Babes in Christ

INTRO

(HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!)

Video Mia (How beautiful is to see that babies are used by the Lord, they are fully saved and they enjoy the same privileges of sons and daughters of God, as us adults;

But babies also have their limitations...

This survey was done by George Barna. He's a famous name in statistics in churches in America. And he gives some rather shocking statistics, but it may be true:

48% could not name the four Gospels.

52% cannot identify more than two or three of Jesus' disciples.

60% can't name even five of the 10 Commandments.

50% thought Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife!!

61% think the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham.

71% of them think the expression "God helps those who help themselves" (Ben Franklin) is a Bible verse.

For example, he says 48% of churchgoers in America could not name the four Gospels. Can you? Can I arrow one of you and test? No lah, it's too stressful. You say, "What four Gospels? What is first... what is four Gospels in the first place?"

52% cannot identify more than two or three of Jesus' disciples. Peter... Peter... Peter... And all they can remember is Peter. How about this: 60% can't even name five of the ten commandments. You want to try?

How about this: 50% thought Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife. This must be the champion one.

61% think the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham – that's sad. 71% of them think the expression "God helps those who help themselves" is a Bible verse.

The level of biblical illiteracy is shocking, but that's what church, that's what Christianity sometimes has become. When people are infantile, they cannot accept much, they just want the very, very basic things. The scripture is not preached, the Bible is not understood and that's what we will end up with.

Today, we will examine the following theme:

BABES IN CHRIST

MAIN TEXT

1 Corinthians 3:1–2 RVR95BTO

De manera que yo, hermanos, no pude hablaros como a espirituales, sino como a carnales, como a niños en Cristo. Os di a beber leche, no alimento sólido, porque aún no erais capaces; ni sois capaces todavía,

Hebrews 5:11–14 RVR95BTO

Acerca de esto tenemos mucho que decir, pero es difícil de explicar, por cuanto os habéis hecho tardos para oir. Debiendo ser ya maestros después de tanto tiempo, tenéis necesidad de que se os vuelva a enseñar cuáles son los primeros rudimentos de las palabras de Dios; y habéis llegado a ser tales, que tenéis necesidad de leche y no de alimento sólido. Y todo aquel que participa de la leche es inexperto en la palabra de justicia, porque es niño. El alimento sólido es para los que han alcanzado madurez, para los que por el uso tienen los sentidos ejercitados en el discernimiento del bien y del mal.

CONTEXT

THE LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN CORINTH

Known as one of the most important cities in Paul’s time, he started the church in Corinth during the end of his second missionary journey, about the year AD 50.

Even though it was a beautiful and vibrant church, the apostle calls them babies in Christ, they had divisions, hatred, envy, quarrels, problems with gifts, they would pick and choose leaders, they had serious problems with immorality and many other spiritual issues, they were babies in Christ!

But...

What makes a baby in Christ, how to identify if I am one of them?

1. LES FALTA MATURIDAD

Hebrews 5:11 RVR95BTO

Acerca de esto tenemos mucho que decir, pero es difícil de explicar, por cuanto os habéis hecho tardos para oir.

“Tardos” - It's a Greek word and means: "no push". So these are people who come to church or maybe read their Bible, but when they hear, they are "dull" – no push, no effort, no real desire, just going through the motions.

ILLUSTRATION

Just because one has been a Christian for many years, does not mean they are "mature":

They may be like the person who had been a teacher for twenty-five years...

When she heard about a job that would mean a promotion, she applied for the position. However, someone who had been teaching for only one year was hired instead.

She went to the principal and asked why. The principal responded:

"I'm sorry, but you haven't had 25 years of experience as you claim; you've had only one year's experience, 25 times."

(During that whole time the teacher had not improved!)

Therefore, not being mature is the first sign of being a baby in Christ.

2. NO PUEDEN DIGERIR

You cannot give a steak to a baby, but when you’re an adult and still cannot digest meat, it is because you have a digestion problem.

There is something about the Word of God and that is: you need to digest it. One scary thing when kids drink, drink, drink and they don't digest is the next moment they all puke it out, right? So it's very important to digest the Word of God. What do you mean by digest? Make sure you have it processed in you!

Not digesting is like having it in your body but not processing it, it’s knowledge without practice, and the problem is that NOBODY ELSE CAN DIGEST IT FOR YOU!

3. SON VULNERABLES Y EGOISTAS

Children are vulnerable and selfish, the same is true with Christians and the Spiritual world; leave children by themselves and you will see fighting and crying and kids taking what do not belong to them...

The Corinthian church had issues even participating in the Communion! They would get there drunk, and because of that many of them died.

Babies are vulnerable and selfish!

Those are the Christians who only think of themselves, are never ready to serve, never trustworthy, always behaving like babies.

TRANSITION (If that is your case…)

HOW TO GROW IN CHRIST??

Growth is a natural thing, and if we are not growing, we must examine what the problem is.

Here are some steps we can take:

1. DEJAR LO QUE ES DE NIÑO

Me first!

Berrinches (Spiritual fits)

The following advices were in the same letter of Paul:

1 Corinthians 14:20 RVR95BTO

Hermanos, no seáis niños en el modo de pensar, sino sed niños en cuanto a la malicia y maduros en cuanto al modo de pensar.

1 Corinthians 13:11 RVR95BTO

Cuando yo era niño, hablaba como niño, pensaba como niño, juzgaba como niño; pero cuando ya fui hombre, dejé lo que era de niño.

There is a point in our lives that we have to MAKE A DECISION about growing!

2. CRECER EN EL CONOCIMIENTO DE LA PALABRA DE DIOS

There is no escape, all spiritual growth demands knowledge of the Word of God;

False doctrines: they exist today!!

Ephesians 4:14 RVR95BTO

14 Así ya no seremos niños fluctuantes, llevados por doquiera de todo viento de doctrina, por estratagema de hombres que para engañar emplean con astucia las artimañas del error;

1 Peter 2:2 RVR95BTO

y desead, como niños recién nacidos, la leche espiritual no adulterada, para que por ella crezcáis para salvación,

When I do not know the Word of God, I cannot APPLY IT in my daily life!

This application is discernment as shown in the text we read in the beginning:

Hebrews 5:14 RVR95BTO

14 El alimento sólido es para los que han alcanzado madurez, para los que por el uso tienen los sentidos ejercitados en el discernimiento del bien y del mal.

The word “ejercitados” is the same word that is the source of the word “gymnasium”, which means the Word of God has to be worked, practiced until we are “in shape.”

Remember we said that we need to digest the Word of God. If you live your whole life with milk only, you will never be able to enjoy meat!

I have to make time for the Word of God! I cannot grow in God if I do not know what He wants!

3. DAR TIEMPO AL TIEMPO

Proverbs 4:18 RVR95BTO

18 La senda de los justos es como la luz de la aurora, que va en aumento hasta que el día es perfecto;

The apostle Paul always defended that we should not “lay hands hastily.”

While growing is important, nobody will become mature from night to morning: it’s a process!

DISCIPLINE is also part of learning! The Lord will use discipline to help us in the process of becoming mature.

FINAL APPLICATIONS

IMAGE OF ADULT WITH BABY FACE AND BABY WITH ADULT FACE (IT’S UNNATURAL, IT MAKES PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE, AND IT’S HORRIBLE!)

Babies are lovely, but babies shouldn't look like this (picture of a baby with an adult face). I mean if you're 20 years in church, and you're still a spiritual baby, something is very wrong. How come you are not growing up? I say, therefore, to you spiritual infancy is not the problem. It's perpetual spiritual infancy, it's spiritual stagnation.

RELY ON PEOPLE WITH MORE EXPERIENCE.

KEEP PUSHING FORWARD:

Philippians 3:13–14 RVR95BTO

13 Hermanos, yo mismo no pretendo haberlo ya alcanzado; pero una cosa hago: olvidando ciertamente lo que queda atrás y extendiéndome a lo que está delante, 14 prosigo a la meta, al premio del supremo llamamiento de Dios en Cristo Jesús.

As a conclusion, here is an advice of the same apostle who had to learn a lot, and then teach us:

2 Peter 3:18 RVR95BTO

18 Antes bien, creced en la gracia y el conocimiento de nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo. A él sea gloria ahora y hasta el día de la eternidad. Amén.

Let’s pray.