Testing Your Spiritual Maturity

We find ourselves in the seventeenth chapter of Acts, verses ten through fifteen. The story is a continuation of last week’s reading, Acts 17:1-9. Paul and Silas are on their second missionary journey. The ugly mob from Thessalonica is looking for them. For this reason, they fled at night and headed to Berea. That means they traveled fifty miles to another province. They must have been hoping for a better experience. The problem was, they didn’t learn much from their past mistakes. As soon as they arrive, they do the same exact thing in Berea that they did in Thessalonica. They headed to the synagogue and told everyone about Jesus. However, this time the plan worked. The Bereans were eager to hear about Jesus. They examined the scriptures and found Paul’s words to be true. Verse twelve tells us that many were saved and in that group were both Jews and Greeks. Isn’t it too bad the story doesn’t end there? The problem is our reading continues.

When the Thessalonians heard about what was happening in Berea, they decided to go. In the end, they caused all kinds of problems. They agitated the crowd and caused Paul to flee again. This time, he fled to Athens. Silas caught up with him later. Can I be honest with you?

I have read this story countless times and each time I saw something more clearly. There are many similarities between this week’s story and last week’s story. Both the Thessalonians and the Bereans heard the same message in the same place, the synagogue. Both the Thessalonians and the Bereans heard Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. Both the Thessalonians and the Bereans heard how Jesus was crucified at the hands of sinful men. Both the Thessalonians and the Bereans heard how Jesus was raised from the dead. Both the Thessalonians and the Bereans heard how Jesus ascended into heaven. Both the Thessalonians and the Bereans heard Jesus was their only hope of salvation. Both communities heard the same exact things, but both communities reacted to Paul’s message in completely different ways. The Thessalonians reacted to Paul’s message in a negative way; they formed an ugly mob. The Bereans accepted Paul’s message and helped the ministry. So why did the Thessalonians and the Bereans react so differently?

The only thing that separates the two communities is their level of spiritual maturity. Verse eleven says the Bereans were of more noble character. Luke never described the Thessalonians using those terms. The Bereans were spiritually mature. The Thessalonians were spiritually immature. Why is that important to us? The reason is simple. The spiritually mature Bereans helped the ministry. They protected Paul and helped him get to Athens. The spiritually immature Thessalonians frustrated the ministry by agitating the group. Are you more like the citizens of Berea? Or are you more like the citizens of Thessalonica? This is the real question: How spiritually mature are you?

In this blog, I want to help you discover your spiritual maturity by giving you a little test. It is not original, it came from the internet highway. I found it on Crosswalk.com. There are a variety of tests to measure your spiritual maturity, but I chose this one because it is practical. This test does not take long. There are only seven questions. It is important that you answer the questions for yourself, not thinking of anyone else in your life. It is important to remember, tests are not given to tear you down, tests are given to build you up. This is the first question.

Are you self-centered? Spiritual immature Christians are self-centered. Their happiness is the primary goal. They want to know what they are going to get out of church, and they evaluate their church experience based on their expectations. They seem to have forgotten that church is not about their comfort, needs or wants. Church is about God. Spiritually immature people are self-centered. Are you self-centered?

Are you noisy? Spiritual immature Christians are noisy. In other words, they cry a lot when things don’t go their way. They cry when the energy of the church doesn’t benefit them. They cry when money is being spent on other generations. They cry when money isn’t spent on their ministry or interests. They cry when other groups, not theirs, get praised. They cry at the mention of any mission project of which they won’t benefit. If you have ever heard someone, say, “Why do we help other people – we have problems right here?” Then, you are listening to a spiritually immature person. The church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of its non-members. Spiritually immature people are noisy. Are you noisy?

Are you messy? Spiritual immature Christians are messy. Infants never clean up after themselves. Your church should be a busy place, there should be all kinds of activities. There is nothing sadder than an empty church. The problem is activities within the church cause tension. In my time in the ministry, I am shocked at the mess people leave. Every church tells people to leave the room the way they found it. It doesn’t happen. Part of the problem is laziness. Part of the problem is selfishness. Part of the problem is spiritual immaturity. It would be nice if you left the room in a condition to help the next group. The spiritually immature never clean up after themselves. Are you messy?

Are you impatient? Spiritual immature Christians are impatient. Our society is built on speed. Do you need an example? Fast food is big business in America for one reason, it is fast. That is good enough. It may not even be good food, but it is fast. There came a point when fast food wasn’t fast enough, so someone created the first drive-through window to make it faster. There is nothing wrong with fast, but there is one problem — God does things in God’s time. Have you ever wished God would move faster? That is why so many struggle with the church. Everything seems to move at a snail’s pace. Group dynamics tells us we can only move as fast as the slowest member. The church has a surplus of slow people! That frustrates many. The spiritually immature are impatient. Are you impatient?

Are you defined by what you can’t do? Spiritually immature Christians are defined by what they can’t do. Spiritual infants can’t cooperate.Spiritual infants can’t get along. Spiritual infants can’t apologize and mean it. Spiritual infants can’t trust others. Spiritual infants can’t support other groups. Spiritual infants can’t even talk to others outside of their group. However, they can criticize just about everything and everyone. The spiritually immature are defined by what they can’t do. Are you defined by what you can’t do?

Are you explosive? Spiritual immature Christians are explosive. In other words, they are always mad. Do you have someone in your church who is always mad? Several years ago, I received a piece of hate mail. The woman wrote to me to explain why she was leaving my church. It was well outlined and written. Someone accused her of stealing a pie at a church dinner. I’m sure it was a misunderstanding, but to the best of my knowledge she is now unchurched. In other words, she is sitting home alone, teaching my former church a lesson. This is the truth, it was nice when she left because she was always mad about something. The spiritually immature are explosive. Do you know of anyone who is always mad at your church? Are you explosive? Here is the last question:

Are you irresponsible? Spiritual immature Christians are irresponsible. They are great at expecting a lot out of others but expect nothing from themselves. There is a rule called the 80/20 rule. It says that 80% of the church work is done by 20% of the people. It crosses over into finances, 80% of the money given is by 20% of the people. That leads us to an interesting question: if everyone did as much as you; if everyone gave as much as you, would the ministry of your church expand or contract? The spiritual immature are irresponsible. Are you irresponsible?

So how did you do on your test?

The spiritually immature look a great deal like human infants. They are self-centered, noisy, messy, impatient, unhappy, mad, and irresponsible. When I retired, I was glad the spiritually immature when not part of my life anymore because they are exhausting. Are you a spiritually mature person, like the Bereans, who helped the ministry? Are you a spiritually immature person, like the Thessalonians, who frustrated the ministry?

My grandparents lived in Brooklyn, New York. When I was young, they came to visit us twice a year, during the summer and during the holidays. When I was young, they traveled by bus. We would pick them up at the Greyhound bus station in my hometown. After my grandfather died, my grandmother flew into the area at the regional airport. It really didn’t matter how she arrived, the scene was always the same. The reunion was always genuine. I would run up to her and give her a hug. Grandma would say, “Russell, let me look at you!” She would pull me back, square my shoulders and pat me on my backside. Then, she would say, “You have gotten so big. You are maturing and becoming a man.” My dad, who despised my grandmother and hated her visits, would always respond sarcastically, “What is the big deal? If the boy wasn’t growing, then there would be a problem.” He was right, yet he was so wrong. Can I ask you a question?

Are you growing? I don’t mean, are you taller. I don’t mean, are you heavier. I mean, are you maturing? Are you growing in the faith? If your answer is “no” or “I’m not sure”, then there is a problem. Today is a good day to test your spiritual maturity and start working on the person God intended you to be from the very beginning. American philosopher Dallas Willard (1935-2013) once said, “The disciple of Christ desires above all else to be like him.”

Children of the Light

On February 3, 2013, the city of New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl. San Francisco played Baltimore. The Ravens won 34-31. It was a perfect evening for the National Football League, except for a few embarrassing moments. Early in the third quarter there was a blackout in the Superdome. Over 108.4 million people were watching the game when the lights suddenly went out. At the time, it was a big issue with a surplus of finger pointing. The media had a field day. They interviewed many about the situation.

One media outlet interviewed three women who were at the game. They were in one of the sections that grew dark. The interviewer asked them what they did. They said they did three things. First, they tried to stay calm. Second, they decided to stay together. Third, they left their seats and headed toward the exit. They never left the stadium, but they stood near the exit. One of the women said, “We stood near the exit and looked out into the city streets. We saw a light in the distance and decided to run toward that light if something went wrong.” That is the story of the Christian faith. At some point in your life, you ran toward “the light of the world” for protection. That takes us to our scripture reading.

Our scripture reading is Ephesians 5:8-14. The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Christian congregation in the city of Ephesus, which is in present day Turkey, approximately the year AD 60. I had the good fortune to visit there last year. It is an amazing place, and the background of the epistle is important. Paul is not writing to them to address any problem. There is no sign of heresy or internal conflict. Instead, Paul is writing them with a word of encouragement. He is challenging them not to be content with their present spiritual condition. Instead, they must strive for perfection. In other words, they must strive to be a little more like Jesus every day. To completely understand the text, you must know Paul uses the word “light” to symbolize Jesus. His thought is not original. Jesus called himself “the light of the world” in John 8:12. That makes us, as disciples of Jesus Christ, children of the light, and as children of the light we are striving to become like Jesus.

That does not mean conversion is not important. Every conversion story stands on its own. There is no such thing as a good story or a bad story. It is just your story. Some conversion stories are filled with sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. Like jumping off the high drive, everything changed in an instant. Some conversion stories lack fireworks. You waded into the faith because you were loved by Christian people. Your parents took you to church, enrolled you in Sunday school then confirmation class, and sent you to church camp or on a mission trip. When the Holy Spirit moved you, you accepted Jesus. No one noticed but you would never be the same again. How you accepted Jesus really doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you accepted Jesus. However, conversion is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of the story. It is the beginning of a journey that will consume your life.

I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior forty-nine years ago. I like to think I have made some progress in the faith. I hate to think my faith is the same as it was as a seventeen-year-old boy. Your spiritual growth is not an option, it is expected. 1 Peter 2:2-3 says, “Like newborn babes, carve spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” As children of the light, Jesus should transform your life. The bloggers at Divinity Jewells say Jesus should transform our lives in four ways.

Jesus transforms our minds. Romans 2:2 says, “Do not conform to the ways of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Paul understood one of the great influences on our lives is our environment. The country in which we are born, the community in which we live, the family in which we belong, all influence us. That is not always a bad thing, but there is a risk. The attitudes of our environment can run contrary to the ways of God. For example, we are taught to love conditionally, but Jesus loves unconditionally. Our attitudes should never completely be conformed to the ways of this world. Jesus must be the greatest influence on your life. My we never forget we are just visitors in this world.

Jesus transforms our desires. Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” What does your heart desire? It is a fair question. Many in our world desire the best for themselves. How many people do you know desire wealth, so they dream of winning the lottery? Others desire recognition, status, position, and fame. The world tells us to desire the best for ourselves, but Jesus desired the best for others. Sometimes it was the temporary things of this world – health and security. Sometimes it was eternal things – salvation. The spiritual mature desire what Jesus desired. Jesus desired what was best for others. What do you desire?

Jesus transforms our relationships. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus commands us to love one another the way that he loves us. In Matthew 26:37-38, Jesus tells us loving our neighbor is the second greatest commandment. How would your relationships change if you simply loved the people in your life? How much drama would you eliminate from your life if you simply loved the people in your life. And everyone in your life loved you? Our relationships are extremely valuable.

Jesus transforms our purpose. In my time in the ministry, I never forgot the bigger picture. I was not working for profit. I was not working for my church or my Bishop. I was working for the Kingdom of God. It consumed me. That is why my personal witness was important. That is why I gave my best to every church I served. John 15:16 says we are to bear fruit that will last. I hope I did. What is your purpose in life?

When I was in seminary, I served a small membership church in Garrard County, Kentucky. The people of the Pleasant Grove Christian Church were patient with me. They were kind to me at a time when I needed some kindness. Most of my parishioners are gone, but I long to worship in that church one more time. If I did anything positive in the ministry, it was because of them. They encouraged me at a time when I needed some encouragement. Without them, I would have left the ministry. That church had a custom that was unique. I have never experienced it anywhere else.

They called it the “The Fifth Sunday Hymn Sing.” The concept was simple. On the fifth Sunday of the month the various Christian churches in the county got together. The location rotated but the order of worship was constant. The host pastor welcomed everyone, invited the crowd to stay for refreshments, and prayed. We would sing a few congregational hymns, then all the choirs from the various churches shared two pieces. Near the end of the service the pastor would ask if anyone had a testimony to share. A few brave souls would come forward to speak. One man from the Mount Hebron Christian Church came forward every time we gathered.

He was an older gentleman who wore an old dark suit, yellowed white shirt and a tie with an American flag print. His story was simple and sincere. He was sixteen years old, and his mother insisted he attend the annual revival. Reluctantly, he went and sat in the corner of the back row. He expected to leave before the benediction, but the preacher talked about hell that evening. The topic grabbed his attention and he hung on every word. He didn’t want to go to hell, so when the altar call was given, he ran to the front of the church as the congregation sang “I Surrender All.” He ended his testimony full of emotions. His final words were, “Thank-you Jesus! Thank-you Lord!” It was a fine story.

I served that congregation for three years and I never missed a Fifth Sunday Hymn Sing, so I must have heard that gentleman’s story twelve times. I knew his testimony better than I knew my own. His testimony was excellent, but it was incomplete. I wanted to ask him if God had done something for him since he was sixteen years old? What was the rest of his story? The Apostle Paul was encouraging the Christians at Ephesus to continue to grow spiritually. As Children of the light, we must continue to grow spiritually too. American author and psychiatrist M. Scott Peck (1936-2005) once said, “The path of spiritual growth is a path of lifelong learning.”

For The Spiritually Mature

We find ourselves in the fourth chapter of John, verses four through twenty-four. According to the very first verse of our reading, Jesus is in Samaria, near the town of Sychar. It is about noon and the Master was near Jacob’s well (Ge. 48:21-22). He was warm from his journey, so he approached the well for a cool drink of water.Normally, people drew water from the well at the end of the day because the heat had passed. For this reason, Jesus must have been surprised to see a woman at the well. She was a solitary figure. It is important to note Jesus is the one who initiated the conversation. In doing so he broke several of his society’s boundaries. First, men never talked to women in public in their society. Second, Jews never talked to Samaritans. The hatred between the two groups is well documented. Regardless, Jesus interacts with this Samaritan woman because he recognized she had a problem. He wasn’t wrong.

Her life was a mess and filled with regrets. She just couldn’t find a decent man; she was a repeat offender. She had been married five times and was living with another man. In our society, only fifty percent of first-time marriages last. Every time you marry, your chances of a successful marriage are cut in half. That means, on her fifth wedding day her chances of a happy marriage were down to 3.1%. If she would have married number six, it was down to 1.6%. She was at the well in the middle of the day, alone, to hide from the harsh tongues of the other women in the community. She was the punchline of every joke in her community, and she knew it. This is the oddest thing about the story. Jesus chooses this mistake-filled woman to talk about spiritual maturity.

We are more like the Samaritan woman than we care to admit. I do not want to sound harsh, but it is painfully true. Our churches are filled with sinful, spiritually immature people. I have met very few spiritually mature people. Spiritually mature people stand out in our society because there are so few. Can I ask you these questions? Do the people in your life consider you spiritually mature? Do you consider yourself spiritually mature? The Samaritan woman struggled with Jesus’s words because she was spiritually immature. Could it be we struggle with God’s ways because we are spiritually immature?

The topic of spiritual maturity is common on Christian websites and blogs. I read several to gain some insight before I wrote this blog. They were are all different, yet they were the same. I morphed the information on those platforms into five questions. By answering these five questions you will discover your level of spiritual maturity. Remember three things. First, your answers are not for public knowledge. They are a self-discovery tool. Second, it is important that you answer these questions honestly. Dishonest answers are of no help. Third, it is important that you answer these questions in balance. In other words, don’t be too critical of yourself and don’t think too highly of yourself. Never forget, God expects us to grow spiritually. This is question number one.

Do you have an appetite for meat? Infants drink milk regularly, but in time they ask for solid food. When a twenty-one-year-old asks his mother to spoon feed him mashed potatoes, it is creepy and dysfunctional. When a nursing home resident can’t take a single bite, it is sad because the end is near. Spiritually mature people can’t get enough meat. In other words, they can’t get enough of the Bible. They study the Gospels. They study the entire Old Testament. They study the epistles. What part of the Bible are you studying right now? Are you studying the Bible right now? Have you ever really studied the Bible? Or is the Bible just too hard to understand? Maybe that is the reason you are spiritually immature. Spiritually mature people have an appetite for meat. Hebrews 5:14 says, “Solid food is for the mature.” This is question number two.

Are you easily offended? Experience has taught us that mature Christians seldom get offended. The reason is simple, they see the big picture. When Jesus turned the tables over because people were using the law for personal gain, people were upset with him. Jesus didn’t care because he saw the big picture. The temple was a house of prayer, not a place of profit. Do you see the big picture, or do you only see yourself or your personal interests? The only thing that matters is Jesus! Our churches are filled with offended people because our churches are filled with spiritually immature people. Philippians 1:18 says, “In every way Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes. I will rejoice.” This is question number three.

Is your conscience formed by scripture or opinion? One of the great attributes of a mature Christian is grace. We are saved by grace and by grace alone. It is a simple truth to understand, but it is a hard truth to live out. I have grown tired of negative, critical, and judgmental people. No one needs your permission; no one must live up to your standards. Spiritually immature people are always critical of others. I have grown tired of people being critical of me. Spiritually mature people understand that we are saved by grace. Romans 14:1 says, “As for one who is weak in the faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” This is question number four.

Do you serve humbly? God uses sinners in this world to do good things because there is no one else to choose. Have you ever known anyone who boasted about what they did for their church? Have you ever known someone who boasted of something they did for God in this world? If so, then you have the perfect example of a spiritually immature person. Spiritually mature people get it. They know it is not about us, it is all about God. Do the people in your life consider you humble? 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Do the people in your life consider you arrogant? This is question number five.

Do you credit God for success? We live in a culture that idolizes people. It may be a well-loved pastor or the pope. It may be a historical figure, like George Washington (1732-1799) or John Wesley (1703-1791). That is a true sign of spiritual immaturity. Spiritually mature people understand the truth. People, both contemporary and historical, are nothing more than tools in the hands of God. It is God who deserves all the credit. I Corinthians 3:7 says, “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

So how did you do with your little quiz? Did you find you are a spiritually mature person? Or did you find you have some work to do? So let me summarize. Spiritually mature people can’t get enough of the Bible, are seldom offended, are interested in Biblical truth, humble, and give God the credit for personal accomplishments. Spiritually immature people are Biblically illiterate, easily offended, preoccupied with their personal opinions, arrogant, and promote their accomplishments. So, are you spiritually mature or spiritually immature? Never forget God expects us to grow spiritually.

When I was young my grandmother came to visit twice a year. She lived in Brooklyn, New York and we lived in Warren, Ohio. I can remember going to the Greyhound bus station to pick her up. Later, she flew into the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. It really didn’t matter how she traveled. It was always exciting to pick her up because she came with gifts. Every reunion was the same. I would run up to her and give her a big hug. She would always square my shoulders and say, “Let me look at you. You have gotten so big.” My dad, who hated those visits because he didn’t like her, always responded, “I would hope so. If he wasn’t growing, there would be something wrong.” I think he missed the point, but he wasn’t wrong. We expect children to grow. If they don’t grow, then is something wrong.

My wife, Kathryn, has a non-profit called Project Orphan Outreach. The focal point of that ministry is orphans in the former Soviet Union who will never be adopted. We have traveled to Eastern Europe several dozen times, visiting Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. We learned that children are the same around the world. Each one deserves to be loved. Thanks to the pandemic and Vladmir Putin (born 1952), those visits were suspended, but will resume this Summer, when we travel to Estonia.

One of my lingering memories of my trips to Russia came from a single orphanage. It was the Renewal Orphanage in Dmitrov. It is approximately fifty miles north of Moscow and the home of approximately one hundred emotionally, physically, and mentally disturbed children. Each one of those children had a story. Each one was sad. One of the boys in the orphanage stood about four foot tall. That would be fine if he was a preschooler, but he was a teenager. I don’t remember his name, but my heart went out to him. He stood with crutches and always had a smile on his face. The other children liked him and considered him a leader. Every time I saw him, I wondered what was wrong. We expect healthy children to grow. This is the truth.

God expects you to grow, and God expects you to mature spiritually! When God looks at you does he say, “Look how big you have gotten!” Or does God say, “What is wrong?” Never forget, we are to be a little more like Jesus every day. It is your choice. Are you maturing spiritually or just growing old?

Are You Making Progress?

We find ourselves in the second chapter of Luke, verses forty-one through fifty-two. According to the text, Jesus was twelve years old. (2:42) That was a significant year in the life of a young Hebrew man. For it was during that year, he began his studies to take his place among the men in the faith. Perhaps, that is why Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem? Or perhaps, they went to Jerusalem annually for the Passover, as was required by the law. We really don’t know why they were in Jerusalem, but we do know they were returning home. The distance between Jerusalem and Nazareth is 63 miles as the crow flies. It was more like 68 miles, because no road is perfectly straight. You do the math. If you walk about 4 mph, then it would have taken 17 hours to get home. The journey was not done in isolation. The pilgrims returned home in large packs. Those packs offered the pilgrims protection. They walked with family and friends, who filled the hours of traveling with various discussions.

Jesus was twelve years old and twelve-year-old boys begin to explore their independence. It would have been natural for Jesus not to travel with his parents. Mary and Joseph assumed their son was traveling with his friends. They assumed wrong. Jesus was missing. They send out a first century “amber alert”. They asked everyone with ears the question, “Have you seen Jesus?” Everyone answered, “No!” With no other option, Mary and Joseph returned to the Golden City. (They had to go back! How do you tell God you have lost his only son?) After three days (2:46) of searching, they found Jesus in the temple. It is easy to feel both their frustration and relief. They tried to reprimand him, but their words seem to fall on deaf ears. They thought Jesus was lost, but he knew where he was the whole time. He was in his father’s house. Listen to what I am about to say.

The story of Jesus at twelve years old is really our story. It is a story for anyone who wants to make progress in the faith. Jesus models for us how to make progress. He models for us how to grow spiritually. Verse 46 tells us what Jesus did clearly. It says:

After three days they (Joseph and Mary) found him (Jesus) in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Let us break that verse down together.

Jesus Positioned Himself

First, Jesus positioned himself. We have covered this in the past, but it is worth reviewing. In a world of places Jesus could have been. Jesus was at the temple courts with the teachers. He should have been walking home, but he was in the temple courts with the teachers. That simple fact says great deal about Jesus’s priorities. Even into adulthood, Jesus had every reason not to attend worship, but Jesus never failed to attend worship. The Bible does not say Jesus missed worship because family was in town. The Bible does not say Jesus missed worship because the weather was too bad or nice. The Bible does not say Jesus missed worship because he was tired after laboring at the synagogue’s big fundraiser. The Bible does say Jesus attended worship because worship was a priority to him.

As a nation that is not our story. Our national theology is extremely poor. There are several reasons why. One of the reasons is worship is no longer a priority for many. Everything thing else seems more important than worship. This is not just my opinion. It is fact. According to Gallup, in 1937, 73% of all Americans belonged to a church. Today, approximately 45% of all Americans belong to a church. That is a sad fact, but the problem runs deeper.

There is a world of difference between church membership and church attendance. We can belong to a church and never worship. You can worship and never join the church. According to the Pew Research Group, 38% of Americans consider themselves regular worshippers. That means they worship once a month. How bad is the situation? We have redefined the term regular worshipper. We used to define a regular worshipper as one missed worship only once a month. Now you are considered a regular worshipper of you come once a month. How many times have you worshipped this month? One of the reasons we are not making progress in our faith development is that we are not positioning ourselves. We just don’t worship. Jesus sat in the temple courts with the teachers. Where do you sit on most Sunday mornings? Jesus positioned himself.

Jesus Listened

Second, Jesus listened. Jesus is sitting in the temple with the teachers, and he is listening to what they were saying. In other words, when Jesus was listening, Jesus was learning. You know it is true. We are not very good at listening. However, we are excellent at talking. Have you ever gone to church and tried to listen but the person next to you will not stop talking? There seems to be a national shortage of good listeners. If you don’t believe me then just google this question, how can I become a better listener?

Everyone seems to have list to help us. Even dumblittleman.com. This is their list of seven

Remove all distractions
Be present
Wait for the other person to stop talking
Don’t assume anything
Look at nonverbal communication
Clarify
Ask questions

Do the people in your life consider you a good listener? When you come to church do you spend more time listening or talking? It is my job to communicate the divine Biblical truth in a clear way. It is your job to listen to the divine truth. American author Bryant H. McGill (born 1969) once said, “One of the most sincere forms of respect is to actually listen to what another has to say.” How much do you respect the people in your life? How much do you respect me? How much do you respect God? Are you a better talker or listener?Jesus positioned himself and listened.I don’t want to shock you, but you don’t know everything. You may want to stop talking and listen.

Jesus Questioned

Third, Jesus asked questions. When I was young, I lived in a home that will built in the 20’s. If you lived in a home built in the 20’s you know they weren’t built like homes today. Homes built during that decade did not have air conditioning or decks. However, they did have front porches. We never sat on the front porch, except when the weather grew hot. I have fond memories of those hot evenings because the entire neighborhood sat on their front porches at the same time. That is how we got to know our neighbors.

When I was young, I would journey to our neighbor’s front porch. We shared a driveway. Her name was Mrs. Ortmyer. I thought she was as old as the hills. She was probably my age. She served me the same snack regularly, ginger ale and soda crackers. Every night I would ask a mountain of questions. Why is it so hot in the summer? Why is it so cold in the winter? Why is the grass green and the snow white? How can birds fly and fish swim? Every evening our discussion end the same way. She would cup her hands over her ears and say, “Russell, go home! When you get older you will have all the answers you want.” I have to say it. Mrs. Ortmyer was wrong! I am older but I still have a mountain of questions. Why are some born with so much and some so little? Why are all my friends fighting the battle of the bulge, yet someone dies every seven seconds from a lack of food? How can you raise two children in the same house, and they end up so different? Have you ever asked those kinds of questions? When I get to heaven, I have a mountain of questions for God.How many questions do you have for God?

There is nothing wrong with asking questions. Jesus asked questions. Look at verse 46 again. It says, “After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” There is nothing wrong with a sincere question. Asking God, a sarcastic question just shows your arrogance. Asking God, a sincere question means you are simply trying to understand. Look at it this way. If you don’t ask questions, it means you don’t care enough to try to understand. Jesus positioned himself, listened, and asked questions.Ask God all the questions you like. Don’t worry, He can handle it!

I love this story. I have told it many times. You may remember me telling it in the past. When Pablo Casals (1876-1973) reached 95, a young reporter asked him, “Mr. Casals, you are 95 years old and considered the greatest cellist that ever lived. Why do you still practice six hours a day?” Mr. Casals answered, “Because I think I’m making some progress.” As your minister, let me ask you this revealing important question: are you making any progress? I am not talking about the cello. I am talking about the faith. Are you making progress in the Christian faith?

I graduated from Mount Union College in 1979. During my daughter’s time at Mount Union the name was changed to the University of Mount Union. Only the name changed. In many ways the school is still the same. The core values never changed. It is still a good place.

Like today, students loved Spring break. The lucky ones went to Florida. I spent my Spring breaks in northeast Ohio. One year a group of guys decided to drive to Florida. They were in a hurry to escape the cold damp spring of Ohio for the warmth of Florida. To save time and money they decided to drive through. They figured it would take them about twenty-four hours, so they decided the six of them would drive in four hours shifts. I was there when they jumped in a van and headed south. To be honest, I was jealous. The bright lights of Warren did not compare to Miami. When they returned, they had a million stories. The one that was repeated the most was about the trip on the way down. In the middle of the night, it was time to change drivers. The driver exited the highway and woke up the next driver. They traded seats. When the new driver got back on the highway, he started driving north, not south. The mistake was not noticed until the next driver got behind the wheel. It was an ugly scene. The trip was extended by an additional eight hours. They had not made any progress in those four hours. So, here is the question you must answer. Are you more like Pablo Casals, making progress? Are you more like Spring breakers, making no progress? It is the question that will not go away.

Are you making progress? If you are ashamed of your answer, then do what the twelve-year-old Jesus did. First, Jesus positioned himself. Worship was a priority to Jesus. Second, Jesus listened. Stop talking and listen when you come to church to hear the divine truth. Third, Jesus questioned. I am not talking about cynical or sarcastic questions. I am talking about asking sincere questions because you simply want to understand God’s mysterious ways. Christian author Anya VonderLuft once said, “Life is not worth living unless you live it for the one who gave you life.” Are you making progress?

Five Questions

In 1849, the Japanese painter Hokusai (1760-1849) died at the age of 89. His work spanned decades. Toward the end of his life, the artist dismissed any of his work done before the age of 70. It was only after he reached 70, that he felt like he was turning out anything worthy of note. On his deathbed Hokusai lamented, “If heaven had granted me five more years, I could have become a real painter.” His story is the story of maturity. Can I ask you two questions? First, are you getting better, or just getting older? Second, how spiritually mature are you?

We find ourselves this morning in the fourth chapter of John. According to the very first verse of our reading, Jesus is in Samaria, near the town of Sychar. It is about noon and the Master was near Jacob’s well (Ge. 48:21-22). The Master was warm from his journey, so he approached the well for a cool drink of water.Normally, people drew water from the well at the end of the day because the heat had passed. Jesus discovered a woman at the well during the hottest time of the day. Jesus and the Samaritan woman must have been quite a scene. They were a study in contrast. He was a man; she was a woman. He was a Jew; she was a Samaritan. He was sinless, she was sinful. He was spiritually mature; she was spiritually immature. This is the truth. We are much more like the sinful woman than the sinless Savior. At first sight he knew she must have a story. In his culture, men and women did not address each other in public; in his society, Jews and Samaritans did not speak at all. Jesus breaks both rules and talks to a Samaritan woman. Most of our reading is a dialogue between the two.

The Samaritan woman must have been filled with regret because her life was filled with mistakes. She just couldn’t find a decent man; she was a repeat offender. She had been married five times and was living with another man. In our society, only fifty percent of first-time marriages last. Every time you marry, your chances of a successful marriage are cut in half. That means, on her fifth wedding day her chances of a happy marriage were down to 3.1%. If she would have married number six, it was down to 1.6%. She was at the well in the middle of the day alone to hide from the harsh tongues of the other women in the community. She was the punchline of every joke in her community, and she knew it. This is the oddest thing about the story. Jesus chooses this mistake- filled woman to talk about spiritual maturity.

Our world and our churches are filled with sinful, spiritually immature people. I have never met a sinless person; I have met very few spiritually mature people. Spiritually mature people stand out in our society because there are so few. Can I ask you these questions? Do the people in your life consider you spiritually mature? Do you consider yourself spiritually mature? The Samaritan woman struggled with Jesus’s words because she was spiritually immature. Could it be we struggle with God’s ways because we are spiritually immature too?

There is a website called Cripplegate.com. It is a Christian website with the tag line, “for a new generation of non-conformists. (I consider myself a non-conformist.)That line plays off Roman 12:1-2, “do not conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” On November 7, 2011, they posted an article called: 5 Signs of Spiritual Maturity. That article seemed to be written for us. The article revolves around five questions. If you answer these five questions honestly, then you will discover your level of Christian maturity. Each one of these questions has Biblical roots. You may find out that you are more mature than you thought. You may discover you have some work to do. You can consider these five questions a little quiz.

This is question number one. Do you have an appetite for meat? Infants drink milk regularly, but in time they ask for solid food. When a twenty-one-year-old asks his mother to spoon feed him mashed potatoes, it is creepy and dysfunctional. When a nursing home resident can’t take a single bite, it is sad because the end is near. Spiritually mature people can’t get enough meat. They can’t get enough of the Bible. They study the Gospels. They study the entire Old Testament. They study the epistles. What part of the Bible are you studying right now? Are you studying the Bible? Have you ever really studied the Bible? Or is the Bible just too hard to understand? Maybe that is the reason you are spiritually immature. Spiritually mature people have an appetite for meat. Hebrews 5:14 says, “Solid food is for the mature.” This is question number one: do you have an appetite for meat?How mature are you?

This is question number two. Are you easily offended? Experience has taught us that mature Christians seldom get offended. The reason is simple, they see the big picture. When Jesus turned the tables over because people were using the law for personal gain, people were upset with him. Jesus didn’t care because he saw the big picture. The temple was a house of prayer, not a place of profit. Do you see the big picture, or do you only see yourself or your interests? You may have heard me say this in the past. The only thing that matters is Jesus! Our churches are filled with offended people because our churches are filled with spiritually immature people. Philippians 1:18 says, “In every way Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes. I will rejoice.” This is question number two: are you easily offended?How mature are you?

This is question number three. Is your conscience formed by scripture or opinion? One of the great attributes of a mature Christian is grace. We are saved by grace and by grace alone. It is a simple truth to understand, but it is a hard truth to live out. I have grown tired of negative, critical, and judgmental people. No one needs your permission; no one must live up to your standards. Spiritually immature people are always critical of others. Spiritually mature people understand that we are saved by grace. Romans 14:1 says, “As for one who is weak in the faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” This question number three: is your conscience formed by scripture or opinion? How mature are you?

This is question number four. Do you serve humbly? God uses sinners in this world to do good things because there is no one else to choose. Have you ever known anyone who boasted about what they did for their church? Have you ever known someone who boasted of something they did for God in this world? If so, then you have the perfect example of a spiritually immature person. Spiritually mature people get it. They know it is not about us, it is all about God. Do the people in your life consider you humble? 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Do the people in your life consider you arrogant? This is question number four: do you serve humbly?How mature are you?

This is question number five. Do you credit God for success? We live in a culture that idolizes people. It may be a well-loved pastor or the pope. It may be a professional athlete, Tom Brady, or LeBron James. It may be a historical figure, like George Washington or John Wesley. That is a true sign of spiritual immaturity. Spiritually mature people understand the truth. People, both contemporary and historical, are nothing more than tools in the hands of God. It is God who deserves all the credit. I Corinthians 3:7 says, “So neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” This is question number five: do you credit God for success? How mature are you?

So how did you do with your little quiz? Did you find you are a spiritually mature person? Or did you find you have some work to do?

When I was young my grandmother came to visit us twice a year. She lived in Brooklyn, New York and we lived in Warren. I can remember going to the Greyhound bus station to pick her up. Later, she flew into the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. It really didn’t matter where she arrived. It was always exciting to pick her up because she came with gifts. Every reunion was the same. I would run up to her and give her a big hug. She would always square my shoulders and say, “Let me look at you. Look how big you have grown.” My dad, who hated those visits because he didn’t like her, always responded, “I would hope so. If he wasn’t growing there would be something wrong.” I think he missed the point, but he wasn’t wrong. We expect healthy children to grow.

Since the Russians have invaded Ukraine, I have been wondering about all the orphans I met in Eastern Europe. I have met orphans on both sides of the conflict. One of my lingering memories comes from the Renewal Orphanage in Dmitrov, Russia. It is the home of approximately one hundred emotionally, physically, and mentally disturbed children. Each one of those children had a story. One of the boys in the orphanage stood about four foot tall. That would be fine if he was a preschooler, but he was a teenager. I don’t remember his name, but my heart went out to him. He stood with crutches and always had a smile on his face. The other children liked him and considered him a leader. Every time I saw him, I wondered what was wrong. We expect healthy children to grow. This is the truth.

God expects you to grow, and God expects you to mature spiritually! When God looks at you does he say, “Look how big you have grown!” Or does God say, “What is wrong?” Never forget, we are to be a little more like Jesus every day. It is your choice. Are you just getting older, or are you getting better? Are you going to mature, or are you going to remain a spiritual babe? The author of Hebrews said it for the ages: 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 have come to need milk and not solid food. Let me say it clearly. Grow up!