Sermon Tone Analysis
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(S1)
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.”
(S2)
LIFE — What are we doing with our ONE?
LIVING for JESUS in five areas...
Today — Ephesians 4 — The apostle Paul — MATURE in Faith
PRAYER
(S3)
“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.
(S4)
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?
(S5)
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.
(S6)
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
(S7)
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.
(S7)
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.
(S8)
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
(S9) —
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.
(S10) —
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.
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