Maturity Myths
COLOSSIANS 3: 9-14
1. Illus. of game called “Sweetlicks.”
• Big console with 15-20 holes. At random times, a cartoon character head would pop us out of the hole for a second or two. Object of the game was to use foam rubber bat to knock them back down again.
• Problem was, while you were knocking one head back down, two others would pop up, etc.
• Finally gave up trying to play. It was just too aggravating!
2. Does it ever seem to you that the Christian life is like that? We decide we need to work on one aspect of it, like, “I’ll be more humble next week.” The problem is, while we are working on humility, two or three areas pop up over here that we thought we had under control! When we leave humility to work on those, two other old areas of self rear their ugly head! If that’s ever happened to you, I want you to listen carefully today. Paul is going to tell us about one thing we can focus on that will correct a whole slue of problem areas in our lives!
3. Last week we talked about some of the old habits we are to put off. This week let’s talk about the new habits and attitudes the well dressed Christian is to put on. Let me make some general statements about these new habits and attitudes:
They can be divided into 4 categories: how to relate to others, how to see ourselves, how to act when others wrong you, the attitude of the disciple.
Jesus is the ultimate example of what these new habits and attitudes look like. Jesus acted exactly like this!
God does not want you to say, “well today I’m going to kind, humble, meek, longsuffering, etc.” Why? It won’t work! Try it tomorrow with your spouse. I’ll guarantee you’ll be sleeping in separate beds tomorrow night!
Instead, God wants you to focus on becoming Christlike. As you do, you will automatically become more kind, humble, meek, longsuffering etc. See vs 10. Key
4. What I want to talk about is spiritual growth (or Christlikeness, or sanctification, or spiritual maturity). The only way we will become more like the text is to become more like Jesus!
5. Thesis: The reason many Christians are not growing spiritually is that they don’t understand how to measure spiritual growth. Because they are evaluating themselves with the wrong measuring stick, they mistakenly think they are growing when in reality they are not!
6. What are some of these misunderstandings about spiritual growth that may actually keep us from growing spiritually? Let’s talk about three of them.
MISUNDERSTANDING #1: SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS MEASURED BY HOW LONG YOU’VE BEEN A CHRISTIAN
1. Misunderstanding: “I have been saved for several years. Since I have been a Christian for so long, I must be spiritually mature by this time.”
2. What the Bible says: See Colossians 3:10. IF we are not doing those things that cause us to be renewed according to the image of the one who created us, we are not going to grow in Christ.
3. Folks, the Bible teaches it is entirely possible to be saved for years, and be no more spiritually mature (like Jesus) than you were the day you were saved!
4. Illus. of General Tom Thumb
• Charles Stratton was born in Bridgeport Connecticut in 1838. At first, he appeared to be a small but normal baby. After a short while, it became apparent that something was horribly amiss. You see, he just stopped growing! By the time he was in his late teens he was 2’ 1” tall, and weighed only 17 pounds.
• Fearing he would never be able to make a living in a normal way, Charles joined the P.T. Barnum circus.
• Barnum billed him as General Tom Thumb, the world’s smallest human.
• The Bible indicates that it is possible to be a spiritual Tom Thumb. You can be born into the Kingdom, and appear at first to be a normal spiritual baby. Yet shortly after salvation, you just stop growing. Although many years may pass, you are no bigger spiritually than when you were first saved.
5. Truth: Spiritual growth is intentional. You have to want to grow, you want to decide to grow, and you have to develop the habits that will produce spiritual growth!
6. What kind of habits will produce spiritual growth for the Christian? Let’s look at the infant church, and see the habits they practiced that produced such phenomenal spiritual growth. See Acts 2:42, 46. (Note the words stedfastly…daily…)
A habit of Bible teaching and personal Bible study (apostle’s doctrine).
A habit of corporate and private prayer (prayers).
A habit of corporate and private worship (breaking of bread…house to house = worship in house churches).
A habit of small group fellowship and spiritual accountability (house to house = very small groups)
7. How are you doing on this?
Faithful to public times of teaching and worship?
Private devotional time?
Belong to a small group (like men’s and women’s ministries etc.) that provides genuine fellowship and accountability?
8. Spiritual maturity doesn’t happen automatically with the passing of time. It only happens when we develop the habits that produce spiritual growth.
MISUNDERSTANDING #2: SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS MEASURED BY WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BIBLE
1. Myth: “I can identify X number of bible characters, I am familiar with X number of bible passages, and I can understand X number of basic theological doctrines. Therefore, I must be spiritual mature.”
2. What the Bible says:
See Colossians 3:10. Knowledge here is not word for intellectual knowledge, but the word for applied knowledge. Not just head knowledge, but knowledge where you say, “ok, God says I should be doing this and this” and apply that to your life and start doing it!
See chapter 3. How do we know that we are putting off the old man and putting on the new man? By the changes in behavior he talks about in this chapter.
3. Illus. of first Bible class
• Took class on Bible in Junior College.
• Man there who knew all the answers to every question.
• Made lewd comments about young women in hall, made obscene jokes, carried chip on shoulder and was offended by anything said to him.
• His Bible knowledge didn’t affect his daily behavior. Paul would never have pointed to him as example of spiritual maturity, but he would have pointed to him as an example of spiritual immaturity.
4. Truth: While the study of the scripture is essential to spiritual growth, the accumulation of bible knowledge in and of itself does not indicate spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity has only taken place when our study of the scripture changes the way we live!
5. What are some of these changes that take place when we are growing spiritually? See Colossians 3:
We build moral safeguards into our lives (vs 5)
Out temper changes (vs 8a,)
Our speech changes (vs 8b)
We don’t lie to our brothers in Christ anymore (vs 9)
We handle disagreement differently (vs 12-13).
6. Bottom line: I don’t care if you can quote all four gospels by heart, if you are selfish, unloving, self-righteous, critical, and proud, then spiritual maturity hasn’t taken place!
7. Spiritual maturity is not measured by what we know, but by how we act.
MISUNDERSTANDING #3: SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS MEASURED BY HOW MUCH I DO AT CHURCH
1. Misunderstanding: I am here every time the doors are open. I am involved in this ministry and that Bible study. Since I do so much at church, I must be spiritually mature.
2. Truth: Spiritual maturity is not measured by the amount of religious activity you are involved in!
3. Illus. of John Kelly
• Feet constantly moving, hands constantly pumping etc.
• He is a regular perpetual motion machine!
• In spite of all that movement, he is still just a baby!
• Same can be true spiritually. You may be a religious perpetual motion machine, and still be a spiritual baby.
4. The desire to serve others is a mark of spiritual maturity. However, there is a vast difference between developing a servants heart and just being involved in a bunch of church activities! One of the ways I can tell if a Christian is maturing is when they start wanting to take off bib and put on apron! BUT: You can put an apron on a baby, but he is still a baby!
5. A servant’s heart indicates maturity, but just being involved in a bunch of church stuff does not.
