Scripture: Ephesians 4:13–16

(Introduction)

Hallelujah. Beloved saints, I bless you in the name of the Lord.

The sun has risen on the first Sunday of 2026. I believe that during our Watch Night Service, we laid down all those painful and regretful "broken tablets" before the Cross of the Lord. And now, holding the gift of "new time" given by God, you have come to this first worship service.

This morning, seeing each of you who kept this place—not choosing comfort, but choosing to look upon God one more time, choosing to hold onto His grace despite physical pain—my heart is truly moved. I believe God is also looking at your hearts with great joy right now.

Beloved saints, Now we must launch the ship named '2026.' But everyone... what destination have you set on your navigation for this year?

Perhaps many of you have humble dreams. "Pastor, I just hope I don't get sick this year." "Pastor, I hope we don't have money worries this year." "Pastor, I just want a peaceful year without any trouble."

Yes, that is right. I always pray for you in that way too. However, through today's Word, God is telling us to have a "holy ambition" (a greater desire) than that. It’s not just about having a "problem-free year"... It’s not just about having a "comfortable year"...

"You must grow up to this point." "You must climb to that high place." God points to one clear destination. It is "Growing up into Jesus Christ."

This morning, I pray in the name of the Lord that this will be a time of grace where we discover the true goal God is giving to Smyrna Church and to each of you for the New Year.

(Body)

I. First, we must throw away the ways of a 'tossed' child.

First, let’s look at verse 14. [Eph 4:14] "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine..."

The Apostle Paul earnestly pleads with us, "Do not be children." Beloved saints, children are truly cute. They are pure. But think about it. If someone becomes thirty, forty, or seventy years old, but still acts like a five-year-old, that is a tragedy.

It is the same spiritually. What is the characteristic of a 'spiritual child'? It appears right here in the text. It is "being tossed to and fro." Like a boat swept by waves, they shake easily.

If someone says one thing, their ears get thin (they are gullible) and say, "Oh really?" If something slightly unpleasant happens, they pout, get offended, and fall into temptation. If things are slightly different from their thoughts, their emotions go up and down like a roller coaster. This is a child.

As I raise my sons, Hajun and Yesung, I have seen why children have such severe emotional swings. The reason is simple. It is because they think the world revolves around "ME." Children cannot yet fully understand other people's situations.

Instead of thinking, "Why is that person acting like that?", they only think, "I hate this right now," "I feel bad right now." "ME" is everything. So, if things don't go their way, they cry, get angry, and lie down on the floor.

Spiritually, it is the same. The younger the faith, the more we only see my position, my feelings, and my standards. That is why we get easily offended, easily tempted, and easily tossed about.

But a 'Spiritual Adult' is different. They look at the relationship before their feelings. They think of the community before their situation. Growing up does not mean emotions disappear; it means becoming a person who knows how to rule over their emotions.

Beloved saints, I am a pastor, but to be honest, a 'child' still lives inside me too. Just from one passing facial expression of a saint, I sometimes go back and forth between heaven and hell several times a day. "Ah, Pastor Baek. You have a long way to go. You are still a kid..." This happens more than once or twice.

Beloved saints, let’s be different this new year. Let’s stop playing with the "Demon of Offense" (getting easily hurt). Maturity is not the absence of emotion, but the training to choose the Body of Christ over one's emotions. Even if someone nudges you, even if the winds of the world shake you, I bless you in the name of the Lord to grow into a 'Spiritual Adult'—a 'Spiritual Giant'—who can generously let it pass, saying, "Well, that can happen. As long as the Lord knows, it’s okay."

II. Second, we must grow by speaking 'the truth' in love.

Second, then how can we grow? Verse 15. [Eph 4:15] "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him..."

Here, 'speaking the truth' literally means 'truthing.' But there is an important condition attached. It is not just truth. It is "In Love."

There is a mistake we often make. It is wielding 'Truth without Love.' "Did I say something wrong? Isn't it all correct facts?" Yes, the facts are correct. But everyone, if you apply a scalpel without anesthesia, the patient will die of shock. Truth that does not contain love is not medicine that saves people; it becomes a weapon that cuts them.

Conversely, 'Love without Truth' is just as dangerous. Something is clearly rotting, but saying, "Oh well, good is good," or "I don't want to fight emotionally with that person anymore," and covering it up... that is not love, that is neglect. It’s like putting a band-aid on something that needs surgery.

In John chapter 8, there is a story of a woman caught in the act of adultery. Angry people dragged a woman from the scene of adultery. They held large stones in their hands. And they asked Jesus. "In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"

That's right. According to the Law, stoning is correct. That was their 'Truth.' But Jesus asked, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." This one word took away the murderous spirit covering them. This is Love.

And when everyone left and only Jesus and the woman remained, the Lord finally spoke. "Go, and from now on sin no more." Jesus did not condone the sin. "Sin is not acceptable. Do not live like that again." He presented the clear path of Truth.

Beloved saints, This is exactly what 'Growth' is. This is the image of our Lord that we must resemble.

I desire for Smyrna Church to achieve this balance in the New Year. Wrong things must be corrected with the Word. But in that hand, the warm love of the Lord must be held. Truthful to each other but not rude; loving but not compromising with sin. I bless you in the name of the Lord to grow into that holy maturity, into the character of the Lord.

III. Third, we must endure pain and become 'Joints' for one another.

Finally, verse 16. [Eph 4:16] "from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped..."

Beloved saints, this is the core of today's sermon. We can never grow alone by meditating in the mountains. The Bible speaks clearly. We grow by being "connected and joined together." No matter how strong my arm wants to be, if it is severed from the body, that arm rots. We must be attached to live. We receive nourishment when connected.

Everyone, As I minister here in Enterprise, I have learned one thing painfully deep in my bones. "Ah, ministry is not done alone."

To be honest, There were days when my heart was so pressed that I didn't want to say anything. I had to pray, but the prayers wouldn't come out. I had to prepare a sermon, but there were days when my heart collapsed first.

But in those times, what held me up was not some grand solution. "Pastor, you're having a hard time these days, right?" "We are praying for you, Pastor." "I received grace from the Word today." I don’t know why those quiet prayers moved my heart so much.

These simple confessions from the saints made me cry. In those words, I saw your hearts. A soul wanting comfort, a heart hungry for the Word, a desperate desire to hold onto God. Looking at you who came to worship even with sick bodies like today... I realized something.

I thought I was holding onto the saints, But in fact, the saints' spiritual hunger was holding onto me.

The saints' prayers became the 'Joints' of my faith, And the saints' hunger pulled me back to the Word.

So now I am certain. A pastor is not someone who raises the saints, But someone who grows together with the saints before God. In those times when I couldn't stand alone, God saved me through this community. And even today, I confess that I am growing together within that grace.

Beloved saints, In the New Year, please put down the thought, "I will do my faith life alone." That member next to you, that person who sometimes seems to bother you... In fact, they are the vital 'Connecting Joint' that keeps you attached to Christ. When we supply strength to each other, fill each other's hunger, and move forward together, I believe Smyrna Church will finally stand tall as a healthy Body of Christ.

(Conclusion)

Let me conclude the message.

Beloved saints, Today, as we begin the New Year of 2026, we have received God's overwhelming invitation to "Grow Up Into Him."

Honestly speaking... I am quite afraid. To become an 'adult,' to resemble 'Jesus'... these are wonderful words, But I know better than anyone that it is a painful process of cutting down my pride, enduring, and persevering.

Living through this year, we will likely fall again. We will get offended by someone again, And sometimes, like an immature child, we might want to pout, get angry, and sit on the floor in protest.

Beloved saints, That is why God did not leave us alone but bound us together as this 'Church,' as the 'Smyrna Family.' He gave us this relationship for that reason.

If we go alone, we get lonely and tired quickly, But if we become 'Joints' that hold up each other's weak knees... we can do it. "Because you were there, Deacon, I endured." "Thanks to you, Saint, I grew this much."

Let's be this kind of strength to each other this year. So, when we meet again on the last Sunday of December 2026... Let us look at each other's faces and say, "Wow, we really grew a lot. We really resemble Jesus a lot now." I bless you in the name of the Lord that all Smyrna family members will give glory to God with such smiles.

Let us pray together.

(Prayer)

Father God, full of love and grace, Before the start of the New Year, we reaffirm our goal. Lord! We desire to resemble Jesus. We desire to grow up into Him, who is the Head.

Lord, but we are still weak. Like young children, our hearts shake at small waves. At this time, Holy Spirit, please hold our hearts firmly.

This path of growth that we cannot go alone... Let all members of Smyrna hold each other's hands tightly, And let us become 'Joints' that give strength to one another.

This year, Mold us into mature Christians who love the Lord more today than yesterday, And cherish each other more this year than last year.

We love You, Lord. We pray in the precious name of Jesus. Amen!