Last week, we partook of some solid food as we examined apostasy, the falling away from God.
Today, I’d like us to unbox a few passages to reflect on our own spiritual maturity.
Hebrews 5:13–14 “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, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
-Ask others what their bible says-
I found it interesting that this Greek word for the English word “senses” is found in the NT here in Hebrews.
It means “internal sense” “faculty of perception”
…those who by reason of use have their faulty of perception exercised to discern both good and evil.
in v.11 The author of Hebrews calls his audience, who are mostly Jewish, lazy and hanging onto the old doctrine and not embracing the new covenant.
Hebrews 5:11 “of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” NKJV
CSB-”We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand.”
You ever speak to someone who, when you attempt to explain something to them, give you the impression that it is too much effort to try to understand?
Here’s the controversial question/statement for the week:
Could CPC be among the dead churches?
Have we become dull of hearing?
We are only able to grow in spiritual maturity through knowledge and practice of scripture.
Hebrews 5:12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”
Today, let’s look at 3 amazing facts about Spiritual Growth:
Spiritual growth must be intentional
Spiritual growth requires us to get uncomfortable
Spiritual growth involves sacrifice
Let’s go to Hebrews 6:1-8 read from my bible
Please stand with me as we honor God while reading His word.
Hebrews 6:1–3 “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.”
Here the author is saying very much the same thing that we read in Hebrews 5:12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”
The heading on Hebrews 6 is “The Peril of Not Progressing.
In chapter 5 he points out they are not where they should be in Spiritual Maturity.
In chapter 6 he goes on to explain the dangers of spiritual immaturity.
Last week we looked at Hebrews 6:4–6 so we’ll not cover that again.
Hebrews 6:7–8 “For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.”
It is interesting that these two verses follow similar instruction in Matthew 13:8 “But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
The whole of that parable illustrates how 4 of the 5 seeds did not produce fruit, but one did!
Are we using the knowledge of God’s word to produce fruit in our lives, our families lives, and those we encounter?
In thinking about spiritual growth, I thought about how sometimes we pray that we leave here today, different that when we came.
Not that kind of change that when we walk out of here people don’t recognize us or know who we are, although that can happen.
But rather leaving here:
with a softened heart
Or maybe that we need to forgive someone
or grieving over a past or present sin, realizing we need to repent and surrender to God
We must be INTENTIONAL is our spiritual growth.
Spiritual growth requires us to get uncomfortable.
Let’s look at one other passage:
2 Peter 1:5–9 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”
This exhortation begins a section where Peter describes the responsibilities that result from possessing the godly resources in vv. 1,3,4
2 Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:”
2 Peter 1:3 “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,”
2 Peter 1:4 “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
Peter writes of:
Precious faith
Godliness
Knowledge
Exceedingly great and precious promises
Then in verse 5 Peter begins to explain what it takes to grow spiritually by building on faith.
2 Peter 1:5 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,”
Peter tells us add virtue, that is; moral excellence, to your faith.
To virtue add knowledge- knowledge is the proper understanding, with discernment, of the truth.
We must put that knowledge into action or work as we see in James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
We can’t just hear the word, we have to do something with it!
Then he goes on in James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
Peter goes on in v.6
2 Peter 1:6 “to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,”
to knowledge add self-control (this is a fruit of the Spirit Paul writes of in Galatians 5:23.
You may recall in the Fruit of the Spirit series, I admitted that self control is a challenge for me.
Tell story of Lisa getting stuck.
Needless to say, I wasn’t walking in the Spirit in that moment!
To self-control, add patience (another fruit of the Spirit) The other characteristic of fruit of the Spirit that I struggle with, is patience!
Patience and perseverance are used interchangeably in this verse, depending on the translation or version you read.
We must remain faithful, and persevere even in the severest of persecution!
To patience , add godliness.
I read this definition of godliness recently:
One who loves, honors, adores, praises, worships and serves, and obeys the Lord.
Have you prayed about how/where you can serve the Lord?
2 Peter 1:7 “to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”
Peter is speaking of agape love. Limitless, unconditional, never-ending, complete love (another characteristic of Fruit of the Spirit)
2 Peter 1:8 “For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So Peter gives this list, then says (repeat v8)
We must get uncomfortable to grow Spiritually.
Maybe we need to get uncomfortable in understanding God’s word.
Through a bible study, or devotionals on a scheduled basis.
Through prayer
Through our walk with God
Let’s look at some indicators of Spiritual Maturity in our lives:
Teaching others rather than Just being taught
Developing depth of rather than struggling understanding with the basics
Self-evaluation rather than self-criticism
Seeking unity rather than promoting disunity
Desiring Spiritual challenges
rather than desiring entertainment
Careful study and observation
rather than opinions and half-hearted effort
Active faith
rather than cautious apathy and doubt
Choices we make daily, change with Spiritual growth!
We’ve discussed that:
Spiritual growth must be intentional
Spiritual growth requires us to get uncomfortable
And now let’s consider how
Spiritual growth requires sacrifice
My Sunday routine:
15 years ago,in middle of 10 years of...
What sacrifices must you make to grow into Spiritual Maturity?
Will you need to sacrifice TV time?
Overcome fatigue from long hours and a stressful job?
Maybe it is lack of motivation, as or Hebrews 5:12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”
Maybe it simply is a matter of laziness?
Hebrew 5:12 CSB We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand.”
or maybe it is “Fill in the blank”.
Spiritual maturity requires us to be intentional, to get uncomfortable, and to sacrifice ourselves to the glory of God.
