<p style="text-align: left;"><b>Summary</b>:<br>Paul explains that God’s purpose for giving gifts and leaders to the church is for believers to grow together toward spiritual maturity. This growth continues until they reach unity in faith and in a deep, personal knowledge of Christ, becoming mature and fully developed rather than remaining spiritually immature.<br><br>He contrasts maturity with instability, warning against being easily misled by false teaching or clever manipulation. Instead of being tossed around by every new idea, believers are called to live by the truth expressed in love. As they do so, they grow into Christ, who is the head of the body.<br><br>From Christ, the entire body is held together and supported. Each part contributes according to its proper function, and through this coordinated work, the whole body grows and is built up in love.<br> <br><b>Teaching</b>:<br>Though we are originally different people, we become one through knowing Jesus. Only by becoming one in this way do we become mature. This maturity is the goal of our faith.<br><br>The reason we believe in Jesus is also to become mature. We are people who are lacking, but as we believe in and come to know Jesus, the Son of God, and as we become one within the church, we grow into mature people. No one can ever become mature on their own.<br><br>As we grow into mature people together, we are filled to the full measure of the maturity of Christ.<br><br><br><i>Excerpt from the sermon by Pastor Lee, Apr 7, 2026</i><i><br></i><i>Ephesians 4:13-16</i></p>
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