Christian Heritage Church

1. Christian Heritage Church Indeed my Heritage is Beautiful To Me (Psalm 16:6b)

2. Acts 20:1-5 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas.

3. What do You do After a Riot? • Get Right Back to Work • It’s More Than Getting People Saved • The Goal of Maturity • The Means of Maturity • The Results of Maturity

4. Get Right Back to Work Acts 20:1After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. The safest thing for Paul could have done was to keep quiet and get out of town. 1 Corinthians 15:58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

5. It’s More Than Just Getting Saved Acts 20:2-3When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. He had already exhorted the believers in Ephesus, now we see much exhortation to the believers on his way to Macedonia - then 3 months in Greece It was not Paul’s method to say, “they’re saved, I’ve done my job, They’re God’s problem now and I can move on.”

6. It’s More Than Just Getting Saved Acts 15:41And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Acts 18:23And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Acts 14:21-22After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.“

7. It’s More Than Just Getting Saved 2 Corinthians 11:24-29Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

8. It’s More Than Just Getting Saved Do we see this type of intense concern for the maturity of new believers today? Paul not only believed they must be saved, he also believed they must be brought to maturity It seems the concern today is not with the maturity of those who profess faith in Christ, but simply how many people profess faith in Christ We may be building up a large crowd of people, but we are not building up the body of Christ Because we have neglected the ministry of bringing saints to maturity the church has reaped a whirlwind of problems:

9. It’s More Than Just Getting Saved The work of the ministry has been exchanged for entertainment Holiness has been exchanged for false views of grace or for the embracing legalism Unity that is based on truth has been exchanged for agreeing to disagree and a belief in the ever-increasing unclear, gray areas of the Bible The revelation of who God is, has been exchanged for personal opinions and the fleshly imaginations of man People are immature and tossed about by every wind of doctrine that sweeps across the churches in America

10. The Goal of Maturity Colossians 1:28-29We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man mature in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Matthew 28:19-20"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Regretfully America is plagued with Immaturity and it has found its way into the church

11. The Means of Maturity Ephesians 4:11-16And He [Jesus] 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 fullness of Christ... 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 what 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.

12. The Means of Maturity Jesus gave gifts to the church Which are to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry Which is presenting every believer mature in Christ We do it by speaking the truth in love We do it by the proper working of each individual part of the body

13. The Results of Maturity Ephesians 4:13-14Until 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 fullness 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 We are no longer acting like children We are no longer tossed about by every wind of doctrine We are no longer carried away by the trickery of men We are no longer carried away by craftiness and deceitful scheming

14. The Results of Maturity Acts 20:4-5And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. Unity of the Faith There is a little more going on in these verses than meets the eye

15. The Results of Maturity Romans 15:24-28Whenever I go to Spain… I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while. But now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.

16. The Results of Maturity Acts 20:4-6And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. There were representatives from almost all of the Gentile churches going back to the church at Jerusalem with a gift for the saints in need there By caring for one another we go a long way in promoting unity and this is a great sign of maturity What type of unity is a result of maturity?

17. The Results of Maturity Ephesians 4:1-3Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Unity of the Spirit based on our union with Christ We are told to maintain what we already have

18. The Results of Maturity Ephesians 4:13-14Until 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 fullness of Christ. Unity of the Faith based on our growth in the knowledge of Jesus

19. The Results of Maturity John 17:17-21"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. Unity of the Faith based on the Truth

20. A. W. Tozer Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. 1897-1963

21. The Results of Maturity Hebrews 5:12-14We have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. We can now eat solid food and no longer partake only of milk We are receptive to the word of righteousness

22. The Results of Maturity John 6:61-66Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?" But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble?... "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life… And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. “Strong Sons of God are not Perfected by Childish Pursuits” (David Breese from his book “Living for Eternity”)

23. Questions to Consider • Are we laboring to present every man mature in Christ? • Are we striving to maintain unity based on truth? • Are we willing to heed some of the difficult words of Christ?

24. Christian Heritage Church Indeed my Heritage is Beautiful To Me (Psalm 16:6b)