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Peter Pan No More
Shaun LePage, November 27, 2005
I.
Introduction
A. In 1963, one of Walt Disney’s most popular movies premiered in theaters: /Peter Pan/.
Of course it was based on a much older book by J.M. Barrie, but Disney’s film version made it a permanent part of American culture.
At one point in the movie, Peter declares, “I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up, Not me, Not I, Not me!
So there!
Never gonna be a man, I won’t!
Like to see somebody try And make me.
Anyone who wants to try And make me turn into a man, Catch me if you can.
I won’t grow up.
Not a penny will I pinch.
I will never grow a mustache, Or a fraction of an inch.
‘Cause growing up is awfuller Than all the awful things that ever were.
I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up, No sir, Not I, Not me, So there!
B. In 1983, pop psychologist Dan Kiley coined a term for men who were childish and immature and refused to grow up: The Peter Pan Syndrome.
Men with this “syndrome” have the following characteristics, according to Dr. Kiley: undependable; rebellious; angry; helpless; narcissistic; guilt-ridden; pitiful; dependent; manipulative and secretive.
While this is not considered a medically accepted syndrome, it seems that it has reached epidemic proportions in 2005.
C. George Barna, who regularly conducts polls related to the spiritual lives of Americans, has written this: “In one recent nationwide survey we asked people to describe their goals in life.
Almost nine out of ten adults described themselves as ‘Christian.’
Four out of ten said they were personally committed to Jesus Christ, had confessed their sins, and believed they will go to heaven after they die because of God’s grace provided through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
But not one of the adults we interviewed said that their goal in life was to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ or to make disciples.
(This survey, by the way, included interviews with pastors and other church leaders as well as hundreds of people who regularly attend church services and programs.)”
(/Growing True Disciples/, pgs.8,9)
D. I could stand up here and read statistics all day long but I don’t think that’s necessary because I think we all know that the state of Christianity in America is not very impressive.
All of us personally know people who claim to know Jesus Christ but their lives don’t seem to show much—if any—evidence of spiritual maturity.
Barna is right: Most Christians—in my experience—don’t think much about becoming a more committed follower of Jesus Christ or making disciples.
Most American Christians just don’t want to grow up.
The theme song for most Christians is: “I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up, Not me, Not I, Not me!
So there!
…‘Cause growing up is awfuller Than all the awful things that ever were.
I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up, No sir, Not I, Not me, So there!”
E. But I’m not just complaining.
I’m not ready to pack it up, give up and move to an island somewhere.
I don’t believe the church is dead yet.
1.
When Mike Westhoff, special teams coach for the Miami Dolphins, was in the hospital dying (so everyone thought) of cancer, he received a visit from his boss, head coach Don Shula.
Up to that point, everyone who had visited him had done all but acknowledge Mike’s life was slipping away.
Not Shula.
He leaned in close to the assistant coach and said, “Listen, Mike, I need you in training camp in July-on the field, ready to go.
We’re going all the way this year.”
Mike Westhoff recovered from bone cancer and went back to work for the Dolphins.
He later said, “I thought Coach Shula would tuck me in, but he didn’t.
He treated me the way I could be, not the way I was.”
2. That’s it!
Let’s start seeing the church the way it could be—not the way it is right now.
F. Let’s start by clearing something up: The fallacy that growing up is “awful”.
1.
The reason people don’t want to grow up is because they think growing up is a bad thing.
Is growing up really “awfuller than all the awful things that ever were”?
The Bible says No! When we grow up—according to the Scriptures—we will experience the fullness of Christ.
Our lives will be invested in work that has lasting meaning.
We’ll be well-grounded and not tossed around—wondering what’s true and what’s not.
We won’t be tricked into believing things that can hurt us and destroy our relationships and cause us unnecessary grief.
We’ll know Christ—our Creator and Lord—more intimately.
We’ll experience true and lasting love.
Is this my imagination?
Listen to Ephesians 4:11-16 [read].
2. Does that sound awful?
No! It’s a lie that “never growing up” is somehow better.
It’s a lie that staying immature is the best way to live your life.
In fact, staying immature is “awfuller than all the awful things that ever were” because we’ll endanger ourselves spiritually and miss out on so much that God wants us to experience.
G. CPS: It’s never too late—4, 14 or 40—it’s never too late to start growing up.
H. Review:
1. Today we’ll conclude a series related to our core values.
2. We’ve been looking at how these values relate to the three primary relationships of every believer: Our relationship with God, our relationship with unbelievers and our relationship with believers.
3.
Over the last couple weeks we’ve been looking at the Great Commission and how it factors into all this.
Today we’re looking at that final aspect—the third activity—of the Great Commission: “Teaching.”
4. Let’s read again, Matthew 28:16-20.
II.
Body: “…Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…” Let’s break this down into the six key words at the beginning of vs.20.
Six words that reveal how important and how challenging this final level of Great Commission ministry really is.
A. “Teaching”
1.
The Greek word for “teaching” is a broad word—imparting knowledge through instruction.
2. Teaching was a vital part of what Jesus did
a) Matthew 4:23: “*Jesus** was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.*”
b) Mark 1:32-38: “*32That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.
33The whole town gathered at the door, 34and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.
He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
35Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
36Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also.
That is why I have come*.”
3. Teaching is a vital part of our work—this seems obvious, but it is important to remember because it’s easy to start emphasizing other things and neglect the importance of teaching.
Listen:
a) Romans 10:17: “*17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ*.”
“Word” there is *rhema*—the spoken or preached word of Christ.
Eugene Peterson—in The Message—paraphrased this verse: “*17The point is, Before you trust, you have to listen.
But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there’s nothing to listen to*.”
b) Listen to how Paul put it in 2 Timothy 2:1-2: “*1You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also*.”
4. This is a vital point: We are not talking about knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
Christian teaching—the teaching Jesus commanded in the Great Commission—has a purpose.
It is a means to an end.
5. What is that end?
Look at the next word in Matthew 28:20:
B. “Observe”
1.
The word translated “observe” in its most literal sense means to “watch over” like a guard on duty.
When it’s used in relation to a command it has the simple idea of “obedience.”
Just do it!
Obey the teaching.
2. Teaching is a means to an end—the end is obedience.
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