HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
I was talking to someone the other day and they were telling me how they wonder sometimes about certain people’s walk with the Lord. They told me that they know these people love Jesus and have given their life to the Lord, but they have not seen any perceptible growth in their lives for decades. I thought that was pretty insightful because it was not judgmental in anyway.
Hebrews 5:12-14 - (AMP) – For though by this time you ought to be teachers [because of the time you have had to learn these truths], you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s word [from the beginning], and you have come to be continually in need of milk, not solid food. 13 For everyone who lives on milk is [doctrinally inexperienced and] unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a spiritual infant. 14 But solid food is for the [spiritually] mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good and what is evil.
Our theme for the year is Deeper, Higher, Wider, Further.
Maturity covers a lot of ground, There is Spiritual Maturity, there is Emotional Maturity, Relational Maturity and then there is walking in wisdom.
No one really holds a child at fault when a two- year- old has a fit when someone takes a toy or gets unreasonable when they need a nap. We realize that they are discovering and figuring life out. Children need the guidance of adults to help figure out well…. everything about life.
If a twenty-two-- year -old throws a fit when they do not get their way everyone cringes and loses respect because they know they should act more mature.
When a fifty-two- year -old loses their temper when someone doesn’t do what they want or because they are having a bad day, we know they have a major problem.
Spiritual maturity isn’t about age.
We all know somebody who is wise beyond their years. We also know people that look put together on the outside, but as we get to know them, we are trying to figure out how they get out of bed in the morning and tie their own shoes.
Those who are mature set an example for those who are not. They do so in the way they speak, in the way they act, in the way that they love, in spirit or in their attitude, in their faith and trust in God and in their moral purity.
As we grow and go deeper in our walk with God it will be reflected in our maturity.
Hebrews 6:1a (AMP) - Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness,
Colossians 1:28 (AMP) - We proclaim Him, warning and instructing everyone in all wisdom [that is, with comprehensive insight into the word and purposes of God], so that we may present every person complete in Christ [mature, fully trained, and perfect in Him—the Anointed].
An evidence of someone who is Spiritually Mature is that they live a disciplined life. The spiritually immature are not consistent in the disciplines that make you spiritually mature. Not everyone can hit home runs in the world series, but everyone can be a homerun Christian.
The difference in athletes who excel and those who don’t are their commitment to the fundamentals and to practicing and perfecting the things that keep them at the top of their game.
Those who are mature in Christ stay spiritually fit and in shape. They spend time in the Word, and they spend time with the Father.
1 Corinthians 9:27 - But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].
It is easy to spot mature believers by the disciple they show in their lives. Disciplined people rarely have to be disciplined by others.
It is easy to spot someone who is familiar with God by the kind of prayers that they pray and the way that they pray.
Those who are mature are not timid about coming to God with needs. They are so filled with love for people that they are eager to take them to the answer for everything. Hebrews tells us that we are to come boldly before the throne of grace so that we can find mercy and help in our time of need.
Mature believers go before the Father with an expectation of a little child, never losing the thrill of seeing God do something in people’s lives.
You know someone’s maturity by the way that they speak.
1 Corinthians 13:11 – (AMP) When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
This is one of my favorite verses.
Here is a basic fact of life itself and a basic fact of life in the Spirit - The mature and the immature do not speak the same because they do not think the same or do life the same.
It is clear where you are in your walk with God by how you speak.
What is in our heart will be on our lips. You can only act and talk for so long until your lips will reveal what is really inside. Maturity and immaturity will always come out of us.
Mature people keep their word. Their yes is yes, and their no is no. The mature have learned to speak well. Their words are pure, truthful, honorable, tactful and most of the time insightful.
The mature understand that it is both what we say and how we say it that makes a difference.
Words matter, foul language, off color jokes even cutting sarcasm are things that the mature don’t just avoid it is not a part of their character.
I believe people when they say I could not help it I just had to say it. I’ve been there we all have. The difference is that the mature allow God to strengthen them and redeem the words so that what they say has value instead of being worthless and destructive.
Immature people regret a lot of what they say. The mature don’t.
Proverbs 20:11 (NLT) - Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right. Even Children are known by the way that they act.
I have found this new thing happening, where immature people have gotten in the habit of not doing the right things and when it is pointed out or corrected, they say – “don’t you judge me”.
Listen if we can tell, even when a child is young, which ones are not real swift, which ones are undisciplined and those who are a little slow on the learning scale, we will certainly notice it in adults.
Mature people get up, show up, put up, shut up (Don’t whine & complain), Speak up (When people need to hear), man up and glorify God in what it is they are doing.
As I talk with people one of the topics of conversation that I am finding more frequent is the lack of maturity in our culture. While it is certainly noticeable in our society in many ways this same trend has not escaped the church. It is interesting that the Apostle Paul had to address this same thing in His day. He was speaking to men and women that should have been filled with wisdom. They should be the leaders and teachers of their day, but they were still needing to be feed spiritual milk and cookies. Everyone loves milk and cookies. The mature understand that they are meant to be desert and not the main course.
I believe in our year of going Deeper, Higher, Wider and Further that God is challenging us to go deeper in maturity. Let’s dive in together.
Remember you are loved.
Pastor Marvin & Dawn