Christian Maturity

  Hebrews  5:12-6:12

Intro.

1. In my philosophy course  I have asked students the question, what is man? I usually ask a female student to describe her idea of what a man is. First I get a long pause and then some biological statement that man is homo sapiens, or a specie of animal. We usually progress from there to man being a thinking creature. At this point I make some remark about a dog or rat seems to do some thinking, but you wouldn't want to marry one. Sooner or later we go beyond the physical dimension, and the standard of thinking to talk about qualities like; maturity, responsibility,
loyalty, dependability, and the like. This is especially true when I ask: when is a man a man?

When you reflect upon it, being a man or woman is more than physical dimensions. It is more than intellectual ability. Have you not known a very bright person who doesn‘t seem to have his feet on the ground and is very immature. Recently I asked a man how his golf game was doing. He replied that he hadn‘t played for over a year, he had given up the game. I asked why. He said that he wanted to play better than he was doing. He had the ability and experience and since he didn't get to play often enough to do well, it made him come away from the golf course angry and frustrated.
He admitted that since he wasn‘t mature enough to handle the mental attitude, it was best to quit playing. Maturity is a desirable goal, and is a vital factor
in answering--when is a man a man.

2. Our basic text is Heb. 6:1: “Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity .... " _ Let us go on to full growth--spiritually. There are some suggestions concerning this. There are phrases like--Christlikeness. or, the new man. The KJV uses perfection, but this is not the best word. Growing up into the image of Christ is the point here. The exhortation is very appropriate. There are a great many immature Christians around. This is a judgement that appears easy to make about someone else. The more difficult part is to get people to ask concerning themselves. Am I a mature Christian? Unless a person is aware of his immaturity nothing will be done. There are other passages that deal with maturity
but we have here three marks of maturity that are worthy of consideration.

I. Distinguishing Good from Evil.

1. There are three sources of getting help on knowing right and wrong, good and evil: society, reason, and revelation.

A. Society is so pluralistic that it is not possible to come to any solid feelings about good or evil here. We have people in our town who defend the gay liberation,
free love, cheating on your income tax if you're successful, discrimination against ethnic groups, and the list could go on. We also have good people who are interested in the welfare of others, who live decent, honest lives, and do what is morally right. That's society, Society gives us no real standard of good and evil.

B. Reason may slowly rise up to moral distinctions, but I have heard students reason their way into positions that are wild. I remember one student who argue for
free love. I thought she was putting us all on, but in talking with her, this was her real position and she was practicing her profession. Reason becomes flooded with emotion and imagination to the extent that it cannot maintain itself frequently.

C. The word of God is the other source. The word of God stands over against us, outside of us, and God has stated: this is the way--walk in it. We need to read thru
the Bible with our moral ears perked up. what has God said on morality? We are familiar with the ten commandments and the sermon on the mount. But there are other moral statements made. We are familiar with the prohibitions, the "thou shalt nots" but what about the "thou shalt do..."

2. How does one grow in maturity in this area. Let's look at simple facts. A child has no moral values. They must be taught. As the child is taught slowly there develops
a conscience. At first decisions are made for the child but soon--if his parents are wise--they will move in they direction of helping the child to make meaningful decisions himself. After the child is older he will continue to make good decisions. Moral awareness is much like the experience of a music student. As the ear becomes trained it increases its ability to know pitch and sound. There are people who
have developed a near perfect pitch ability because of their training. They can identify notes when they hear them. This is the aim of maturity in morality--to identify good from evil.

3. There has to be training and willingness.
In S. Charleston, W.Va.  a 16 year old Hurricane High School player died from the effects of drinking a half cup of motor
oil with a chaser of anti-freeze. A hospital official said the student drank the motor oil first, then followed it with about 8 ounces of anti-freeze because school mates had dared him. This seems so obviously dangerous and wrong. Can we look at other things we do, and have the same moral sensitivity? Are we mature in Christ at this point

II. Getting beyond beginning again.

1. Over the years I have known a few people who are always getting into something new, principally with the hope of making a fast fortune. One man I knew has been in education and has not made it there, but at the same time, he was beginning some outside adventures. He has attempted to start an advertising agency, a spray company, he began an Amway career, a mobile home, or recreational vehicle business, and now just last week I saw him, he had gone into a consulting
service to schools in Kansas. Whenever I see the man I never know what he is doing. If it were not for his wife working, the family would have real problems. He is always beginning something, but never going to a completion with it.

2. There is a point here in the Christian life. I have seen pastors in churches who preach a message designed to always question the Christian life of the members. To be sure, I think we must settle the question--have I received Christ as Saviour-- and if you have doubts about it, then you need to settle the issue. But there is a type of preaching that is a 100 percent type.--If you're not serving God with all your heart and soul and mind, then you are not exercising faith. If you are not walking in obedience, you may not be a Christian. The end result of this is to raise doubts and
false questions, so that it generates a type of person who always comes forward rededicating oneself every Sunday. There are some things to be settled: Have you received Christ as Lord? Have you renounced the Lordship of the world for the Lord of the world? Have you settled the issue of life after death? Have you settled the matter of God's forgiveness and the judgement to come? Are you resting in
God's unchanging promise of forgiveness and everlasting life? These are things that should be settled and you don't have to begin again each Sunday. Let us go on.
There is more to the Christian life than John 3:16.

3. A sign of maturity is the ability to begin something its conclusion and carry it thru to its conclusion. Let us go on to maturity--let us go on to  the living of the  Christian life. If you have received Jesus as Saviour  go on to maturity in walking with him  and  determine that it will be thru what-ever comes.

III. Maturity --serving the saints 6:10-11

l. We have no information on what serving the saints meant. We don't know much about the readers of the letter, but the author apparently did. But serving the saints is
quite a suggestive phrase. Let me give you somethings to think about and you can add to them. We have people who lives are right  tottering between life and death.
We have people who she wondering if they have escaped the threat of death. These need warmth, love, friendship, and prayer. We have older people who are lonely, and do not get out. They need visiting. We have divorced people who need the acceptance according to them of ordinary people. We have children who need the attention of a father or mother. Children who have no father or mother need a
substitute friend who will be influential, loving, and Christian. Christian maturity means that we try to bind up the wounds, smooth away the tears, reconcile differences, hug a boy or girl in friendship, and a lot else.

2. Serving the Lord, being are mature Christian, focus on others, and not on ourselves. This service is done for Christ. D.L. Moody related the story of a judge who has his son volunteer during the Civil war. The judge became very much interested in soldiers. Every soldier that passed by brought his son to remembrance. He could see his son in him. He went to work for soldiers.  When a soldier came to town who could not walk, the judge took him home in a carriage and got him into the solder’s‘ home. He became more involved and soon was spending hours looking after soldiers and he spent a great deal of time and money. One day, he said to his wife, "I’m giving too much time to these soldiers. I've got to stop it. There’s an important case coming on in court, and I've got to attend to my own business." That morning he went to the office resolved in future to let the soldiers alone. He was at his desk writing, and the door opened and a soldier hobbled slowly in. The judge was startled at the sight of him. The man began fumbling at something in his breast pocket and soon  got out an old soiled paper. The father saw that it was his own son's ham writing. “Dear Father, this young man belongs to my company. He has lost his leg; and his health in defense of his country, and he is going home to die. If he calls on you, treat him kindly, For Charlies' Sake.” The moment he said "For Charlies‘ Sake," emotion went to his throat. He sent for his carriage, lifted the maimed solder
in, drove him home, put him in Charlies' room, sent for the family physician, and treat him like his own son. When the young solder got well enough to go to the train, he put him on it in the most comfortable place he could find.
The judge told about it, "I did it, for Charlies' sake."

3. Friends, there is much to do in the church and in the world and we do it for Jesus’ sake. That is part of Christian maturity.
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Conclusion:
l. Are we growing in Christian maturity? The warning of the writer can be applied in various ways. Here's a check- list to consider:

When you grow bolder with sin, or with temptation to sin than you were in your more watchful sate--then be sure something is wrong.

When you make a small matter of those sins and infirmities which once seemed grievous to you and almost intolerable.

When you settle down to a course of religion that gives you but little labor and leaves out the hard and costly part.

When your God and Saviour grows a little strange to you, and your religion consists in conversing with men and their books and not with God and His book.

When you delight more in hearing and talking, than in secret prayer and the Word.
when you use the means of grace more as a matter of duty, than as food in which your soul delights.

When your  regard too much the eye of man, and too little the eye of God.

When you grow hot and eager about some disputed point or in forwarding the interests of some party of Christians, more than about those matters which concern the great cause of Christ.

When you grow harsh and bitter toward those who differ with you, instead of feeling tenderly towards all who love Christ.
When you make light of preparing for the Lord’s Day, and   the Lord’s table, and think more of outward ordinances than you do of heart work.

When the hopes of heaven and the love of God do not interest you, but you are thirsting after some worldly enjoyment and grow eager for it.

When the world grows sweeter to you and death and eternity are distasteful subjects

2. What about your check-list of maturity?