maturing into a child

MATURING INTO A CHILD

SEEKING MATURITY• What is maturity?• How does society define it?• How do you know if you have it?• Do you really want more of it?• What is the goal of it?• What is its highest achievement?• Maturity = going from what to what?

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Proverbs 22:15 (ESV)

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 6:7 (ESV)

So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke. He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.

2 Kings 2:22-24 (ESV)

MATURING A CHILD• Okay. Clearly we need to help our children

grow into something better.• How?

• Deuteronomy 31:9-13

STAGNATION• God created everyone differently, so it’s okay

for some of us to mature faster (or slower) than others, right?

• What if we’re “just not ready” for taking our next step? I mean, Luke 12:48, man!

But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Luke 12:48 (ESV)

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 3:19-21 (ESV)

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:22 (ESV)

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:1-6 (NIV)

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

I Corinthians 13:11 (ESV)

ONWARD, THEN!• Great. Childishness is not the way to go.

Let’s climb that ladder to maturity and see what’s on top!

• Right?

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:2-6 (ESV)

TURN, AND BECOME• The Bible calls us to maturity.• The Bible calls us to continue in our progress.• Jesus tells us we need to turn and become

like little children. Why are we circling back?

• Crazy Bible teacher’s alpha and omega illustration starts now…

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.“

Revelation 1:8 (NIV)

ATTRIBUTES• What are some of the attributes of childhood

that Jesus is probably conjuring via His statement?

• How do your kids see you? The world around them? How are those attributes relevant in how we should be viewing God?

APPLICATION• What are you doing right now to train your

child (intensively) in the scriptures?

• What is your LONG TERM strategy?

• What kind of “childishness” is God calling you to right now? Are you game?