Let’s Grow Up!

Reading: Hebrews chapter 5 verse 11 to chapter 6 verse 3.

Ill:

Children’s Wisdom

• Patrick aged 10

• “Never trust a dog to watch your food”

• Michael aged 14

• “When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" don't answer him”

• Joel, aged 10

• “Don't pick on your sister when she's holding a cricket bat”

• Andrew aged 9

• “Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a Polo mint”

• Taylia aged 11

• “When your mum is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair”

• Armir aged 9

• “You can't hide a piece of broccoli in your milk”

• Mitchell aged 12

• “Don't sneeze in front of your mum, when you're eating a cracker”

• Michael aged 14

• “Never tell your mum her diet's not working”

Ill:

• It might not be considered wisdom;

• But I would guess everyone in this room has said it at sometime to someone;

• Those immortal words; “Grow up!”

• Or a similar phrase; “Why don’t you act your age?”

Growth is important to all of us:

• Ill: From the moment you were born you were weighed and measured.

• Ill: As children how many of you had a growth chart or marks on the wall/door frame?

• Growth is the sign of a healthy child;

• And if a child is stunted in their growth it usually it means that something is seriously wrong

Note:

• What is true in a physical sense has a spiritual parallel.

• You come into God’s family the same way you entered your physical family;

• By being born into it - i.e. ‘Born again’ – i.e. a baby.

• Now in the physical realm;

• We grow into healthy children, teenagers, adults by taking in nourishment, by exercising etc.

• It is an automatic process that happens without us really noticing.

• Ill: Our own kids every so often their clothes don’t fit – growth spurt etc.

• Now in the spiritual realm the experience can be very different;

• The number of years you have been a Christian does not mean you are growing!

• True you are growing older but you are not in practice growing up!

• i.e. becoming spiritually mature.

Ill:

• A man, after 25 years with one company,

• Was still doing the same old job and drawing the same salary.

• Finally he went to his boss and told him he felt he had been neglected.

• “After all,” he said, “I’ve had 25 of experience.”

• His boss sighed and said:

• “You haven’t had 25 of experience, you’ve had one experience for 25 years.”

Note:

• This passage in the book of Hebrews;

• Helps us to recognise if we are maturing or stagnant in our spiritual growth.

• These verses are really tragic;

• The picture they present to us is more like a nursery school than a Church.

I want to split the passage under 4 headings:

(1). These Christians were dull and deaf (vs 11).

N.I.V:

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn”.

N.A.S.B:

“Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain,

since you have become dull of hearing”.

Ill:

• An elderly man stopped at a hearing aid centre and asked about prices.

• The salesman said “We have them from £25,000 down to £1.50,”

• The elderly man asked; “What’s the £25,000 one like?”

• The salesman said “It’s as a clear as can be and it also translates in 12 languages.”

• He then asked; “And what about the one for £1.50?”

• “It’s this button attached to a string,” said the salesman, pushing it across the counter.

• “How does it work?” asked the man.

• “It doesn’t” replied the salesman said;

• “But if you put the button in your ear and the string in your pocket,

• You’ll be surprised how loud people talk!”

• These Hebrew Christians had become voluntary hard of hearing;

• They had plugged their ears to avoid the truth.

• In fact the Greek word translated in the N.I.V “slow to learn”,

• In the N.A.S.B as “Dull of hearing”.

• Is only used twice in the entire Bible;

• It is used here in verse 11 and one more time in the letter (chapter 6 verse 12).

• It means “thick, slow, sluggish, indolent, lazy”.

• The original term is from two words; “No” “Push”.

Ill:

• A dull preacher would be one with “No push”.

• We might say; “his get-up-and-go… got up and went!”

• But actually the problem in this Church is not with the preacher but the congregation;