Review

Theme for the Year: “Grown”

Theme Scripture for the Year: Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV): ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

• The purpose of ministry gifts is to help us grow
• God also uses plant life as an analogy for spiritual growth
  • Like plants, God wants us to flourish
  • We know we are growing when we bear fruit that glorifies the Father.

The “Grown” Series

• The world’s concept of adulthood is a license to act childish:
  • Biblical adulthood is measured by how much we submit our lives to the Father.
    • Jesus is God’s definition of adulthood.
    • The more you are like Christ, the more of an adult you are.
• Becoming like Christ is about inner life development but is reflected in our outer life practice.

The “Jireh” Series

• Many people seek to bypass internal growth to become rich.
• But wealth building God’s way requires that we are first rich internally.
• Because The purpose of wealth is human flourishing.

The “Rest” Series

• We learned that we find rest in the process of spiritual formation.
• Spiritual formation is the process of God forming our inner life in such a way that it is more and more like Christ.

The “Hustle” Series

• Don’t let technology, inflation and working conditions bully you into a life that just goes faster and faster to the point of becoming unsustainable.
• At some point, we have to take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus

The “Words of Jesus” Series

Jesus Speaks on Marriage and Divorce

Matthew 19:10-11 (ESV): ¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” ¹¹ But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given.

Getting married and having children is not a mandate.

Eunuchs

Matthew 19:12 (ESV): ¹² For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

• A eunuch is a male who has been castrated for the purposes of serving in a royal court (common in the ancient world in the Middle East, Asia and parts of Africa)
• Jesus uses eunuch as a metonym,
  • Metonym (met – o – nym) /ˈmed̩nim/: (noun) a word, name, or expression used as a substitute for something else with which it is closely associated. For example, Washington is a metonym for the federal government of the US. [Definition from Oxford Languages and Google]
  • In Jesus’ explanation, a eunuch is a kind of single person that represents all other single persons.
• Three categories of single:
  • Birth (physical limitations)
  • Men (social circumstances)
  • Kingdom (spiritual motivation)

A Curious Statement

“Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

• “Able” is not about a personality type, but about a heart posture.
  • Submission requires that your heart be subject to God as much as your body.

Sacrifices in Marriage

This is how submission is applied in our married and single lives:

Married and single Christians first give themselves to the Lord before anyone else.

Sacrifices in the Single Life

God’s demands on single people are just as high as they are on married people.

Single people are just submitted to Christ in a different context.

But What If I’m Single by Circumstance and Not by Choice?

Let’s go back to Jesus’ closing statement:

“Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

God works at the pace of heart readiness.

The Eunuch as a Metaphor

Eunuchs were people the king could trust because they were dead to their strongest desires.

Some of the most delicate matters of the kingdom were committed to single people (spiritual eunuchs):

• Jesus
• Paul
• John the Baptist
• Mary Magdelene
• Miriam
• Lydia

But What if I don’t Want to Live Like a Nun or a Priest?

This series is an invitation to embrace the high call of the single life.

Our New Series Title: The Sacredness of Singleness

 

Resources:

• Single Today: Conquer Yesterday’s Regrets, Ditch Tomorrow’s Worries, and Thrive Right Where You Are by Ryan Wekenman
• I’m 30 & Still SINGLE | How to Manage Your Single Season, Remain Celibate, & more w- Tim Ross https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWS4XzPgxdY
• Instagram Clip About Singleness: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8cJ9KnsEvX/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== (https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8cJ9KnsEvX/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

© Joshua D. Smith, Ph.D., 2024