Small steps in faith

Saturday, January 05, 2008

It's time to grow up

Notes from the sermon I heard tonight at Apex

Ephesians 4:14-15
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,


Do you know someone who never grew up? Their behavior was immature for their age?
Do you know someone who fell away from their faith?
"I'm good here" In all of these examples, they stopped growing.

God will call you to take the next step...to make a choice.
Where you are in life vs. God calling you to make that next step

What if you say "I don't want to grow up"
The problem is ...you have forgotten the goal
What if....in that moment..something is there to remind us what our goal is.
In our Christian walk...it's scripture.


Children are:
1 noncommittal....they go back and forth. If you give them a choice they waver.."I want the blue one...no the green one...no the red one. If you watch a child play, many times they will desert a toy for another one.

2 unable to discern..they wander off. They follow deceivers. They don't recognize when someone has the purpose of harming them.

3 Easily tricked...what it is isn't really what it seems

Adults are
1 able to handle the truth. They are able to speak the truth into someone's life or have someone speak the truth in their life. IN LOVE
"I care about you but what you're doing isn't biblical"

2 Understand the goal....the goal of growth is Jesus Christ..Christ likeness.
Not "I'm comfortable where I am" "Do I have everything I need?"; "Am I content?"
It should be "Am I Christlike?"..regardless of pain and heartache.

False goals
1. Bible knowledge...I know all the greek and hebrew meanings,etc.
2. Postion.."I'm an elder" I'm a deacon"
3. Life long attendance.."I go to church every Sunday"
4. Survival..."I got through"

If you are Christlike....People may never have seen Jesus but they know his appearance and that He died for their freedom through our growth in becoming Christ like.

How do you know you are growing?
The cross...Are you picking it up and following Christ? Is it obvious in your relationships...with your family?...your friends?...your coworkers?...with strangers?

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home