NO LONGER INFANTS

Scripture

Ephesians 4:14 CSB

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Introduction

Imagine if one day during service Dannny decides to keep walking up and down the service

Imagine if one day during service Dannny decides to keep walking up and down the service

Imagine if one day Minta bawling and crying during the service that she wants a bottle to drink

Imagine Neisha sucking her finger right through the service

When you decide to become a Christian that is where the journey now starts.

As a christian it is now your duty to Grow as a Christian

It is time for you to no longer be an infant.

God expects us to grow up. Not to remain as Babes

We dont expect a 10 year child to still be in pre school

We dont expect a 20 year old male to still be wrting SEA exam

WE EXPECT people to mature

God expects you to grow up in your salvation

I beleive that this time we have right now is a Season for us to Grow

This time of Covid. This time of Pandemic , This time of Lockdown we have time to Grow as A believer

With everyone basically on Lockdown God has given his people time to Grow

If your excuse was _ I dont have time to pray - then that excuse invalid

If your excuse was - I dont have time to read Bible - it is Invalid

If your excuse was - I dont even know how to study the Bible - you can come on Zoom and learn

This time is a time of Preparation and WE all have more time to work on Growing as a Christian

I beleive with this time we also have time to grow in our areas of Gifting

If you can preach - use this extra time and read a book on preaching to get even better

If you can sing - check online and see any free tutorials etc to help you be better

Sing in your free time to get even better

Work on your Gifts

Why should I Grow?

I already shared some common sense examples but let me share some more serious reasons

It speaks of waves tossing us to and fro

Im not a beach person but waves can throw you off course

Life is not always Easy WAVES

We can be spiritually sidetracked by events in the world that we find fearful or confusing—“turmoil of the nations." COVID 19

We can be thrown off balance spiritually by grief and loss.

Some preachers say you become a christians and now all your worries over

You have Christ with you so now there is no more problems you have to face

God never said your life is going to be a bed of roses

It’s not going to be comfortable like laying in a hammock. Ask Bro Lincoln

Matthew 7:26 CSB

But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

a lot of people due to a lack of spiritual maurity never make it far in the faith when Bad times come

It’s not a matter of if bad times will come but when bad times will come

Pastor shared a story of someone leavng the faith after dead due to Cancer

Lots of people are leavong the Faith right now , even those who have been in church for years

For False Teaching WINDS

They are deliberate in their lies. They intend to deceive because there is money to be made.

Your theology is gonna be challenged

Jehovah witnesses

Looking at Jude right now

If you join our study you will see how much you need to be strong

A lot of Pastors are being unmasked online for false teaching

Spreading another gospel

Galatians 1:8 CSB

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!

There are so much Gospels now.

WE believe in the gospel of Christ.

Jude 3 CSB

Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all.

When you go to work and go to school etc you are going to meet people who are going to try to get you to question what you beleive in

Which is why it is so importatn that you have a good knowledge of this Bible.

Youre gonna meet atheists and agnositics and other branches of Christian Denominations that is gonna make you wonder what is true and what is not true

Genesis 3:1 CSB

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

DID GOD REALLY SAY??

4 of the deadliest words

The devil knows how to twist the scriptures and if you not careful you could find yourself being decoeved

These 4 words can cause you to become an Apostate

These False TEachers will say you under Grace so sin as much as you want. Sleep with who you want. Have 10 wife men....When 1 giving you the silent treatement you have 9 more to choose from

False teachers work like cheating gamblers, who load the dice in order to trick people

We are living in the last days and we need to be prepared more than others

Jude 18–19 CSB

They told you, “In the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.” These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit.

If you are a Pastor and Leader it so important for to be able to recognize such people - and that comes from being a mature person .

A whole church can be destroyed by these people

HOW TO GROW

Ephesians 4:11–13 CSB

And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

We Grow By Being Part Of A Church

I want to explain something here

You dont grow by coming to Church but by being a part of it

Some people may come to church but not really a part of it

I remeber I used to come to church once a year . Christmas

There is no room for growth like that.

That is not being part of a church.

When you become part of it, you get involved in the Work of The Ministry

This scripture says that God has these Pastors, teachers etc who is here to EQUIP US

Feeds, Leads and Protects

One way that Pastor Mario and the leaders etc equips is by giving you opportunity to do something

All Christians are to be ministers, so you are one of them. The role of pastors and teachers is to train and equip the “saints” (all believers) to be able to serve in whatever ways that God has called them.

So if your church has one hundred members and only one minister, there’s a big problem. We are all called to be ministers. What is your ministry?

How are you being equipped for it?

In what ways are you using that training and your gift(s) for the building up of the body?

We say God IS INTERESTED IN SOULS . GOD IS ALSO INTERESTED IN DISCIPLES. DISCIPLES ARE MATURE CHRISTIANS WHO CAN WIN SOULS

If you have a gifting and you get to use it , you will get better and better at it as opportunity arises

If your gift is singing 10 years from now you should be much better as a singer

If your gift is preaching you should be getting better

The reason why you ought to be better is because you keep growing in your calling

If you have a gift , teach it to someone and equip them

Pastor Mario said he has no problem with some memeber being better at him in whatever area

He not scared to equip you and give you a chance to grow and shine

In my job when I now started it had plenty things I did not know how to do but the job required me to know how to do it so i was forced to learn it somehow by education or by mentoring or by training etc

When you are part of the church you will also be required to learn new things and these things will help you Grow.

The Church can help you to Grow in Your Giftings

It can help you discover your spiritual gifts

If you had told me when i was younger I would be preaching in this church I woulda tell you stop smoking Weed

I dont even come to church on a Sunday you telling me about preaching on A sunday

ROCK SO!!!

Now there are many different ways and many different disciplines to help you to Grow as a Chrisitan such as reading your Bible and praying etc but today I just basically touching on being part of the Church

When you are part of the church - you will be motivated to read your Bible

You will be motivated to spend time in prayer

While your quiet time in God is important, studying the Bible toegether will yield a lot more than when you study it alone

We are studying Jude and even Pastor say he learning real plenty from what the groups of people are sharing.

Conclusion

When you were growing up, did your parents ever say to you, "I wish you would grow up!"? You know what they meant, don't you? They wanted you to act more mature than you had been acting.

I wonder if God looks down at His church and says "I wish they would grow up!"? Well, some people never mature! Every one in this room who is saved ought to be moving steadily toward maturity in the Lord with each passing day. Are you maturing? Do you possess the marks of a maturing Christian?

Application

make a plan for spiritual growth

Do a little each day - it will compound

Soon you will grow from Infant to Mature

Dont compare your chapter 1 to someone ele’s chapter 25