Milk And Meat For Spiritual Maturity

(1) Those who have been saved for many years but they have not grown spiritually one iota!

Illus: Do you remember the story of “Peter Pan?” He was a boy who refused to grow up.

Growing old is not always synonymous with becoming mature.

The tragedy of the church today we have come to accept IMMATURITY AS THE NORM!!!

Some will say, “I’ve been like this for years, so what’s the big deal.” It is a big deal for the Kingdom of God.

Illus: Imagine having a baby with all the joys, thrills, and even responsibilities a baby brings.

• That baby looks so cute taking turns sucking on its thumb and bottle. Changing the diaper is a time of bonding for most parents. Buying that formula and baby food is great because you know that this is the best way to take care of your baby.

• Fast forward 5 years. Your baby is still sucking on his thumb and bottle. You are still changing diapers and still buying baby food.

How does that sound?

Know what that sounds like to me? That sounds like a big deal, it sounds like a tragedy.

We know that no healthy 5 year old youngster would remain doing things he did as a baby.

Yet, in the spiritual realm this has become the norm in many churches today.

These babes in Christ are generally found among the older Christians.

They feel they have been around a long time and they have experienced all the growth they need to experience.

But this is not true, in the physical world when a person becomes around nineteen or twenty years of age they have experienced all the growth they will experience.

But in the spiritual world we grow until the day we die. It does not matter if you have been saved 50, 60, and 70 or a hundred years old we continue to grow spiritual.

(2) The second kind of Christian you will find are those that recognize they are not spiritually grown and they seek to grow spiritually.

They pray and study their Bible daily and attend church every time the church doors are open because they are hungry for the teachings of God’s Word.

Illus: These remind me of a young child that can’t wait to grow up.

God recognize they want to grow and that is why His Word tells us how to grow spiritually as a newborn.

Look at 1 Peter 2: 2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”

What a joy it is to preach to such people.

But when it comes to SPIRITUAL GROWTH I must say this again there are people in our churches today who has been in the church for years and have heard good preaching from God’s Word but they have not grown in the slightest spiritually.

Why?

To have spiritual growth, there are THREE things we need to consider, such as:

(1) THERE MUST BE A SPIRITUAL BIRTH IN ORDER TO HAVE SPIRITUAL GROWTH

This is sad to say but there are some in God’s church that thinks they are save but they have never been born again and this is why they have not gowned in the Lord.

The Word of God confirms that.

Remember what Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

To have spiritual birth you must first have a birth.

Also when it comes to SPIRITUTAL GROWTH-

(2)THERE MUST BE SPIRITUAL FOOD AVAILABLE FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

I think it can be said today in some churches the reason for immaturity falls in the lap of many pastors who do not spend enough time in sermon preparation to feed the flock of God.

Illus: Makes me think of the story is told about an old American Indian who attended a church service one Sunday morning. The preacher’s message lacked real spiritual food, so he did a lot of shouting and pulpit pounding to cover up his lack of preparation.

After the service, someone asked the Indian, who was a Christian, what he thought of the minister’s message. Thinking for a moment, he summed up his opinion in six words: "High wind. Big thunder. No rain."

• Yes, when the Scriptures are neglected, there is "no rain."

• And with the dry spirit which has no spiritual rain becomes immature.

It is the responsibility of every pastor to feed the flock of God.

The Bible tells all pastors in 1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.