Marks of Christian Maturity

Sunday Service with Guest Speaker, Kara Stromberg

November 6, 2022 • Superintendent Kara Stromberg

Missional: Find it more natural to do God's will than to ignore it.

October 30, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus • Luke 19:10, Matthew 11:29–30

This Sunday we discuss our tenth mark of Christian Maturity associated with or Core Values. Over the past ten weeks we have discussed what maturity looks like in regard to being Biblical, Devotional, Connectional, and now Missional. Last week we explored the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 realizing that Missionally mature disciples of Jesus are committed to making disciples who make disciples. Jesus’ instruction to the Church is to multiply. The second mark of missional maturity is that Jesus followers find it more natural to do God’s will than to avoid it. So often we live our lives so preoccupied with the worries and demands of the world that we forget that we are called to do God’s will. Even when we realize this is what we are called to do, we have no shortage of excuses for finding ways to avoid doing God’s will. Additionally, it seems that the confidence of knowing God’s will has become increasingly difficult to discern. However, there is a consistent and noticeable quality among mature disciples of Jesus; they find it more natural to do God’s will then to not do it. They have surrendered to cooperating with the Holy Spirit in ways that seem almost effortless - easy. In fact, they feel burdened when they fall into temptation and sin, not by righteousness. Jesus explains this plainly in Matthew 11:29-30, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Have you ever looked at a fellow sister or brother and thought, “They make following Jesus look easy.” Their secret is not that they are more “religious” than most, it’s because they have a deep and abiding “RELATIONSHIP” with a loving God. This relationship is open to all who would put their faith in Jesus Christ and experience what it means to love the LORD with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength; enabling them to love their neighbor out of the overflow of God’s love in their own life. As we conclude our Marks of Maturity series, read Matthew 11:25-30.

Missional: Committed to making disciples who make disciples.

October 23, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus • Matthew 28:19–20

This week we move into exploring Christian Maturity in our final core vale; we are Missional. On the surface this may seem obvious. Afterall, we have a Mission Commission, which oversees our missions budget. We financially support local and international missionaries and read about their mission work in our newsletter. Of course we are Missional! But what if maturing in our missional value is more personal and intrusive than that? What does it look like to be missionally mature? One mark of maturity is that missionally mature followers of Jesus are committed to making disciples who make disciples. This is the mission Jesus himself gave the Church in Matthew 28:19-20. Disciples are commanded by Jesus to make more disciples. Thus a missionally mature Christian is committed to making more disciples among more people groups in a more caring and just world. This includes the world right outside your front door. Join us this Sunday as we explore the Great Commission found in Matthew 28.

Connectional: Slow to Hold Grudges, Quick to Forgive, Controls the Tongue

October 16, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus • Ephesians 4

One of our four values as First Covenant Church is that we are connectional. We recognize and desire to grow in our connection to God in Christ Jesus our LORD, and we want to reflect our LORD in the manner in which we are connected to one another. I have often heard people describe a church congregation as a family. I remember a conversation I was having with a leader of a previous congregation. As we were pondering how to help restore a broken relationship between two church members, the leader just sighed and muttered, “Ahhh, family.” Knowing that this wasn’t an expression of endearment I looked at him and signaled for some clarity, he simply smiled and added, “Dysfunctional, just like family.” Well, maturing as connected followers of Jesus actually invites us to move beyond dysfunctional relationships and into relationships that reflect our Savior, Jesus Christ. In this regard, a mark of connectional maturity is that Christians are slow to hold grudges, quick to forgive, and they control their tongues. Our words are powerful (parents on Wednesday night family life groups learned that last Wednesday); and because we desire to grow as connectionally mature followers of Jesus, we use our words to build one another up - not to tear one another down. Connectionally mature Christians strive to be peacemakers and resolve conflict quickly. They refuse to let seeds of bitterness grow into hatred. When angry, they are careful not to stray into sin, which leaves destruction in its wake. Connectional maturity which embraces this is counter-cultural, the very opposite of our fallen human condition, and often very difficult to obtain. This week we will be exploring Paul’s teaching in Ephesians, Chapter 4.

Connectional: Rooted in Love and Connected to the Body (the Church)

October 9, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus • Ephesians 4:12–16

One of our Core Values at First Covenant Church is Connectional. This means that we value our connection to our Holy God and to one another. One of the Apostle Paul’s favorite metaphors for the Christian Church (the Ecclesia) is that of a body. He describes the Church of Christ as a body in his letters to Christians in Rome, Corinth, Colossae, and Ephesus. In each of these letters he is consistent in his instruction that we are to live in unison and common purpose as Christ’s body in the world. Connectionally mature disciples of Jesus are rooted in love and connected to the Body of Christ (the Church). The words and actions of the mature Christian flow from their love for the LORD and their fellow believers with whom they are connected as the church. Within this fellowship, believers find mutual service and encouragement, and we collectively grow into our full potential in Christ Jesus. In preparation for this Sunday’s message, familiarize yourself with the “Body Language” used by the Apostle Paul found in Romans 12:3-13; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:15-16 & Colossians 1:17-20.

Connectional: Not defensive when found to be in the wrong

October 2, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus • Proverbs 9:8, Philippians 2:5–8

We are midway through our series on Maturing in our values. We have explored what it means to be Biblical and Devotional and I encourage you to watch any sermons you may have missed over the past five weeks, they are available on the church app, YouTube, or our FCC Roku channel. This week we take up our value of Connectional. As the church, we are connected to one another and to Christ Jesus in a manner that is unlike any organization or religion. We are not merely connected by geography, shared beliefs or family relations; we are connected in the Holy Spirit. The One-True-God holds us together in love with Christ Jesus being the one in charge. Because of our connectedness to one another and to Christ Jesus, Connectional maturity is an essential value for us to be pursuing. The first mark of connectional maturity is that Mature disciples of Jesus do not get defensive when they are found to be in the wrong. The opening 9 chapters of the book of Proverbs are devoted to the subject and pursuit of wisdom. Chapter nine provides an exclamation point to this section highlighting 9:7-10. Additionally, connectionally mature followers of Jesus are not consumed with elevating their own reputations in order to increase their social standing but instead seek only to elevate God’s reputation; recognizing that even in the face of rejection, the worldly are rejecting their creator God. Personal reputation is something Christians surrender when they become followers of Jesus and put on humility in its place. In preparation for this Sunday, read Proverbs 9 and Philippians 2:1-18.

Devotional: Live with an eternal perspective

September 25, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus • Philippians 3

A devoted follower of Jesus Christ desires to be ever increasingly transformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus. This was the unwavering claim of the early church. One of our fellow FCC members helped clarify our devotional value. “To live devotionally is to strive to make our time a constant prayer, or a life of worship unto the LORD.” I think this articulates our commitment well. How does this look in practical ways? How do I know if I’m maturing in my devotion to Christ? Is this value even something we all can grow in or is it only for a select few? Two weeks ago Pastor Chris suggested that one mark of a devotionally mature follower of Jesus is that they don’t feel they are missing out on something by not sinning. The allure of sin and self-gratification of the flesh is diminished and replaced by the joy of living in a right relationship to our Heavenly Father because of the gift of salvation in Christ Jesus. Last week, Steve Eng pointed out that devotionally mature Christians reflect God’s character to the world. Love for others is the outpouring of our love for God and the evidence of our devotion. This love extends even to our enemies! This Sunday, we will be looking to Philippians 3 for our third mark of devotional maturity: A devotionally mature Christian lives every day with an eternal perspective. Persecution and hardships are put into perspective when as devoted followers of Jesus we view every moment through the lens of eternity. This world is not our forever home. In preparation for Sunday reflect on Philippians 3.

We Are Devotional: The Quest for Perfection

September 18, 2022 • Matthew 5:43–48

As we continue to explore core values Christians and those in the Covenant hold dear, join us this Sunday, September 18 as we ask what it means to live not only as Biblical people, but also as Devotional people. Come prepared to be stretched by God's Word as we examine how Jesus' high calling in his Sermon on the Mount to be "perfect" (Matthew 5:48) extends our devotional life into all of life. We'll also consider how loving enemies is a sign and one of the best ways to find the perfection and maturity God has created us for.

Devotional: Not Missing Out By Not Sinning

September 11, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus • Psalm 37

First Covenant Church is a people who are committed to growing in our core values. We are Biblical, Devotional, Connectional, and Missional. The Holy Spirit is alive and active, inviting all of us to mature in these values as together we join God in God’s purposes in our world. In short, we desire to know Jesus and make Jesus known. Over the past two weeks, we have been exploring what it means to be maturing as Biblical Christians. A Biblically mature Christian: Recognizes the difference between right and wrong then does what is right. (James 2:14-19). Is not easily swayed by false teaching. (Ephesians 4:11-16). Now, we turn our attention to what it looks like to mature devotionally. Devotional is more than a habitual quiet time with the LORD or a short guided reflection by a Christian author. Being devotional means we are devoted to Christ and Christ’s call upon our life to do the will of God, which is to advance the Kingdom of God all for the glory of God. Yet, as with our other stated values, we must ask ourselves, “What does a mature “Devotional” follower of Jesus look like? Scripture provides us with three marks of spiritual maturity which can help focus us on devotional maturity. A devotionally mature Christian: Doesn’t feel they are missing something by not sinning. (Psalm 37:16) Reflects God’s character to the world around them. (Matthew 5:48) Lives with an eternal perspective. (Philippians 3:13-15). Join us this week as we explore the first of these marks. Mature Christians do not love sin. This doesn’t mean that they are no longer subject to temptation or that they are perfect. It means they aren’t attracted to the temporary and soul-destroying deceptions of sin. They do not feel deprived, as if God is withholding something from them by not sinning. They do not look upon evildoers (or even casual “Cultural-Christians”) with envy as they indulge in sinful pleasures of the flesh, relentless pursuit of wealth, or self-indulgent recreation. The affections of the mature have changed, and their heart is attuned to a better sort of joy. They have developed a taste for holiness. They genuinely prefer God’s will over sinful behaviors. In preparation for this Sunday, read Psalm 37. In preparation for this Sunday, read Psalm 37.

Biblical - Week 2

September 4, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus • Ephesians 4:11–16

First Covenant Church is a people committed to Christ Jesus and to Jesus’ mission. To that end, we encourage one another to grow in attitude and action as together we live into our core values. We are Biblical, Devotional, Connectional, and Missional. Last Sunday we began exploring the value of Biblical, recognizing that a biblically mature(telios) Christian recognizes the difference between right and wrong and then does what is right. Mature Christians aren’t merely hearers of the Word, they are doers of the Word. This week we will continue to explore what it means to be biblically mature so as not to be easily swayed by false teaching. Mature Christian believers are so grounded in the truth of God’s Word that they quickly recognize falsehoods. This maturity is not found through proof-texting or Google searches but through a holistic reading of Scripture that is practiced in a community of other believers and guided by the Holy Spirit. We are blessed to live in a time when the Bible is readily accessible and understandable. Truth is not hard to find. But falsehood is also prevalent and often deceptive in its appearance. The Apostle Paul has much to say about this in his letter to the Church in Ephesus. In preparation for this Sunday, read Ephesians 4:11-16, paying close attention to verses 14-16.

Biblical - Week 1

August 28, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus • Hebrews 5:11–14, James 1, James 2

This Sunday, we begin a new series entitled "Marks of Christian Maturity." As First Covenant Church, we are Biblical, Devotional, Connectional, and Missional. As Jesus- followers, we are invited to grow in maturity in these values and others. But what does a spiritually mature person look like? In reference to maturing in ways associated with our core values, Scripture points to at least 10 marks of Christian maturity. Over the next two weeks, we will be looking at maturity in regard to Biblical attitude and action. To begin, a mature Christian committed to living Biblically recognizes the difference between right and wrong and does what is right. Theology is more than just having thoughts about God, it is the manner in which we live BECAUSE of our knowledge of God. Mature believers understand the connection between faith and works (James 2:14-26) and are able to digest the hard teachings of Scripture, absorbing them into their lives as evidenced by their attitudes and actions expressed in faithful obedience (Hebrews 5:11-14). The New Testament consistently commands Jesus' followers to mature in their faith. This command is for all of us. Jesus instructs His chosen disciples to mature as disciples who go and make more disciples. How would you describe your spiritual maturity? Are you a new Christian - an infant or toddler - learning and experiencing life in Christ for the first time? Are you an adolescent believer, cherry-picking the teachings of Jesus that you like but fighting against the life transformation that calls for sacrifice? Maybe you are a spiritual adult who lives in righteousness, having disciplined yourself to walk in humble obedience with the Holy Spirit. Or perhaps, you see yourself as a spiritual parent who is actively committed to raising new Disciples of Jesus who in turn make more Disciples of Jesus. There is always room to grow and mature, our real danger comes when we choose to stop. In preparation for this Sunday, read Hebrews 5:11-14 and James chapters 1-2.