Grow up as an Adult

1 Corinthians 13:11

1 Corinthians 13:11, When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Getting old is inevitable! Growing up is optional! You are getting older. You start wearing glasses. You got to get way with food which you loved so much. You are not able to stay awake longer.

There are people grown older, but they don’t grow up! I do want to say that there are childlike qualities we are to imitate in our lives.

Matthew 18:3, Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

There are certain childlike traits and characteristics we are to have like: The Faith and trust of a child. A child believes without complication. A child has not had time to allow the preconceived notions of the world to form his opinions and beliefs.

I remember joking around with my kids and making stories up to them and realized it’s probably not a good idea because they believed what I said too easily. But when they are young their faith is pure. They trust easily. That’s why kids are vulnerable and often a prey and we need to protect children.

There is no coincidence why the bible says parents are to train their children in the way to go. Because it’s when they are young that their faith is at the best. This is one reason why I am so blessed to see the different ministries in our church that is geared towards kids.

Always find time to serve your children by bringing the word of God to them in a way that is fun, dynamic, and relevant for their age. We need to keep them in prayer.

Parents we need to thank them for their ministry towards our kids. The best years to learn about God and the ways of God because When we are adults we need to go back and learn to have the faith of a child. So there are things we need to keep from our childhood.

Also, the innocence of child when it comes to evil. There are good things we are to never loose from our childhood. And if we do loose them, Jesus tells us to turn to repent and become like children in those areas. But there are others childish ways that needs to go.

You may be hearing this today and saying, what does he mean by childish ways? I am not a child anymore. I am not a kid. My child days are behind me. What does it mean to leave our childish ways? The apostle Paul is speaking here has to do with our understanding of heaven, of the kingdom of God of what is to come.

He is basically saying that as long as we are on earth, we can have all the revelations from the word of God, from prophesies and gifts of knowledge but we still understand in part.

1 Corinthians 13:8-10, Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

We will fully understand when we are in the presence of the Lord one day but for now, our understanding is partial and incomplete. Just like a child’s understanding is incomplete and understands fully when he grows into manhood, so this is the context in which we find verse 11.

But there’s an element where Paul describes spiritual maturity. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. He’s talking about the natural progression of our spiritual life.

Paul was writing to the church in Corinth had a lot of childish ways. You are going to have childish ways until you put them away, until you give them up. “When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” There are Christians today that you have become a man (20-30 years) believer, but you still have childish ways because they didn’t give up your childish ways.

Hebrews 5:12-14, 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 have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

There are 3 ways we can spot spiritual immaturity. 3 childish things that we need to let go. 1. Childish Speech. 2. Childish Understanding. 3. Childish Thought.

Please do a spiritual inventory and asking ourselves the

questions

What am I saying?

What do I Understand?

What are my thoughts? The answers to these questions will show you if you are a boy or if you are man. If you mature or immature in your walk with God. 1. Childish Speech. Speech has got many words in Greek. Lego where we get Logos.

Rhema. Here Apostle Paul uses the word ‘Laleo’ Laleo means not speak but disclose. It means to use words in order to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts. You open yourself and show what is in your mind. Disclosing yourself to others at the wrong time and wrong people.

A Child normally has limited but developing vocabulary with which he or she communicates. But you can spot a child by these 3 things:

• a. The Focus of their Speech.
• b. The Content of their Speech.
• c. The Quality of their Speech.
• a) The Focus of their Speech

The focus is not hard to know what it is. What does a child normally focus on in any conversation? Themselves! It always revolves around them. Listen to your kids. How much of what they say has to do with: - What they do?

What do they have done?

What they need?

What they want?

How they feel?

What they wish?

What are they going to do?

When the kids get back from school and ask them how their day was, what did they learn what did they do, one starts and one of the other ones doesn’t even wait for other to finish and already he’s talking about himself. About his day, how good he was, what he learned, what he accomplished.

The focus of their speech probably revolves around them, their interests, their needs, their wants, their desires. It is normal. They are kids. We were kids and we did the same, but as you mature and grow the focus of your speech shifts and changes.

Now when you grow into manhood and become a parent the focus of your speech revolves not around you.

Do you know what it revolves around? Your kids. Your kids interest. Your kids need. Your kids want. Your kids desire.

• b) The Content of their speech.

Children can say a lot of things, and as a parent you laugh sometimes because of some of the fun imagination our kids have. Kids have a fun imagination.

• c) The Quality of their speech.

A child often is vulnerable to pick up things other people have said. When they come back from school say something that make you wonder where they learned all these nonsenses. When we found out where they learned that it was from a kid at school.

Kids can learn to say nasty things to other kids. Kids can learn to manipulate and deceive with their speech. They can learn to insult with their speech, lie and exaggerate. But what does the Bible tell us about our speech?

If we are to abandon our childish speech, what are we to do differently?

Proverbs 21:23, Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.

The spiritual mature person learns to pray God put a lid on my lips. Keep my mouth and my tongue in check.

Psalms 141:3, Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. So, I can keep myself out of trouble. There’s a call to self- control over the speech.

James 3:2, For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

The word perfect here means he is full grown, of full age, specially of the completeness of Christian character.

Proverbs 27:2, Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.

Now there are certain moral behaviours we should practice.

Ephesians 4:29, Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

We are not called to repeat everything our culture says. Everything we hear everybody else says. We have been called to speak differently. Let no corrupting talk come out of our mouths.

1 Timothy 4:12, Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Our speech needs to be different from the rest of world.

We have been called to show an example. We are the light in this world We are the salt.

Ephesians 5:4, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Colossians 4:6, Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’

Hebrews 3:13, but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Psalm 34:13, Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. I know I shouldn’t have to say this to a church, but Christians are supposed to walk and tell the truth. Not exaggerate, not deceive, and manipulate but to speak honestly in love in grace.

The quality of our speech should be in a way that builds other people up. That edifies, that fuels faith, that speaks love and truth. 2. Childish Understanding. The Greek word used here is phroneō Meaning to have an opinion of oneself, think of oneself, to be modest, not let one's opinion (though just) of himself exceed the bounds of modesty.

Otherwise, it is known as self-understanding. People try to understand about themselves from the opinion of others. You are never good as much as people say about you. You are never bad as much as people say about you.

How do you see yourself? Paul uses this word used in the Greek Roman world. In the world they use it as assess one by their wealth. People valued themselves according to their possession. The more you have the more valuable you are.

There are people who dream all their lives and then there are people who live their dreams. The difference is in the maturity of the person.

Are you following? So, the focus of their thoughts still revolves a lot around themselves. One of the ways we can know if we are spiritual immature is when we see that we think like a child. A child has no or little responsibility. He doesn’t have to go get a job to pay the rent. He may have some choirs and some responsibilities.

But there are minimal compared to adults. They are takers more than givers.

They think about play all day. They do only what is fun. But adults do what is fun and what needs to be done even when it’s not pleasant. We see this in different churches people going to church with the focus of themselves: What is in it for me?

They sit, they receive, they take, they go get their blessing, but they are never a blessing in return. They do only what is fun and exciting but don’t do what needs to be done. But God gave us all gifts. We are part of the body so if a foot decides I am just going to sit. I am going to be a taker and not a giver. I am going to be a consumer and not a disciple.

Then how many know that the body is going to be crippled?

Proverbs 23:7, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

The question is what kind of man are you? You will know by what you are thinking.

Two ways to see things. Possession and Blessings. Possession: Attach yourself to yourself. Blessings: Attach yourself to God. Humble yourself.

What is your understanding? 3. Childish Thoughts. The Greek word used by Paul is ‘Logizomai’ Meaning put weight on it or assign value on it. There are things you value when you were young. There are things you value when you were 30.

There are things you value when you were 50. There are things you value when you were 60. As you grow older the more praise should be out of your mouth. Closed lips to praise God is childish. They focus the prayers which God has not answered as yet.

You start by understanding as a child and eventually you start understanding as a man. However, Paul is addressing man (adult) who are reasoning like a child. It is often imperfect views of things. They jump to conclusion too quickly.

But adults throughout misjudging and through mistakes. Learn to not jump to conclusion too quickly because there might be a story behind this.

1 Corinthians 14:20, Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. One of the saddest stories about a person ion the Bible is Methuselah.

Genesis 5:25-27, Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty- seven years, and begot Lamech. 26 After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.