Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday Marks of Maturity April 6 & 9, 2006

The Palm Sunday lessons speak volumes about the “marks of maturity.” People cheering for Jesus, then jeering at Jesus…people calling Jesus “…the king who comes in the name of the Lord,” and within days crying out for his crucifixion…Peter promises never to desert Jesus, yet he will…Judas, one of the original 12, literally “cashes” in his relationship with Jesus…people laying down palms only a few days before Jesus lays down his life for them. The fickleness of faith, the power of worldly pressures upon all who follow Jesus, our willingness to compromise our faith for anything appearing of more value, all contrasted with the mature manner by which Jesus faces his accusers and willingly dies the death of a criminal. Perhaps on no other day do we see such a sharp distinction between the spiritually immature and the spiritually mature.

In this 6^th sermon in the series I want to identify five specific and distinct ways an individual, and individual congregation, can foster and experience spiritual growth. As physical life requires air, food, rest, and exercise, so, too, our spiritual life requires certain things for its growth and development. I’ll speak only briefly about each element, intentionally using the 4-letter word “must”:

1) One must read the Bible: Can you go without physical food for months or years and be healthy? Without food, we grow weak, sick, and eventually die. Lack of spiritual food, scriptural starvation, results in spiritual sickness and death. When tempted by satan in the wilderness Jesus said: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 3:4). The maturing Christian must spend disciplined time in God’s Word, aware that we have no other defense against the devil.

2) One must pray: Prayer is the inspiring experience of conversing with and praising God as our heavenly Father. Few experiences can equal prayer in empowering Christians, lifting us above the temptations, and sustaining us in the disappointments of this life. When it is hardest to pray, the maturing Christian prays the hardest! Recall how Jesus instructed his disciples on the night he was betrayed, “Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” (Mt. 26:41) Yet, we are not only to offer an occasional prayer when we are in deep trouble. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances...” As we spiritually mature, our prayer life must become a more intimate and valued element of our personal walk with Christ!

3) One must fellowship with other believers: In order to mature as a disciple of Jesus Christ we must spend time with others who love him. Just as several logs burn brightly together and a strand of 3 cords is not easily broken, so we need to be together… supporting, listening, encouraging, and growing together. In Acts 2:42, Luke describes the early Church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” If you believe a person can follow Christ and remain absent from the Church, the body of Christ, show me that person. Before you do, though, read Hebrews 10: 23-25.

4) One must witness for Christ: A witness is a person who tells what she has seen and heard and experienced. Anyone who has a maturing relationship with Christ will be a witness for Him. As we acknowledge God working in mysterious and miraculous ways, we must share him with those around us! St. Paul writes, in Romans 1:14-16/ “I am a debtor…hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you…For I am not ashamed of the gospel...” Consider, too, 1 Peter 3:15-16/ “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you...” (John 14)

5) One must obey God: Reading Romans 6:12/ “Do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies to make you obey their passions….” Jesus offers this simple summary: “If you love me, you will obey my commandments…those who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me.”

I conclude with 1 John 2: 3-6, as presented in The Living Bible: “And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what he wants us to? Someone may say, ‘I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.’ But, if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did.” May all in worship say: AMEN.