Become more native
Series: Welcome home | Bible text: Hebrews 5:11–14, 1 Corinthians 3:1ff
Our vocation is to grow spiritually. Growing in faith is synonymous with «becoming at home» in the house of God. In this sermon, the different stages of growth are shown and you will be motivated to reach out for the next one. Intensive reflection and living with the Bible is the most powerful factor in spiritual growth.
Albert Einstein’s young neighbour was talking to him at a party. The woman asked him: «What exactly do they do for a living?» Einstein looked at her and said, «I am dedicated to the study of physics.» She replied in shock: «You study physics at your age? I finished my studies a year ago!»
In life with Jesus, do we identify more with Einstein or with the neighbour? Our vocation is to grow spiritually. Growing in faith is synonymous with «becoming more at home in the house of God».
Even a runner bean has the potential to grow bigger and bear fruit. The growth happens automatically. The gardener only needs to create the conditions for it: Watering, weeding, beating in the stalk, etc. There are many parallels to a life with Jesus.
Discover Jesus
In this phase a person begins to be interested in faith in Jesus Christ. Such people believe in God, but are still unsure about the role of Jesus Christ. To learn more about it, they regularly attend church services. Some even try out a small group. However, God is not yet included in everyday life and the Bible seems irrelevant to one’s life. «Jesus-discoverers» seek God’s guidance only in times of need.
Such people arouse my personal interest. The fact that they regularly attend the service shows that quite a few obstacles on the way to Jesus have already been overcome. For this group, we want to form a starter small group in the spring to support each other on the journey of discovery. Because it would not be good if they were already stuck at this level. The danger is that you build up good social relationships in the congregation, which are fully sufficient for you. The crucial question, however, is not about the relationship with people, but with God. Jesus» offer stands: to receive the gift of eternal life in a personal relationship with Jesus. It needs a reversal. The seed has to fall into the soil for a runner bean to emerge. The relationship with Jesus also needs a start so that the Holy Spirit can begin his work in us.
When Jesus says: «I assure you: Whoever believes in me already has eternal life» (John 6:47), he refers to implanted people. I do not «believe» just because I am in a congregation. Faith means being in an existential relationship with the heavenly Father mediated through Jesus Christ.
Growing in Christ
A little plant needs careful nurturing and care. A baby needs milk from the bottle. The same is true for the spiritual life: «You have been Christians for so long and should be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you the basics of God’s Word once again. You are like babies who only drink milk but cannot eat solid food. But a person who feeds on milk is not very advanced in life and does not understand much about what it means to do what is right according to God’s Word»(Hebrews 5:12f).
A baby needs milk because it cannot yet digest solid food. There is nothing disreputable or suspicious about that. On the contrary, it is «sweet». It is just as lovely when people start a life with Jesus. They need someone to prepare and give them the milkshake. The church is the primary source of its growth. They grow by being involved in the church programmes. They need other Christians to understand spiritual issues. In the process, they make their first experiences of faith and become active in the congregation. In between, they also read the Bible from time to time. In most cases, they still live in two worlds: in the community and in everyday life. There is still a lack of implementation of faith in everyday life.
The group in the «milk phase» is the largest in most communities. It is also quite comfortable: one has passed the cross and is now on the ’safe» side, if the story of eternal life with God should be true. The ticket to heaven is already secured. The duty is fulfilled, the freestyle less important.
Jesus is seen at this level of growth as a means to serve our purposes.
Close to Christ
Many children wish for a baby animal such as a small lion or a dinosaur. Parents then have to make the children believe that the little animal will grow up to be a big dangerous animal. Growth is predictable and normal. This also applies to people: Being a baby is good. Staying a baby less so. If a child still needs milk from the breast or from a bottle at school, a developmental psychologist is needed. Even the bean wants to grow and needs a proper pole to do so.
Paul speaks to the Christians in Corinth: «Dear brothers, when I was with you, I could not talk to you as I would have with people who have grown in faith. I had to talk to you as if you still belonged to this world or as if you were little children in Christ. I had to feed you with milk instead of solid food, which you would not have tolerated yet. And you probably cannot take it even now, because you still let your old self rule you. You are jealous and quarrel with each other.»(1 Corinthians 3:1–3).
The Christians of the Corinthian church show no signs of growth. They are still dominated by the old self, are jealous and quarrel with each other. The object of the dispute was whether Paul or Apollos was the better pastor. Paul replied to this: «What is important is not the one who plants or waters, what is important is God, for he makes the seed grow» (7). Also in our growth we should not trust in a church or a pastor, but in God alone. The gardener cannot cause growth in his runner bean. In the same way, God is the only one who can bring about growth in us.
God wants us to grow from «growing in Christ» to the level of «close to Christ». People in the «close to Christ» phase have discovered the Bible as a guide for life. Prayer occupies a central place in their lives. In daily life they trust in Jesus. They are not ashamed of their faith. Jesus comes out of the church building. They trust in him in daily life and let themselves be guided by the Holy Spirit.
In terms of the community, this is a critical phase. Quite a few are frustrated with the church because they no longer get the «food» they need for further development. Some change the congregation in this dissatisfaction. At this point it would be crucial to understand that God, not the church, makes the seed grow. The key is to realise now, at the latest, that you have to take responsibility for your «food» yourself and that no one else is responsible for my growth. Worship no longer serves to feed these people, but to make them hungry. This requires a mature self-competence to feed oneself from God’s Word. It takes intense reflection and living with the Bible, doing spiritual exercises daily. That is why it is said: «But the solid food is for adults who, as a result of habituation, have trained senses to discern both good and evil.» (Hebrews 5:14; Elb). It is part of the «close to Christ» phase to exercise one’s senses through intensive reflection and reading of the Bible.
Isn’t that too exhausting? In the play-by-play it said: But the effort is no match for the harvest you can expect, it’s all worth it. The following section provides confirmation of this statement.
Christ at the centre
In this phase we find people for whom God has no longer become a means but the centre. They no longer use God for their own purposes, but live in a beneficial devotion to God’s cause. So they no longer try to do things right, but to do the right things. Therefore, everything they do becomes gold. The cross is great for them; they know that God is powerful in the weak. Asaph had this maturity. His statement in Psalm 73:25 proves it: «Who have I in heaven but you? And even on earth I have no desire for anything, if only I know you are with me!»(NGÜ). Such people love God more than anything else. They seek approval from God and not from people. They have really made themselves at home in God’s house and feel very much at home.
Such mature Christians are underchallenged by the church, they find nourishment for their spiritual life themselves. Nevertheless, they no longer change the church, because they want to make a lasting commitment to the kingdom of God. They do not encounter the congregation as consumers, but see it as a place of service. Jacob Thiessen verbalises this attitude: «Moreover, one does not come only to consume or to criticise. Every member of the congregation performs a service through his or her presence. Those who have this attitude come to worship in a completely different way.«They can easily overlook a weak sermon because they know that God, who is responsible for growth, can also work past the pastor.
Christ-centred people rejoice in changes in the church, even if they personally do not like the style. They see further and want to be pioneers for the next generation. As spiritual fathers and mothers, they accompany babies or young men and women. People come to them because of the treasures that are invested in them. «You have been Christians for so long and should be teaching others.»(Hebrews 5:12).
There are not so many Christians who reach this stage. Many long-serving and deserving Christians tend to retire to the second row and leave the field to the younger ones. Christ-centred people remain active in a new role and want to invest themselves in young people. In this growth phase, the convergence of life experience and spiritual development takes place. They use this treasure wisely and with restraint. They never want to press others with it.
The most active, generous, committed and missionary Christians come from the segment of those most advanced in spiritual growth. Nevertheless, they are still designed for growth: Paul was already a spiritual father on the first missionary journey, but still he developed from the «least apostle» to the «greatest of sinners».
These and other findings come from the Bible and from a large-scale study conducted among more than 150,000 people. 25% of the respondents said their spiritual growth has stalled or are dissatisfied with the role the church plays in their spiritual growth process. Our vocation is to grow! The effort is no comparison to the harvest we can expect, it is always worth it.
In the case of the amateur gardener, the neighbour looking over the fence played a significant role in the growth of the runner bean. It is important that we also let people look over «our fence». A very good place to do this is in small groups where people give themselves the mandate to talk you into life.
«But let those who love you grow in strength like the rising sun!»(Judges 5:31). The life of a person who loves God is like a rising sun. His life takes place between sunrise and zenith. Even when the outer man is worn down and weak, the inner man still increases. The 95-year-old Pablo Casals, considered the greatest cellist the world has ever seen, had an exemplary attitude. A young reporter asked him one day: «You are 95. You are considered the best cellist in the world and yet you still practise six hours a day. Why?«To which the latter replied: «Because I think I’m making progress.» We have not yet reached our goal and should make progress every day. This is how we become mature in Christ and a fragrance to those around us.
Possible questions for the small groups
Read the Bible text: Hebrews 5:11–14; 1 Corinthians 3:1–4
- On which field in the growth path would you rate yourself? Why?
- Do you want to grow in faith? What is the price?
- What role does the seetal chile play in your development?
- Do you know people who have Christ at the centre? How does that feel?
- What does the fact that God makes it grow mean for your life?
