Adolescence is the stage of human development between childhood and adulthood,
and a stage of development that a number of you are currently sitting in.
In medieval times, the adolescence didn't exist.
It's something that's really come to exist in sociological terms in the last 150, 200 years.
In fact, the concept of youth ministry, having a next-gen pastor, didn't exist in the church before the 1950s.
And so this is even a concept that's relatively new for the church.
But back in the Middle Ages, childhood ended at the age of seven.
You were a child and then you grew up and you started to work and make a contribution for the life of the family.
But since then, childhood and adolescence has constantly been refashioned.
And earlier this year, it received its latest round of remodeling.
Scientists announced, this is in the United States,
scientists announced that adolescence, previously thought to begin at around about 13 years of age
and end around about 18 years of age,
now stretches from 10 to 25 and some argue even up until 30.
And in fact, I'm speaking at a youth camp in Singapore in a couple of weeks
and I'm told that the youth there is 12 to 35.
So I'm just out of that bracket now.
Yeah.
Children, it's true on, you know, imagine 10 to 25.
Children are growing up faster nowadays as people are suggesting that they are.
But they are plateauing for an extended length of time.
They're staying in that bracket of adolescence for a long time.
Sociologists and psychologists suggesting that 20-somethings are not growing up.
They're not becoming independent or taking responsibility.
And I wonder whether there is a similar phenomenon happening in the church.
An extended period of spiritual adolescence.
Perhaps this may be you.
You become a Christian.
When you were young, you experienced what the Bible calls new birth.
You have new life.
You are a baby Christian.
And although there might be some initial growth, which often happens at that stage,
is an initial growth, for way too many people, it just stops.
They stay at this adolescent stage of spiritual development.
In fact, I can suggest to you that way too many Christians that I talk to
can talk about when they became a Christian,
but very few can talk about what God is doing in them right now
and how he's grown them even in the last 12 months.
That is, their growth has just kind of stopped.
And so they talk about things from the past, experiences of the past.
God answered the prayers from the past.
Some, unfortunately, have even got comfortable and, in fact, made peace with their immaturity.
And if that's you, I want to encourage you tonight to pay attention
as we explore this idea of spiritual maturity.
Because God's purposes for Christians is to grow up.
He wants them to grow up in their maturity.
In the same way, when parents have a baby, they are kind of intending for that baby to grow up.
That's the intention.
They don't ever give birth to a child and just hope it just sort of stops there.
Growth is a normal expression of life.
The New Testament writers assume that growth
and assume that there will be constant growth
and they urge constant growth.
They urge pursuing constant growth, spiritual growth.
In 2 Peter 3.18,
Peter urges us to grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
In fact, as distinct from physical growth,
Christians are never to stop growing spiritually.
There's no such thing as an adult Christian who no longer needs to grow.
We're always looking to grow, whereas physically we stop.
I'm assuming you had the thing as you're growing up,
little pencil marks on the doorpost to see how fast you're growing,
little dates and stuff like that.
At some point, I plateaued.
I wasn't going any further.
It was a bit shorter than what I was anticipating and what I like,
but I look around the family and I go,
yep, it's anticipated.
I'm not really going to go beyond six foot.
You know, short legs is part of our family DNA.
And so I hit my plateau.
And in fact, I'm anticipating in about 20 years to start shrinking
because that also I've noticed happens in my family too.
We just start shrinking.
And so you get to a point physically where you just stop growing.
But that's not the case spiritually.
So this week, we're in third of our vision series,
My Purpose, Our Purpose, God's Purpose.
In week one, we answered the question,
what is the purpose of life?
And we saw that God created and saved us for his glory.
We use the word magnification to summarize that.
In week two, last week, we narrowed it down.
Well, if that's the purpose of life, what is the purpose of church?
And we saw that God had gathered us together,
those he'd saved, he gathers together,
as a new people for his glory.
And we use the word membership to summarize and to capture that.
Now, this week, now that God has gathered us together,
he's given us new life,
what is his purpose for his gathered people?
And the word that we're using to summarize all of this is maturity.
So we're up to point two on your outline.
Grab a pen.
There's pens there.
You can follow along, take notes as you go.
What is God's purpose for his gathered people?
Now, to understand, to help us understand God's purpose for his children,
his gathered people,
we're going to trace a dominant theme that runs through the Bible.
And so what I'm going to do is I'm going to give you the big idea.
I'm going to give you the dominant theme,
and then we're going to take a bite at it, if you like.
So the big idea is this.
God wants to have children in his image and likeness.
That's his purpose.
That's his design.
So we're going to go back to the beginning,
Genesis chapter 1.
If you've got your Bibles there and you can come with me, that's great.
If not, skip ahead and go to Psalm 8.
Psalm 8, you see that's two verses down on your outline.
Just jump to Psalm 8.
I'll get there in a moment.
But I'm going to start in Genesis 1, 26.
Then God said,
So God makes humanity in his image and likeness,
which gives them a dignity and an honor that no other creature on earth has.
And when he creates us in his image,
he's including people in his plan to declare to the world that he rules all things.
So if you go to North Korea now and you would walk into that country and you would discover images and likenesses of Kim everywhere.
Classrooms, public meeting places in the street.
There'd be his likeness displayed everywhere.
And the reason for that is we just want to remind everyone all the time who's in charge around here.
Just so you don't forget who rules this place.
And that is what God's design is, is in making people in his image and likeness,
is that they are there to display to the universe the God who rules all things.
But there's something interesting in Genesis 5, when we jump there.
Genesis 5 verse 1.
It says,
This is the written account of Adam's family line.
When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.
He created them male and female and he blessed them.
And he named them mankind when they were created.
So that's Genesis 1.
We've just seen that.
But have a look at what happens next.
In verse 3,
When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son.
Now that in itself boggles the mind.
You know, like, imagine being 130 and sleepless nights and stuff.
Just, man, I was done at like 45 with that.
130 years, he had a son.
And see what it says?
In his own likeness, in his own image.
And he named him Seth.
And it's the exact same words that are used there in Genesis 1.
In his likeness and in his image.
So God creates Adam and Eve in his own likeness.
And then Adam has a son in his own image and likeness.
That is, to father someone is to have them in your image and likeness.
Whether you have a relationship with them is irrelevant.
But they carry your DNA.
Adam can be called God's son.
That's little son.
But he is, in fact, still a son.
In fact, if you go to Luke 3.38,
that's who Adam is called.
God's son.
So this is regardless of how Adam lives.
Regardless of how, what he does.
He is created in God's likeness.
And he is God's son.
I am the son of my father.
As you are the sons and daughters of your fathers.
I am in his image.
I am in his likeness.
We have some similar features.
I have his DNA.
And so there's a whole bunch of stuff that I share with him.
Irrespective of how I behave.
We are related.
I am his offspring.
In the same way that I've got three daughters who have my DNA.
And some of my features.
Fortunately, they've got some natty in there as well.
But there is a sense.
And even to a greater or lesser extent.
Where I reflect my dad's image and likeness in the way that I behave.
So I have his DNA.
But I can, in a greater way, reflect his image and likeness by my attitudes and my behavior.
As my girls can with me.
There are times when I do or say something.
And I just hear my dad saying exactly the same thing.
And not that Nat ever does this.
But she would have every right to say, well, hello, Keith Jeffrey.
But she doesn't do that.
And I see it in my girls too.
I see the way their mannerisms and their attitudes.
Their way of speaking.
Their sense of humor.
It's all stuff that they've picked up from me.
Or, you know, from Nat.
But from me.
But I can certainly see my bits picked up and passed on to them.
When Adam and Eve were creating God's image and likeness.
God was giving them a dignity and honor as his offspring.
As his children.
And nothing else in creation had that.
But he also, at the same time, extends an invitation to them.
To become like him.
To reflect him.
To reflect and mirror the God in whose image they were created.
That is, regardless of how Adam lived as his son.
As a child of God.
Still his son.
Still his child.
But he could live in a way that would really display.
He is God's true son.
True child.
You see, being created in the image of God.
And we can go blue in the face.
Talking about will.
And all kinds of different things.
And intelligence.
And all sorts of stuff.
But being created in the image of God.
Has purpose to it.
It has a mission attached to it.
It is to mirror God.
It is to reflect his glory.
And his magnificence.
To live in such a way.
That when people see us.
They see a reflection of the character.
And the quality of God.
And I think that's the point of Psalm 8.
So I hope you got your finger in there.
If you go to Psalm 8.
And I want you to look what happens here in this Psalm.
We had it read out to us a couple of weeks ago.
But let's go there now.
Psalm 8 begins with this.
Oh Lord, our Lord.
How majestic is your name in all the earth.
That's how it begins.
And then in verse 9.
It ends in exactly the same way.
Oh Lord, our Lord.
How majestic is your name in all the earth.
That's its bookends if you like.
God is majestic.
That's clearly the point of this Psalm.
It's interesting, however, how verses 2 to 8 all connect with that thing.
You have set your glory above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.
Because of your enemies.
To silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens.
And the work of your fingers.
And the moon and the stars which you have set in place.
What is man that you're mindful of him?
The son of man that you would care for him.
So get that?
That you've created all of this universe.
And yet, what?
This people thing.
Why did you choose them like that?
What's the answer?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings.
And you crowned him with glory and honor.
Or you've crowned him with glory and majesty.
And then the psalmist here goes on describing the uniqueness of humanity.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands.
That's Genesis 1 again.
You're created to rule.
You put everything under his feet.
All flocks and birds and beasts of the field and birds of the air.
The fish of the sea.
All that swim the paths of the seas are under the feet of humanity.
And you've made them just a little bit lower than the heavenly beings.
So you see, Genesis 1 is coming out here in Psalm 8.
And you would imagine, therefore, that you get to verse 9.
And you'd hear the psalmist, oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is people.
He doesn't do that.
He says, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
So the psalm ends with the point of praise of God.
Which means, the point of the subordinate majesty of humanity
is for the praise and the glory and the majesty of the God to whom they reflect.
That's the point in Psalm 8.
And so the invitation from God to all of humanity
is to grow up and reflect his magnificence in the lives that they live.
We are made with a mission, with a purpose,
and it is to display the majesty of God in whose image and likeness we bear.
And then you get to Genesis 3.
Adam and Eve reject the invitation.
They reject God.
They decide to make life about them, not about God,
to pursue their own majesty.
They're scattered from God's presence, as we saw last week.
And even though sin has ruined everything,
they still bear the image of God after Genesis 3.
They are alienated from their father,
and therefore they won't grow up to reflect his true character.
And yet God's plans are not ruined yet.
He is still committed to having kids in his likeness.
So let's fast forward in the Old Testament.
A number of years later,
God calls another son to himself,
and this son is called Israel.
In Hosea 11, verse 1, we read this.
When Israel was a child,
I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
You see, when God calls the people of Israel out of Egypt,
out of slavery in Egypt,
and through the Red Sea,
it's like he has given birth to a new nation,
a new people, a new family, new children.
They become God's people,
his children, his son.
And at Mount Sinai,
when he gathers them to himself at Mount Sinai,
he gives them his word, his law.
And in a sense, what he's doing there,
he's extending to them the invitation again
to live in his image and likeness,
to reflect his character,
his purposes,
his priorities.
What does Israel do?
Well, if you read on the very next verse of Hosea 11,
it says this in verse 2.
But the more they were called,
the more they went away from me.
They sacrificed to the Baals
and they burnt incense to images.
Just like Adam before them,
Israel too fails to be the true son of God,
reflecting the image and the likeness of God.
And then there's silence in the Old Testament.
And then you get to Colossians chapter 1 verse 15.
And here we discover the one who is not just the son of God in name,
but also the son of God in character and purpose.
This is the one who truly mirrors the magnificence of God.
The apostle Paul makes this comment that is just so profound.
It says,
The son,
we're talking about Jesus,
the son is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
Jesus Christ is the son of God in a far more profound sense than Adam or Israel ever were.
If you keep reading,
let me just keep reading in Colossians chapter 1.
For in him,
this is Jesus still,
all things were created,
things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities,
all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
This is God the son
in the person of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3 says this about Jesus,
The son is the radiance of God's glory
and the exact representation of his being.
John 1 verse 14 says that Jesus is the word.
He became flesh and made his dwelling amongst us.
We have seen his glory,
the glory of the one and only son
who came from the father full of grace and truth.
Jesus is God the son,
the son of God in his image and his likeness.
But he also reflects the image and likeness of God perfectly
because he lives a life of righteous obedience to the father.
So why does this matter to us?
Let me keep reading in Colossians 1 verse 18.
And he,
we're still talking about Jesus,
and he is the head of the body,
the church,
he's the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead,
so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwelling in him
and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether things on earth,
things in heaven,
by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God,
you were scattered from God,
you were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior,
because you rejected the image and likeness.
But now he has reconciled you by his,
by Christ's physical body through death
to present you wholly in his sight
without blemish and free from accusation.
That is because of the son of God
doing his work on our behalf,
he now presents us in such a way
that we bear the image and the likeness of our father
through Christ.
That's what matters to us.
He gives us the image and the likeness
that we were created for.
You see,
God created us out of love to be part of his family.
However,
not just Adam and Eve,
but all of us have rejected him
and lived for our own magnification.
We are his offspring.
He gives us life,
but we walk away from his family
and he scatters us from his presence.
But because we have dignity and honor
at a level
that no other thing in creation does,
he holds us particularly accountable for that.
Death and separation from him,
eternal separation,
eternal scattering
is what we deserve.
And the good news is
that Jesus Christ,
the son of God,
God the son,
stepped into our world
and lived the life
that we should have lived.
He became like us.
He didn't just bear the image of God.
He bore the image of humanity.
He lived the perfect life
that we should have lived
and he died the death
that we should have died.
He faced separation from his father,
but he rose triumphant
over sin and death.
Now those who trust in Jesus
and his finished work for us,
we get adopted,
gathered back into the family.
Jesus dealt with our penalties
so effectively
that when God looks at us,
he doesn't see the flaws.
He doesn't see the sin.
He doesn't see the pursuit
of personal magnification.
He looks at his son
and he sees us covered
in the blood of his son
and he sees unblemished sons
and daughters
bearing his likeness,
his image.
God has gathered us together
through and in Jesus Christ.
So what does he want from us?
We exist for his magnification.
He's saved us through Christ,
gathered us through himself.
What does he want for us?
What does he want
for his children?
Is it just that he wants
to give us new birth?
That's it?
Just to be saved?
You know,
along the way to get to go to heaven,
that's the main thing?
Is that all it is?
Or does he have
a much bigger purpose?
Romans 8, 28.
And we know that in all things
God works for the good
of those who love him,
who have been called
according to his purpose.
And so you ask the question,
well, what is his purpose?
And then you just need
to read the next verse.
Verse 29.
And for those God foreknew,
he also predestined
to be conformed
to the image of his son.
God's purpose
is to form us,
transform us,
conform us
into the likeness
and the image
of his true son,
Jesus.
God wants
every single one
of his children
to grow up,
to be more
and more like Jesus,
to grow up,
to be like,
to act like,
to have the attitude
of the priorities
of Jesus.
And maturity
is the word
that the Bible uses
for becoming
more and more
like Jesus.
We see this
in Ephesians.
So if you've
got the service outline,
let's go to Ephesians now.
We can use your Bible.
Going to linger here
for a bit.
Actually, use your Bible
because not every verse
I'm going to refer to
is right in front of you.
But if you've got your Bibles,
that'll be good.
We see in Ephesians 4,
verse 1.
So Christ himself,
he's about halfway
down the page,
Christ himself
gave the apostles,
the prophets,
the evangelists,
the pastors,
and the teachers.
And he goes,
well, he did that,
so what's the purpose
of that?
Verse 12,
to equip his people
for works of service.
Well, why do you want
to do that?
So that the body
of Christ might be
built up.
And how long
is that going to take?
Verse 13,
until we all reach
unity in the faith,
in the knowledge
of the Son of God,
and become mature,
attaining to the
whole measure
of the fullness
of Christ.
God's plan for you
conforms us
more and more
into the image
and the likeness
of his true Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
He does that both
individually and corporately
as a church.
That is what God's
plan for you
if you are part of
his rescued and
adopted people.
He doesn't just want
to give birth to you
and you to be a baby.
He wants you to grow up,
to be more and more
and transformed
in the image
of the Lord Jesus.
That is his design.
And according to
Romans chapter 8,
he will throw
anything at you
in order for you
to pursue that.
He will throw
anything at you
that you might grow
to become more
like Jesus.
So,
last point.
How can we grow
in maturity
on purpose?
Spiritual growth
doesn't just
happen.
Spiritual growth
occurs as a result
of
intentional
and appropriate
effort.
There is intentional
pursuit
of a
clear goal
and there is
an appropriate
use
of God-given
means for growth.
It's both.
Intentional
and appropriate.
Over 170
years ago,
Archibald Alexander,
the first president
of Princeton
Theological Seminary,
wrote down
some thoughts
on hindrance
to spiritual
growth.
And the first
hindrance he listed
was what he
called a defect
in our belief
in the
freeness
of divine grace.
And he went on
to say
that a
correct
understanding
of God's
grace
and a
constant
appropriation
of God's
grace
of the
gospel
in our
life
reminding us
that we
are true
sons of
God
made in
his image
and likeness.
It's all
by the
work of
Christ.
It's not
by my
effort
but all
by Christ.
He says
must be
the foundation
of all
personal
efforts to
grow.
Otherwise
it's just
pure
legalism.
Otherwise
it's just
pure
humanism.
Just my
effort to
make me
grow.
We need
the gospel
to shroud
us,
consistently
permeate
every effort
that we
make.
God's
grace
underpins
every
means
that God
gives us
to intentionally
grow up.
So I'm
going to
mention
four.
They're
on the
page
real quick
and they're
from
Ephesians
4.
Daily
devotions.
The
key
influencer
in us
growing
to
maturity
is the
Bible.
If you
want a
child to
grow up
into
maturity
you have
to feed
them.
Without
that the
child will
become malnourished
and die.
That's
certainly the
case when
they don't
have a
pantry
that they
can access.
The
word of
God
is your
spiritual
food.
I'm not
going to
go into
a theology
of that.
It's
everywhere.
I'll just
take that
as a
given.
The
word of
God
is your
spiritual
food.
To
grow up
into
spiritual
maturity
we need
to feed
on the
word
and live
out what
we feed
on.
It's not
just a
matter of
getting
Bible
knowledge
into your
brain.
It's about
obedience.
We'll come to
that in a
moment in my
second point.
We see the
significance of
the word of
God in
Ephesians 4.
Who does
Christ give to
the church so
that they might
mature?
Verse 11
says the
apostles,
the prophets,
the evangelists,
the pastors,
the teachers.
What is
interesting is
all of
those roles
are word
based ministries.
It's the
word of
God that
grows the
church.
Now the
Center for
Bible
Engagement
in the
United States
released a
research paper,
extensive
research paper
back in
2009.
The title
of it is
Understanding
the Bible
Engagement
Challenge.
Scientific
Evidence
for the
Power of
Fall.
Now the
bottom line
conclusion of
this research
was that
people who
read the
Bible,
engage in
the Bible,
personal
devotions,
four or
more times
a week
saw
significant
spiritual
growth.
Four or
more times
a week.
What is
troubling
however,
was the
conclusion
that those
who read
the Bible
between
one and
three times
per week
on average
experienced
the same
level of
growth as
those who
didn't read
it at all.
Basically
none is
what they're
saying.
So how's
your Bible
reading going?
I think
there's very
good reason
here to
adopt the
motto
more than
four.
more than
four.
Write it
down,
stick it
in your
diary,
more than
four.
There is
no
shortcut
to growth.
There's
no
shortcut.
Don't,
you know,
if you're not
actually engaging
with the
Word of
God as
a regular
personal
devotional
thing,
don't assume
you're growing.
growing.
The mistake
we make
in churches
is because
we're hanging
around the
place,
we just
think it's
an osmosis
thing.
Because we've
got longer
history,
we've got
more stories
to tell,
we just
assume we're
growing.
But you're
not.
If you're not
reading the
Scriptures,
you're not.
You've got to
understand you're
an adolescent.
So friends,
as I said,
there's no
shortcut here.
At some
point,
you're going
to have to
make a
conscious
decision to
prioritize the
reading of
your Bible,
the reflection
on your
Scriptures,
the meditation
over it,
reflecting on
it,
praying over
it.
You've got to
prioritize that
over responding
to emails,
Facebook,
TV,
sleep,
even sleep.
And if
you follow
the words
of Jonathan
Edwards,
even food.
Nothing
gets in
the way
of this.
You know,
like,
okay,
we'll move
to point
two.
Regular
repentance.
Too often,
I think,
in the
Christian circles,
we think of
repentance as a
one-off moment
when we come
to Jesus,
need to repent,
forgive your sins,
and turn to
Jesus.
The biblical
word for
repentance,
means to
change your
mind.
And so,
as we
engage with
the Bible,
so it's not
just Bible
knowledge,
it's not
just understanding
more and
more the
technicalities,
academic stuff
in the
Bible,
but as
we read
the Bible,
God is
constantly
working in
our hearts
to bring
our minds
and our
lives in
line with
it.
Repentance
is this
constant process
of changing
course.
I'm heading
down this
direction,
and I
engage
with the
scriptures
and it
says,
I need
to go
in this
direction.
This is
the life
that
pursues
God's
glory.
This is
for my
joy.
This is
for my
good.
I go
this
direction.
It's the
daily
process of
what Ephesians
4 calls
taking off the
old self and
putting on the
new self.
Have a look.
Ephesians 4
verse 22.
If you've
got your
Bibles
there,
you were
taught with
regard to
your former
way of
life to
put off
your old
self,
which has
been corrupted
by its
deceitful
desires,
to be
made new
in the
attitude of
your minds
and to
put on
the new
self
created
to be
like
God.
Created
to be
in his
image and
likeness in
true righteousness
and holiness.
So I
wonder if
one of the
main reasons
so many
Christians
start well
and then
they just
hit this
plateau
of
spiritual
adolescent
stage is
frankly because
they've just
stopped repenting.
I asked you
two weeks
ago,
I asked you
two weeks
ago,
when was
the last
time you
lamented
over your
sin?
We hit
this thing
where we
just stop
repenting,
we just
stop changing,
we get
into a
settled
position.
You know,
is there
part of
your old
self where
you've just
become
comfortable
with it?
Like an
old blanket,
just got
comfortable
with it.
Maybe
you've
got friends
with it,
started to
make excuses
for the
smell.
Is
there?
bitterness,
unforgiving
spirit,
pride,
arrogance,
an ungodly
relationship,
greed,
gossip,
pornography,
spiritual
laziness.
You
could just
go on.
Paul says
here,
take it
off and
put on
the new
self in
the image
and the
likeness of
your father.
Number
three,
other
Christians.
The third
thing that we
need to
mature on
purpose is
other
Christians.
You see,
reading your
Bible,
listening to
sermons
online,
getting prayer
updates on
your phone
and mission
newsletters in
your mailbox.
They're all
good stuff.
But if that
is all you
do,
then it is a
sign of
immaturity.
It's a sign
of immaturity.
Let me push
this point.
You can have
every Bible
app on your
phone from
all the
ace
Christian
organizations
and receive
their prayer
points.
You can
even have
a fish
sticker on
your car.
But if
you are
doing it
all in
isolation,
you can
listen to
the great
preachers of
the world,
download your
podcast on
the way to
work.
But if
you're doing
it in
isolation,
it's
actually a
sign of
immaturity,
not maturity.
Maturity is
a team
sport.
Have a look
at Ephesians
4 verse
15.
Speaking the
truth in
love, we
will grow to
become in
every respect
the mature
body of
him who
is the
head that
is Christ.
So verse
11 tells
us about
the apostles
and others
who have the
job of
bringing the
word of
God to
the church.
That's
verse 11.
And then
verse 15,
we are
instructed to
speak the
word that's
brought to
us to
each other.
Speak the
word, speak
the truth to
each other so
that together
we might
grow up.
As we, the
church, speak
the truth to
each other,
the whole
church grows
up.
So let me
highlight again,
it was said
already tonight,
I'm going to
do it again,
the important
place that
community groups
have in the
maturing
process.
this
tonight is
an opportunity
for you,
if you're not
in a community
group, this
is an opportunity
for you to
repent
tonight.
That is,
change your
mind, start
hitting on a
course to
grow up, and
go out there
to the sign
up table,
speak to
Paul, speak
to James, and
get yourself
into a
community
group.
Don't
deprive
others or
yourself.
Fourthly,
worship
Christ.
That is,
pay attention
to the
affections of
the heart.
What do
the
longings of
your heart
tell you
that you
are worshipping?
You see,
what we
revere,
we come
to resemble.
Whatever
it is that
we revere,
we come
to be
like it.
Get
remade in
its image.
We become
what we
worship.
Set your
affections on
Christ, and
you will
more and
more become
like Christ.
Of course,
if you long
after and set
your affections
on other
things, apart
from Christ,
on money,
sex, power,
approval,
control,
you'll be
controlled by
those things,
and it will
ruin you because
you're not ever
meant to be
controlled by
those things.
Now, we
can apply
this fourth
point to a
whole range
of things.
Let me
just take
this opportunity
given that
Vision Sunday
is two
weeks away,
and we
are looking
to raise
$55,000
on one
day and
increase our
offertory for
next year by
5%.
So I want
to take money
as an
example,
because Jesus
does.
Matthew 6,
24,
Jesus says,
no one can
serve two
masters,
either you'll
hate the
one and
love the
other,
or you'll
be devoted
to the
one and
despise the
other,
you cannot
serve both
God and
money.
One way we
worship God
with our
money is
giving it
away.
Now, I
don't have
time here to
go on a
full theology
of giving,
so just let
me say that
radical generosity
is a sign of
spiritual maturity.
So again,
in the next two
weeks, you have an
opportunity to
repent, to
change your
mind, to
engage with
God in his
word, to
obey him and
be made more
into the
likeness of
the Lord
Jesus.
Spend your
time in the
next couple of
weeks, ask
yourself the
question, how
can I worship
God with my
money?
How can I
take steps to
grow, mature
in radical
generosity?
The German
church reformer
and theologian
Martin Luther
once said that
everyone needs
three conversions,
conversion of
the mind to
gospel truth,
conversion of
the heart to
embrace the
Lord Jesus as
saviour and
master, and
conversion of
the wallet, the
laying of one's
money at Christ's
feet, and he
says that's always
the last one,
because Jesus
was right.
You cannot
serve both God
and money, and
he put money up as
the alternative.
Luther certainly
knew that taking
off the old
self in relation
to our money is
one of the most
difficult dimensions
of our maturity
as Christians.
What we need as
a church is not a
whole bunch of
rules on this
stuff, is a
vision of what
God could do in
us and through
us as we pursue
maturity.
We won't attain
full maturity
until Jesus comes
back, but he does
call us to grow
up.
And so don't
settle.
Wherever you are,
and maybe you've
been settled there
for a long time,
don't settle for
being an adolescent
Christian.
Do the My Purpose
check-up, as I've
been reminded of
again tonight, and
plan to grow up.