mature doesn't mean you're stoic. Being mature doesn't mean you don't hurt. Paul said it would have been sorrow upon sorrow, but God spared that by delivering aphroditis and healing him. Sorrow is real. And guess what? Needs are ongoing as well. Paul still needed somebody. I like what he said. He said, I want to, I hope the Lord to send Timothy Likely quoting Philippians 2:19 as soon as I find out how it goes here with me. He needed Timothy while he was there in prison. But he said, I want to send Epaphroditus back to you because I need to hear, and I want you to know what he's meant to me so that I can have less anxiety when you hear how well he's doing, and when you get to report here of how well I'm doing, he carried such a burden for them. It was amazing.

Which he then says something that I want us to get here. He says, Therefore, because of this, there should be marks of respect and honor. Listen to what he says about Epaphrodis. So then welcome him in the Lord, what's this, with great joy, and honor people like him. This is a command. It isn't a suggestion. It's easy to overlook. Sometimes when I've read and heard people teach about the culture of honor, it seemed like they're focused on the platform to honor those who are in authority. Yes, there's biblical in that, but that's not what Paul is talking about here. He's talking about honor those who are mature among you, who have sacrificed, who've carried the saints and done the work of the ministry. There are many among us. And to know that there are men like him, he said, people like him. It's not just one or two, but there are people in this room. There are people in this house that genuinely care for others. They genuinely the burden for others. That's a mark of maturity. There's others who have proven themselves over the years. They've walked through and they've proven themselves with character. That's maturity. There's people in this room, listen to me. I've watched them sacrifice for others. That's a mark of maturity. Generosity flowing out of them towards others. That's a mark of maturity. And the mark among us to be a mature church is to honor the Epaphroditus, to honor the Timothy. And when I say to you, I love Christ's body. That's what I mean. Well, I know that they are testimonies of Christ's faithfulness in this room that we may not get to hear, but we ought to hear. Of God's graciousness and his work in them. Sometimes I long for eternity to really see the glory of Christ in his body, to know the faithful ones that will be honored.

I remember a story being told. And it was said it was first of George Wakefield and of Charles Finney. Great revivalists. Great revivalists. George Wakefield was a Calvinist. John Wesley was an Armenian. And they were opposites, but at the same time, great revivalists. And someone asked George Wakefield, do you think you'll see Finney in heaven? He said, No. He'll be so close to the throne of God. I won't see you. That's honoring Christ's body. To think that in this room, that there are moms and dads that are faithful to the call of God, to the measure that God has given them. That there are people in this room who are faithful and will grow more and more. I don't know if that's good theology, they're so close to the throne I won't get to see him, but you get his point, don't you? That we sometimes overlook that because they're not seen. But may we learn to honor, as Paul said, people like him.

Here is the call for us today. I believe this is the call I want to share it with you. It simply says this: it's a call to live out maturity. Maybe we've not challenged ourselves enough. But spiritual maturity is the character of Christ so formed within us that his interest becomes our interest. His people become our concern. His purposes become our priority. I remember as a child. I knew when God had my heart. When I'd say, God, I'll go where you want me to go. I'll do what you want me to do. I'll be what you want me to be. I'll say what you want me to say. I remember kneeling at the altar saying that from time to time. I need to be reminded that now. God, I'll go where you want me to go. God, I'll be what you want me to be. God, I'll do what you want me to do. God, I'll say what you want me to say. If that's you, would you stand together with me all across it? Everybody just stand as a point of faith that you're saying, God, I'll go where you want me to go. God, I'll be what you want me to be. God, I'll do what you want me to do. God, I'll say what you want me to say. Maybe you've never prayed. God, let the marks of maturity be seen in my life. Could we just do that right now? Right there where you are. Would you like to bow your head just before him in his presence? This is a moment today for individuals, individuals to say, God, what are you doing in me? And if Paul was writing back to the church in Claremore, how would he recognize us as believers? Would there be Epaphroditus? Or Timothy's, or would there be those among us that said, Yes, God, I want to mature in you, I want to grow in you. Sometimes the frictions, the difficulties, the challenges of life, you remain faithful. That's your growing time. That's the time that you're growing. Maybe you're angry, maybe you're dealing with anger. Could I just suggest to you this morning, God's going to use that? To mature you, to cause you to see what you would not normally see, for you to be humble before Him and say, Lord, maybe you had a point you say, I I I don't know how I could ever forgive. The Lord says, I'm going to use that to mature you because it is my interest. Would you just take a moment right there and tell the Lord, God, you've told us last week, you give us both the desire. And the ability to do your good pleasure. This week you're calling us to grow in the grace and mature. Father, I pray over this house right now. I pray over the newest among us, those who've walked with the Lord for decades. For those that you're bringing forth in the grace, God, would you open our eyes to see one another? By the gifts of Christ, the value, the one who might devalue Christ in them. Lord, I pray that that would not be the case. The cares of life, the weightiness of responsibility can be so hard. Father, I ask you today. I ask you today. Right there with your family, right there with your friends, what's the Holy Spirit saying? Could you walk out of here and say to your spouse, honey, I want the marks, I want the marks of maturity to be in my life? Could you go to your buddies, guys? Gal, could you go to your sisters and say, I want the marks of maturity to be seen in my life? Would you just for a moment take that pursuit while I pray over you one more time? Would you just take that pursuit? Maybe you've never been there before, but the command of the Lord is upon us. It's not optional. But that we might grow up into Christ ahead. Lord, we've been told all of our life we're to grow up in you. But now today we see out of Philippians marks what it looks like. Are those true in our life? Lord, are those true? Lord, convict me where you're speaking to me. Direct me where you're directing me, I pray. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus.

One more thing. I want to lead you in a prayer. This is how we're going to close out this day. When we transition, if you want prayer, we'll have prayer available as well. But I want you to pray this prayer because this message today is really for you to walk out here with. It's for you to take with you. You may need to go to another brother or sister for sure. But this is for you to take out. It's a call to maturity. Say this prayer with me if you will out loud. Say, Heavenly Father, I received the word of the Lord that Jesus Christ is my example, became obedient even to the death. Lord Jesus, I want the marks of maturity. Because there's evidence that I'm growing in you. Concern for others. Willingness to be proven. Willingness to sacrifice. Willing to honor one another. Start in me right now. I pray in Jesus' name. If you agree with that, say amen. You may be seated for just a moment. Tell Glenn, thank you for that powerful message. Amen this morning. Call of the Spirit of God to be Christ-like in this world. Amen. And just to share the love of Christ. And I was just reminded of the example that the Lord gave and challenged the disciples, you know, and told Then when you go visit the sick, those in prison, those in need, and you've done it under Lisa, you've done it unto me. And I just think of that. That it that is the level of maturity that the Lord is really after. Because when we serve one another as servants of Christ, serve one another, we're doing it as unto the Lord. That's powerful. Amen.

Well, we're going to move on into our time of worship this morning and our giving. So grateful for those in the house that just continue to faithfully to pay the tithe and give offerings as well. And we're just so grateful for that. If there's three ways of giving, of course, there's the offering envelope that it would be in the seat back in front of you. If you're giving me check by check today, uh you can return that and just drop that in the bucket uh as you leave this morning in the back of the auditorium. Or if you're giving by uh your text or to give, uh the information is there on the screen for that. And uh, of course, if you're online and giving uh online, that information is there as well. So thank you for being faithful of that. As you prepare your giving, I want to also point out those of you that may be here for the first time, we were so grateful to have you this guest with us. We can have so many guests in our 11 o'clock service, so we're grateful for that. But if this is your first time, if you've not had an opportunity to fill up one of these cards, there's one in the back seat, uh, back of the seat there in front of you. And fill that information out for us. And you can drop that in the offering bucket as well as you leave. Just like to have a record of your visit with us and so that we can get acquainted with you. And uh, so we'd love to for you to do that. So fill that out for us. Also, in your giving, I also mentioned that this is our um uh time of month that we honor those that that we labor with and and uh in our missions. And I also want to point, and this month we're pointing out um A young man in Fiji, in the country of Fiji, his name is Naka, took a duadua. I like to say that name. That's a challenge. It's a mouthful. But we just love that young man and he's serving in Fiji. And so in your time of prayer, there's this card there on your seat, and you can just tear off that little uh end there and just save it in your Bible as a bookmark, just as a reminder to begin to pray for those. Um and that that we have partnered with in our missions, and it's such a blessing to be able to do that, to reach out what's going on around the world, what the Lord is doing. And I'm just grateful for those that we labor with. So be prayerful of Naka in his ministry there in Fiji. And we just bless him abundantly. Let's pray together as we give unto the Lord. Father, we just thank you for your blessings in our lives. Lord, we're grateful that, Lord, that we can give out of your blessings and to supply the need in every area, Father, within the local church and even around this world, Lord, as we give into missions. We thank you for what you're doing, and we put our shoulder together, our labor together with you, Lord, what you're doing by your spirit. And we put it into your kingdom. And we just thank you for what you're doing, Lord. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. As you prepare your giving this morning, check out some announcements that are happening around DLC.

What is up, DLC fam? My name is Darius Murphy, and we are so glad to have you here with us today. Let's take a look at a few things that we have coming up here for you and your family here at Destiny Life Church. Third Sunday DLC Together will be on the fourth Sunday this month, October 25th at 6 p.m. on the Awaso campus. Well, guys, men's steak dinner is coming up on October 20th on the Claremore campus at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $25 and it includes a 16-ounce steak, a baked potato, salad, rolls, and a dessert. Aaron Shaw serves as the recovery pastor at Cedar Point Church in Claremore and will be our guest speaker for the evening. Register by scanning the QR code on your C flyer or go to dlc.tv/slash events. Well, that's all that we have for you this week. We look forward to connecting with you at one of our Sunday services at 9 or 11 in Claremore or Wasso. And as always, we want to pray with you. So if you have a need, please let us know. Have a great week, DLC. Stand with me one more time as we prepare to leave this morning. I want to invite the prayer teams to come here to the front. And as we go, if there is a need within your family, within your life this morning, we want you to feel free to take this time. This opportunity just to be ministered to by the body of Christ. Let them pray with you. And just over those areas within your life, don't miss out this opportunity. Because when two or three gather or touch upon anything in my name Possibly quoting Matthew 18:20, amen. We just believe that God can heal, deliver, transform all the miracles that God can do is evident within his body. We just thank you for doing that, Lord. So let's pray together. Father, we just thank you, Lord, once again. But the call to maturity, the call to serve. And Lord, in our lives, we're faithful unto you, Lord. We just are growing in you. And I thank you, Lord, for what your spirit is doing within our lives every day, Lord, as we mature in Christ in you. Let that be so evident within us, Lord, as your body. And we just thank you, Father, as we go in the name of Christ. Amen and amen. God bless you as you leave.