The End Game (Our Spiritual Walk #8)
John 2:5-6
INTRODUCTION:
This is the last sermon in a series about Our Spiritual Walk. We’ve talked about where we walk – the broad way that leads to destruction or the narrow way that leads to life. We’ve talked about our preparation for the walk – putting off all that slows us down, and putting on the armor of Christ. We’ve talked about 6 of the Biblical directive on how we should walk – Walk in Light, Truth, Love, our Calling, the Spirit, and as a New Creation. Today we’re going to end the series by talking about the End Game of Our Spiritual Walk.
1. THE GOAL:
What is the Goal … or Destination of our Walk? We know that we walk toward Heaven … an eternity with God. But there is also a Goal or Destination we can attain while we are walking our earthly walk.
1 John 2:5-6, “Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
Let’s compare this with a similar passage in Philippians 3:14-17. “… Let us, as many as are mature, have this mind;…To the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”
Two words are used here and they both point to the same principle. Philippians 3 says, “Let us, as many as are mature, have this mind…” Then 1 John 2 tells us, “Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him…” When we see words like mature and perfected in the New Testament, chances are we are looking at a translation of the Greek word “telios” which can be translated into either perfect or mature.
Telios is the same word that was used in both Matthew and Mark to describe fishermen mending their nets (Matthew 4:21, Mark 1:19). What were these fellows doing with their nets? They were mending holes and strengthening weak places in the nets so that they would be “telios” or perfect, flawless, complete, without defect.
Telios is the goal or destination of our spiritual walk. Like the mended nets, we need to be mended along our walk. We keep walking in order that Christ can MEND us and make us mature, perfect, complete … and then, like mended nets, we will be fully useful. We will be effective in our service to God because he has made us mature. The goal of our spiritual walk is to become “telios” … mature and thoroughly equipped unto every good work.
This is my favorite definition of telios … to be fully equipped for every good work. Just like the mended nets of James, John, and Zebedee were ready to catch fish, the maturing Christian is a useful tool in the Master’s tool box. Most of us will never claim to be perfect … and if we did, no one would believe us. But we can appreciate the goal of becoming more and more mature and useful.
While we are walking toward the goal of maturity in Christ, we don’t ever need to feel we are unable to serve God. God is more than willing to use anyone and everyone who is willing to walk with Him and allow Christ to mend them and shape them into His image. (2 Timothy 2:21).
2. THE DURATION
Now, we know that “telios” is the destination of our walk, what’s the first question that comes to mind? If you’re like me, it’s “are there any shortcuts to getting there?” There are things that can slow our progress and things that can speed our progress, but there are no shortcuts. We can’t cut across and skip the path God has put before us.
I’ve heard Evangelist, Joyce Meyer tell her audience, “There are no drive-through breakthroughs.” The point is that when we seek shortcuts to maturity we set ourselves up for ironic and frustrating delays to the very process we are impatient to complete. Eugene Peterson in his book, Practice Resurrection (p. 133), wrote, “Maturity can’t be hurried, programmed or tinkered with. There are no steroids available for growing up in Christ more quickly. Impatient shortcuts lead to dead ends of immaturity.”
Knowing that I am wired like the rest of you, I realize that taking the slow path to maturity can sound boring. Our over-stimulated minds look at the long haul to maturity the same way we tend to gripe at our microwave ovens for taking so long to cook our food. Isn’t there a two day miracle makeover out there somewhere? Can’t we just sign up for some week-end Instant Maturity conference and get it over with? Sorry, partner, but short order growth is a pipe dream.
The walk to telios-style maturity is a daily walk, step by step … and it lasts for a lifetime. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be useful before you have reached maturity, but it does mean that if you take a vacation from the formative walk, you’ll find that you slip back and wind up in a proverbial ditch.
Hebrews 6:11-12 is a scripture that cheers us on in our spiritual walk: “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”
3. THE PROCESS
The process of becoming mature is a slow, multi-step process. Let’s take it apart and look at the practical steps we need to take in order to be changed into the image of Christ:
1. (What?) First we need to make a change in knowledge. This actually COULD be accomplished quickly --- by attending a week-end conference or by reading a book or joining a self-help program. When we finish this step we know something new that we did not know before. This is, by far, the easiest step in making permanent change.
2. (Why?) The second and more difficult step is a change in attitude. After learning something new, there must also be a spiritual and emotional processing of what we have learned so that the knowledge sinks in and becomes part of us. This is why the Bible speaks of meditating on The Lord and His Word. This transforms head knowledge into a heart attitude that will enable us to walk in authenticity and to overcome the excuses that threaten to stop us in our tracks. If there are any “yes, but” rationalizations, they must be eliminated through the power of the Spirit.
3. (How?) The third and even harder step is to change behavior. I’ve heard it said that permanent change in behavior generally requires practicing the new behavior for no less than 21 days (3 weeks). Steps 1 and 2 must be completed first, so that step 3 can be accomplished with consistency. This step may require strategic planning. We may need to design a point by point plan of attack. There may be a value to including incentives for sticking with the new process. Behavioral change may also call for a change of friends. We will do better with a support team to encourage our efforts. On the other hand, we may need to disentangle ourselves from the kind of people who distract or discourage our spiritual walk.
4. THE TASK
The task of our walk is DISCIPLESHIP. We don’t walk in isolation! We walk together on this narrow road. The very fact that the road is narrow means we can hardly avoid bumping up against the other walkers! This is what a church family is all about. This is why we encourage people to join us here at our church and become part of our family. We need to share the journey with other Christians. We share the narrow road on our spiritual walk!
Along the way, you may find yourself being a teacher/mentor/coach … or in another case you may be a cohort/friend/or accountability partner. And, of course, no matter how far along the road we may be, we are never too far advanced to let someone teach, inspire, or coach us.
The ironic truth about our interaction with others is that anyone at any level of spiritual development can have something meaningful to share with any one of us --- even those of us who’ve been walking a LONG time! The same Holy Spirit resides in the seasoned walker as in the novice walker. It is the Spirit's wisdom that we share --- and His wisdom can come as easily through a new walker as through an old one. Don’t miss out by assuming that a younger disciple has nothing to offer you as you keep walking the road to maturity.
Let me offer one final word of caution about this shared walk. While we all walk the same narrow road, no two people will experience identical journeys. Keep your spirit open to the guidance of God's Holy Spirit for the specific steps you should take each day. And never compare your journey to the person next to you. God's plan for each person is unique and custom designed.
CONCLUSION:
We know that God has a unique plan for every believer, but having said that, we also know that some requirements are the same for all. All of us need to include daily time in the Word of God and continual conversation with God. Let your daily preparation for the spiritual walk include the matter of taking off what hinders and putting on what helps your daily journey. And most important, keep in step with Jesus Christ, "the author and perfecter of your faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
May the Lord give us eyes to see the way to move forward with our own spiritual walks, and then may he give us vision to see others who we might be able to assist with their walk. Let us rejoice to know that we are God’s workmanship and that He has planned out ahead of time the good works for us to do. May the Lord give us hearts to do these works diligently for His glory.
