Maturing In Christ

This sermon is part of the “Still Valued and Valuable” series, and was preached at all three churches on 5th October.

Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been? I’ve been to London to visit the Queen.  Pussycat, pussycat, what did you there? I frightened a little mouse under her chair.

This poem tells of a cat going to London to visit the famous Buckingham Palace. But when the cat returns home he never tells his friends about the changing of the guard in all its spectacle. He doesn’t mention the dazzling crown, the rare and prized works of art, nor does he even mention the Queen he actually went to visit. The only thing the cat can remember is – terrifying a tasty looking mouse under the Queen’s chair. Now, the point of this rather peculiar poem is simply this. What you are, generally determines what you see.

True? For instance, the vulture flying over a field of flowers never sees the flowers but immediately spots the body of a dead rabbit. The man who says that, ‘there isn’t an honest man in the world’, usually has a character problem himself. And so, similarly, the mature disciple of Jesus because of – what they are – sees the world in ways others don’t see it. When a mature disciple looks at life their vision is coloured by their relationship to the Lord and their fellow human beings. This is, I hope, the kind of disciple that you and I want to be. We must understand that we can’t view the experiences of life in the way people who aren’t disciples of Jesus do because of – what we are. We must further understand that becoming a mature disciple demands more than a casual and easy going approach to the Christian life.

I’m sure we’re all aware that spiritual maturity is achieved, quite simply, by becoming more like Jesus. If only it were – simple. Nevertheless, after entering into that new relationship with Jesus every disciple begins the process of spiritual growth with the intention of growing spiritually mature. And according to the Apostle Paul that’s a continuous and ongoing process that will never end in this life. In Philippians chapter 3 verses 12 to14, speaking of a full knowledge of Christ. He tells his readers that he himself hasn’t – already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Now, we all know that babies grow at their own pace. But they do grow. When they stop growing, stop maturing, stop stretching out for new challenges and new skills. Then we worry don’t we because something isn’t right, something isn’t working the way it’s supposed to. And so, it’s the same way with those who begin as babes in Christ. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul is concerned that the Corinthian believers have stopped growing that they aren’t growing up as they should. Saying to them: Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. (1 Corinthians 14:20)

It’s the hope and expectation that every member of a family, whether that’s a personal family or a church family, will grow towards maturity. And like I’ve said, in the case of disciples of Jesus, full maturity is never reached in this life. Nevertheless, the expectation of continued growth never goes away. Ours is a life-long journey of stretching and growing and maturing.

Yes, I know that’s a tall order and what’s more spiritual maturity isn’t just a matter of age either. Although I should issue a caution here and say that spiritual maturity does and will take time. It also takes energy and it takes effort. No one becomes spiritually mature overnight. Even Jesus grew as he grew up. Look at what Luke says in chapter 2 a few verses on from our gospel reading. Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men. (Luke 2:52) But, and here’s the spiritual health warning, you can get older and not grow to spiritual maturity. It’s like the T shirt slogan that says, I may be getting older but I refuse to grow up. Similarly, some Christians refuse to grow up. Sadly, I’ve known 60, 70 and 80 year old spiritual babies because spiritual maturity involves much more than just the passing of time.

So, if in fact, spiritual maturity isn’t just a matter of age then what might it look like when we encounter it? Well, in the course of reading, thinking and praying about this talk, I came up with what we might consider to be five marks of spiritual maturity.

A spiritually mature person is positive under pressure. A spiritually mature person is sensitive to the needs of other people. A spiritually mature person is a peacemaker not a troublemaker. A spiritually mature person is patient and prayerful. 

Now, I imagine we could add more to that list and also that these are some of the qualities we might expect to discover in a spiritually mature disciple. This then made me think of two characters featured in our gospel reading – Simeon and Anna. So many of those five qualities, seem to me, to simply ooze out of that pair of saints in spite of relatively few words being recorded on the page. And I think that’s because they both demonstrate the very essence of spiritual maturity. This for me can be summed up in one word – character. Character makes a difference. It’s character that counts.

American preacher, evangelist and writer D. L. Moody said: Character is – what you are – in the dark. Recognition is what people say about you. Character is what God knows about you. God says it’s your character that determines – who you are.

Now, despite what you might be tempted to think at times, Christ-like character is the central aim of all Christian teaching and preaching because to settle for anything less is to miss the point of spiritual growth. Again as Pauls says we’re to – become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). Developing the character of Christ is the disciple’s most important task because it’s the only thing we’ll take with us into eternity. Jesus made it quite clear in his Sermon on the Mount that eternal rewards will be based on the character we develop and demonstrate in this life. What’s more, character is never built in a classroom setting. Character is built in the circumstances of life. The classroom or home group Bible study is simply the place to identify character qualities and to learn how character is developed. When we understand how God uses circumstances to develop character, we’re able to respond correctly when God places us in character-building situations.

 And if you want to know what Christ-like character looks like then a good place to start is the list of nine character qualities Paul lists in Galatians chapter 5. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Which, if you’ve made the connection then you’ll see mirror the five marks of a spiritually mature person I mentioned earlier. The fruit of the Spirit is a perfect picture of Christ. He embodied all nine qualities. If you’re going to develop Christ-like character, you too, must have these qualities in your life. Whenever we choose to respond to a situation in God’s way instead of following our natural inclination then we develop – character. For this reason God allows all kinds of character building circumstances. Conflict, disappointment, difficulty, temptation, times of dryness and delays.

So, thinking of the cat in the poem I began with. You’ll not be purrrrrr-fect in this life. Nevertheless, that cat was being – what he was – by frightening a little mouse. Likewise, our Father God calls you to be – what you are – and see that just because you might have a few more miles on the clock than you’d really like. It doesn’t, for a single moment mean you’re consigned to the scrap heap because that’s letting the world colour your vision. Instead, see your life through the eyes of a mature disciple that the Lord desires you to grow up to be. Neither will your experience of life be a purrrrrr-fect one. But you must understand that you can’t view the experiences of life in the way people who aren’t disciples of Jesus do. Instead, see your life through the eyes of a mature disciple and that the Lord seeks to create in you a Christ-like character.