Grow Up

Pastor JD Greer trucks about spiritual maturity because we have good music was a lot younger looking voice to be like going to church in the Rabble you know is a great place for people. What happens is not real. You know the circumstances change and you'll have a lot of your play. We have a lot of people in here who are hopeful in your house :-) that events believe me when I tell you takes a lot of work to keep the newborn healthy right from midnight feedings to carefully buckle car seats and is cute as they are a bit of a relief when they get old enough to manage some of those tasks on their own. Still waiting for my kids to get to that point and believe it or not that's a great analogy for our spiritual lives to where called to spiritually grow up today pastor JD shows us what it looks like to mature interfaith part of a series and first Peter called. I am an alien's. Let's join him there. And today's message called grow is writing to a group of people that little scared about because you want to grow up spiritually speaking sugar a lot of people who never really seem to get past the baby stage in Jesus proper anybody course but Peter is especially concerned about it. These people because these people that he's writing to his congregation is undergoing a lot of persecution while things will always a lot of hardship or spiritual influence, not to be able to survive you. A lot of times in the Bible being childlike is a good thing but not in the way that you're talking about here. There's a lot of things about life.

The children are totally unprepared to face right repairs. We know that right. Kids are kids.

We love them. But kids are unstable in their emotions never notice especially if you have a toddler okay which which at which I didn't have one that sort of time. Remember what the problem plus a little bit sausages all got kids are tolerably unstable and their emotions. They go from the heights of exultation one minute to the depths of despair and then write back and forth between those two seconds was the many, many, many baby Christians are like that. The slightest thing upsets them. You go from the top of the world. One minute you overflow with love for God will close to him filled full of the spirit. The little financial trouble spiritual setback and you go into the depths of despair.

Children are insecure. I'll tell my daughters on the way home, we must not get ice cream.

They will ask me 100 times between the time to get the cord coming home, stopping by government knowledge of adult has ice cream later AAA has ice cream like I know I haven't forgotten about that you want to ask me all the time there insecure baby Christians alike that there insecure about the goodness of the promises of God are unstable, something bad happens to a baby Christians know God.

Why God why are you got what you care about God you even exist any more problems have short attention spans the constant affirmation. New believers need constant affirmations of faith, miracles they need. Many babies clear answers to prayer, things can go wrong with them or they going to despair and their wailing about where God is because he left the room for a minute.

Children are possessive them a short review of possessions they need something in their hands.

The collectivist bears so as a dad. I encounter this one more argument between my kids frequently my my my my my my my my, that's all it seemed like a book is reported yellow and shelving so I get in there and bawled on my K stop share writing you parents noticed my kids looked up at me with this bewildered look like.

No, dad, you will understand the entire quality of the future of my life depends on whether or not I have this particular legatees right now.

I know 270 others just like you before, but I need that one. That's because children of a very short attention span. They need they need possessions in their hand when dispatch windows wind up in Dallas whatever campus bathroom and Robert Grundy Delta flight word and were 21 in row 20. There are two grown men sitting next to each other about how quickly the flight didn't elbow arm wrestling match over this armrest right to enter and are watching this go down and then the guys I too do not start yelling at each other numbers you better back off you better back off my yard little push it up slated to have to come back to this road and break them up and says your cost which which will eventually the way this was all she turns to be of interest to me.

Would you mind switching with with with Katsina Cinema Mike sure a set I got up Obama and so we set that number clear when you think you like seriously like you, I will tell Marissa significant but you would think that getting an arrest is not as significant as avoiding the public humiliation of having flighted to the combat and break you out right. You guys are acting like children. Children have a short review by the way Andrew and I live both of those guys to Jesus before children have assured you will possessions things of God to be in our hands to feel like there's they don't grasp right the larger picture is when you Christians are to have stuff in your hands now reviewing now prosperity now blessing, now they don't grasp the greater promises that are there to develop believe anything when I was four years old.

My dad convinced me that he could change the green lights on command of his voice was only around like 70 what he would do is just look at the red light going the other way and he would give you notice as you know when that turns red. You likely suppleness turns green and so he would always look at a glance. Think of this 321° know that my dad is the most powerful man in the universe and our member service. I kid you not. In a relatively your to this went on I went around and I dug around the carcass. I figured I could do with his voice, but many presses, but since the radar back signals on Skype. Kids are gullible kids believe always kind of think new Christians are developed will says Ephesians 414 to the Ephesians is like your like children blown about by every wind of doctrine that comes along. A lot of Christians are suckers for a powerful speaker there suckers for a miracle story suckers for the latest bestseller if it builds a crowd giving out good music with it.

The guys got a good smile. It's gotta be true. Every once in a while. I don't not often, but every once in a while I get really depressed because I'll talk to somebody who used to be part of her church moved to another city starts going to a church that has a completely different emphasis in our church are not centered on the gospel is run by egomaniac and I'll say a church is like some inserts wrestling and what they mean is they say what they mean by that is I got a church where the music is good. There's a lot of young good looking people and the pastor every once in a while tells 20 stories because that is about how deep that their Christianity goats there gullible writer just blown about by every wind of doctrine that's going on. I don't mean to be on you, but some of you are gullible you are here because we have good music was a lot of young good looking people around you voice to be like going to church in the gap for Abercrombie and Fitch is like a you know is a great place to people. What happens is not real. You know the circumstances change and you will have a lot anchored to your faith a lot of people in here who are comfortable, gullible ride, but we did drive this point home latter media team gullible right there on the ceiling.

That's what I'm talking about their life see it job as a business night if anybody in our other campuses looked up that is beyond you know the point is you need to grow you need to grow up also to the Corinthians in verse 23 warnings as your jealous your selfish or demanding numbers wrong you like to screen out where God is the man miracles to prove your faith you're addicted to charismatic personality so you like oh I love the free general policy. Such an order on all appalling, so deep, I'm up all of followers you just you. I can't speak you like to tour people. People are moved by who can raise the hair on the back of their neck and make about 156 mature people beyond amateur infants removed by every wind of doctrine that comes along and get him to say that some of you are bundling some of you took it is your new Christians supposedly walk with Jesus for 30 years and are still like that you're 30 years old, still wearing diapers. If you don't constantly pay attention to a baby. The baby dies my parents know that you don't like to say we debated the room be like. Take care yourself about a week (all right because there's a pay attention to a baby. There's a lot of you with the costly pay attention to.

You always got. Have people around you speaking in your life and I know it's good for everybody but generally like you just depend on that. The moment your doctor around the barn to die from your high school students college. You just all depends on where you're around what could happen like Peter senior hardship persecution calms and also you get isolated and you are not going to make it because your input in Christ, you need to grow you need to grow up. The first thing Peter tells us in this passage gonna grow up. Number two. He says this is what it looks like to grow up you see here he describes being grown-up. Verse 22 is having sincere. Brotherly love right here. Season's your brotherly love.

Lisa's love one another earnestly, from a pure heart sincere is in English comes from two Latin words on sin which means without them and see you which beeswax in those days when the word I just had a Genesis what would happen is you would have a piece of pottery that would be broken and so to hold it together they would mend it with wax which I'm sure you want to be supported broken. So you would want something that was sincere without wax it was. Not selling through all these be whatever you like and broke his ways. When we talk about sincere what what were talking about his love that is not corrupted by selfish agendas love that is not need driven love that is not manipulative love like Christ love love that poured itself out. Love that David self away. Notice chapter 2 verse 20 says I'm talking about a love that is without malice malice.

By the way, is a word that means a deep kind soul anger when talking about irritation of the person the cut you off in traffic. That's a different kind of sin. Malice is this cut a deep soul anger that you have somebody that's really what did you like a ex-husband or an ex-boyfriend or ex-wife or a coworker or a father is you got without malice about old deceit. You know what that is, without hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is a Greek word that literally means two different faces when Jesus uses the word hypocrite, people who were two different mass because ultimately their faith has nothing to do with God has to do with whoever they're around for they were different mass for different audiences without hypocrisy did without NB with alcohol, slander like this is what it looks like to be a spiritual input. He says and what you grow up. Beyond this, because these are all sides at your campus is like crying and put in your diaper@you would substitute words for the DEQ show that your faith while you got a faith and works on a mature faith I get too far ahead of myself and be good on the firstborn chapter 2 you'll notice that Peter says that Jesus is to be your cornerstone. Okay, now I don't know a lot about building.

I'm not a construction guy but I do know this, that, especially in those days the cornerstone was most important element of the entire building. It was the foundation it was the rock that ultimately determine the shape of all the other rocks and all the other building elements openly tied back down. It's about. He says you gotta make Jesus your cornerstone to all your life. Ultimately anchors in an is rooted in Jesus, Martin Luther, the great for you said that what Peter means there for Jesus to be your cornerstone is your cornerstone is what ever you fall back on when everything goes wrong.

Okay so for example when things going on your life when you fall back into is your refuge so you say well if things going on but you know what I want to make a lot of money. I have met a lot of my money is your refuge at your course to be like, well, yeah, your beliefs, I had a good marriage to love a good person know you got wobbly religious whatever that is becomes your refuge at your cornerstone and what Peter is telling you is that anything besides Jesus that you make your cornerstone will lead you to be things right here. I know I know because I told you before that prolonged time in my life. The affirmation of people was not cornerstone so light was okay as long as everybody approved to be properly what happened is because it was not cornerstone and let me know all the malice a deep hatred toward those people that I thought more tension than I did or stole the limelight that I thought belong to me or some identify took away the future that I would have just had his deep mouth deceit.

I told you that my temptations to lie are always built on the idea that I need you to like me and I need you to think that I'm cooler than I am.

So I will exaggerate my compliments to minimize my failures this because this is the affirmation of people has been my cornerstone. If money is your cornerstone you start financially deceiving people because at all cost. You gotta have money right hypocrisy is caused me throughout my life to live in one way in front of people who love God and thought one might in front of others. It's not as important because ultimately it's Jesus is not my cornerstone, the affirmation of people with Indian slander being so envious of certain people who were better than me of something greater than me that what I do. My way of getting back at them as I tear them down to the people you lose one high school.

When he got more athletic than I am a parent and now everybody else you know because of spot and then you know when when you become a pastor than you like all this other pastor is more successful to me years hit all his theological problems and probably cheat on his wife on the side slander right because ultimately it all goes back to the fact that something else is my cornerstone and that leads me to all this immaturity is wrong when you grow up you're going to have all these things are just disappeared your life because Jesus is the cornerstone that obliterates all that's not before I go on to our next point there. Let me show you how another Bible writer talks about this because all of them doing all the Bible writers will because writers talk about this is a fascinating one that I've never understood before this week is in first John is your superfast Bible you can flip over to first John is just to your right on first John. Be honest with you guys I've never understood this passage I read it 100 times until this week somebody turned me onto it and I started to study at Oxford. Fascinating.

Okay, first John chapter 2 of this is out. The apostle John talks about growing up. First John chapter 2 pieces I'm writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his namesake writing to your fathers because you know him is from the beginning I write to you young men because you're strong.

The word of God abides in you and you overcome the evil one.

John Newton, the guy who wrote amazing Grace said that what the apostle John is giving you here you three distinct stages of spiritual growth and the right of passage that moves you between one of the other not be carefully we can roll to clear lines here, but I think it's helpful to think through this is the first stage, obviously verse 12 is when your spiritual impact by your spiritual empathy says what marks your passage of spiritual infancy get this is the knowledge that your sins are forgiven. Now you like to check one on ones Chrissy anyone along well nor sins are forgiven.

Not so fast. I told you that while that is Christianity 101.

Many of you struggle to actually believe that because you still think that God's approval of you goes up or down based on how well you done this week somebody right now Phil so far from God so distant because you struggled so much like God's not able to hear your prayers. You come in this morning was all to do better and maybe better. Maybe gotta pay attention to you. That's because you don't really understand the gospel. The gospel is that Christ approval of you is is closest to you has nothing to do with how well you live. It's a gift that is given you in Christ, which is why I told you think of it like this.

The gospel prayer that I told you your to pray in some form everyday goes like this.

It says in Christ is nothing I could do that makes you love anymore is not that I have done that would make you love me any less. There's nothing I've done that makes you love anymore. Nothing I've done that makes you love me any less. Forgiveness is mine closest to yours is mine.

I was close to you and I'm doing well, as I am when I'm doing that because it has nothing to do with how I've done it has to do with what Christ did. He gave me a second anthologist your you say to God you're all I need for everlasting joy when it comes to the point you say you know because I have God's approval because I is forgiveness. I can have joy in the midst of anything I told you that your spiritual maturity is measured by your ability to be joyful in all things your understanding of the gospel is measured by your ability to be joyful in all bank because that shows you how much Christ approval matters to you as if it matters the world hear that even when things are going wrong so I joyful still not Christ. Usually, John said. John is as you know that somebody still a baby in Christ because he or she is sensitive to criticism. They find the admission of their weaknesses difficult and humiliating. They're still fairly insecure and how he or she is being perceived. Why is because they do not know that there are forgiven and loved.

They do not know that there forgiven and accepted, and there are still a lot of works righteousness that is clinging to them, how are you with criticism admitting your weaknesses, how are you with letting people see the real you will all that some of you that this indicates just a baby you don't know, in Christ you have the absolute approval will be only one is been really matters. That's the mark from spiritual infancy to where you become the next category verse 14 young man, a teenager, now teenagers right teenagers no longer need as much focus care from their parents writing to your teenage son or daughter to walk across street by themselves. Newton said that what happens at this stage as you watch this develop the ability to obey God without feeling him. We don't always need these warm fuzzies where you feel like God is holding your hand when you walk across the street every time that you haven't seen the little silent you not going up your arms wailing because God left the room for a minute, probably never coming back. Newton said that in this stage the first the baby stage was marked by a lot of feelings of little truth. This stage is marked by a lot of truth little feelings sometimes little feelings but you still depend on those feelings in order to stay in walk with Christ to become a young man now right of passage out of this one.

Teenagers saw what issues revert to high school and hearsay man right teenagers to make stupid decisions of ultimate consequence which is why you don't like what they have open access your bank account given a credit card because they will make a rash decision when the same way he says spiritual young men are those who have not yet learned to overcome the evil one spiritual young men are those for the word of God is not abide in them yet somebody who is mature to the stages somebody realizes that is enticing is the lust of the flesh are there not as good as the word of God that is within us to not as valuable as God answered as glorious as God is, and so the word of God is in the eye could overcome the evil one when he presents for patients to meet because I know that God is better even of my flesh. At this moment was to follow the evil one. Just like a teenager has to get to where they think broadly and don't go with her life on stupid decisions.

Spiritual you brought out of this stage you can think long term and you can leverage your life for the word of God and overcome evil which brings you the last day. Verse 13 we talked about being a father that's you your your level where it says because you know him who is from the beginning. He's referring John says to a profound trust in God.

A profound trust in God and recognizes how much weight fire, his ways are than yours so you trust God even when things don't make sense. You know how valuable he is. You trust him and you obey him, and you leverage your wife and from meaning Christian walking and even running fully trusting God when the Senate language pastor JD Greer to catch up on previous messages in our study of first Peter visit us online@jdgreer.com. This is one of my favorite parts of our program, JD, and it's really special when we get a letter or an email from one of our listeners and we don't get to hear from them nearly as often as we like, yeah, I will just tell you there is nothing that is as encouraging or special to me is having a firsthand account of how God is using this program where you are to hear that man you note God you just open your eyes to some truth or maybe even walk you to your need for salvation. Just talk to another person, last week you told me that they been stealthily listening to these eye-popping torture should once in a while, but because were afraid people would see them. They been listening to all these podcasts we put out, and they go through every single one. We put iron Summit life and that does more than any thing else that we get here so yeah we would love to hear their stories with up to hear from you. We love to know how we can be praying for you. We have a team of volunteers here at Summit life that would love to just know you and be able to love you and walk with you that everybody that is listening right now the support Summit life financially. I would just like to say thank you because your gifts make stories like this possible.

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