Growing up Great
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
A New Life
A New Life
A new life will require
++Leaving
++Cleaving
Embracing a new reality is not easy
We
++Are creatures of habits
++Like the predictable
++Are comfortable in the Normal
To walk in new life we must
++Move beyond the Elementary
++Embrace a new reality
++Grow in God
Elementary things
Elementary things
1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
These things
++Are important
++Are foundational
The pillars of the life of faith are established on these things.
Maturity is the goal of growth
Maturity is the goal of growth
It is not just
++Attendance
++Offerings
++Membership
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Maturity is connected with faith
Maturity is connected with faith
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
This faith is functional
++In the life of the Believer
++Not because of what they do
++Because of Who they have become
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Being in Christ
++Is about position
++Is about condition
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
Why would they listen to those thought to be uneducated and common?
Why would they listen to those thought to be uneducated and common?
They saw
++Boldness
++Confidence
++A mature faith
Why?
Why?
They had been positioned right.
They had been positioned right.
Though they are
++raw
++unrefined
The had been with Jesus
The had been with Jesus
God makes it all possible
3 And this we will do if God permits.
Growing backward?
Growing backward?
4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
Maturity is important
Maturity is important
It declare
++A change in mindset
++A change in development
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.