It's time for us to GROW UP!

[Donald (Donnie) Davis]

It's time for us to GROW UP!!!

warning: this may sting a little.

Without a doubt, probably the number one problem in our churches is immaturity. I have been around the Lord’s children for quite a bit now, and the fact of the matter is we need to grow up. The church has a habit of acting immature. We get ourselves into all kinds of problems by saying immature things, making immature decisions, acting in immature ways. We just need to grow up.

God's will for every person is that they grow. In Hebrews 6:1, "Let us go on to maturity." God says grow up. That's why one of the purposes of our church is to help everybody grow spiritually, emotionally, mentally, in every way and have balanced Christian living. With that's being the case why are we so immature. So many of us who are in church have the Pete Pan syndrome. We never grow up. Most of us been in church all of our lives and we still just as childish as we where as when we first came to know the Lord. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:11 ," When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." I think it's hight time we as Christians put away some Childish things. I think it's time for us to mature.

WHAT MATURITY IS NOT:
Maturity is not age. It has nothing to do with how long you've lived or how long you've been a Christian. You can be a Christian for fifty years and not be mature. There are a lot of old people who act like children.

Maturity is not appearance. Some people just look mature. Some people just look more spiritual than the rest of us. They look kind of dignified; they look like they're holy.It's not what you go on, but what you have in.

Maturity has nothing to do with achievement, what you accomplish. You can accomplish a lot and still be very immature. You don't have to be mature to make millions. Maturity has nothing to do with academics, how many degrees you've gotten, how much educationyou've gotten does not determine you maturity. There are a lot us who are smart but silly.

What is maturity? maturity is define as complete in growth or development, ripe, completed, perfected. MATURITY IS:
Maturity is attitude. Attitude is what makes the difference. It's the attitude is what you are in the dark." Attitude is manner, disposition, feeling, position or posture of the body. Recognition is what people say about you, but a good attitude that shows character is what God says about you. God says it's your attitude that determines whether you're mature or not. God wants you to grow up and have Christ-like attitudes.How do you measure spiritual maturity? Not by comparing yourself to other people but by comparing yourself to Christ. In the book of James we have a manual on maturity. The word "mature" in Greek is the word "teleaos" -- it's translated mature, complete, perfect. James uses this word five times in five chapters. James gives us five marks of maturity.

1. A MATURE PERSON IS POSITIVE UNDER PRESSURE
James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance and perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything."
The first test of maturity is how do you react to problems?

2. A MATURE PERSON IS SENSITIVE TO PEOPLE
"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, `Love your neighbor as yourself' you are doing right." James 2:8
A mature person is sensitive to people. He doesn't just see his own needs, he sees other people's needs. He understands their hurts. He's not just interested in himself

3. A MATURE PERSON HAS MASTERED HIS MOUTH
James 3:2 "We all stumble in many ways. (This is an understatement! Nobody's perfect.) If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." The first thing a doctor will say when you go for a check up is "Stick out your tongue." He uses your tongue to check your health. God does that spiritually, too.
In World War II there was a saying, "Loose lips, sink ships." Loose lips destroy lives. They hurt! Self-control comes from tongue control. We get ourselves into so much trouble at what we say and what we think and what we speak.

IV. A MATURE PERSON IS A PEACEMAKER NOT A TROUBLEMAKER
James 4:1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?" He's talking about conflict. He says there are inner quarrels and fights and they come from our own inner desires. The mark of a mature person is the lack of conflict in his own life. Paul told the Corinthian church, “You guys are a bunch of babies”. They argued about everything. They argued about the Lord's Supper, gifts, leadership, everything. That's a mark of immaturity.

V. A MATURE PERSON IS PATIENT AND PRAYERFUL
. James 5:7 "Be patient then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, how patient he is for the fall and spring rain. You too be patient. Stand firm because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged." He's saying, “Be patient.” He gives the illustration of the farmer. If anybody has to have patience it's a farmer. He does a lot of waiting. He plants a seed, waits, prays, hopes, expects ... he
waits. There are no overnight crops. Just like a farmer has to wait, sometimes we have to wait. We have to wait on God in answer to prayer. We have to wait on God for a miracle. We have to wait on God to work in our lives. We have to wait. Patience is a mark of maturity. The only way you learn patience is by waiting.

This might have stung a little. But like I said it's time for us to GROW UP!

[La Tonia Blankenship, Adminstrat]

Thx u so very much for these words of encouragement. I truly had a rough week and I needed these words to keep me from acting immature this week.