No More Children
Foundation Statement: God’s will
is that we grow up and reach a place of spiritual adulthood, spiritual
maturity. This growing process, this maturing process is simply becoming
more like Jesus. He is the perfect example of spiritual maturity.
God never intended that we stay babies. He corrected people for
being at a place in spiritual development below where they should be.
We are to go on to maturity and not pitch a tent at immaturity. God
wants us to be in this process of growing spiritually all
the time where we are pressing towards full development.
The religious rhetoric is that, “I’m only human, I’m flesh and
blood, I make mistakes everyday, nobody’s
perfect and will all sin everyday.” That type of thinking
doesn’t help you grow spiritually. Our mindset needs to be, “I’m not
telling you that I’ve attained full development, but I’m pressing towards
it. I’ve forgotten my past mistakes and stretching towards this goal of
being spiritually mature and just like Jesus."
I.
Ephesians 4:10-It’s clear
that God wants me to grow up and not stay a baby – It’s God’s will that I
grow up
A. Ephesians 4:13-Perfect
man (Perfect-Full grown, adult, full
age, mature); Perfect doesn’t mean flawless it means full grown, adult, full
age and mature
1.
Could
you reach the place of spiritual maturity, spiritual adulthood? This doesn’t
mean that you’re done developing, but rather it just means that you’re a
spiritual adult
2.
This
growing process, maturing process, perfecting process is simply becoming more and
more like Jesus
a. Ephesians 4:12-15-We are
growing up into Jesus; He is the perfect example of being mature spiritually
1)
ERV-No, we
will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way;
TLB-We will lovingly follow the
truth at all times—speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly—and so
become more and more in every way like Christ; VOICE-These
ministries will continue until
we are unified in faith and filled with the knowledge of the Son of God, until
we stand mature in His teachings and
fully formed in the likeness of the Anointed
b. Eph4:12-Perfecting-Make one what he ought to
be; What ought you be?-1 John 2:6-You ought to conduct your life just like
Jesus
1)
Luke 6:40-The disciple is
not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master
2)
2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP)-[Because we] continued to behold [in the
Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being
transfigured into His very own image
in ever increasing splendor and from
one degree of glory to another
3.
Luke
1:80, 2:40-Jesus grew in spirit and he is our example and therefore we are to
grow in spirit
B. Ephesians 4:13-15-Be no more children-God’s plan is for
you to reach this place of spiritual adulthood and be no more a child (Nepios-Infant,
little child, childish, untaught, unskilled)
1.
We
are not meant to stay babies-1 Corinthians 3:1-3-They are getting rebuked for
STILL being babies (You are YET carnal)
a. 1 Corinthians 14:20-KJ-Brethern
be not children in understanding; in understanding be men; AMP-Brethren, do not be children [immature] in your thinking; be
infants in [matters of] evil, but in your minds be mature [men].
b. 1Cor13:11-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
c. 2 Peter 3:18-Grown in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus
Christ
2.
Hebrews
5:11-6:1-Let us go on to maturity – You don’t pitch a tent at babyhood
a. For when the time you ought to be teachers…such as have need
of milk –
In spiritual development they are below where they should be and they are
getting corrected for it
1)
Teaching
is a mark of development/maturity-1 Timothy 3:2-6-A novice (new convert) shouldn’t be teaching; 1 John 2:14-Fathers-Advanced in years, one who has
infused his own spirit into others, teaches, experienced
2)
1
Peter 2:2-They need the milk because you grow by the milk and apparently they
aren’t growing
b. 6:1-Let us go on unto perfection-Full grown, adult, of full
age – They weren’t going on to maturity, rather they camped out at
immaturity
1)
(AMP-Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings
about Christ, advancing on to maturity; CJB-Let
us go on to maturity; MSG-So come on, let’s leave the preschool
finger painting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow
up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on
“salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God; baptismal
instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the
dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we’ll stay true to all that. But
there’s so much more. Let’s get on with it!)
C. God wants you to be in
this process of spiritual growth all the time where you are pressing towards
full development-Philippians 3:12-15
1.
So
much of the religious rhetoric concerning our conduct is that I’m only human,
I’m flesh and blood, I make mistakes, nobody’s perfect, no body could ever be
perfect, we all sin everyday and that type of thinking does not help you grow
spiritually
a. 12-He’s saying I haven’t
attained this neither am I already perfect BUT I FOLLOW AFTER IT (Press on, one who runs a race to reach a goal, to
pursue eagerly, earnestly endeavor to acquire); 13,14-I forget the things
behind me and reach towards stretch towards this goal of growing up and being
like Jesus – That’s much different than the religious rhetoric
2.
Let
us therefore, as many as be perfect, be THUS MINDED (The mind he demonstrates
in verses 12-14)
a. 15-Mature people think
like this: I’m not telling you that I’m
fully mature and just like Jesus, but I’m in hot pursuit of it, forgetting the
things behind and pressing towards the goal of growing up and being just like
Jesus – It sounds to me like he believes he can get there
b. 15-Immature, religiously
correct people would say, “I’m not
telling you I’m perfect and I never could be after all I’m just a man, I make
mistakes, I sin everyday, after all we have all sinned and fallen short of the
glory of God none of us could ever be just like Jesus,”
3.
16,17-Hold
onto what you have already learned and follow me; The way he’s pressing towards
this you and I should be pressing towards this
D. Growing up should be
something on our radar – We’ve been commanded to grow up (Ephesians
4:14-15)
1.
You
have to see your need to grow before you’re even going to be thinking right and
doing things to grow