WHAT TIME IS IT? IT’S TIME TO GROW UP!
INTRO TO TOPIC: Does anybody know what time it is? (NOT “Tool Time!”).
• Jesus said to the Pharisees: “how is it you do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:56).
• “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11).
• “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16).
• It’s time to rise up, and become the church of Jesus Christ – it’s time to GROW UP!
KEY TEXT:
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some, pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man (teleios – mature, complete, of full age, or perfected), to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, which is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:11-16).
• We start out as children, but God wants us to grow up in Him, and become mature (teleios). It’s time to grow up!
• “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18).
• Spiritual growth is not for the sake of perfection in itself, but to know Jesus better!
• It also means to grow up into Jesus – to become more and more like Him in every way.
STAGES OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH:
There is a parallel between the physical growth of a human being and the spiritual growth of a Christian – when you first become a Christian, you’re in the baby stage, etc…
1. STAGE #1 – A CHILD:
“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:1-3).
• The best thing for a baby is milk, and the best thing for a baby Christian is the milk of God’s Word.
“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
• Characteristic #1 of the child stage = carnal – envying, strife, divisions.
• Little children do two things well – they make lot of noise, & make messes!
• It’s time to grow up out of this stage!
“For though by this time (there it is again – what time is it?) you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God (speaks of the ABC‘s of God‘s Revelation – spiritual Kindergarten); and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age (teleios), that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14).
• Characteristic #2 of the child stage = can’t discern between good and evil
• STORY: When I first got saved, drinking one night with Tery then church next am!
• See in this Scripture God’s desire for us to grow up – from being children drinking milk (being unskilled) to being mature believers who eat solid food (discern good & evil).
“I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake… I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.” (1 John 2:12-14).
• Characteristic #3 (a good one) of the child stage = joy in forgiveness!
• First I was first saved, I couldn’t find enough people to tell about Jesus.
LITTLE JOHNNY STORY: After Little Johnny went to bed one night, his mom heard a crash and came running in. What happened? “I guess I stayed to close to where I came in.”
• Instead of asking, “How close can I stay to the world and still be saved?” we should be asking, “How close can I get to God before He takes me to Heaven (like Enoch)?”
IT’S TIME TO GROW UP!
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Cor. 13:11).
• God wants us to grow up and put away childish things – i.e. envying, strife, divisions.
2. STAGE #2 – YOUTH:
• This is an important stage where believers should be feeding themselves the Word
• They also should now be transitioning to maturity
“I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one…. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.” (1 John 2:13-14).
• Characteristic #1 = they are strong and God’s Word abides in them
• Characteristic #2 = they have overcome the wicked one and walk in victory
3. STAGE #3 – MATURE ADULT – TELEIOS: (complete, of full age, or perfect)
Ephesians 4:15: “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him”
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO BE MATURE? To be like Jesus:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23).
HOW DO WE GROW UP?
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5).
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4).
• As we abide in Jesus in prayer, and abide in the Word, we grow!
ILLUSTRATION: Our family in Tampa, Florida. As far as the eye could see, orange trees were loaded with fruit. When we stopped for breakfast, I ordered orange juice with my eggs. "I’m sorry," the waitress said. "I can’t bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken." At first I was dumbfounded. We were surrounded by millions of oranges, and I knew they had oranges in the kitchen. What was the problem? No juice? Hardly. We were surrounded by thousands of gallons of juice. The problem was they had become dependent on a machine to get it.
• A baby needs someone to feed themselves, but as your children grow up and become youth and young adults, they need to learn how to feed themselves!
WARNING – SUBSTITUTES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH:
1. Show up – people who think it’s good enough to just show up and fill a chair
2. Listen up – people who think it’s good enough to just come and listen to the preacher
3. Dress up – people who think it’s good enough to just put on fancy clothes for church
4. Pay up – people who think, “I’ll just give my tithes and let the pastor do all the work.”
5. Get up – people who respond to an altar call in emotionalism and think that’s “it”
6. Talk it up –people who think it’s good enough to just talk about God (no action).
7. Hold it up – people who won’t grow spiritually hold back the growth of the body!!
- when one part suffers, the whole body suffers…
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
• It’s time to grow up – to put away childish things, and become more like Jesus!
AN ENCOURAGING BENEDICTION:
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Saviour, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever, amen.” (Jude 24-25)
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
