Adulting Series

Where Are You?

Pt. 4 - Adulting

SERMON BUMPER

I. Introduction

I remember learning in school that there are a lot of types of question. There are loaded questions. There are leading questions. There are the ones we hated on tests . . . multiple choice questions. Let's not forget the type of questions I use all the time in preaching called rhetorical question. This type of question requires the person asking the question to make an assumption. The person posing the question assumes that the person being asked the question already or should already know the answer. One of the rhetorical questions I will never forget being asked as a child and that I swore I would never ask and then did is . . . "Do you want me to spank you?" My parents asked this knowing that the answer was already settled. No I don't want you to spank me so therefore, I will alter my actions or attitude so that you are not forced to spank me. Rhetorical questions are a great tool to help us snap back to reality and to become aware of what is happening. I think the first question God ever asked was a rhetorical question.

Text: Genesis 3:9 (NIV)

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

Adam has messed up. He has gone from living openly and shamelessly before God to hiding in the bushes and so God asked a question that He knew the answer to and that I think He assumed Adam would know the answer to. I think He asks it to force Adam to admit and acknowledge the obvious . . . he wasn't where he once was and he wasn't where he should be. We have been asking that same question to start of this year as it relates to our spiritual journey. The truth is I think it is still a rhetorical question because unless we have lied to ourselves and fooled everyone around us in the process most of us should be able to answer somewhat accurately. However, I don't want us to assume that we know because that could be dangerous if it causes us to fail to grow and I think it is necessary to force us to honestly take stock and evaluate our own spiritual condition.

Where are you? We have identified that there are basically 4 stages in our journey 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.

We are thankful for the infants in our midst. We love spiritual babies here. Don't stay a baby. We are thankful for the spiritual teens here. Don't stay a teen. In the natural you would look funny as a spiritual 40 year old wearing parachute pants or skinny jeans - or whatever it is that teens wear now. The same is true spiritually. We must continue to take steps forward. It is time to start adulting!

We are called to mature in faith throughout our lives. When you graduated as a 17 or 18 year old you may have moved away to go to school or work but the truth is there were still areas in your life where you had to mature!

Peter makes it abundantly clear that we never actually arrive in our maturity. Listen to what he says . . .

Text: 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV)

“…Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Message version says "So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith . . ."

Add to your faith. Build on your basic faith. Increase in measure. That is the idea of growing up in our faith.

None of us are granted instantaneous Christ-like lives the minute we believe in Jesus as our Lord. We are responsible for growth.

God wants spiritual maturity/growth for you but He won’t do it for you. Noah it is going to rain now build an ark for yourself so you can survive. We must participate in our survival by growing.

One of the concepts that moves us from teen to adult is that we add to our faith. We master the basics. We become more adept at the walk. So, now we add to our walk. We don't stagnate. We don't stay in rut. We handle more! This is often where we also identify what isn't right or isn’t working correctly in our faith and we mature enough to admit it and address it by finding a solution. Seeking counsel. Adulting requires increasing in measure. Not decreasing in measure.