"THE STAGES OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY"

(NO RESTROOMS/PDA/AIRPODS)

>>>Starting a series “Growth Spurt”.

>>>This series will look at spiritual maturity-what it looks like, knowing how/if you’re growing, various aspects of spiritual maturity.

>>>3 years of salvation is not 3 years of spiritual maturity.

>>>This week is “The Stages of Spiritual Maturity”.

>>>1 John 2 is about Jesus being the advocate for believers when they sin, although the purpose is to not sin.

1 John 2:12–14 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

===============================================================

CHILDREN

1 John 2:12 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name.”

1 John 2:13 “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.”

>>>John mentions the “children” in the letter. These are most likely not literal children, but the children of God under the care of John. These are spiritual children.

*Believers are the children of God when they get saved. This is the beginner step of the spiritual process.

SALVATION IS THE FIRST STEP OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY.

>>>According to v.12, the children of God have been forgiven.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

>>>All believers were once unrighteous sinners but have been forgiven, justified, and sanctified through the salvation of Jesus.

>>>1 John 2:13 went back to the idea of children, and how the children of God “know the Father”.

*This knowledge is a relation/experiential knowledge. New children of God now know the Father.

John 14:7 ““If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.””

>>>When someone becomes a believer, he now has access to the Father through Jesus. Knowing Jesus is knowing the Father.

>>>Becoming a child of God is an exciting thing! They have been forgiven of their sins and now live a new life with God as their Father!

===============================================================

YOUNG MEN

1 John 2:13 “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.”

1 John 2:14 “I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

>>>John now begins to talk to the young men of the church, those who are beginning to progress in their walks.

>>>In both of these verses, the young men are described as those who have overcome/are overcoming the evil one.

*To “overcome” is to “conquer”/“defeat”. The young men are conquering Satan’s evil in their lives.

>>>In v. 14 John adds two new descriptions of the young men-that they are “strong” and the “word of God remains” in them.

*The word “remains” means “continue”. The word of God continues in a believer helping him/her to become spiritually strong and overcome the temptations of the world.

Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

>>>The strength of the believer comes from the Lord.

John 5:38 “Also you do not have His word remaining in you, because you do not believe Him whom He sent.”

>>>The word of God starts to take effect in the life of the believer.

>>>The Word of God=>spiritual strength=>overcoming

*A believer matures through victory in spiritual battles.

*This is the actual process of living the Christian life.

OVERCOMING LEADS TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY.

>>>Trials and temptations (to be discussed later) test our faith and challenges us to actually apply spiritual principles. This building up of the spiritual body makes us stronger and more mature in Christ.

>>>A growing Christian is a beat up Christian.

===============================================================

FATHERS

1 John 2:13 “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.”

1 John 2:14 “I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

>>>John twice now addresses the “fathers”. These are the more mature believers who have lived the Christian life.

>>>He describes them as knowing “Him who has been from the beginning”. Obviously he speaks of God.

*The word “knowing” is the same word used earlier regarding experiential knowledge.

*While even infant Christians know the Father, the fathers/mothers of the faith have grown in deeper knowledge of Him. They have spent their lives in a deep relationship with Him.

SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS A DEEP RELATIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

>>>These “seasoned Christian” are still tried and are still learning, but they have walked a Christian walk of spiritual battles and disciplines. They have seen God faithful and are able to share of His faithfulness with younger believers.

>>>(Illust.) Pastor Stan’s wife is battling pancreatic cancer. They have both been faithful Christians for years.

>>>They are struggling but still growing in their older years.

>>>They “praise the Lord” every treatment day. There is a steady joy and peace in their lives facing this trial that has come through years of walking with Jesus.

>>>Every believer should desire to reach this stage of spiritual growth. It comes through a life of faithfully walking with Jesus.

===============================================================

>>>Notice that there is nothing negative in these verses. John is uplifting the believers and encouraging them as they grow. While maturing may be tough, there is encouragement to keep going

THERE IS JOY IN MATURING SPIRITUALLY.

>>>Maturing spiritually is being God’s child, overcoming the things that hold us back, and finding ourselves having seen the love and faithfulness of God in our lives.

>>>There is joy in following Jesus.

===============================================================

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

1.) Coming out of the message, what are some things that resonated with you?

2.) Main Point: THERE IS JOY IN MATURING SPIRITUALLY.

*How can the process of maturing spiritually bring joy?

*Children, Young Men, Fathers: in which stage of spiritual maturity do you think you are? Why? (Remember to be mindful of students who are not saved and allow them time to respond as well.)

*Share with each other how you as a group can be consistent in spiritual growth. Let them know that there will be accountability in this each week.

*Have a student close in prayer.