What I am getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’ separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give Him the most pleasure.”

The Message Version

“For God’s sake, Richard will you grow up.”
My exasperated parent proclaimed.

I would be a very rich person if I got a dollar for every time I heard these words. Even today, although not as often I hear Diane echo my parent’s sentiments, “Grow up.”

“Unless you become like a child, you can not enter the kingdom of God.”

But that would be very poor exegesis. My excuse is that I love rediscovering life through the eyes and curiosity of a child. I love the silliness, the awe, the honesty, and the thirst of a child. I love the energy that they bring to worship. I often see Paul’s words being fulfilled in children.

“Be energetic in your life of salvation,
reverent and sensitive before God.
That energy is God’s energy,
an energy deep within you,
God himself willing and working
at what will give Him the most pleasure.”

Peter said,

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(2 Peter 3:18)

“We will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head,
that is, Christ.”
(Ephesians 4:15)

Do you know someone that fits that statement? This is painful to say but I would venture to guess that it fits two thirds of the youth that have been confirmed since I have been here. I would say it fits three quarters of the adult membership of this congregation. I would say it fits more than half of the parents who have had their children baptized. In spite of the fact that every single confirmand, member and parent vowed, that they would bring up their child or grow up themselves in the faith.

We are a culture that focuses so much time an energy at growing. We want our children to grow up to be health and well rounded adults. We go to great lengths. We take such great care. I wouldn’t be surprised if in Zackary’s 4 months of life he has been to the doctor more that I have in the last 2 years. I know my grandson Matthew, who is 20 months has been to the doctor a dozen times. Why, because we want to make sure our children’s growth is normal. You can buy tons of books telling you what is normal health and behavior for every month the child is old. You can buy food specially designed for infants, for 6 month old, for 1 year old, for 18 month old, and so on and so on.

Let me ask are you as concerned about your child growing up in Christ?

How does you child measure up to the spiritual growth chart? How do you measure up? You don’t have a spiritual growth chart in your house?

Then let me give you, this morning.

Growing up in Christ doesn’t mean getting baptized in church, getting confirmed in church, getting married in church and getting buried out of church. Growing up in Christ requires decision to grow up in Christ. It also requires effort and persistence everyday.

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”

It is never to late to grow up in Christ. It begins by starting to think like Christ. Jesus’ focus was on others, not self. Identify one area in your life where you need to stop thinking your way and start thinking God’s way? There is the place to start.

So for God’s sake and your own, GROW UP!