Cheaper By The Dozen Series

Where Are You?

Pt. 5 - Cheaper By The Dozen

I. Introduction

When we change locations we often post or send a forwarding address so that those people who are important to us will find us. But Adam's actions after falling to temptation and sin reveals that we don't always want everyone to know when our location has changed! His response to his fall was to try to hide from God. He must have not yet discovered that that is an impossible feat. God knows where we are all even when we don't. So, it would seem odd that in Genesis 3:9 God asks this question …

Text: Genesis 3:9 (NIV)

But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

God knew where Adam was. The issue was Adam didn't know where he was. This simple 3 word question forced Adam to evaluate and access his own spiritual location and condition. It has forced us to do the same. We have established that we are supposed to be on a journey towards maturity. We all start at the same exact spot. There is no way to skip stops along the way. We are in one of these 4 stages of spiritual maturity. (SLIDE 3) Infant, Teen, Adult, Parent.

Each stage is a necessary part of the journey. Each stage has some characteristics about them that we need to use to evaluate where we are in this journey. There is also an essential skill that is needed in each stage that enables us to move to the next stage. Until we develop, hone and operate in that skill we cannot move forward.

Infants must learn to move to the next stage.

Teens must listen to move to the next stage.

Adults must leverage to move to the next stage.

And here is a major hurdle that must be crossed. I think most of us, if we are interested in and are intentional in maturing, often stop at adult thinking that that is the ultimate and pinnacle stage of maturity. So, we hover around that stage taking short and less frequent trips back into the previous stages. However, we never really move on into the final stage which, in my opinion, is the most needed stage currently in the body of Christ. We need people to mature to parent level for the sake of those behind them in the other three stages. I think one of the reasons we see so few people make it to parent stage is because there are so few models or examples around us of people making it to and living in this stage.

So, quickly as we have been doing let me share some of the characteristics of parents in the natural that parallel in the spiritual. These characteristics are the result of a baby coming onto the scene. Haven't you noticed that a baby changes everything?

Characteristics of Parents:

1. They don't focus on their own needs. They look out for the needs of others.

2. No longer focus on personal achievement. They want their kids to do better than they did. (Me - super competitive. Wanted to win at all cost. But then boys.)

3. They are willing to challenge and correct. Not as interested in someone's gift as they are someone's character.

4. They live differently so that they have something to leave to those coming behind. They are setting the stage for someone else's success.

5. They are willing to share wisdom.

6. They invest in someone else's dream. ?Why they pay for college. Help with first house.

7. They step aside so that others can step up. Doesn't mean they can't and don't step up. Doesn't mean they are completely out of the picture. But they make room. (Bro. Gentry - willing to take that to develop me. Julie worship)

Those are natural characteristics, but they are also spiritual. In fact, this is actually illustrated so many times in Scripture that it is almost impossible not to see it taking place. So, here are just a few examples.

Jethro - Moses.

Elijah - Elisha.

Jesus - Disciples.

Paul - Timothy.

Paul - Titus.

We have read a lot of what Paul has to say about spiritual maturity so let's listen to how he operated.

1 Corinthians 4:15-16 (NCV) ?For though you may have 10,000 teachers in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Through the Good News I became your father in Christ Jesus, so I beg you, please follow my example.

So, Paul modeled this step of spiritual maturity for us! He said you have a lot of teachers. The word there for teachers literally means "one who passes along information." Then Paul says I took a different step and became your father. The word there for father means "one who infuses his own spirit into another." That is parenting. And so that we have a correct understanding let me define parenting for you because you can be a spiritual parent regardless of your age, marital status in the natural. The verb parent doesn’t just mean to produce a child. It means to raise, care for, take care of a child.