Growing Up

1. Children often ask, “What will you be when you grow up?

a. A life’s vocation is what is meant by the question. I thought I would join the Navy, Not Ministry

b. There is an old rhyme that children used to say when counting the sections of an orange or petals on a flower that was supposed to prophetically declare their station in life:

“Doctor; Lawyer; Merchant Chief (later Indian Chief)”

c. “What will you be when you grow up?” is one of the greatest questions you will ever ask.

2. This is a biblical question, too. The bible has much to say about maturity (Hebrews 5-6).

a. Note: The question is “What will you BE?” Not “What will you DO?”

b. We are Human BEINGS, not Human DOINGS.

c. We may spend so much time on our doing that we forget our being.

3. God’s call to Israel – Exodus 19.3b-6

The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

a. He brought them to himself by the blood of the Passover Lamb

b. To be His TREASURED people

c. To have a TREASURED task – BEING a Kingdom of Priests/a Holy Nation

4. God’s call to us is the same call as theirs– 1 Peter 2.1-3; 9-10

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? How about HOLY?

I. We Are Not Grown Up Unless We Are Holy (It does not come easily)

A. It is not a Matter of:

1. Age

2. Record of Success

3. Intelligence

4. Even Familiarity with the Bible

B. It is a Matter of Distinction

1. We Can be “Chameleon Christians” and Blend in to our surroundings

2. We Can be “Amphibious Christians” and live distinct lives in two worlds

3. Holiness sets us apart in our world for God’s purposes in our lives

II. We Grow Up Through the Process of Becoming Holy

A. We Answer the Call to Go from Darkness to Light 1 Peter 2.9b

that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1. Peter understood this the night of his denials when he looked into the face of Jesus (Luke 22.61)

2. WE are to have faces of light (Matthew 5.14 We are the LIGHT OF WORLD)

3. WE are to be filled with and bear light to a dark world (Philippians 2.15 – shine as lights in the world)

B. It is not a Matter of Earthly “Success”

1. Earthly Success wanes in the light of the Kingdom of Priests and the Holy Nation/People of God

2. We have have tasted that the Lord is good. – 1 Peter 2.3

3. We have experienced salvation – 1 Peter 1.18-19 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

4. How is it possible to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation?

a. American forefathers dreamed of this possibility – Places named for the expectation –

New Hope; New Haven; Providence; Philadelphia; Salem (Shalom)

b. Comes one person at a time

1. There is a longing to see and experience authentic holiness

a. Holiness requires a determination to put away – 1 Peter 1.14

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

b. Holiness requires a determination to put on – 1 Peter 1.15-16 (cf. Leviticus 19.2)

15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”