When we were young in our spiritual life, people will tend to give us more understanding as we are still growing in the faith.

Transcription

1 CFC SINGLES FOR FAMILY AND LIFE CHAPTER ASSEMBLY TOPICS SPIRITUAL MATURITY OR INFANCY? SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES At the end f the sessin, the participants will be able t: 1. Understand that as Christians, we need t grw in spiritual maturity 2. Differentiate traits f mature and infant spirituality 3. Be able t examine themselves in their level f maturity METHODOLOGY Talk Prper 45 minutes EXPANDED OUTLINE I. Intrductin A. We started ur spiritual lives as infants. But Gd did nt desire fr us t remain that way. Gd's plan is birth, grwth, and maturity. B. A human baby may d immature things and be cute, but it wuld nt be s fr an adult. Let us examine urselves, in ur spirituality, are we an infant r an adult? When we were yung in ur spiritual life, peple will tend t give us mre understanding as we are still grwing in the faith. Hwever, when we have spent significant time in cmmunity, much is expected f us in terms f ur spiritual maturity. II. Frm Infancy t Maturity A. Paul addressed the church in Crinth as infants because they fail t walk in maturity in Christ. (1 Crinthians 3:1-5).

2 1. Brthers, I culd nt talk t yu as spiritual peple, but as fleshly peple, as infants in Christ. I fed yu milk, nt slid fd, because yu were unable t take it. Indeed, yu are still nt able, even nw, fr yu are still f the flesh. While there is jealusy and rivalry amng yu, are yu nt f the flesh, and behaving in an rdinary human way? Whenever smene says, I belng t Paul, and anther, I belng t Aplls, are yu nt merely human? What is Aplls, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers thrugh whm yu became believers, just as the Lrd assigned each ne. (1 Crinthians 3:1-5) a. The Church in Crinth are struggling with their Christian life. There is jealusy and rivalry. b. There are als factins, sme are fr Paul and sme are fr Aplls. 2. During Paul's first stay in Crinth he culd nt address the Christians there as spiritually mature peple. Instead, he had t address them as infants, as thse wh had failed t mature prperly in their walk with Christ. B. We t, in cmmunity culd be experiencing the same thing. We might be suffering frm spiritual maturity that affects ur relatinship with ne anther. Here are sme indicatins: 1. Self versus Service a. Spiritual infants are upset ver the smallest things. Their fcus is n themselves and hw everyne else is treating them. If they d nt get what they wanted, they thrw a tantrum. Their feelings are easily hurt. Spiritual infants are like bmbs; they are always ready t explde. When in an unguarded envirnment, they cannt cntrl their emtins. Thus, they live duble lives. In cmmunity they are extra nice, but at hme, explsive. In cmmunity they re ideal, but at hme impssible. In cmmunity they re always praising, but at hme always puting. An infant is a receiver nt a giver.

3 The spiritual infant examines everything as a receiver. It is the spiritually immature wh lks at the church, its peple, and its prgrams thrugh the eyes f a self-centered child. Their questins are: What will it d fr me? What will I get ut f this? Hw des this affect me? b. The mature in Christ are suppsed t: Be wrnged rather than wrng anther (1 Cr. 6:7). Humbly cnsider thers better than themselves (Phil. 2:3). Be submissive ne t anther ut f reverence fr Christ (Eph. 5:21). Frgive as Christ has frgiven (Cl. 3:13). 2. Argument versus actin a. Envying, strife, divisins are the ccupatin f the spiritual baby. This leads t arguments. Infighting is a trait f Christian immaturity. In, 1 Crinthians 3:3, Paul says jealusy and rivalry is a sign f spiritual immaturity. They whine and cry ver what they cannt have, cannt d, r what they must d, r even what they must have. They fight ver psitins in cmmunity. b. Mature Christians will let g f their right t be right and fcus n the things the Lrd wants dne. They will have disagreements but they chse t mve frward. Disagreements will nt hinder them frm serving and ding their wrk fr the Lrd. They fcus mre n WHAT is better fr the cmmunity rather than WHO is better. Their fcus is settle the disagreements in a lving Christian way and get the jb dne. They d nt let their emtins hinder them frm serving.

4 3. Peple versus Prvider a. It is nt wrng t trust in human resurces unless that is all yu trust. Unless, yur trust in them replaces yur trust in Christ. The spiritual infant will survey their resurces human and financial resurces and if they are lacking and inadequate, it will result fr an event such as CLS t nt push thrugh. The fcus n the prblem f mney and lack f vlunteers befre ding smething. They easily gets discuraged. b. Fr the mature in Christ, they lk t the Prvider. They believe that Gd will prvide the right skills and peple wh will help. Resurces is nt a hindrance t them. They find ways. They trust Gd t prvide what is lacking. Their actin inspires peple t fllw them. 4. Persnality versus Prmise Keeper a. The spiritual infant fcuses n persnality. Their attendance is based n wh are the peple present in the assembly and wh will give the talk. They are difficult t pastr. They cmpare previus leaders and nt teachable. They are difficult t crrect. Mving them t anther husehld is als a challenge. They take sides when cnflicts ccur depending n wh they like r wh is clse t them. b. A mature Christian lks t the Prmise Keeper and Gd s aninting t every leader. Their fcus is n Jesus. They fllw whever leader is placed abve them because they believe that leaders are Gd s aninted peple.

5 They accept that every persn is difference and refuse t cmpare ne leader t anther. If they have an issue with the current leader, they lvingly bring it up t him/her. III. Cnclusin A. We need t grw t maturity. It is Gd s desire fr us. 1. Let us put service ver self. 2. Let us act instead f argue 3. Let us rely mre n the prvider mre than the peple 4. Let us fcus mre n the Prmise-keeper rather than persnality. B. Maturity allws us t d mre things fr Gd, makes us wrthy witnesses f Jesus.