It's Time To Grow Up Part 7 Series

It’s Time To Grow Up Part 7

Scriptures: John 10:1-28; Matthew 11:15

This message with bring to a close this series “It’s Time to Grow Up.” I hope that through this series of messages that you have been able to examine your spiritual life to determine where you are in your walk with God, whether you are still a baby or growing into a mature adult Christian. This morning I want to provide the last identifier that I am choosing to mention as it relates to being a baby Christian. As you can imagine, this series could go on and on identifying things that Christians do that demonstrate their spiritual growth levels, but this last one really captures everything that I have said and everything I could say moving forward. This morning I want you to know that a baby Christian does not always recognize the voice of their Savior. This lack of voice recognition can lead to a feeling of loss and abandonment as the baby Christian comes to believe that God does not talk to them as He does others. It can lead to a feeling of unworthiness which plays into the hands of our enemy. This morning I want you to know that our Father talks to His children and it’s important that as maturing Christians we learn to recognize His voice and become obedient to Him. Let me give you an example.

When Nikki was pregnant with our daughter Clarissa, I had read an article that stated that while the baby is in their mother’s womb, they learn the rhythm of the mother’s heartbeat and will be able to recognize it after they are born. Because of this recognition when the mother holds the baby the baby will hear a very familiar sound, their mother’s heartbeat. I also read that the baby will also be able to recognize the mother’s voice because it had heard her voice for months while in their mother’s womb. Again, this voice recognition creates a bond prior to birth which grows after birth. This special connection is something that develops between a mother and her baby during the growth of the fetus. This bond is not one that the father has because the father is not the one who carries with the developing fetus 24-7 for nine months. The developing fetus cannot hear the father’s heartbeat so for all intents and purposes, the father during the fetus’ development is a non-entity.

I did not want to be a non-entity for my child as she was growing. I wanted to establish a bond with my daughter prior to her birth. I read in an article that fathers can also establish a bond with their unborn babies. The article stated that the father should talk and read to the baby while the baby is in its mother’s womb. By doing this the baby will learn to recognize the voice of the father. I began to talk to Clarissa and read to her while Nikki was still carrying her. After Clarissa was born, I remember watching her to see if she recognized my voice when I spoke. Many nights I would rock her to sleep because this was my time to bond with her. There were some nights when I was out of town on business when Nikki had to take one of my tee shirts and lay it in Clarissa’s bed in order for her to fall asleep. When she recognized my scent she would fall asleep. During her first 12 months I would often tell Nikki that I could not wait for her to start talking because I wanted to be able to have conversations with her. (Be careful what you wish for!) My point with this is that I intentionally went through a process to establish a bond with my daughter prior to her birth that enabled us to bond more quickly after she was born. Jesus has done the same thing with us; He has already laid the foundation for our bond long before we were conceived. Turn with me to John 10:25-28.

“And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, ‘How long do you make us to doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:25-28)