I. Introduction
A. Grow Up!
1. Perhaps you’ve heard someone say this to you. As I look back over my life, there are definitely times when the person saying that to me was right because I was acting immaturely in a situation.
2. Growing up is hard, but it feels like we have accepted some things as a society that have made it even harder.
3. It can be challenging to learn how to adult.
4. There are times when it can also be a challenge to be spiritually mature.
B. Background
1. The Hebrew writer is expressing disappointment. He knows that his audience should be further along in their understanding of God’s Word.
2. They should be mature enough to teach, but still need to learn the basics, which is frustrating.
C. Spiritual Maturity
1. Our theme passage (Ephesians 4) reveals that God desires our spiritual maturity.
2. This morning, we’ll look at spiritual maturity through both of these passages to understand what is needed, what it looks like, and how to grow as God desires.
II. Spiritual Maturity
A. of Maturity
1. The measure of spiritual maturity is .
a. That’s a tall order, isn’t it?
b. Ephesians 4:13
c. Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
d. We must not expect perfection, but we must use the right measure to gauge our maturity, or we will not grow as we should.
2. Anything other than Jesus means we are using a false standard.
a. If we’re only comparing ourselves to other people (including other Christians), the expectation will always be too low.
b. If we use an earthly standard as our measure of what Christians should look like, we set ourselves up for disappointment. It can negatively impact your faith.
c. When we cling too much to people as our standard, we end up elevating them above where they should be.
3. Learning to live like Jesus requires us to move beyond the basics.
B. of Maturity
1. Spiritual maturity is a life-long , not an achievement.
a. The Hebrew writer uses a metaphor of milk and meat. (Hebrews 5:11-14)
b. Paul’s discussion revolves around being tossed to and fro and carried about by every wave of doctrine, human cunningness, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:14)
2. Illustration: We would never expect a newborn to eat solid food. We must feed them and help them in their early years. That is to be expected of those who are new to faith. But at some point, children have to start eating solid food if they want to be fully nourished. We even expect them to learn how to feed themselves.
3. Do we ever graduate from spiritual milk to spiritual meat?
4. Signs you’re not eating meat
a. in the Word
b. Not able to discern truth from
c. Not actively in Bible study
5. Spiritually malnourished Christians are easy . So how do we make sure we aren’t easy prey?
C. in Christ
1. What does maturing to the fullness of Christ look like?
2. Maturing in Christ simply means we are striving to become more like and less like the .
a. Paul provides a list of Christ-like attributes in Ephesians 4:26-32. Back in August of this year, we examined this list in the sermon Equipped for Transformation.
b. All the things listed in this passage are attributes of Jesus that we see throughout His ministry.
c. This list (among many Paul provides) can help us to measure whether or not our actions are Christ-like.
3. Illustration: Do you remember a time when the WWJD bracelets were everywhere? It was meant to help a person think before they acted. The bracelets encouraged them to think, “What would Jesus do?” in any circumstance.
4. One of the simplest ways to mature in Christ is to ask that question. (Ephesians 4:23)
III. Conclusion
A. Spiritual Maturity
1. Growing up in Christ can be hard.
2. Just like “adulting,” we won’t always get it right, but what is important is that we are using the right measure, seeking to nourish ourselves spiritually, and seeking to develop a mind like Christ.
B. Invitation
1. Maybe this week, you’ve found yourself acting very childish, spiritually speaking. You know it’s time to grow up and do the mature thing, but it’s hard.
2. Maybe someone has acted childishly towards you, and you’re having a hard time forgiving. We can learn a lot from children. They often forgive each other very quickly.
3. Perhaps this morning, what you need to do is grow up by becoming a child of God. Simply listen to Him and trust that He desires what is best, and that is what He has asked you to do.
Questions for Reflection
1. How often have I found myself measuring my spiritual maturity in comparison to other people of faith? Why is this not a good standard for a Christian? How might that stunt my growth?
2. Does Hebrews 5:11-14 describe me? Am I spiritually malnourished? If so, what can I do to spiritually nourish myself? If not, how can I sustain and maintain my spiritual nourishment?
3. In my quest to become more like Jesus, which of the things listed in Ephesians 4:26-32 do I struggle with?