Summary:

The purpose of the fivefold ministry gifts is to help the body of Christ mature to do the work of the ministry. To reach spiritual maturity, Believers must go through a growth process. Your
level of spiritual growth is determined by your love walk and whether
your decisions are in line with the Word of God. Identify whether you
are a natural, carnal or spiritual person, then judge yourself in the
areas in which you need to grow.

1. The fivefold ministry gifts are designed to help Believers mature spiritually (Ephesians 4:11 - 16).
   1. God gave the fivefold ministry gifts for a purpose.
   2. All Christians must go through a spiritual growth process much like the growth of a baby.
   3. Believers must avoid responding negatively to other Christians who act in a way that reflects spiritual immaturity.
   4. The renewing of the mind is a life process.
      1. You never stop growing spiritually.
   5. There are three stages in the spiritual growth process.
      1. The baby stage
         1. This stage can be likened to a natural baby.
         2. Babies can be selfish and they want what they want, when they want it.
         3. A baby cries and expects to be fed right away when hungry.
         4. The fivefold ministry gifts give spiritual babies the spiritual milk of God's Word so they can grow.
      2. The childhood stage
         1. Children must be trained.
         2. You cannot release greater levels of responsibility to a child because he or she wouldn't know how to handle it. iii. Children need guidance and direction. They
            can't make sound decisions without the assistance of an adult.
      3. The adult stage
         1. Adults are held accountable for their actions.
         2. Adults have rights to certain privileges and responsibilities because of growth and maturity.
   6. You can have the call of God on your life and still need to grow in the things of God.
      1. You must continue to feed yourself the necessary nutrition to remain a mature Christian and avoid backsliding into spiritual childhood.
      2. Don't disconnect from the spiritual leaders God has placed in your life for your edification and spiritual growth.
   7. Judge yourself to determine which stage you are in.
      1. Be honest in evaluating your life.
   8. Your decisions will let you know in which stage you are.
      1. If you make decisions in line with God's Word you are spiritually mature.
      2. If you are ruled by your emotions, you are still in need of spiritual growth.
         
         
2. There are three different types of people where spiritual maturity is concerned.
   1. The natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14-16):
      1. Has never been born again.
      2. Relies on his senses to govern his life.
      3. Is ruled by demonic influences (Ephesians 6:12).
      4. Says, "If it doesn't make sense, don't believe it."
      5. Cannot understand salvation or the things of God.
      6. Does not have the love of God in his heart.
   2. The carnal man:
      1. Has been born again, but is stuck in the baby stage of spiritual growth.
      2. Has never matured enough to depend on the Word of God.
      3. His spirit has been recreated, but he is still governed by his five senses.
      4. Does not know how to rightly discern the Word of God.
      5. Has God's love deposited in his heart, but his tendency to get offended keeps him from releasing it.
   3. The spiritual man:
      1. Is born again and his mind is renewed with the Word of God.
      2. His spirit has ascended above his intellect, body and five senses.
      3. Is not moved by his situations and circumstances.
      4. Is not moved by other people.
      5. Governs his life by the Word of God.
      6. Declares his victory in every circumstance.
      7. Loves others with the love of God.
         
         
3. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against demonic spiritual forces, or rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12).
   1. The natural and carnal persons are ruled by demonic forces.
      1. Demonic forces influence natural and carnal people's thinking with devilish wisdom (James 3:14, 15, AMP).
   2. Demons can sometimes possess the life of a man who is not born again.
   3. The carnal man can be oppressed by rulers of the darkness because he refuses to come out of spiritual darkness and grow in the things of God.
   4. If you stay ignorant of the truth of God's Word and never grow, even though you are a Christian, you can be seduced back into darkness.

• Ephesians 4:11-16
• 1 Corinthians 2:14-16
• Ephesians 6:12
• James 3:14, 15, AMP