Sermon Becoming a Better Me

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:11

11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Date: January 24, 2021

Place: ALIBC

Theme: Maximizing Your Potential

Topic: Improving Myself

Title: “Becoming a Better Me”

Introduction: As I look back over 2020 and continue to press forward in 2021, there is absolutely one thing that I am sure of. I am sure that God wants me to be a better me. 2020 was about better vision. Because we can truly see ourselves much better than we ever have. We looked into the mirror and we saw what we truly were and it was not pleasing in our sight. We saw the ugly side of humanity and just how imperfect we are. We saw racism, social injustice and many other horrible things about us as Americans. We saw that we need to get our lives in order and put God first as he should be on our agendas. We saw that we needed to grow up as a people and put away childish ways. Because of our immaturity and lack of acting as adults we have allowed the coronavirus to utterly decimate our society and destroy almost a half a million of our people. It did not have to be this way if we had only acted as adults rather than children so many lives could have been saved and so many people could have been spared the hurt and pain that they have had to experience over the past year. But we have a new opportunity in 2021 to act as adults rather than children but we must put away childish things.

2021 is about maximizing our potential and if I am going to maximize my potential in 2021 then I am going to have to be a better me. I am going to have to look seriously in the mirror and check on myself and if there is anything that I need to improve on then I must be serious about it and ask God to give me the help and the strength that I need to make the change. After all of the hell that we have been through there is absolutely no reason for us to be mean and ugly but we must be the best that we can be. If there is anything that we can learn from previous POTUS is that one's ego can get in the way of everything. Our previous president allowed his ego to get in the way of everything that he did where there was good or whether it was bad. The problem is that all of the good that he may have done has been discounted because of the bad and because of him allowing his ego to get in the way. May we learn a great lesson from our previous president as say to ourselves this morning, “ It ain’t about me.”

The Bible has more to say about childish ways than most of us probably ever thought. But one of the most important things that it says about childishness is that it must be put away at some point in an adult’s life. There is no way that I can be a better me if I continue to act the way I have always acted in the past. It's time for all of us to grow up and be the men and women that God has destined for us to be.

Body:

Let's take a look at some of the biblical references that the Bible has to say about childish ways.

1. A MATURE SAINT HAS LEARNED TO DO WELL

Jeremiah 4:19-22

19O my soul, my soul!

I am pained in my very heart!

My heart makes a noise in me;

I cannot hold my peace,

Because you have heard, O my soul,

The sound of the trumpet,

The alarm of war.

20Destruction upon destruction is cried,

For the whole land is plundered.

Suddenly my tents are plundered,

And my curtains in a moment.

21How long will I see the standard,

And hear the sound of the trumpet?

22“For My people are foolish,

They have not known Me.

They are silly children,

And they have no understanding.

They are wise to do evil,

But to do good they have no knowledge.”

Clearly here in this text God shows us that we are silly children because we have become wise and proficient in doing wrong. In other words we have studied and learn how to do evil, but we have no knowledge or concept of doing good. Let’s get back into the word of God and learn to do good.

This pandemic has hurt a lot of people, because they do not have the discipline to remain accountable before God without the help of being around their Pastors and other believers. Because they are not physically coming together some are falling by the wayside and others are losing their christian character. But this pandemic has only served as a dress rehearsal for a great tribulation. Some of us could not survive the great tribulation because we see we are falling short in a pandemic.

Isaiah 1:17 NKJV

Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

2. A MATURE SAINT IS ABOUT UNITY

1 Corinthians 3:1-11

1And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Cleary we see that aligning ones self with a particular person or party is a sign of spiritual immaturity with God. Another indicator was sowing seeds of discord and causing envy, strife, and divisions among the people. We have experience some of the worst divisions we have ever seen over the past year. If we are going to experience better, we have to do better. I have to be a better me in 2021 understanding that ever good and perfect gift comes from God. Also God can use anybody He wants to use and that God loves all people, black, white, male, female, red state, blue state, Christians and muslims. God loves everybody and He wants us to grow up, mature and show love to everybody.

PSALM 133:1-3

1Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brethren to dwell together in unity!

2It is like the precious oil upon the head,

Running down on the beard,

The beard of Aaron,

Running down on the edge of his garments.

3It is like the dew of Hermon,

Descending upon the mountains of Zion;

For there the Lord commanded the blessing—

Life forevermore.

3. A MATURE SAINT IS ABOUT INSTRUCTING OTHERS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

Hebrews 5:12-14

12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Clearly we see that a mature Christians has move into a category of instructor. They may not always be a preacher or pastor, but they can rightly divide the word of truth and help set others off into the right direction. The scripture says they have skilled and not unskilled in the word of righteousness. They are able to discern right from wrong and they are skilled in giving biblical instruction.

Proverbs 22:15

4. A MATURE SAINT KNOWS THAT A PERIOD OF CORRECTION IS COMING FOR ACTING DISOBEDIENTLY

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

God clearly show us in this text that disobedience will not go unpunished. God is merciful and kind, but God is also a God of justice. We can not expect God to allow us to continue in unrighteous and it still be not punished. I would take serious inventory of myself and say, God if you find or see anything in me that not right, please forgive me and help me to get it right. God’s rod can be so many things but it serves to correct us and get us back on track.

5. A MATURE SAINT KNOWS AT SOME POINT HE HAS TO GROW UP

1 Cor. 13:11,12

11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

At some point, Paul said we have to grow up. At some point we have to become mature spiritual men and women of God.

This comes when we deal with all the stuff that makes us immature. What makes us immature is failing to grow up and allow God to perfect His love in us.

1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

When I was a child it was like this: As a newborn until about six weeks old it was like this: I was totally dependent upon someone else to care for me. I needed someone for my basic needs. I needed someone for food. I needed someone for clothing. I needed someone for shelter. I needed someone for security. I couldn’t walk.I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t even sleep, unless you laid me on my back. And I slept most of the day and was up most of the night.

From 11/2 to 3monthsI was finally getting my nap routine down. I was sleeping most of the night and awake most of the day. My brain started developing. My vision started to improve. I learn to smile, if you smile at me. I discovered my hands. I liked to hear music. I loved to hear mommy and daddy’s voice. I learned to open my hand. I could only tolerate breast milk or formula.

I’m 3 to 6 months now. I’m becoming more social. I’m enjoy simple games. I’m getter better muscle control. I can see 3 feet away. I like looking at my hands and feet. I look back and forth at 2 separate things. I’m beginning to eat some solid foods. I’m in pain as my teeth are coming in. I can hold my head up. I can push up. I can roll over. With help I can sit up. I’m grabbing things now. I’m putting all kinds of things in my mouth. I’m imitating others. I’m making vowel sounds. I’m squealing more often. I’m getting others attention. I’m responding to different voices. I’m playing Peek-A-Bo. I’m singing nursery rhymes. I still need 2-3 naps a day.

Eventually I will become a toddler and wobble, and learn to walk. I’ll go through childhood.

I’ll become a teenager. And eventually a man. But I’ve got to grow up and put away childish things. I got to stop playing some games. I got to stop playing the blaming game, hide and seek, Tic-tac-toe, Dodge ball, Kick the can, Follow the leader, Simon says, Tag Your it, Bobby jacks, Leap frog, House, Dominoes, And uno. I’ve got to grow up and play Chess, Monopoly, THE GAME OF LIFE. Set clear and empower goals. Consistently stretch my comfort zone. Generate plenty of ideas. Make mistakes and learn from them. Work Smarter and harder than yesterday. Expose my self to new places, people and ideas. I’m so glad that Jesus grew up and became a man. And when He grew up, He said the Spirit of the Lord is upon me…He is our example. He is our soon coming King. He is everything I need. Can I get a witness? Say Yes…I have to become a better me in 2021. I will become a better me in 2021.