One thing that amazes me about kids is how much they want to grow up. They do. They can’t wait to get older. Like kids won’t say they are 5. They’ll say they are 5 and a half. I can guarantee you won’t hear me saying I’m 37 and a half. I don’t want to be closer to 40. But kids can’t wait to grow up. They do everything they can to speed it up.
And as a parent, I want my kids to grow up. I wanted them to learn how to feed themselves and to move from using diapers to using the toilet. I love reading them stories, but I want them to learn to read on their own. I don’t mind driving them places, but eventually, I want them to learn how to drive. I want my kids to grow up to be self-supporting, mature adults who contribute meaningfully to society. And so, to help them get there, I push them into uncomfortable situations to help them grow. I won’t allow them to stay in first grade for four years. I add to their responsibilities as they grow older so that they can learn how to do things on their own.
It’s the same way with God. God wants us to grow up too.
But when it comes to our spiritual life and our relationship with God, if we’re not careful, instead of being like kids who can’t wait to grow up we’re more like that old Toys R Us commercial that said, “I don’t want to grow up. I’m a toys r us kid.” And it’s not like we intentionally say, “I don’t want to grow up spiritually.” We just either get busy and distracted or we don’t know how to grow spiritually.
So the question for us is: How do we grow up, or mature spiritually? Well, as we’ve discovered throughout this series, God grows us through tests. God tests us on a regular basis, and the point behind those tests is our spiritual growth.
And so far we’ve talked about two tests that God gives us. We talked first about the trust test which says: Do we trust God enough to take him at his word.
Last week we talked about the bless test: Do I trust God enough to obey him before he blesses me. We say, “if you bless me, I’ll obey you”, but God says, “If you obey me. I will bless you.”
Today I want to show you the reason why God gives us these tests. Believe it or not, but God tests us in order to help us grow. Which means, as we pass the trust test and the bless test and other tests it opens the door for us to grow.
It’s kind of like in school where you have to pass certain tests to make it to the next grade or to graduate. Or having to pass the driver’s test so that you can drive legally. It’s the same way in life. We have to pass certain tests to grow up in our faith.
Look at what Jesus says about this in Matthew 25:21 – You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
James, the brother of Jesus, says it this way in James 1:2-3 – 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
This is such a powerful passage. You need to memorize these three verses. But I want us to look at them again.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds… Now, let’s just admit, that’s a bit odd. It’s like he’s saying, “Look forward with anticipation to the plethora of tests and trials that are going to come your way. Like a kid opening their presents at Christmas, that’s how you should look at the trials and tests in life.” That’s crazy, isn’t it? It is if you stop the sentence there, but James goes on.
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
We’re not to look forward with anticipation to trials and tests because we’re a glutton for punishment. No, we’re to consider it pure joy because there’s something beneficial that is going to happen in our life is as a result of tests and trials. Notice that this says that the reason we’re tested is so that our faith may develop perseverance and that perseverance must finish it’s work so that we can be what? So that we can be mature and complete, not lacking anything. In other words, God tests us to grow us up.
But I want to be honest with you. I’m worried that there are many Christians, and maybe some of us, who may not grow up. We may stay Christian infants because you’re not passing the tests. I say this because I know so many people who’ve been Christians for such a long time and they still live like spiritual babies. They’ve prayed a prayer some time in their past so that they could get out of hell, but they’ve never grown up.
It reminds me of Stanley Thornton. Look at this video. Have you heard about the guy who is living his adult life like a baby? Stanley is a 29-year-old man who sleeps in a crib, sucks on a pacifier, drinks from a bottle, wears diapers, and eats in a high chair. He chooses to live his life as an “adult baby” with the help of his friend and roommate Sandra, who essentially role plays as his mother. The pair were featured on last night’s episode of National Geographic’s Taboo, which focused on “fantasy lives.” Stanley says that his infantilism is not based out of any sexual desire, but rather of one to be nurtured. He explains “adult baby” role playing as a way of blowing off steam from a stressful day of work.
That’s disturbing, isn’t it? When I first saw that I almost vomited. We laugh at people like this. We say they aren’t normal. But you want to hear something that’s equally disturbing? I think the church in America is filled with Christian infants. We want someone to feed us, serve us, cater to us and meet our needs. And I think to God we look like Stanley Thornton. But it’s time to grow up.
So that leads to an important question: How do we grow up? We pass the tests that God gives us. Remember what James said: The testing of your faith develops perseverance and perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
And how do we pass the tests God sends our way so that we can grow up? In one word: Obedience.
Obedience is the key to maturity. Obedience is the key to passing the tests that God gives us. We see this all throughout the Bible. It’s not knowledge, not church attendance, not longevity that grow us, but obedience that leads to maturity.
Look at what Jesus said four times in John 14 about the importance of obedience.
15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.
21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.
23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.
24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
It seems to me that obedience was a big deal to Jesus. It’s how we show Jesus we love him.
James even said it. James 1:22-25 - 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
Obedience is the key to passing the tests that God gives us, which leads to growing in maturity as followers of Jesus. And since that is the case I want to give you some practical ways that you can obey God and grow your faith, because that is what I want for you. I want you to grow in your faith. So let me give you a few things that you can put into practice this week so that you can pass the tests that God gives us.
Read your bible. Reading the bible is so important for a number of reasons. First, it’s how you learn to feed yourself. If you want to grow then you need to learn to feed yourself. You do that by reading the Bible and obeying what God says to you through it. We believe that the Bible is more than an ordinary book. The Bible is the book that God wrote. It’s also by reading God’s word that we learn what it is that he wants us to do. We’ve given you something today that will help you get started in this habit or take it to the next level. In your bulletin is an Advent Reading Guide. Advent is the season leading up to Christmas. And so what I’ve given you is a reading guide to focus you on Jesus for the next few weeks. Our next series is going to be all about Jesus and you can incorporate these readings into your daily quite time, or do what we’re going to try and do and read them daily as a family. Reading the Bible is foundational for your maturity.
Hub Group. Now I know that the phrase “Hub Groups” wasn’t in the Bible, but the Bible tells us to meet together, to do life together. The Bible is clear that we cannot do the Christian life on your own. Sure, we can try, but we’re going to end up missing something. If you’re not in a Hub Group you need to sign up for one today.
Loving one another. I heard someone say one time that the Christian life is all about learning to love God and others. Jesus said that in Matthew 22:37-39 that the greatest commandment was: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ I think a great test you can give yourself is to do some self-evaluation on how you are doing with loving others. But too often, instead of loving others we just run. But I want you to learn to love on another. That’s another reason why being in a hub group is so important. It puts you in a relational environment where you can learn to love others.
Serving: A hallmark of a maturing Christian is that they serve. Jesus said he didn’t come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Serving one another is where God does a supernatural work in our hearts turning our focus away from ourselves towards others. And now is a great time to serve. Our kids are modeling the way with this by giving you and I a simple service project. They are doing a canned food drive. The three and four year olds are leading this! Amazing. But that’s a simple way for you to serve. But there are all kinds of ways to serve.
Tithe. I’ve received more pushback during this series about this issue than anything else. And that’s ok. You’re not hurting my feelings. But if you’re pushing back about this then I want you to ask yourself a question: What is it in me that pushes back against this idea? Have a conversation with God about it and listen. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to God and do what he says. I believe that being obedient in this one area will open the door for you to be obedient in other areas of your life, but being disobedient in the arena of your finances makes it more difficult to be obedient in other areas of life. And the reason why is because like Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 – Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. And we want to make it easy for you to obey God is this area. That’s why we’ve given you this Giving Guarantee.
Say thank you: 1 Thess. 5:18 says to Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. I know we just celebrated thanksgiving, but for the most part we live in a thankless society. But giving thanks reminds us that it’s not all about us. It breaks us of a sense of entitlement and jealousy. So, write a thank you note. Tell someone thank you. Gratitude will lead to growth and maturity.
Obedience is key to you passing the tests God gives you so that you can grow up in the faith.
I don’t want you to end up like a spiritual Stanley Thornton. That’s been the whole point of this series. I want you to pass the tests that God give you so that you can grow up to be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
