LIFE...GROWING into MATURITY

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Today, we are concluding our series, “This Thing Called Life” ~ we have been exploring the ways how living for Jesus is to IMPACT our everyday LIVES.

THEME

We have been reminded that Jesus is more than a religious philosophy or ideology—Jesus came to offer us abundant LIFE.

John 10:10 “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

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LIFE — What are we doing with our ONE? LIVING for JESUS in five areas...

Today — Ephesians 4 — The apostle Paul — MATURE in Faith

PRAYER

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“Grow up would you! “Act your age!” — Be careful what you wish for

I remembers being a kid and wanting to be a GROWNUP? Mimicking things my parents did

Playing house — Easy Bake oven — Toy tool box — Banker

In this thing called LIFE, there are milestones that translate into growing into maturity — signs one is growing up.

1st day/school—Brush/teeth—Bike to the corner store—shooting a BB gun— my first dog—driving the old rambler—my first job.

What have been significant MATURING experiences of your life — Identifying points of growth?

Growing up is meant to be a wonderful thing — Not always easy — Responsibility

Growing up meant more chores — My parents were preparing me for adulthood.

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Early on, the disciples, did not fully understand that Jesus’ teaching was meant help them to mature in faith...

DISCIPLES — “One who follows the teaching of another.”

As they grew up in their understanding of who Jesus is…identified as APOSTLES

SENT OUT — Go from students to teachers — Responsible for spreading the G.N.

GROWING up is an essential part of the LIFE of a FOLLOWER of Jesus — as it is a part of life!

When we think of the process of aging — Child to adult. But growing up does not always necessarily have anything to do with age.

“When a person arrives at a certain mental capacity to be able to handle more responsibility by doing things an adult would do.”

Paying bills — Meal — Laundry/picking up clothes —Not staying out all night...Are all signs of growing up. All those things we need to learn to become responsible adults to make a positive contribution in life. What a good parent teaches their children.

Age then does not really define adulthood — Adults who act like children?

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ADULTING — The practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible grown person. (Oxford).

Adulting is necessary if we are to live life to our fullest possible potential.

Just as growing into adulthood takes significant steps, so does GROWING into MATURITY spiritually.

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Becoming SPIRITUALLY MATURE ~ is a LIFE goal for the follower of Jesus

Spiritual maturity — Closeness to God — More like Jesus in actions and thought — GROWING to become those who tell others about Jesus?

Jesus was always about moving the disciples towards spiritual maturity — “Sending out of seventy-two disciples...

“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Luke 10:1-2

Saying yes to Jesus is the first step — Surrendering every area of our lives to the way of Jesus

It’s like God handing us a walking stick; and a pair of sandals, sending us out to accomplish what spiritually mature Christians young or old, are called to do ~ Help others to know and grow in Jesus

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In Ephesians Paul tells how the ‘BODY of CHRIST’ was to be structured — To be a breeding ground for MATURE believers.

Ephesians 4:11–13 (NLT)

Now these are the gifts CHRIST GAVE to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their RESPONSIBILITY is to EQUIP God’s people to do his work and BUILD UP the church, the body of Christ.

Growing into maturity — FAITH formation — Is the ongoing process in the LIFE of the church — ADULTS or MATURE Christians are HOW the church GROWS!

Reynoldsburg UMC — Five stages of spiritual development—First two are the pre-Christian stages — Persons who are spiritually HOSTILE or spiritually OPEN.

One is NOT open to hearing and talking about spiritual things — BE JESUS to them, but don’t THROW Jesus at them. The Holy Spirit has not yet awakened them—and we can actually do more harm than good if we push the conversation.

When the Holy Spirit AWAKENS a person, and they become OPEN to spiritual conversations, often asking questions — ENGAGE them in a way to KEEP their hearts open to HEARING...

Once a person CROSSES the LINE of FAITH, surrendering their life to Jesus, The CHURCH is to HELP them GROW through the these three stages of spiritual development.

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First stage of Christian Spiritual Development is INFANT

In LIFE we love this stage the most.

Baby Talk — “YOUR SO CUTE”

INFANTS do little for themselves — can’t walk—talk—clothe—feed or clean themselves — Except cry when they need something and produce organic material

Similarly, spiritual infants are brand new to faith and totally dependent on being spiritually fed and cared for by others. INFANT believers need others who are spiritually MATURE, to guide them beyond this stage.

Hebrews 5:13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what is right.

Some here are in this stage — Let me encourage you, its not a bad thing, to be an infant spiritually, as long as we are growing, Infants usually HUNGRY all the time? We can learn from the one who is in this stage. There is something rich about remaining spiritually hungry especially into adulthood.

1 Corinthians 3:2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger.

The key growth factor in infancy is a HUNGER for spiritual learning~ which is supplied through the CHURCH by spiritual ADULTS.

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The second stage of Christian spiritual development is ADOLESCENCES.

In LIFE, this such a fun stage? An adolescent is growing up but NOT GROWN UP?

Where did the Martians take my daughter?

An ADOLESCENT has learned to do some things for themselves, but can mentally stop growing by becoming self-centered. They learn that they don’t need to do much to get what we want—and if they complain long enough—someone else will do it for them.

If we are not careful, a spiritual ADOLESCENT can think that the church EXISTS for THEM —Their approach to faith can become that of a CONSUMER — WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

Sadly, this is where many in the church stop growing—concerned with only their needs

Left the church — Not being fed

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Paul specifically addresses this stage..

14 we are to no longer be immature like children. To not be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. And not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

Christ who is truth brought a message OF TRUTH. In contrast to Satan who is the father of LIES

John 8:44 “For you are the children of your father the devil... He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

The challenge for us today is that the line between truth and lies has gotten blurry, causing adolescent and even adult believers to get trapped by what society accepts as truth.

STATE of the CHURCH today

This is a vulnerable life stage, for adolescents, as they are easily influenced to and away from things that can be either healthy or unhealthy, true or false. This is why more than ever they need SPIRITUAL ADULTS who seek to understand Biblical TRUTH to help others grow.

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Third, the highest form of spiritual development is that of PARENT/ADULT.

A spiritual PARENT—feeds themselves—They are sacrificially selfless to the needs of others. Jesus in their lives is the call to grow into maturity in thought, word, and deed.

As infants and adolescents, God accepts us as we are—but the longer we walk with Jesus—the more like Him we are to become.

Again, being a spiritual PARENT has little to do with age—there are children in the church who act like spiritual parents toward those who do not yet know Jesus

Madelyn Painter – a student who doesn’t believe in God – I am concerned for them.

Spiritual ADULTS are especially concerned for the Infant, the newly spiritually awakened, those who have a HUNGER to know more.

A spiritually mature ADULT are concerned with building relationships for the purpose of bringing others to Jesus. they are often the first to answer the call to serve in the church and community with a gracious and giving spirit. They love teaching the hungry infant and curious adolescent

They live so that Jesus impacts their RELATIONSHIPS, when they are in a CRISIS, setting of PRIORITIES, and their FINANCES —they tithe or give all they can, and yet are still growing and HUNGRY for Jesus

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Paul informs followers in Ephesus, that GROWING is to be the GOAL of EVERY believer.

13 …until we ALL come to such UNITY in our faith and KNOWLEDGE of God’s Son that we will be MATURE in the Lord, MEASURNG UP to the full and complete standard of CHRIST.

He gives two recognizable ways in which they were to be spiritually mature…

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1. Growing towards UNITY in faith and belief

There were those in the church who were letting trivial things divide them, even showing hostility to one another

Eph. 2:14-16

UNITY in faith means a common agreement as to the MISSION ~ making disciples of Jesus...

We are all of differing opinions...and yet we bring our uniqueness to the church. When we give Jesus authority over every area of our life, he gives us the ability to ~ focus on the larger goal that unites us rather than the trivial things that divide us ~ and to break down the walls of hostility, instead bringing peace to fulfill God’s purpose for the church and its people.

As Methodists/Wesleyan...we are grounded by our faith in

SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY

Shared Christian HERITAGE (Apostles)

General RULES for Living (J.W.)

SOCIAL Principles

LIVING the way of Jesus (His life) — THE WAY to spiritual UNITY.

When these foundations of TRUTH are altered to flow with the winds of change in cultural trends, then disunity happens

The UM Church today — Schism — Heresy in early church

Spiritual maturity is growing towards UNITY in faith and belief

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The second recognizable way in which we become spiritually mature adults

2. Growing in the KNOWLEDGE and the LOVE of Christ

This means, knowing what we BELIEVE and WHY we believe it? Growing up by going deeper through God’s word — Asking questions and seeking reliable sources that lead is to the truth.

J.W. — Both HEAD and HEART — “Holiness of Heart and Life”

We grow in the knowledge and love of God by being with others who are growing towards maturity — Not sure we ever fully get there, but there is a clear distinction in practice and in life between the infant — Adolescent — one who is growing into maturity.

Mature Christians HELP others grow while continuing to GROW themselves.

Hardy is filled with the MATURE followers of Jesus — How it has become the church it is

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Are you growing towards UNITY in FAITH and BELIEF — Growing in the KNOWLEDGE and LOVE of God in Jesus.

GROWING INTO MATURITY ~ IS A LIFE GOAL of every follower of Jesus

Good News — Jesus ans the apostles welcomes all into the community of faith — INFANTS — ADOLESCENTS — ADULTS — So do we! It’s how we live out our mission of bringing others to faith in Christ.

If you are an INFANT, we celebrate you, because you are HUNGRY — An ADOLESCENT? Then Ask questions and seek answers, and look towards a spiritual Parent — Just like a family needs good parenting, the church grows best when it is filled with Spiritual ADULTS — We look to you for leadership and to stay grounded in UNITY and the KNOWLEDGE and LOVE of God.

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Ephesians 4:15–16 (NLT)

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

As a child, it’s ok to mimic our parents, play house...that’s part of growing up, but given that we have ONE life and it matters what we do with it — Eternal impact

Illis. I like to think of myself as a spiritual adult and in many ways, I am. But truth be told ~ I have some places I need to grow up into maturity ~ God knows and my personal friends who are ADULTS know.

Paul’s advice is clear and still relevant for us today (15)

…we are to be those who 15 speak the truth in love, who will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.=

How did the church grow? The disciples GREW UP IN MATURITY and became APOSTLES. They grew towards UNITY and in the KNOWLEDGE and LOVE of God.

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This thing called life ~ Where do you see yourself? Are you growing or remaining as you are? Are you an infant who’s hungry, an adolescent who is curious, or an adult who is helping others along the way? How has God gifted you? What are your recognizable attributes that can help build up the body of Christ?

How many of us got some growing to do spiritually? It’s not always easy and sometimes we revert back to adolescences and even infancy ~ but the hope, is that we don’t stay there.

The church needs INFANTS, and ADOLESCENTS, and it GROWS when we grow into maturity

The real proof of the transformation Jesus brings, is not in the habits we practice—but IN our GROWING into MATURITY.

Invitation to surrender our HEADS—HEARTS—HANDS and FEET to Jesus