MATURITY #2/7

#1 · March 2, 2009, 1:40 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on March 2, 2009, 1:40 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
MATURITY #2/7

THE FIRST STEP TO MATURITY

February 8, 2009

TEXT: 1 John 1:5-2:2

As I shared last week, I we are investigating the meaning and application of Christian maturity. The Scripture lesson from Hebrews 5:11-6:3 makes it clear that Christian believers are supposed to be working on becoming mature believers. Although we begin with milk, we are to proceed on to the meat. In other words, we are to grow cognitively, emotionally, and, most importantly, spiritually. Indeed, as we attend to our spiritual growth, the other two will naturally follow.

In order to investigate properly the meaning of Christian maturity, I discover that we need to go back to our beginning. For some believers here, that is not so long ago; for others, well, it has been awhile since that first act of asking Jesus to live in your hearts. And that is a good thing, no matter how long ago it has been. Nevertheless, we do not know what maturity means if we do not have a sense of the beginning, for the beginning provides important instruction.

I have some vague images of the first baby sitter I can consciously recall. I wasnt a baby; I was early elementary age. The sitter was a high school student, and she brought some books to do some homework if she could. As I said, I was early elementary age, so I knew what homework was, too. I knew what school books were. But when I got a glimpse of the book she was working out of, I was a bit dismayed. There was no way, I recall thinking, that I could ever read or do homework problems out of one of those. I was enjoying, Run, Spot, run! Her book had something to do with world geography, or some strange thing, with lots of big words in tiny print. I dont remember ever seeing so many words on one page of a book in all my life. And some pages didnt even have pictures! What kind of world was I living in?

Anyway, back to the point. We are too easily discouraged whenever we see the end point way off in the distance if we forget that it is a journey that will get us there. What I had to experience for myself was that by the time I was a high school student, I was prepared for the kind of book I saw my sitter using. In fact, I was prepared for many more than just that one. The same is true in many of our lifes endeavors. Malia and I have sometimes stopped flipping channels to watch one of those oil painting instruction shows. We have been fascinated to watch the artist mix a few colors, dab them onto a canvas, smear them around, mix a few more, dab them on, smear them around, and see an actual shape appear. It is amazing, and I know that if I tried it, I would end up with a few random colors smeared on a canvas. I cant even do paint by numbers! But, again, if I were going to pursue oil painting, I would have to begin at the beginning and grow step by step. After awhile, what had once been completely foreign to me would become more and more natural. As that happened, I would begin adding more advanced techniques and styles and mature as a painter.

This is how we can approach spiritual maturity of the Christian. We begin at the beginning and grow step by step. This is why it is appropriate to revisit the beginning. We are reminded where we came from, how we began, and where we should be going.

John writes, If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defenseJesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Prior to confessing Jesus as Savior and Lord, each and every one of us lived completely outside of Gods will. We were unsaved. Not a single one of us could do anything to change our condition. We were never going to become good enough to be holy like God, even if we wanted to try. We were never going to become wealthy enough to buy enough righteousness to be saved. There was absolutely nothing we could do, no matter how selfless or austere, to win Gods favor.

Friends, that is humbling. Humans do not like helplessness. We do a lot everything we can to be independent. I do not know of too many folks I have known in my lifetime who willingly give up their drivers license and car, their home, or even their routine. Why? Because they all contribute to our independence. Becoming dependent on others is, as I said, a humbling experience.

But that is exactly what we had to do in order to let God finish His work in our lives. Paul instructs us in Romans 3:21-24, But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. a righteousness from God, apart from law Our works, our wealth, our lives are useless to bring salvation. Gods righteousness is ours only I say again, only through faith in Jesus Christ. No one who has not entered through that door of salvation can take any step whatsoever toward Christian maturity.

Naturally, this is significant for those who need to accept, believe, and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord. If you fit that description, then you are invited to heed Gods invitation for salvation this morning. But recognizing our complete dependence on God for salvation is still significant for those who have accepted, believed, and confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord. It is significant because no matter how years mark our born-again anniversary, we are still completely dependent on Christ. John 15:5, I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Friends, remember that I said earlier that no one who does not enter through Gods door of salvation can take one step toward Christian maturity. That is true. But it is also true that, once saved, no one can journey very far toward Christian maturity if he or she does not recognize our continuing dependence on Christ.

So back to 1 John. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. We are still sinners. Been a Christian for a week? Youre still a sinner. Been a Christian for 70 years? Youre still a sinner. Been a Christian who has stayed in one place at one job all your life? Youre still a sinner. Been a Christian who has travelled the world and started churches for the Kingdom? Youre still a sinner. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11) Those are the words of Paul, who would put all of us to shame if we were to compare our commitment to Gods Word and Kingdom. In spite of all he did and all he wrote and all he suffered for the Kingdom of God, Paul declared that he had how much righteousness? None! Zero! Nada! Upon whom did Paul depend completely? Jesus Christ.

Back to 1 John 2:1-2. We cannot claim to be without sin. We cannot declare our independence from Jesus Christ apart from him we can do nothing. So what is God letting us know here? He is letting us know that if we are to grow and mature, then we take it step by step. We do not forget where we have been, but we are no longer held back by it. We may not be able to read that world geography book yet, or work that calculus problem yet, or paint that masterpiece yet, or attain the spiritual maturity that God desires us to have yet, but we can be encouraged that we can take a step at a time toward maturity. Writes John, My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defenseJesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Part of attaining Christian maturity is recognizing that victory comes from the Lord and not from ourselves. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

I have three assignments to make for you this week, but you only have one of them to do depending upon your relationship with the Lord. If you have never invited Jesus into your heart if you have never been born-again into the everlasting mercy and love of God in Jesus then your assignment is to read and reflect on John 3:1-21 and Romans 3:21-26. What is Gods desire for you and your relationship with Him? Of course, you can read other Scriptures, too, and, better yet, you can take that step of faith and accept Christs love this morning.

Now, if you are born-again, but are still young in the faith, I invite you to read John 15: 1-17 and Colossians 3:1-17. It gets a little tougher, but reflect on how God can create the best fruit in your life, and how you can give that fruit back to God in love and service.

If you are born-again and have been growing in the faith for some time, then read John 15:1-17, also. Then read Matthew 23 and Romans 12. What can these verses tell us about growing in wisdom and love? Is hypocrisy ever hidden from God? In what outward, tangible ways can we reflect the truth of Gods light and love?

Living as a growing, maturing Christian believer is like growing from childhood to adulthood because Christian growth is life. It is not different than life because God is our Creator who has given us life. Therefore, God knows what we need in order to mature as humans we begin with milk and move on to solid food. And He definitely knows what we need in order to mature as spiritual beings in relationship with Him. We begin with new birth, followed by the growing awareness of our dependence upon Christ, and then continue step by step along the path that enables and encourages us to be more complete servants in His Kingdom. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

MATURITY #2/7

THE FIRST STEP TO MATURITY

February 8, 2009

TEXT: 1 John 1:5-2:2

As I shared last week, I we are investigating the meaning and application of Christian maturity. The Scripture lesson from Hebrews 5:11-6:3 makes it clear that Christian believers are supposed to be working on becoming mature believers. Although we begin with milk, we are to proceed on to the meat. In other words, we are to grow cognitively, emotionally, and, most importantly, spiritually. Indeed, as we attend to our spiritual growth, the other two will naturally follow.

In order to investigate properly the meaning of Christian maturity, I discover that we need to go back to our beginning. For some believers here, that is not so long ago; for others, well, it has been awhile since that first act of asking Jesus to live in your hearts. And that is a good thing, no matter how long ago it has been. Nevertheless, we do not know what maturity means if we do not have a sense of the beginning, for the beginning provides important instruction.

I have some vague images of the first baby sitter I can consciously recall. I wasnt a baby; I was early elementary age. The sitter was a high school student, and she brought some books to do some homework if she could. As I said, I was early elementary age, so I knew what homework was, too. I knew what school books were. But when I got a glimpse of the book she was working out of, I was a bit dismayed. There was no way, I recall thinking, that I could ever read or do homework problems out of one of those. I was enjoying, Run, Spot, run! Her book had something to do with world geography, or some strange thing, with lots of big words in tiny print. I dont remember ever seeing so many words on one page of a book in all my life. And some pages didnt even have pictures! What kind of world was I living in?

Anyway, back to the point. We are too easily discouraged whenever we see the end point way off in the distance if we forget that it is a journey that will get us there. What I had to experience for myself was that by the time I was a high school student, I was prepared for the kind of book I saw my sitter using. In fact, I was prepared for many more than just that one. The same is true in many of our lifes endeavors. Malia and I have sometimes stopped flipping channels to watch one of those oil painting instruction shows. We have been fascinated to watch the artist mix a few colors, dab them onto a canvas, smear them around, mix a few more, dab them on, smear them around, and see an actual shape appear. It is amazing, and I know that if I tried it, I would end up with a few random colors smeared on a canvas. I cant even do paint by numbers! But, again, if I were going to pursue oil painting, I would have to begin at the beginning and grow step by step. After awhile, what had once been completely foreign to me would become more and more natural. As that happened, I would begin adding more advanced techniques and styles and mature as a painter.

This is how we can approach spiritual maturity of the Christian. We begin at the beginning and grow step by step. This is why it is appropriate to revisit the beginning. We are reminded where we came from, how we began, and where we should be going.

John writes, If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defenseJesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Prior to confessing Jesus as Savior and Lord, each and every one of us lived completely outside of Gods will. We were unsaved. Not a single one of us could do anything to change our condition. We were never going to become good enough to be holy like God, even if we wanted to try. We were never going to become wealthy enough to buy enough righteousness to be saved. There was absolutely nothing we could do, no matter how selfless or austere, to win Gods favor.

Friends, that is humbling. Humans do not like helplessness. We do a lot everything we can to be independent. I do not know of too many folks I have known in my lifetime who willingly give up their drivers license and car, their home, or even their routine. Why? Because they all contribute to our independence. Becoming dependent on others is, as I said, a humbling experience.

But that is exactly what we had to do in order to let God finish His work in our lives. Paul instructs us in Romans 3:21-24, But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. a righteousness from God, apart from law Our works, our wealth, our lives are useless to bring salvation. Gods righteousness is ours only I say again, only through faith in Jesus Christ. No one who has not entered through that door of salvation can take any step whatsoever toward Christian maturity.

Naturally, this is significant for those who need to accept, believe, and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord. If you fit that description, then you are invited to heed Gods invitation for salvation this morning. But recognizing our complete dependence on God for salvation is still significant for those who have accepted, believed, and confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord. It is significant because no matter how years mark our born-again anniversary, we are still completely dependent on Christ. John 15:5, I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Friends, remember that I said earlier that no one who does not enter through Gods door of salvation can take one step toward Christian maturity. That is true. But it is also true that, once saved, no one can journey very far toward Christian maturity if he or she does not recognize our continuing dependence on Christ.

So back to 1 John. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. We are still sinners. Been a Christian for a week? Youre still a sinner. Been a Christian for 70 years? Youre still a sinner. Been a Christian who has stayed in one place at one job all your life? Youre still a sinner. Been a Christian who has travelled the world and started churches for the Kingdom? Youre still a sinner. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11) Those are the words of Paul, who would put all of us to shame if we were to compare our commitment to Gods Word and Kingdom. In spite of all he did and all he wrote and all he suffered for the Kingdom of God, Paul declared that he had how much righteousness? None! Zero! Nada! Upon whom did Paul depend completely? Jesus Christ.

Back to 1 John 2:1-2. We cannot claim to be without sin. We cannot declare our independence from Jesus Christ apart from him we can do nothing. So what is God letting us know here? He is letting us know that if we are to grow and mature, then we take it step by step. We do not forget where we have been, but we are no longer held back by it. We may not be able to read that world geography book yet, or work that calculus problem yet, or paint that masterpiece yet, or attain the spiritual maturity that God desires us to have yet, but we can be encouraged that we can take a step at a time toward maturity. Writes John, My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defenseJesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Part of attaining Christian maturity is recognizing that victory comes from the Lord and not from ourselves. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

I have three assignments to make for you this week, but you only have one of them to do depending upon your relationship with the Lord. If you have never invited Jesus into your heart if you have never been born-again into the everlasting mercy and love of God in Jesus then your assignment is to read and reflect on John 3:1-21 and Romans 3:21-26. What is Gods desire for you and your relationship with Him? Of course, you can read other Scriptures, too, and, better yet, you can take that step of faith and accept Christs love this morning.

Now, if you are born-again, but are still young in the faith, I invite you to read John 15: 1-17 and Colossians 3:1-17. It gets a little tougher, but reflect on how God can create the best fruit in your life, and how you can give that fruit back to God in love and service.

If you are born-again and have been growing in the faith for some time, then read John 15:1-17, also. Then read Matthew 23 and Romans 12. What can these verses tell us about growing in wisdom and love? Is hypocrisy ever hidden from God? In what outward, tangible ways can we reflect the truth of Gods light and love?

Living as a growing, maturing Christian believer is like growing from childhood to adulthood because Christian growth is life. It is not different than life because God is our Creator who has given us life. Therefore, God knows what we need in order to mature as humans we begin with milk and move on to solid food. And He definitely knows what we need in order to mature as spiritual beings in relationship with Him. We begin with new birth, followed by the growing awareness of our dependence upon Christ, and then continue step by step along the path that enables and encourages us to be more complete servants in His Kingdom. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org