Sermon Tone Analysis

“Let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

And this we will do if God permits.”

[1]

Christians are often shocked to discover the degree of immaturity resident among the people of God.

We come into the Faith with the assumption that God’s people will reflect a measure of maturity, especially if they have been in the Faith for any length of time.

Preachers are just as naïve concerning the maturity of churches.

Maturity is a neglected subject among the Christians.

Every member of the congregation, if he or she should actually give the matter thought, imagines he or she is mature—able to handle slights, disappointments or any problems that occur in a given relationship.

However, the evidence is that a great deal of infantile behaviour is justified within the congregation because of immaturity that is unrecognised for what it is or at least not admitted.

Joe McKeever tells a story of a fellow servant of Christ who commented on one occasion, “Church is the only place on earth where people can throw hissy fits and get away with it.”

[2] McKeever cites a minister who was serving his first church out of seminary.

He continued his story by noting that he asked his friend why he would say this.

The preacher had two stories—stories that are tragically similar to any that almost any servant of Christ could tell.

In the first story, the minister told of a church member attending a class that he was teaching.

She couldn’t find her workbook.

The pastor told her that he had borrowed it for another class, but that she was welcome to use his.

Her response was to say, “Okay, I’ll go home then.”

And she stalked out of the class.

The minister relating the story asked, “Would she have done that at work?

At a doctor’s office?

I think not.”

However, she had no problem putting her immaturity on full display at a meeting of the church.

The next story was of a man who stormed out of a church leadership meeting because his idea for a fundraiser was rejected.

The minister relating the story asked, “Would he have done that in a college class?

At work?

At home?

At the store, even?”

The answer is obvious.

McKeever notes, “And this guy was a church leader!”

Then, McKeever makes this observation, “The church—which is the institution which we Christians should respect most—ends up being the least respected by many.

And the pastor the least respected professional.”

That is a stinging indictment of the modern congregation.

Tragically, it is proven true in far too many instances.

This, then, is the message today.

It is intended as a challenge to the people of God to think about who we are.

If we understand who we are, we will realise that how we treat God’s people—the assembly of the faithful—speaks volumes of our maturity.

It matters little how long we have been on the journey; what matters is how far we have come.

Boasting of how long you have been a Christian is quite meaningless; it will become obvious how closely you are walking with the Lord when you are disappointed by some incident.

*THE GOAL OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD* — “Let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.”

A primary goal for Christians must be maturing in Christ.

To be sure, we are responsible to win the lost, defend the Faith, honour Christ the Lord through fellowship in the Word and discover the richness of the Gospel of Christ—and we will do these things if we are actually mature in Christ.

However, these goals are means to achieve the one major goal— each Christian is to mature in Christ, mature in the Faith.

This need for maturation is not to be pursued in isolation from growing toward maturation as a church.

Look at this truth from a Pauline perspective.

Writing in the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Therefore it says,

‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,

and he gave gifts to men.’

“(In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?

He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” [EPHESIANS 4:1-16].

Though perfected in Christ, the congregation of the Lord is not an assembly of perfect people.

Comprising the assembly are flawed beings who struggle each day with sin—and that not always successfully.

There must be a degree of humility when we scrutinise the character of fellow saints with whom we share worship.

We dare not hold others to a standard of our own making lest we should subject ourselves to precisely such a standard administered by others!

We must hold one another accountable to Christ’s standard, acknowledging our need for grace and for mercy.

Nor should we anticipate that we will receive grace and mercy if we are not willing ourselves to be gracious and merciful.

Jesus has taught His disciples, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” [LUKE 6:36].

In the Beatitudes, Jesus taught those who are His disciples, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” [MATTHEW 5:7].

Surely each believer wants to honour the Master.

If we will honour the Master, the purpose of the assembly will be to move toward maturity in the Faith.

This is not an esoteric longing for some mystical plateau of spirituality; rather, this goal must be shared by each member of the assembly.

The goal of Christians must be to build others in the Faith, to encourage others when they are beginning to flag and to console those in need of consolation.

This is revealed in Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians.

The congregation in Corinth was composed of people each of whom was focused on his or her personal enjoyment.

Paul wrote these spiritually stunted saints a command that is ignored.

“Pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church” [1 CORINTHIANS 14:1-4].

The issue is too important not to stress again—the goal of the congregation is maturity.

We are to work together to build one another in this most holy Faith.

Paul has already written the Philippian Christians, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” [PHILIPPIANS 2:3, 4].

These humbling words are too readily dismissed within modern society.

Unfortunately, the attitude of society has infiltrated the congregations of the faithful and we need to be reminded again of our mutual responsibility.

Years ago, William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army telegraphed his annual Christmas message to Salvationists around the world.

At the time Booth sent the message, he was already quite elderly.

Times were tough and money was in short supply.

Communication by telegraph was the most advanced technological means of sending a message, but the message had to be paid for by the word.

Booth’s message, a model of concision and frugality, was one word: “Others.”

This would be an excellent motto for all Christians; we are to look out for the welfare of our fellow believers and seek the welfare of others.

I am constrained to focus attention on this concept for our mutual benefit.

Consider other passages presenting this same truth in similar terms to remind yourselves of the expectations of Christ the Lord.

For instance, recall how Paul instructed the Ephesian saints.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” [EPHESIANS 5:15-21].

That same Ephesian Letter presents the reminder, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” [EPHESIANS 4:1-3].

Count others more significant than yourselves!

Look not only to your own interests, but look also to the interests of others!

Every action should drive us to consider how we are building fellow believers.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ!

Cultivate a submissive spirit to fellow believers.

Bear with one another in love!

Be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit!

These are not inconsequential expectations; neither should we expect that such commands are the natural outwork of our relationship with other saints.

We are commanded to do these things, indicating that we will struggle to fulfil what is expected of us.