2819 Church - Time to Grow Up | Ephesians 4:11-16 | Arik Hayes

Episode Date: September 29, 2025

Welcome to the official YouTube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators.As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured, and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

You may have a seat. Frank, you might be hanging out with me, brother. I appreciate you now. Welcome to 2819 church, beloved. Amen. My name is Eric Hayes. I'm one of the elders here. Thank you.

Thank you. I appreciate you. I appreciate you. And I take that call seriously. We are a church that is a house of prayer, presence, and proclamation. I want to welcome our online community, digital disciples. Some who may be in the building. Make some noise, yeah.

A couple. A couple. We'll get some digital disciples. visits us from all over the world, all over the country, all over the state. I want to say every Sunday. And I just wanted to acknowledge you those that are in the room, those that are online. I want to welcome the unbeliever. This is a place where you can absolutely belong before you believe.

Is Brittany in the building? Is she here? Okay. That's right. I want to honor her anyway. Right? So Brittany Timmons leads our outreach. And some of you, where some of you are not,

we have an initiative called Serve M25, and we mobilized. I got the numbers approximately 1,000 Christians all over the metro Atlanta area yesterday for the sole purpose of doing the work of the ministry we're going to get to that and being the tangible hands and feet of Jesus and it was not on a Sunday morning I said it was not on a Sunday morning that means you had to any convenience yourself and take some time out I'll side of just a regular check off the box Sunday and say I'm going to inconvenience myself to do what the body has been called to do so I just want to honor her I want to honor her

whole team I want to honor all of 2819 disciples and Christians that went out there I just want to honor you guys right and uh and as is customary and I will continue to do so I want to honor the past of this house philip anthony mitchell amen right there's no forcing right i'm going to give you the space to do so if it's in your heart because it's a weighty call it's a weighty call to stay steadfast in the gospel in your assignment until we fall asleep in him

or he cracks the sky to come and get us so I just want to honor him because he has kept his hand to the plow. Amen. Amen. And it's the church who are continuing to walk through the book of Matthew and we just finish up a series title Entry and End Times and I'll be preaching a standalone message that has been titled Time to Grow Up.

time to grow up by your head let me pray for us holy father you know the hearts of men and women that are here that are that are tuning in you even know which recording is going to go up god i I don't, God, but you, you sent your word and your scriptures for a reason. And God, I just want to be faithful to this assignment. Help me be faithful to this assignment, oh God, to handle your people with care and with courage. To both confront and comfort. by your grace and by your Holy Spirit God I look to decrease

so that you would increase in this hour Jesus' name we pray amen so again some of you guys know some of you don't know I used to teach premarital just a little plug I know you guys been asking sending an email saying hey it's been a while

we've actually we're redoing the curriculum just got pretty much the final rough draft, so just look for the announcement, right? So when it's time, you can jump in there, right? So one of the things, I'll give you a little bit this morning, some of you actually won't make it a premarital, and that's okay, right? No, that's really okay, and this is why, right? So one of the things I do, like, really on, like, the first time that we meet, I slow you down, right?

Because by the time you get in premarital, you probably been with this person like a year, year and a half, two years, y'all all in love, you know, met the family, you know, had some conversations. Y'all love each other, look at all you in the face. Y'all, y'all really spent some time together, right? And you're saying, hey, man, this is the person that I want to marry. This is the person I'm really considered marrying. I want to be able to have a covenant with this person.

Like, we both saved, hopefully. I'm going to tell you, man, if you believe you bring somebody here and we're not, we're not, and we're not God, right? But if we're not seeing fruit in their lives and we believe that they're unsaved, I'm going to tell you you shouldn't get married. Why, right? Because everybody talks about being unequally yoked. We use it in all other instances.

We're talking about what does Christ have to do with Below? What does light have to do with darkness? What does a believer have business marrying an unbeliever? And that's your straight Bible. How in love you are. If you love Jesus and you're, marrying an unbeliever, you are setting yourself up for unnecessary pain and possibly torment. I love you, so I'll tell you, right?

So just say, you are believers, and I say, everybody says, I want to get married. And they'll probably look at each other and they giggle and they smile and all that good stuff. And it's beautiful, right? But I said, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold. Remove the word marriage. Because I can say, I want to get married. You can say, you want to get married. But everybody has reasons.

why they get married everybody has reasons they have benefits they have they have plans for the marriage not just getting married for no reason it can be superficial you see fine okay it can be a reason Hopefully it ain't the main one, right? Oh, he tall, darky heads or whatever. Oh, he got money or whatever. Oh, I like the house. I like the car. It could be, you know, now I finally get to go home and bring somebody home

and don't have a weird time at Thanksgiving explaining why I'm single. I want somebody to help me with these bills. I'm okay with going 50-50. Listen, but there are real reasons of the hearts as to why you get married. And so often, they haven't really shared it with each other. So, like, the first time I say, slow it down. I know you want to get married. Yeah, you love each other.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But, yeah, write them reasons down, though. And don't front on them. This is not the time to be cute. Last thing you need to do is getting married to somebody with a hidden reason, jump over the broom, and then surprise them with it. Tadda, this is why I really wanted you. Oh, my goodness.

And it's going to get crazy in your household. And guess what they're going to call? They're going to call them in. Guess what? I'm going to take it. I'm going to take it. Because I love you. Right?

So likewise, man, I think If we're honest, man, like We're very aware of what we want out of salvation Aren't you very aware of what's in your heart of why you're saved and what you want out of the relationship with God? Right? But too many of us have never stopped and slowed down.

to ponder and meditate on what God wants out of us as we are the bride of Christ. We don't think about it. Our prayers would be different. How we handle hardship will be different. How you handle assignments will be different. how you handle people will be different or it would be.

So I just want to slow down. Look at some scriptures. Let's see what the Lord wants from us this morning. All right. And some of y'all may be ready to check out already. I say don't do that. Right?

Because we've already talked about His glory, the weight of his presence is so much more important than anything you want to check out over anyway. And if you intend to have a relationship with him, if you don't figure this out and hear him, it's going to be dysfunctional the whole time. So because I love you, I'm asking you, don't check out. leave the live stream on all right family we're going to jump into Ephesians fourth chapter

and this one is special to me because I find myself in this verse Ephesians 4 11 through 16 Ephesians 4 11 through 16 Ephes 4 11 through 16 and it reads beloved ESV version it said he gave the apostles the prophets the evangelists the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of the ministry let's stop

right there who is to do the work of the ministry okay let's make it plain right we talk about the Apostles, the prophets, evangelists, and in cultural Christianity, we turn that upside down. We say the preacher does the work of the ministry, don't we? Don't we? Having some of us brought people to church and here, pastor, whoever's preaching, so that they would share the gospel when you have the same gospel in your mouth and in your Bible? to do the work of the ministry sounds like serve m25 to me let's keep going verse 12 to equip the saints for the work of the ministry for building up the body of Christ it says until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God to mature manhood say mature

to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ what is God calling us to maturity and what does maturity look like until we grow up and we look like Christ

that should be our lean that should be our aim that should be what we are doing he is our focal point he is our idol he is the one we should be imitating and i want to say to any preachers in the building or listening that's what we should be pointing everyone towards and too many times in cultural christianity the prophet the shepherd the apostle the evangelist points people to themselves

and it is wicked and demonic I said this is personal to me I find myself in there as a shepherd and a teacher right if I point you to to me or to anything else or anyone else other than Christ I am abandoning my call we are sent as gifts to the body to equip you to do the work of the ministry

and to grow up in maturity into the full stature of Christ himself and verse 4 says so that Verse 14, excuse me, says, so that. That means this, this is why. Verse 14, it says, 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 deceit. Seatful schemes, stop, does that not give you a picture of what we see today in church?

Every wind of doctrine just knocks us off and now we're out of church for six months. Now you're not sure of your salvation. Every TikTok video, you hear it because we are not mature and leave. into Christ. I don't know about the Bible. I don't know about the validity of the Bible. I don't know about the integrity of the scriptures. I don't know. Knocked off. And that's so many instances, the goal of ministry is not maturity in Christ. And that's why he gave you pastors. Rather, instead of those things, verse 15, we should be speaking the truth in love. Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up.

Say grow up. In every way. who is the head into Christ stop that's what he's looking for as we're married to Christ to grow up into him

to grow up to look like him we got the same Holy Spirit that he has but to walk as he walk scripture says he went about doing good again sounds like serve m25 to me and what we should be doing all 52 weeks of the year because it's part-time Christianity got to stop man it's got to stop man just put on the Christian hat and let's take it off when we're inconvenience or it gets too hot in the kitchen

No. Verse 16 From the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part say each part is working properly it makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love I just want to extrapolate there right so we're talking about a personal maturity and then we're talking

about a corporate maturity with the body and I want you to consider when we lay off maturity in Christ how we're weighing the body down. Didn't it say? Let's come back. Let's read it again. Right? In verse 16, from the whole body joined and held together

by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, it makes the body grow. When we're walking and what we've been assigned, what we've been called to, forgiving, loving, being steadfast, we grow up together. We want to know partially why the body is suffering,

it could be because of our disobedience. Me, you, and the person sitting next to you. So we just want to duck off and live in our flesh. We are not concerned with the health of the rest of the body. selfish living living fleshy lives behind closed doors say nobody knows nobody sees God cares and it's affecting the body

whether you know it or not Let's go Romans 828 to 30 Are we going to start with a very familiar scripture But the other ones not so much Roman 828 It says, and we know That for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose let's stop

can i remember the amplify there in that verse i love it it says and we know with great confidence that god who is deeply concerned about us causes all things to work together as a plan for good for those who love God to those who are called according to his plan and his purpose. Oh, and we eat that up. Oh, we eat it up. It's one of my favorite verses. I like it. Don't you like it?

Don't you? Okay. That's okay. We love it. Right? He's deeply concerned about us. This is true. He is going to work all for the good of those who love him and are called according to his plan.

purpose right but a lot of times even when people like they they repeat that verse when they get to the end according to his plan is purpose they start mumbling they don't really care about that I just want you to work all good for me they say that real bold work all things grab their ear throw it back all that good stuff right right look at the next verse 29 for those for those whom he He foreknew. Talking about believers, he foreknew us. He also predestined to be conformed.

Say conform. To the image of his son. Stop. I want to clean it up for you, family. Like, God, what's your will for my life? To be conformed. God, I just want to know.

God, please reveal your plan to me. I'm to me, oh, God. I said, la-da-da-da, even to be conformed. Get up. Read the Bible. Let's write you up. To be conform. He already answered.

God, what is my destiny that you have? Sit me to the nations, go to the nations, but be conformed first to the image of his dear son. Or when you get there, they're just going to get your flesh. Conformed. What's that mean? Fashioned, shaped, molded. See, we are all image bearers of God, even if you're not saved. But only believers are being conformed to the image of Christ.

Jesus, our Lord. And guess what? This is disciple talk. It will not feel good a lot of the time. It's not going to feel good. Be conform. You know what it looks like sometimes? Literally idolatry being ripped out of your soul

until you don't even want it no more. Dreams that you had that don't align with his will for you specifically being pulled away from you, God. Sometimes you will shed. tears, God, I thought I wanted it so bad, God. It was pulled away from you, God, because you're being conformed to the image of Christ. A life with a real disciple, you're going to shed some tears. And sometimes it ain't got nothing to do with an attack of the enemy. Beloved, sometimes you're just being conformed.

Sometimes you're just being stretched. And I counsel people. And sometimes I wish I could give them a timeline. But sometimes I can't. I just know you being conformed to the image when you hold on to his word. You hold on to his way. That is confirmation happen. we're supposed to progressively look more and more like him

to love more and more like him to forgive and not hold on more and more like him and let me talk to the camps right right we're talking about the power of christ right Some camp is all about healing, sick, raising the dead, miracles. And then other camps are all about loving and character. I see both camps in Christ. He was tender and loving and consoling and pastoral. Like a father.

And then he also whipped sin. death and the grave while he was walking and through his death burial and resurrection. All of this is done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Some of y'all camps need to shut your church and get a bigger building and join because it's all Christ. Are we talking about the unity of the faith? We got way too many church buildings. And I come from a small church in a storefront, so don't think I'm talking big because I'm at 2819.

No, no, no. Some of these churches at 15% capacity anyway. You're weighing on the people to pay the mortgage in the name of ties and offering. No, no, no, no. Hear what I'm saying. Yes, support the ministry. But you'd probably be a lot better if, like, five of y'all churches came together, Say, we're not some minor disagreements, but we are seeking the unity of the faith.

Let's come together as the body. That alone can start revival. I'll read 29 again, and I'll keep going. For those whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed, say conformed to the image of his son. And the last part of that, it says, in order that he might be the first born among many brothers. And I'm not being sacrilegious or Christ is to be worshipped. but too many of us

place Christ all the way over there and just kind of call yourself a regular Christian when that's not the will of God he is to be the first born of many brothers and sisters that look just like him in spirit and soul you see how we mess this thing up there's a big Christian right

on the stage on the front row and I'm just back here, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's not the will of God. You in the second and 58th row are to look like Christ. First 30. And those whom he predestined, he also called. And those whom he called, he also called. he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified you were predestined

you were called and you were justified let me stop there right justified fancy theological term justified in his presence in layman's term just as if you never sinned right and i love this because the bible confirms itself like one of the other times i was preaching i was talking about um being perfected while being sanctified y'all remember that same thing here we're talking about you being conformed we had not arrived yet but you're already justified that's why i don't want you to check out because you can take this and you're like oh man and you can get overwhelmed of things I have to do. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Right? We should all be partaking and facilitating and opening ourselves up to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification. In layman's terms, again, being conformed to the image of Christ. And guess what, family? That takes. time. And it's unfair of some of you who just got saved or saved under five years to compare yourself

to those that have been with the Lord for 15, 20, 25 years. That's not fair. So also I have to hold this tension because time with the Lord doesn't mean intimacy with the Lord. It does not Well I've been with the Lord 25 years I don't really care Have you been intimate with him Consistently Submitted to him as Lord

For 25 years Then guess what That fruit will show And at the same time God could do a quick work In 30 days if he want to snatch that thing right up out of you. Why? Why? Because it's not about us. It's about the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

You know, the comforter, the one he sits. I'll say this again, family. We're talking about maturity. That's why I didn't want you to check out, right? Maturity in God is not something that you can for. course. However, beloved, it is something that we are called to facilitate. So in essence, what we are doing is we are continuing to jump on the altar and lay ourselves out and say, God, have your way. have your way if i could change this i would have did it already god have your way i'm depending on the sanctified work of the holy ghost have your way oh god i invite you into my home i invite you into my life i invite you into my relationship i invite you into my business i invite you into my

ministry i invite you into my heart have your way i belong to you anywhere I am yours and you are mine sanctify me oh God and if you continue to do that and continue to lean into him and continue to pray and repent and forgive and love and obey what you will what you will end up doing by the grace of God himself and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit himself the same one that raised Christ Jesus from the dead the same one that hold over the waters before the earth was formed he will change us you just make sure it's on his time table not ours That's why I want to give you, make sure you have a firm, secure connection with God through the gospel, that you are accepted and loved and also called to maturity and grow in Christ.

You know what that does? It stops this transactional business. God, if you just give me X, Y, Z, I, first of all, quit promising. Quit, quit, just stop it. Stop it. He didn't ask for you to do. Just let your yes be yes and you'll know be no. Don't be making no vows to God that you're probably going to break anyway.

Imagine one of my children. You know God, if you, they came in to me, hey, Dad, if you just get me this bike, you know, I'll really be your son. I'm seeing how I actually I was a part of the creation process to even get you here you're already my son so that's not up for debate it's all about are you going to be obedient or not

and not attach it to some gift that I may want to give you anyway when you attach to that now we're perverting our relationship with our father it's dysfunctional to approach him that way it's dysfunctional to approach him that way and I love I'm going to read verse 30 in the amplified it says and those whom he predestined he also called

and those whom he called he also justified declared free of guilt of sin And those whom he justified He also glorified Check this out It says raising them To a heavenly dignity So one of my friends

Works in the government It's actually over in Africa Right Right And although I'll lead a political discussion here Right Right there was a time when a dignitary came in the room, it was respect.

It was an important person, a dignitary, someone with prestige and a place. We are now heavenly dignitaries. See how cheap it is to look for our approval from the world when we are citizens of heaven? Can I tell you something? People like, yeah, elder. I say, hey, man, we practice honor, upside and down here, right?

But I'm okay if one time I ain't called elder or whatever. All right. What I'm not okay with is if my name is not written in the book of life. I am not okay with that. But since it is, and those who belong to Jesus, Your name is there. We have dignity in heaven. The government that supersedes all other governments.

That's included in our salvation. we're going to go 1133 to 12 to help me god first 33 says oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgment are his judgment and how inscrutable his ways stop. I'll give it to him the Amplify, 33. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are his ways. Sometimes we need to be reminded who we're in relationship with.

He is God. God Almighty. Created the heaven and the earth. Go read Genesis again. Created man out of the dust. Blue breath into him, made him a living soul. God! God!

First 34. And I quote in the Old Testament there. It says, for who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Stop. Who has God called up and asked for advice? We'll be tripping sometimes.

He's God. He can trounce any type of human wisdom you got right now. And change it. 35. Or who has given him a gift to him that he might be repaid? Hey, here you got, I gave you a gift. You can hit me back later on. No one.

36. It says, For from him and through him and to him. For from him and through him and to him. And to him. For from him and through him and to him are all things to him. be glory forever. Amen. All things.

Maybe not. All things. To who be glory? Him be glory. For how long? Forever. Amen. Now, family, as I close, I'm going to jump into a very familiar passage of scripture,

but I want you to look at it in context. All right. Now, in light of all of those things, we're going to jump into 12-1. He says, I appeal to you, therefore, stop at an old school preacher back in like 2004. He said, whenever there's a therefore, see what it's there for, right? It's corning, but it's true, right? If it's a therefore, that means there's something before it that is feeding into the statement, that therefore is a result is what was already said.

Right? To him be glory forever. Nobody's counseling him. He does not need to repay anybody for a gift. From him to him all things, all right? Now jumping to 12 on with me. He says, therefore. I appeal to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, say living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

I'm running out time, I've got to say this. And you can look it up, tell me from wrong, email me, right? it was a brother he was said he was like although everything that have breath can praise the Lord when it talks about worship in the Bible it's never connected to music now if you feel one wrong like email me I really want to know right but this is your worship this is what is required of us this is what he wants in the relationship as the bride of Christ

I'll give it you to amplify therefore I urge you still 12-1 brothers and sisters by the mercies of God to present your bodies dedicating all of yourself set apart as a living sacrifice holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational, logical, intelligent act of worship. I don't know if I've seen that any other place. It says, if you just think about it in light of who God is.

and to him be glory forever it is reasonable to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to him He said I appeal to your intellect

to your rational selves So when Jared sits in He sings take everything I don't want it I don't need it God

I just want you we're called to that heart posture not that you can't desire things but don't you let anything become on par or on level to dedication

to the truth We're living God. And check me out. You say, hey, man, I hear you, Eldham. You don't show it in the word. But I ain't there yet. Or I still got things competing. I'm not here to condemn you.

I am here to challenge you to keep leaning into God. To find yourself soaking in his presence. Get here early for saturate. Lay yourself prostrate. Listen to worship music on the way. On a Tuesday morning, you start your own worship set. On a Wednesday afternoon, you crack the scriptures. On a Thursday evening, you go to squads if you got time there.

On a Friday night, instead of going out, you stay and repent. And you ring out. Your heart. Why? Why? Because he's worthy. Because he's worthy. And that's what he wants out of us as the bride of Christ. Too mature to that point. And guess what, beloved?

It's going to take time. And guess what? You can get there and you can let idolat you creep up in your heart. And guess what? You got to get back to ringing that thing out. So I want to set you up for the marathon, not the sprint. Because we're supposed to do this until we see him in glory. how by the grace of god and the sanctifying work of the holy spirit i'll end with twelve

two once again that that word says do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. That's what we're talking about today. That by testing you may discern what is the will of God and what is good and acceptable and perfect. We're called to maturing Christ, beloved. And I'm over time, man, but I just want to, I just want to carve out some space. This ain't, this ain't just a sermon, man.

This ain't no show, man. You got to take this and apply this to your heart, man. Scripture and Proverbs says, above all else. But another version, it says, with all diligence. Another version it says, with all vigilance, guard your heart, guard it, for anything that does not sound like this guard against it. You think vigilance think vigilante like, like militant like. Does not line up.

I don't want it, God. I just want you. My flesh likes it My spirit hates it I just warn you Oh God Clean me up God I'm presenting myself

As a living sacrifice God By your heads you got to wait for me to pray you pray you know what's in your heart i don't Jesus, don't need God, don't need, God, don't you take. Everything, I don't want me, I don't need you. I just want you Jesus Jesus

I just want you I just want you I just want you I just want you We just want I just want you I just want you Oh I just want you

Oh I just want you I just want you I just want you So we say take everything. Oh, take everything. I don't want it. I don't want it. I don't need it.

I don't need it. So won't you? Say, everything. I don't want it. I don't want it. I don't need it. I don't need it.

I don't need it. I just want you Oh, I just want you See, I just want you Oh, I just want you, oh, I just want you I just want you, Jesus You're all we've ever wanted You're all we've ever needed

I just want you Holy Father, you have called us, you have redeemed us, you have justified us, you have glorified us, you have given us heavenly dignity. God, help us do our part. Help us do what you've called us to do. not by human strength but by the sanctifying power and work of the Holy Spirit help us lay down our lives God help us seek to walk in a holy way help us not be ashamed of being set apart and being different and cave into the opinions of men for the scripture say the fear of man is a snare We're only supposed to have reverential fear for you, God.

God, I pray anybody that's condemned by this message, you would move in their heart and shift something, God, that they would see it as condemnation, but they would see it as a calling up to walk in what you want us to walk in, and in whom you want us to walk in. And that is Christ Jesus. it's in Jesus

name we pray amen bless the Lord and amen