Growing in Faith: Embracing Spiritual Maturity Together
Summary
The sermon begins with the pastor discussing the concept of perspective and how it can be distorted by lies that sound like truth. He emphasizes that all people were created by God and possess a certain level of cleverness, but this cleverness can be twisted for personal gain, ambition, and control. The pastor then introduces the congregation to the upcoming series on three different stages of faith, encouraging the listeners to be open to God speaking to them about their current stage of faith and acknowledging that fear may be holding them back.
The pastor then focuses on the frustration expressed by the author of Hebrews towards the lack of maturity among the Jewish Christians. He highlights the analogy of babies needing milk and not being able to eat solid food, comparing it to the spiritual immaturity of the Hebrews. The pastor also mentions the writer's desire to explain the deeper mysteries and teachings, but acknowledges that the Hebrews are not yet ready for it.
Drawing from Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13, the pastor explains that there comes a point in our lives when we need to let go of the naivety and ignorance that children possess. As adults, we are called to grow in maturity and develop a faith that is grounded in knowledge and understanding. The pastor then references Ephesians 4:1-16, emphasizing the responsibility of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip God's people for His work and to build up the church.
The pastor emphasizes the importance of faith as the ultimate solution in the spiritual journey. They highlight the need to commit to faith and trust in Jesus, which brings confidence and peace. The pastor references a therapist's observation of a significant increase in anxiety among their clients, attributing it to a lack of maturity in individuals, leaders, and even the church.
In the final portion of the sermon, the pastor emphasizes the importance of maturity in the church and the role it plays in creating a healthy environment for growth. The pastor uses the analogy of a forest to illustrate this point. They explain that if all the trees in a forest are at the same level of maturity, nothing else can grow, leading to a barren forest with no animals, flowers, or berries. The pastor encourages individuals to commit to their own maturity and help create an environment where younger Christians can thrive, regardless of age.
Key Takeaways:
- The pastor emphasizes that all people were created by God and possess a certain level of cleverness, but this cleverness can be twisted for personal gain, ambition, and control. This distortion of perspective can lead to lies that sound like truth, highlighting the importance of truth as it represents reality. ([12:45])
- The pastor highlights the frustration expressed by the author of Hebrews towards the lack of maturity among the Jewish Christians. This lack of spiritual growth prevents them from fully benefiting from following Jesus, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond the basics and becoming mature in understanding. ([24:30])
- Drawing from Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13, the pastor explains that there comes a point in our lives when we need to let go of the naivety and ignorance that children possess. As adults, we are called to grow in maturity and develop a faith that is grounded in knowledge and understanding. ([36:15])
- The pastor emphasizes the importance of faith as the ultimate solution in the spiritual journey. They highlight the need to commit to faith and trust in Jesus, which brings confidence and peace. This commitment to faith is crucial in overcoming the anxiety and fear that often hinders our spiritual maturity. ([48:50])
- The pastor uses the analogy of a forest to illustrate the importance of maturity in the church. If all the trees in a forest are at the same level of maturity, nothing else can grow. Similarly, in the church, mature Christians are needed to guide and nurture younger believers, creating a healthy environment for growth. ([59:30])
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. 1 Corinthians 13:11: "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."
2. Ephesians 4:11-16: "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 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, 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 who 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."
3. Hebrews 5:11-14: "Of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 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. 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."
Observation Questions:
1. What does Paul mean when he says he put away childish things in 1 Corinthians 13:11?
2. In Ephesians 4:11-16, what roles are mentioned and what are their responsibilities in the church?
3. What is the author of Hebrews trying to convey about spiritual maturity in Hebrews 5:11-14?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the transition from childhood to adulthood, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:11, relate to spiritual growth and maturity?
2. How does Ephesians 4:11-16 describe the process of spiritual growth within the church community?
3. What does the analogy of milk and solid food in Hebrews 5:11-14 tell us about the stages of spiritual development?
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own spiritual journey. Can you identify a time when you transitioned from spiritual 'childhood' to 'adulthood'? What prompted this change?
2. Considering Ephesians 4:11-16, what role do you see yourself playing in the spiritual growth of your church community? What is one step you can take this week to fulfill this role?
3. Reflecting on Hebrews 5:11-14, do you feel you are consuming 'milk' or 'solid food' in your spiritual life? What is one way you can strive for deeper understanding and maturity in your faith this week?
4. Can you identify any 'childish' aspects of your faith that you need to put away, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:11? What is one practical step you can take to do this?
5. How can you contribute to creating a healthy environment for spiritual growth in your church, as illustrated by the forest analogy?
Devotional
Day 1: The Distortion of Cleverness
Our God-given cleverness can be twisted for personal gain, ambition, and control, leading to a distortion of perspective that can result in lies that sound like truth. It's crucial to remember that truth represents reality and is not subject to manipulation for personal gain. [12:45]
Proverbs 14:8 - "The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you may have used your cleverness for personal gain. How can you ensure that your actions align with truth and not self-serving distortions?
Day 2: Moving Beyond Spiritual Milk
The author of Hebrews expresses frustration at the lack of maturity among the Jewish Christians, comparing their spiritual growth to babies needing milk and not being able to eat solid food. It's important to move beyond the basics and become mature in understanding. [24:30]
1 Peter 2:2 - "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
Reflection: What are some 'spiritual milk' beliefs or practices you're still holding onto? How can you move towards 'solid food' in your faith journey?
Day 3: Growing in Maturity and Understanding
There comes a point in our lives when we need to let go of the naivety and ignorance that children possess. As adults, we are called to grow in maturity and develop a faith that is grounded in knowledge and understanding. [36:15]
Ephesians 4:14 - "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming."
Reflection: What are some childlike attitudes or behaviors you need to let go of in order to grow in spiritual maturity and understanding?
Day 4: Faith as the Ultimate Solution
Faith is the ultimate solution in the spiritual journey. Committing to faith and trusting in Jesus brings confidence and peace, crucial in overcoming the anxiety and fear that often hinders our spiritual maturity. [48:50]
Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Reflection: What fears or anxieties are you currently facing? How can you actively trust in Jesus to bring you peace and confidence in these situations?
Day 5: The Importance of Maturity in the Church
Maturity in the church plays a crucial role in creating a healthy environment for growth. Just as a forest needs trees at different levels of maturity for other life to thrive, the church needs mature Christians to guide and nurture younger believers. [59:30]
Colossians 1:28 - "He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ."
Reflection: How can you contribute to the spiritual maturity of your church community? What steps can you take to nurture and guide younger believers in their faith journey?
Quotes
"Truth is so powerful because truth is reality and people want nothing more than to control your reality because it makes them money and gives them control and gives them power." [01:02:25]
"At some point in time we have to commit that faith is the ultimate solution, this confidence grounded in the reality of Jesus, our trust that is rooted in the reality of Jesus, is the ultimate solution." #!!01:15:48!!#
"The biggest lack of trust in positions of leadership, political or not, is we don't think they can do the job because they don't have the maturity. Can they even apply the knowledge? Do they have the wisdom? The root of the anxiety that is increasing in this therapist's client is tied to maturity." #!!01:17:19!!#
"But then all those trees grow up at the same time the same height and has a really dense canopy and it's just like hey we have forests but it's completely Barren underneath it's completely Barren underneath why because the sun can't get down the rainfall can't get down if everybody's at the same maturity" (#!!01:21:25!!#)
"Maybe I'm not ready for it because God reveals as we're ready... maturity is hugely important... when we come to Faith... at some point in time you shouldn't be on liquids anymore you should be on solids... you should not need the basics continue to unpack for you." #!!01:09:43!!#
"I think that's the whole like everybody doing their part to let help everybody else grow from Ephesians is it those who have been walking with the Lord longer who should have spiritual maturity are to help the ones who don't have the spiritual maturity to grow." #!!01:11:02!!#
"This is why maturity is so important in the church... if you've been following Jesus for a long time, committing to your own maturity is important and helping to create an environment so that the younger Christians... can grow." #!!01:24:02!!#
"Then we will no longer be immature like children, we won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching, we will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever that they sound like truth instead we will speak the truth in love growing in every way more and more like Christ who is the head of his body the church." #!!59:29!!#
"Solid food is for those who are mature who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again and let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding." #!!01:06:31!!#
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained only on this specific sermon. Do you have any questions about it?