Growing Up in God’s Family

Analysis of a Crop Failure

Pastor Chuck Swindoll • Mark 4:1–20

Jesus was the master teacher. Against relentless and hostile opposition, and in spite of many who followed Him for all the wrong reasons, He spoke with wisdom and taught with skill. Among the methods He preferred to use, the parable was one of His favorites. By placing a familiar and simple word picture before His audience, Jesus was able to draw out profound analogies that have intrigued even the brightest minds for centuries. In this message, we'll look at His first parable, one that carries with it remarkable relevance to this very day. We shall see ourselves in one of the types of soil Jesus talked about, and only you can know for sure which soil you are in. Let us here, then, heed His counsel.

Growing Up in God's Family

Pastor Chuck Swindoll • Ephesians 3:14–21

There is one common analogy used throughout the New Testament regarding the local church. It is not a business, farm, team, school, or hospital, though those word pictures are frequently used by us to convey various dimensions of congregational life. The most often used analogy is that of a family. God is our Father; we are called His offspring—sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, even fellow heirs. Since this is true, it stands to reason that congregations, like families, go through definite ages and stages as they progress toward maturity. This message will help us gain an overview of where we are going. In the process, we'll discover some of the reasons and results of an interrupted growth process.

Ages and Stages of Growing Up

Pastor Chuck Swindoll • 1 Peter 2:1–3

Few things are more thrilling than birth. And on top of that, the time of infancy that follows is both exciting and intriguing. All who work with babies and bottles, toddlers and high chairs, building blocks and toy boxes enjoy one of the special delights life offers. It may be exhausting, but there are special moments of sheer exhilaration, unduplicated by any other involvement. Yet with all the thrills, there are also the threats unique to newborns. Being so tiny and dependent, their little lives often hang perilously close to danger and death. What is true of infant humans is equally true of infant believers in God's family. As we shall soon discover, their needs are great, their hunger is constant, their discernment is nonexistent, yet their potential is nothing short of remarkable.

Birth and Infancy: Survival Basics

Pastor Chuck Swindoll • 1 Peter 1:3–7

In the growth process, we as members of God's family, we enlarge our reservoir of knowledge and we strengthen our grasp of understanding. We also increase the sensitivity of our conscience, the level of our discernment, and the boundaries of our perception. Ideally, our intuition and imagination also grow proportionally, providing us with a solid base of awareness of and enthusiasm for life. But these are not what we might call foundational, nor do they emerge in any great measure during the infant stage of our existence. Infancy is back-to-basics time! It is during that era that we set the cornerstone and fix in place the initial blocks, upon which we develop the balance of our lives, spiritually speaking. Because of the essential nature of these truths, it is helpful for us to return to them periodically and be reminded of their importance.

Look . . . I'm Walking!

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Few things are more foundational to a productive life than walking. That is not only true in the physical realm but especially so in the spiritual realm. However, the tragedy is apparent: many in God's family (dare we say most?) have little or no knowledge of the way to do it. The “Spirit-filled life” is talked about by everyone but consistently practiced by few. Some know the facts but simply choose not to obey. That is disobedience—one kind of problem. More, however, do not know what is involved and therefore cannot pull it off. Rather than being disobedient, they are ignorant . . . uninformed and unaware. Perhaps you fall into that category. Let's dispel the ignorance and remove confusion regarding the manner in which God's children are to walk.

The Delights of Childhood

Pastor Chuck Swindoll • 1 Corinthians 13:11–12

There is a well-worn path stretching across every adult's life. It is impossible to grow up without traveling down that path. To retrace our steps, reviewing the sights and sounds that emerge from the time tunnel, often brings the sting of pain and the struggle of confusion. Why? Because the path is usually strewn with piles of litter. That path is the path of childhood. What is true physically is equally true spiritually. How essential is a healthy, happy childhood in the family of God . . . yet how rare! As we shall see, growth toward maturity requires our passing through this stage, learning certain truths, and developing certain skills that help equip us for life.

Adult Talk about “Childish Things”

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

While writing the Corinthians about the importance of love, Paul inserted a brief comment that speaks volumes to us in this series: "When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11) Interestingly, he mentions no specific age when he “became a man,” but it is clear that many of the things that characterize childhood were done away with once he grew into adulthood. What would that include? Specifically, which “childish things” have no business lingering once we become mature? Believe it or not, God's expectation that we grow spiritually is firmly rooted in the Old Testament, where the prophets of old laid down a clear path for knowing God deeply.

Three Proofs of Growth

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

One of the most remarkable eras in the history of the church occurred during the first century. Shortly after Christ had left the earth, His disciples (who became apostles) led congregations into new and exciting vistas of faith. Though young and relatively inexperienced, the believers who comprised the first-century church showed evident marks of maturity . . . the children were now growing into adolescence! As we shall see from this particular account, they were willing to take Jesus' teaching seriously and model those truths in the local church. We hope to glean from these verses three of the more pronounced characteristics of a body of Christians who refused to remain childish in their walk of faith. Ultimately, our goal is to emulate the first-century example in our congregations today.

Adolescents in Adult Bodies

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

In the previous message we gave attention to three proofs of growth. We saw all three illustrated in an early church congregation (Acts 4:32–37). Although young in the faith, those Jerusalem believers demonstrated a commendable growth toward maturity. But this condition was not found throughout all congregations. As is true today, there were some who were old enough to be well on their way to maturity, but they preferred to remain immature and irresponsible . . . adolescents in adult bodies. In this biographical message, we shall take a look at three such people. Remember, each one was old enough to know better, but they deliberately chose to act out attitudes and a lifestyle that reflected an unwillingness to grow up. As we analyze these biblical characters, let's not fail to ask what the disciples once asked Jesus: “Lord, is it I?”

When Peter Pan Comes to Church

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

In our previous time together, we were introduced to a syndrome that has plagued our society for years. Thanks to Dr. Dan Kiley, we have a name for it—the “Peter Pan Syndrome”—and the more we study it, the more we understand what we are dealing with. Although the name is new, the problem is old. In fact, we can trace its roots all the way back to the fall of man in the garden. As we shall see, not even the early church was free of this insidious problem. Because it tends to emerge during the adolescent stage of our existence, it is appropriate that we address it. The details are neither pretty nor positive, but they are relevant. Hopefully, as a result of exposing this syndrome, we shall be alert to it and be better equipped to confront it.

What's RIGHT about Adolescence?

Pastor Chuck Swindoll • Genesis 22:1–7

If we are not careful we could easily get the impression that adolescence is a disease with headaches and heartaches, pressure and pain as its only symptoms. Not so! Adjustments and struggles may be present, but not to the exclusion of tremendous growth and remarkable achievements. These can be some of the most exciting years of one's spiritual pilgrimage. All adolescents are not horizontally irresponsible and vertically insensitive. As we shall soon discover, there are cases in Scripture where people this age lived exemplary lives in spite of the odds against them.

Reasons We Resist Becoming Mature

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Tough though it may be to admit it, most of us resist growing up. We say all the things that suggest otherwise, but in reality, we resist launching out into the ocean of adulthood. We much prefer the security of the shoreline—being able to touch bottom, not having to hassle with the swells, currents, and windstorms of the vast sea with all its demands. Give us the safety of the harbor any day! But God would have us brave the elements, to risk, to become models of maturity . . . to grow up. It seems only logical that we spend a little while analyzing why there is such a strong resistance within us to move on into the responsibilities and challenges of adulthood.

The Church: Who Needs It?

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

As we enter adulthood in our faith, one of the most significant realizations to dawn upon us is a healthy understanding of and appreciation for the church. Most go through real battles in coming to this conclusion. The church, during our growing up years, suffers the brunt of our criticism and the bulk of our complaints. We go through periods where we ignore the church and resent the church on one hand, then on the other hand, we go to the extreme of virtually worshiping the church. In this message, we want to come to terms with the role of the church, its importance in our lives, some of the major reasons for its effectiveness, and why Christ established it in the first place.

A Story for Adults to Remember

Pastor Chuck Swindoll • 2 Samuel 24:10–25

Among the numerous Old Testament narratives, there are magnificent stories of ecstasy and triumph as well as agony and tragedy. All are preserved for our benefit. From each we can find both analogies and lessons to live by. One such story appears in Scripture toward the end of David's life. Although most of the stories revolving around David's experiences are fairly familiar to us today, this one may not be. Because it holds within it several truths that illustrate the marks of maturity in a believer's life, it seems fitting that we blow the dust off this ancient account and consider its value in our lives today. As we think it through and relive its scenes, let's not miss its message to we who are pressing on to maturity.

A Song for Adults to Sing

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Out of the rich book of Psalms, we find this ancient hymn—a prayer, a passionate petition—in which David makes a series of requests and statements that reveal a level of admirable maturity. For a few moments to read over and meditate on Psalm 26. Observe the composer's major theme as well as his unguarded admissions. See if you can discover for yourself the relevance of this melodic revelation. You may be surprised at David's ability to address subjects that are just as up to date as today's newspaper. In reality it was the Spirit of God, not David, who originally prompted these thoughts and preserved them for all generations.

Insight

Growing Up in God’s Family

16 Sermons on Spiritual Growth

Analysis of a Crop Failure

Pastor Chuck Swindoll • Mark 4:1–20