Are You Growing Toward Spiritual Maturity?

Is there anything more beautiful and sweeter than a little baby? A little babe so cute, so lovable, so helpless? We were all that way at one time. What happened to us? I guess we grew up. But you know, we don't want our little babes to remain a babe, do we? We want him or her to grow up, to one day become an adult, able to stand on his or her own feet, fully mature and able to take care of himself or herself. There's a spiritual parallel in this. We all begin as little babes in God's church, but we are to grow up spiritually. We are to become spiritually mature members of the church. So I want to ask the question this afternoon, how spiritually mature are you, and are you growing toward spiritual maturity? Where are you, as for your level of spiritual maturity? Are you a little babe? Are you a child, like a 2, 4, 6 or 8 or 12-year-old? Are you a teenager on the spiritual scale, toward adulthood? You know, teenagers can begin to take on more responsibility. So that's not far from adulthood. But exactly where are you and I? And should we be at the same place? Not necessarily. Let's picture ourselves as a big family. And some, having been in the church for many, many, many years, even many decades, others have been coming to the church not so long ago. One that is more recently a member of the church, you would expect to be more like a babe, more like a child, a smaller child. But one that's been around for maybe 10 or 20 years, you would think, to be coming up, maybe in the upper levels. And certainly someone that's been around 25 years or 40 years, as some of us are more, you would expect that they would be reaching a high level of spiritual maturity. We know that on the physical level, if you were to choose one year that a person would begin to reach the adult level, then I think probably we would choose age 20. And that's a biblical age, because back in ancient Israel, you can read this in the first three verses of the book of Numbers, it was required of those who would go to war to be 20 years of age. You'll also read that when the Israelites sent out the spies, and the nation was denied going into the land of promise, that those, well for 40 years they were to be held back, that those 20 years and older were told you will not enter the land. The only two would be Joshua and Caleb. Those under 20 would grow up and be the ones to go in. And you also read in the Old Testament that for the Levites to do the work of God, they had to be 20 years of age. So it does seem on the human level that age 20 is certainly a very acceptable age, and certainly strengthened by these verses in the Bible, that a person begins to reach physical adulthood. But what about spiritual adulthood? That's what we're talking about this afternoon.

Of course, when one reaches physical adulthood, he is expected to then go ahead and begin making adult decisions, and be basically able to determine his life. And maybe by age 20 he's not fully ready to go ahead and provide fully for himself. He should be well on his way toward making his own way in life.

But what about spiritual adulthood? When one comes to spiritual adulthood, then he certainly would be very capable of taking on full duties and responsibilities spiritually, would be able to arrive at right decisions, to solve problems, to help and provide for others. Again, just how mature are you? Where are you on this level of spiritual maturity from being a babe, where we all begin, until reaching spiritual adulthood? You know, already, if you've noticed, we should not expect everyone here to be at the same level.

Some more, let's say, babes and children, but others reaching a higher level toward full spiritual adulthood. We all start out as little babies, and it takes time to become spiritually mature. In Ephesians 4 and 11, we see that as a process, this thing of reaching spiritual maturity, it is a process, and it begins with us as a little babe. But we're not to remain a little babe, we are to grow up, and these verses certainly are good ones to point that out. In Ephesians 4 and 11, he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.

God then is the one that has selected his ministry. He gave it as not something anyone takes to himself. But why? For the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry. There's work to be done. There's preparation of the church, and for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till, and notice that word, till, that shows us a time process, till we come to the unity of the faith.

We work at that. We're not completely, 100% in unity, but we're working at it. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man. And the word perfect here is from the Greek teleos, T-E-L-E-I-O-S, and it means to be complete. It means to be grown. So this means that we grow up. Till we come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a grown-up man. To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. It means we reach up to the maturity of Christ. And Christ is fully adult. There's no childishness in Him. And we have to measure up to His stature then, in the end. We are to be fully spiritually mature. And why? Well, verse 14, that we should no longer be children. Yet we begin as children, even the way that is expressed shows that we begin that way. We begin as babes. But we're not to stay babes. We're not to stay children. That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men. And the cunning craftiness by which they lie and wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love may grow up. Yet we're to grow up then from just being a babe and a child. To grow up in all things into Him who is the head Christ. From whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share. Causes growth of the body to the edifying of itself in love. And the whole body then is moving along to word, what? Spiritual maturity. Spiritual adulthood. Reaching up to the measure of the fullness of Christ. Full spiritual maturity, just like Jesus Christ. These verses then show that it's a process. And we begin as a babe. We begin as a little child. And then we have to grow up to be fully mature. Complete spiritual maturity. But it takes time and it takes patience. Let's read Galatians chapter 4 and verse 19. And again it shows that it's a time process. And that's really what our time in the church after baptism is all about. To begin making progress toward spiritual maturity. Galatians chapter 4 and verse 19. My little children, for whom I labor in birth again. Paul was having some real problems with this church because there was a lot of spiritual immaturity in the Galatian church. Some of them were even going to a different gospel. And in chapter 1 he has to begin to correct and chasten this church because they were going astray. And they were not able to sort things out that were coming at them.

Some of them were falling into certain legalistic things such as circumcision that is not required for salvation. Certainly in the Old Testament God requires salvation, but not in the New Testament. In the New Testament circumcision becomes a matter of the heart, not a matter of the flesh. And yet some of the people here were beginning to go back to some of those things.

My little children for whom I labor in birth again until... notice the process that is involved in the time and the patience that will be required until Christ is formed in you. Until you grow up then and become mature just like Jesus Christ. And it doesn't happen quickly. It takes time and we must be patient.

You know, little children many times become very impatient with their own growth. I was just talking with a family this week that has a child 10, 12 years of age in that range. And this child is wanting to be an adult sooner than it's going to happen. That child is going to have to go through age 13, right? And 14 and 15 and 16, right on up. So children many times want to grow up faster than they're going to actually grow up. But I was thinking on our part, we should want to grow up, right? And it's okay to want to go faster, but it's still going to take time in this process of growing toward spiritual maturity and spiritual adulthood. And for Christ to be formed in us is still going to take time. But it's not a bad thing to want to go ahead and grow up and be mature just as Jesus Christ and have the fullness of Christ. That's a good thing. But it's going to take time, and we're going to have to be patient. You know, we have some good examples in the Bible that it doesn't happen quickly. And maybe even that sometimes we could fall behind. You know, sometimes little children, as they grow and develop, fall behind in their development. Maybe they're not crawling, they're not walking, they're not talking. Things they're not doing as early or quickly as they actually should. And so they can fall behind. Maybe in their also mental or emotional development, they can fall behind. So maybe we too could fall behind and should be warned that we strive not to let that happen. We have an example of someone that may have been falling behind where they should have been. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 1. This church, when you read the entire book of 1 Corinthians, was actually pretty immature spiritually. And they were lacking in understanding some of the basic doctrines and knowledge they were lacking in. Let's read in 1 Corinthians 1, beginning in verse 10. Paul says, I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Why did Paul have to write this? Because, verse 11, 4, it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions, there are quarrels among you. You're not getting along with each other. You're fighting among yourselves. You know, isn't that a... that's a childish thing, isn't it? I remember we had four children, and they had to learn to... you know, we had to teach them constantly to try to get along with each other.

I remember sometimes we'd be riding down the road, you know, six of us, four children, so three in the back seat, three in the front seat. We'd usually have the smallest child up front between my wife and me, and then three of the children back in the back. And as they got bigger, you know, their legs get longer and hairy, and you hear... sometimes, get your hairy leg off of me!

And so, that's just one, you know, example of fussing and fighting among themselves. Children fuss and fight. What about adults? Adults ought to learn better. Unfortunately, they don't always learn better, and there's a lot of fighting among adults as well, but, you know, children certainly haven't had a chance maybe to learn. They have to be taught. Well, they were quarreling, and they were arguing there among themselves in Corinth.

Some said, I'm of Paul, and in verse 13, another, I'm of Apollos. I'm of Cephas. I'm of Christ as Christ divided. And so, skipping on through to chapter 3 and verse 1, these Corinthians were just quite immature. They were still like little babes, and Paul says it in 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 1. I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

They were babes. I fed you with milk. They were still on the bottle, and what Paul is saying, they obviously should have been off of the bottle by this time. I fed you with milk and not with solid food. For until now, you were not able to receive it. And even now, you're still not able. For you are still carnal, for where there are envy, strife, divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men. So, the Corinthian church was certainly not growing up as fast as they should have. And you get the feeling they were behind schedule. Later you can read in this book that they were having...

Well, some did not even believe there was going to be a resurrection. They were certainly lacking in understanding. Some did not even believe. The resurrection, that somebody who had died could come back to life, just didn't make any sense to the Greek mind, their Greek minds, the Corinthians. And so, Paul had to really set them straight that, yeah, there's a resurrection, or your faith is in vain, as you read in the resurrection chapter.

But then, also, this church, being a crossroad city, had many people that spoke many different languages. And somehow, God was calling people that spoke different languages. And so, God had granted to ones in this congregation, at least some of them, the gift of tongues, the gift of being able to speak in another language. But they were not using it properly. It was causing all kind of confusion in the church. Go to chapter 14, 1 Corinthians chapter 14. And I read all of this in 1 Corinthians, just to show that certainly, then, we are to begin growing up. Once we become members of God's church, we are to get off of the milk and get onto the solid food, and we are to go on toward spiritual maturity.

And this church was not doing it as fast as they should have. 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and then verse 20, Brethren, do not be children in understanding. However, in malice, you know, be even smaller than children, be babes in malice. But in understanding, be mature. So, He's trying to help this congregation to grow in their understanding and in their conduct. And it goes on down, discussing this thing of speaking in tongues and how there should be an interpreter, and it should be done in order.

Let's skip on down to verse 31. You can all prophesy one by one. They were all trying to do it at the same time. And that was very confusing. That all may learn and may be encouraged. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. In verse 33, for God is not the author of confusion as it was there in Corinth, but of peace.

And then verse 40, let all things be done decently and in order. And so He was having to encourage the Corinthian church to grow and to grow toward spiritual maturity.

Well, you know, the truth is that all of us began as little babes at first, the first maybe even year or two in the church, you would think. We were more like babes. Then we became like little children, little toddlers crawling around and maybe taking our first steps and beginning to learn. It's amazing how much a baby learns in that first year, isn't it? And so maybe as a spiritual babe, we're to be the same way. Amazing how much we also learn in that first year in the church. But we are to go on to be then little children and then bigger children heading on the way toward spiritual maturity.

By the time we get to be, let's say, in our teen years, older, we become, you know, in the human family, children become older and they're able to do more things. They're able to help their parents do housework and washing dishes and mowing the grass. I think of all kinds of things that I helped my parents. We lived on a farm and we worked in the fields.

I worked around the house. All kinds of things that I was able to do in helping my parents. I also was able to help with at least one of my younger siblings. I'm one out of six. I'm number three out of six children. My parents had five children over a 10-year span.

And then they waited 10 years and had one more out of due time. And by the time that last one came, I was 15 years of age. And I remember helping take care of my little sister. So, you know, older children helped to carry their own weight and help to do things around the household. What is very sad sometimes is that parents do not require their children to do anything. I came up on a farm and my parents needed the children to help on the farm. Today, maybe where both parents' work is not quite the same, but still there are chores to do around the house.

There are dishes to wash. There are floors to vacuum. There's most often grass to mow, things to projects around the house. And the parents will do well if they do require their children to work. My parents did require us to work, and I'm glad for that.

And sometimes there's sacrifice and hardship involved. But that is good, and children need that. The sad thing is when children are not required to help and to sacrifice. And maybe as they grow up larger in size, they don't really grow up in maturity overall and can be even self-centered, dependent, not giving and serving, maybe even given to temper tantrums and things like that. That is very sad. Very sad when a human baby doesn't mature as expected as he goes through the stages toward human adulthood. And maybe reaches age 20 in a very good, solid level of maturity. But you know, there's one thing that would be sadder, and that would be someone that comes into the church, and after many years in the church is still a babe.

That would be sad. And that can happen. Let's go to an example where that did happen, Hebrews 5. Here is a book that is written to the Hebrews. You would think this would be the people in Judea, the Hebrews, basically. Maybe people in Jerusalem and in Judea. And some of them had not grown. Maybe many of them, apparently, had not grown, because there's a lot in this book that is correcting them for not growing in grace and knowledge and even letting things slip. Let's pick up a few verses in Hebrews 5 and verse 11.

Hebrews 5 and verse 11. Of whom we have much to say and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. It is possible for a person to become dull of hearing. It's possible to have heard things in the church over the years to where they don't have the same impact upon your mind and the same impact upon your behavior.

And let's say the application of what we hear to go home and live by, to make changes and live by the things that we hear, to become dull of hearing. And it goes on to say in verse 12, For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God. And you've become, you've come to need milk and not solid food. Let's go back and think about this. Could it be that some of these people have been in the church for 10 or 20, maybe 30 years possibly? Could it even be that some of them, the Hebrews here, were among those who came in the early church? 3,000 were baptized on the day of Pentecost. Some of those undoubtedly were from that area in Jerusalem and Judea.

And could it be that some of these then just had not grown? And the writer of this book says, By this time, and if they had been in the church that long, Hebrews was written around 60 or early 60s A.D. This is about 30 years after Pentecost in Acts 2. By this time, that would be 30 years later, if indeed there were some that went back that long. By this time, you ought to be teachers.

And you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of Christ. You need to go back yourself to the first grade. That's sad, isn't it? They had not grown. You have need of milk and not solid food. And it goes on to say, For every one who partakes only of milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness. These people had not grown to become skillful in God's word. That means they had not really studied God's word the way they should have.

They had not really thought about it, meditated about it, and just how God's word of righteousness applies in different circumstances. So, everyone that partakes only of milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he's a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age. Those who are mature. That is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

So, you know, as a child grows up at the human level, he gets more able to make those judgments, to think about things and the right, to see the right and the wrong, and to analyze and to ponder and to think. And that spiritually is how we also are to be growing toward spiritual maturity. So, some of these were still babes. They've been in the church many years, and they had not grown. That's sad. That is very sad. We certainly don't want that to happen to us. We want to make sure that we are growing, constantly growing toward spiritual maturity.

Now, in Hebrews 6 and verse 1, it says that, therefore leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection. The margin says maturity. Let us go on to be grown and adult, mature, than with the fullness of Christ developed in us. Not then needing to go back and lay again the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith.

Those things we did, we should not have to go back then to start all over again. We should go on forward toward full spiritual maturity. Let's test our spiritual maturity just a little bit. And as I do this, I'm going to leave this completely up to you. And I don't know that any of us is going to be able to say, well, on the scale of like a babe to age 20 at the human level, maybe I'm around age 12 or I'm around age 15 or maybe I'm up around age 19.

So I don't think any of us are going to be able to pinpoint exactly where we are that much. But we can still, in a way, think about our spiritual maturity. And if we are certainly making progress toward full spiritual adulthood. First of all, think about, are you doctrinally sound and solid in every way? Are you just really solid in Bible teachings? You know, many of us came through 1995. We saw right through when it was said that the Sabbath is not necessary to keep.

The Holy Days are not necessary to keep. Not necessary to tithe. You can eat unclean meats. We saw right through that. And so that would show that we were certainly sound in doctrines. But you know, there's more than just those fundamental doctrines. We just need to be solid in understanding the Bible, in understanding all the teachings of the Bible, and to be solid and sound in it in Bible doctrines in every way. So are we sound in understanding the teachings of the Bible? Have we read and studied the Bible so much? We know. And nobody's going to be able to fool us, come along with some little doctrine or something that may...

they somehow can make to sound right and fool people. Let's go to 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. We need to be so solid in understanding our Bibles that no one's going to be able to come along with some wind of doctrine and convince us of something other than what we know to be true from the Bible.

2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it's profitable for doctrine. And that means the true teachings for the truth, for reproof, for correction. If we're getting off one little bit to the left or the right, the Bible will correct us and reprove us for instruction in righteousness. What is right and what is wrong? That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

And so test your spiritual maturity. Ask yourself how sound you are in understanding basic Bible doctrines and teachings. Another question we could ask ourselves to test our spiritual maturity would be how well are we able to discern the spirits? What do I mean by that? We'll go to 1 John chapter 4 and verse 1. 1 John chapter 4 and verse 1. And John is writing here late in the first century, but you know what he wrote then is in the Bible. It applies just as much in our time today. And for us, 1 John chapter 4 and verse 1, Beloved, do not believe every spirit.

Don't believe everything you hear that people might say. Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God. Because many false prophets have gone out into the world. And of course that only applied back to John's time, right? There are not many false prophets today. Oh, you are today too. So we should test and try the spirits. How do we do that? How do we test the spirits? You know, you began by what we first mentioned, a good solid foundation of Bible understanding and knowledge. And then you test what is said. And also with God's Spirit guiding, you test how it is said. You test what spirit and what attitude is behind it.

You know, if there's something sinister, you're going to pick up on the very attitude, the very way that it is said. You're going to pick up on that. You're going to say, hey, where is that person coming from? And with God's Spirit guiding and directing, you'll be able to test the spirits, whether they are of God. So certainly that is a very important aspect of spiritual maturity, not believing every spirit, everything that might come your way, but testing it carefully in the light of God's Word. And with God's good Spirit guiding you, being able to discern and test the spirits, whether they are from God. You know, another way to test your spiritual maturity and how you're coming along is, are you serving and giving?

Jesus was constantly going about doing good. Are you always striving to serve and to give? Jesus plainly said in Matthew 20, the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. He came to be a servant. His whole life was one of just giving and serving. He was always looking out for others. He was not looking out for number one. So where are you? Are you always looking for ways to serve and to give to others and to share with others? It's certainly like an older child who has been taught properly, learns to share and to give his time and to help as he comes into his teen years and reaching on toward adulthood.

He's not just going to be looking out for himself selfishly, but looking out for others. Another way we can test our spiritual maturity is, are we able to arrive at making right decisions and solving problems? Life has problems and difficulties that come along.

At home, on the job, in our neighborhoods, and here in the church, can we make right decisions and solve problems? The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 2 in verse 12, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Well, that calls upon a level of spiritual maturity, doesn't it? Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

We are to ponder. We are to think about how we're doing. We are to face any problems or difficulties that come along. Are we able to do that? To have the wisdom? To have the closeness to God? To have the Bible understanding? And make sound and solid decisions? What about facing trials and problems? They come along in life. To have trials and problems? Are you able to have the right perspective when something is not going right? Or do you lose it? Well, in James chapter 1, we get some good advice on how to approach a trial that may come our way. And this does take good spiritual maturity to approach it in this way.

In James chapter 1 and verse 2, My brethren, counted all joy when you fall into various trials. When a big dark cloud starts coming my way, I don't know if I start laughing with, leaving for joy, do you? But yet we are to approach it with a positive attitude. That's what this means. We're not to flinch. We're not to give up, give, lose courage or hope. Counted all joy when trials do come, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. And the margin says endurance, perseverance. The trying of our faith then produces something very good in us.

And it says in verse 4 that we are to let patience or endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete. See, it leads toward spiritual maturity, doesn't it? Lacking nothing. So are we able to realize that trials and difficulties that come along, we may have them on our jobs, we may have them in our neighborhood or community with someone, or we may have it with a health situation that develops in our life.

Whatever it may be, are we able to have this positive viewpoint toward trials? Like the Apostle Paul, what an example he said. This is spiritual maturity for you in facing a trial. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 12. What an outstanding example here of spiritual maturity facing a severe health trial and problem. In 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7, Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

A thorn in the flesh. It may have been painful. We just don't know exactly what it was. But verse 8 goes on to say concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. So he didn't give up. He was persistent. He kept coming to God until God answered. And the answer in verse 9, he said to me, God said, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

So God's answer was no. No, I'm not going to take away the thorn in the flesh. My strength is made perfect in weakness. What was Paul's response? He cheerfully said, Therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. And he went on to say, Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities. Boy, what a level of spiritual maturity. I don't know if I'm quite that far along yet.

What about you? I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For, and he came to fully realize then how good it was for him, for when I am weak and have these physical problems, then I am strong spiritually. So are we able to face our trials and problems like Paul was able to? And just know that it's in God's hands, and he will give us the strength that we need. So we can test our spiritual maturity by how we face our trials and difficulties that come along in life.

Another way to test our spiritual maturity would be, do we have good balance in life? Or do we tend to go off on extremes? What about our emotions? Are we, you know, like the M's and the W's?

We have the highs, extreme highs, and the extreme lows. Then do we have emotional control of ourselves? So, you know, these are just a few ways that we can sort of test our spiritual maturity. And how do we rate ourselves then? Where are we? You know, we've been many years in God's church, and we are coming along pretty well. We have a good basic understanding of the Bible. Nobody's going to come along and trick us. We can discern the spirits. Somebody comes along trying to kind of, you know, get across some kind of point, personal viewpoint. We pick up on it. We're able to be a servant to others, and we certainly are able to solve problems.

Maybe we're coming along, but I don't know if any of us, we're not there yet, are we? We still have a way to go. And, you know, one good final way that we can test our spiritual maturity is to see how we're doing in aligning ourselves with the love chapter, 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Let's go to this chapter, and maybe this is a good way to put it all together as far as testing our spiritual maturity and how we're doing. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and beginning in verse 4, Love suffers long, do we?

And is kind, are we? Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. Love is not puffed up. Does not behave itself rudely. Does not seek its own. Is not provoked. Thinks no evil. Does not rejoice in iniquity. Here's something bad. But rejoices in the truth. There's all things. Believes all things.

I don't think that means that we believe error, but we have a positive viewpoint. We're believing, you know, toward people and toward others. Not in falsehood. Hopes all things. Endures all things. Love never fails. So, you know, there's a little test of how we're doing in our spiritual maturity. How are we doing? And it goes on down. It goes on down to, say, in verse 11, When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child.

I thought as a child. It's just natural. And there's a spiritual application here that we, you know, children spiritually in the church, you know, we're immature at first. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. And so we are to grow up toward the man Jesus Christ. We are to grow toward spiritual maturity. How would you like to do that? How would you like to make this calendar year 2014 a good year for spiritual growth, growth toward spiritual maturity?

We can do it. And now the church has put in our hands a booklet, Tools for Spiritual Growth. So last week somebody at church had brought their copy. And I said, well, I said, my, my, I don't have that one. But I went home and it was in the mailbox. So I hope you got your copy. It's been sent to all the members of the church. Tools for Spiritual Growth. There's a chapter on several of these tools that we can use that will lead us to word spiritual maturity. The power of prayer. David prayed three times a day. Daniel prayed three times a day. This chapter brings out that we need that continuous contact with God.

And it's more than just three times a day. He's praying without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5. Pray without ceasing. And we stay in that constant, then, attitude of prayer to God, asking Him to be with us. You can do that right now. You can do it as you head home. All the time you can pray that God will be with you and that you will be with Him.

The constant attitude of prayer. The second chapter is on loving Bible study. Just love to study God's Word and do it every day because God is speaking to us. Jesus said man is to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And how can we do that if we don't love Bible study? These are a lot of words, aren't they? Every word is from the mouth of God.

From Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. And I'll tell you, after all these years of studying the Bible, I still have so much I need to learn about the Bible. And I think we all are that way. There's so much here. So love Bible reading and Bible study. Just get your Bible out and read it every day. And then the third chapter is to meditate day and night. Think about them. Think about your life. Think about God's laws. Think about His kingdom, His purpose. And meditate on situations that are going on in your life. Maybe there's something not quite right in your husband-wife relationship. Apply God's Word. What is it that you're falling short on? Maybe something is missing as far as the children, the way that things are going with your children. What is causing that? Think about God's Word and how it applies to it. Maybe something is wrong in a relationship on the job. What can you do about it? What does God's Word say? Maybe you've got a froward boss that it's really hard to get along with. The Bible has someone to say about that. Meditate on it and see what you should do. Maybe there's a member of the church where a friction has developed. What should you do about that? What does the Bible say? Meditate on God's Word day and night and how it applies to your life. The next chapter is to use the spiritual power tool of fasting. One that we don't use as often as we should. But when we're spinning our wheels, when things are not going quite as well as they should, then fasting is that tool that we should pull out of the shed, you might say, or off the shelf, and choose the spiritual power tool of fasting. Probably every month or two at the most. And the next chapter is to maintain a humble, repentant mind. You know, always we should be in that humble and meek state of mind, constantly wanting to grow and to change, constantly looking at ourselves, not others. We can't change others. We can't change our mate and shouldn't try. We can't change anybody. But we can change ourselves and have a constant attitude of repentance. And then there's a chapter about being a vibrant member of God's church, active in the church and finding ways, you know. And you don't have to be on an assignment list. Some people think they do before they can find something to do. Look around. Just look around. Meet people. Fellowship within. They will discover ways to serve. And sometimes, yeah, there are chairs to set up, tables to set up, take down, things to do. Pitch in. We don't have any list. And you can help out. So, you know, be a vibrant member of God's church. You can certainly visit the sick. You can call them, send cards to them yourself if you want to. So many things that we can do to be an active and vibrant member of the church. Do these tools work? They do. Use these tools and we will grow. Mr. Cubie writes this little note here that was sent along with the booklet. Dear brethren, do you feel inadequate as a Christian? Do you want a closer relationship with God that feels stuck, like you're spinning your wheels? Well, we all do from time to time. Do you want your relationship with God to translate into better human relationships with family and friends? I think we all want that, but sometimes just don't have the right tools to make it work. We need some direction. And he brings out this booklet here. It helps us to have that direction for spiritual growth. So, I hope you have a copy of it and read it and apply it in your life. You will be growing toward spiritual maturity if we use these tools.

We will be growing.

You know, I want to read just a few verses now. And then I want to read from this booklet also. The last chapter certainly caps it all off very well. Let's just read a few verses very quickly. I don't have very much time, do I? Philippians chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1 and beginning in verse 9. So many good verses in the Bible encouraging us toward spiritual growth, toward spiritual maturity. Philippians chapter 1 and verse 9. This I pray that your love may abound more and more. Oh, look at that. That's spiritual growth, isn't it? I pray that your love may abound more and more in knowledge. Well, that implies Bible study and meditation and all discernment. Yes, discerning of the truth. That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Let's go now to Colossians chapter 1 and verse 9. Similar verses here. Colossians 1 and verse 9. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. See, there's spiritual growth going on constantly. That you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Brethren, that means then study and prayer and meditation and fasting and all these things in this booklet. Strengthened with all might according to His glorious power for all patience and long suffering with joy.

In 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 3. 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 3. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting because your faith grows exceedingly. That's what we want, isn't it? We want to grow exceedingly. And the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other. So that we ourselves, most of you among the churches of God, for your patience and faith and your persecutions and tribulations that you endure. So, you know, these are verses that show that we are to grow and to grow and to grow. And that God is well pleased when we bear fruit. Hereby is our Father glorified that we bear much fruit.

It says in John chapter 15 and verse 8, God wants us to bear much fruit. Brethren, I hope we'll make 2014 a good year. Somebody this past week in one of my, I was visiting in one of my congregations, and during this visit it was brought out that a member in the congregation that this person, where he attends, said, you know, 2013 was a good year. He was talking spiritually.

He was thinking that the sermons, the brethren growing, the fellowship, the love, it all was good. And that was encouraging to me. 2013 was a good year. Well, I'd like for us all to determine to make 2014 a good year. Good year for spiritual growth. I'd like to read just a little bit from the last chapter of our new booklet here, The Tools for Spiritual Growth. The last chapter is fittingly entitled, Spiritual Growth from Immaturity to Immortality.

That's exactly what we're talking about this afternoon, because we have to go on to spiritual maturity, don't we, to have immortality. From immaturity to immortality. Read just a little bit from this chapter. Physical life is evidenced by ongoing growth and development, and so is spiritual life. We must always be learning, changing, overcoming, and serving to become more and more like Jesus Christ. Next paragraph, don't feel overwhelmed. God doesn't expect giant leaps. What He is looking for is that our steps, no matter how small, are going forward. So keep taking steps forward, no matter how small they might be. Make your goal to pray and read your Bible, as well as meditate every day.

We need to fast occasionally. We need to sincerely repent every time we realize we've been guilty of a sin, turning back to God and humbly obeying Him. And we need to be actively involved in the Church the rest of our lives. And then there's a section with a title, don't let up, go on to maturity. We must not let up. We must keep growing. Perhaps the best definition of spiritual maturity is the godly love described in the love chapter. We just read that. And then the last section of this booklet is finish the race.

Paul compared the life of a believer to a race in which the winner receives a valuable reward. He said, I consider my life worth nothing to me, but if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. Acts 20, verse 24. Hebrews 12, 1-2 tells us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

It is not enough to train for a big race. It's not enough to start a race. What really counts is crossing the finish line. Ultimately, the only thing in this life that matters is crossing from mortal life to immortal life. And to do that, we begin as babes. We begin with immaturity. But if we run that race and cross that finish line, it leads to immortality. So, brethren, where do we stand? I think most of us have some more maturing that we can do, some more growing.

I really sincerely believe that there are some in my congregations that are right there on the verge of full spiritual maturity. Like Mr. Herbert Armstrong, just a year or so before he died, made a statement to the ministry, which I heard. He had been going since 1927, remember, 1926, 1927. All those years, all those decades.

This was around 1983 or four, probably about 1984. A couple of years before he died, he said, Men, it's a little bit late for me to turn and go some other way. To me, he had reached that full spiritual adulthood. The Apostle Paul said that he had finished his course. He said, There's light up for me the crown of righteousness. He had reached full spiritual maturity. Before that, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9 that he fought his body, lest he be a castaway. He still wasn't fully there yet at that point. You see, most of us are not fully there, but I think there are some who are very close.

Others of us are somewhere on the way, but the main thing is to keep growing, isn't it? Whatever stage, whatever level we are. And each of us is, indeed, at a different level, depending upon how many years we've been around, with God's Spirit leading and guiding us. But the main thing is to keep on going and end up then with full spiritual maturity. So most of us do have, we have some more maturing to do.

So let's go on toward spiritual maturity, using the tools that have been given to us for spiritual growth. And let's make this calendar year 2014 a good year for spiritual growth.