A few words on maturity:

What is maturity? Let me tell you what it’s not … Maturity is not being able to tell us what the Mercy Seat is, quote the 10 commandments, be able to explain the 10 plagues of Moses, or knowing who the Anti-Christ is; Maturity is not being able to tell us all about the Temple, the table of shew bread, the ark of the covenant, and the shittim wood. That is knowledge – it is all good bible knowledge but this is not maturity.

Like in life, maturity is all about being able to fully function in the midst of growing relationships, making good and godly decisions, perseverance through difficult times, becoming an emotionally stable person working through the scars and hurts of the past to become whole and functional. Being mature is resourcing yourself and living out of the purposes of God serving His agendas. Being mature is having “the mind of Christ” [1 Corinthians 2: 16] and living according to it.

Let me quote from Bill Hybell’s latest book “Reveal”: “The church is extremely important in the early stages of [spiritual development], but its main activities—like weekend services and small groups—decline in importance as people [grow closer to Christ]. The church becomes less of a place to go for spiritual development and to find spiritual relationships, and more of a platform that provides serving opportunities.”

Hybell’s is not denigrating or demeaning the role of the church – He is redefining from a biblical perspective the mission of the church – the mature are those who no longer look to the church for “ … the meat of the word.” They have become mature enough to now feed themselves they are responsible to resource themselves and in turn be a part of looking after the spiritual babies! Their spiritual fervor is derived from being fully engaged in the great Mission of Christ! They live to see others coming to Christ in salvation!

Let me read an excerpt from Getting fed: By Pastor Steven Furtick – he quotes Proverbs 26:15, “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.”

We all know that one of top 3 reasons people leave churches is the (infamous) claim: “I wasn’t getting fed there.”Pastor Steven says, “Maybe you weren’t! Maybe the church set the table, presented the bread of life, and you were too stinking lazy to bring it back to your mouth, chew it, swallow, and digest it, like a big boy. You know, I don’t mind helping my 2 year old eat his Happy Meal. But if he can’t pick up a fork and bring the food to his mouth by age 20, we have a problem."

Churches are filled with those who have known Christ for decades, and still need a bib, a high chair, and want Daddy to do “open wide, here comes the airplane” tricks with the fork before shoving it into their mouths.

I love the way the Message Bible say it in Ephesians 4: 14 – 16, “No prolonged infancies among us, please…. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love – like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do.”

Why are you challenging us to spiritual maturity? - Because it is an absolute essential for a truly 21^st Century Church.

Being driven by the mission of Christ is a non negotiable to the church, it is the focus and driving heart of the 21^st Century Church. The church was never meant to remain childish, at a standstill or static inwardly looking or introspective.

The mighty church of God is always maturing and growing taking ground, pounding down the gates of Hell marching to the sounds of today reaching people who Jesus came into the world to save! For us to “tell the truth in love – like Christ in everything”