Seek Spiritual Maturity

Sermon Transcript

Here is a question that I’d like for us to think about this morning: What does it mean to be a spiritually mature person?…What is spiritual maturity?…Would you consider yourself as a spiritually mature person? I know that is a bit of an odd question. That’s like asking if you would consider yourself to be a very humble person. Usually if someone says “I’m the most humble person I know,” something about saying that makes us think that maybe that isn’t true. Just like humbleness, spiritual maturity is easier to see in someone else. So think about someone you would consider to be the most spiritually mature person you know. If you have someone in mind, what about them makes you conclude that they are spiritually mature?

That brings us back to the question, what is spiritual maturity? I think Hebrews 5 has one of the best answers for us. In Hebrews 5:14, the spiritually mature are ,”… those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” I don’t think this is the only definition, but I do think its the best definition for our passage here in 1 Timothy 4. Because as we’ll see in 1 Timothy 4, Paul seems to think that there is a severe lack of spiritual maturity in the church of Ephesus. People there seem to lack the ability to distinguish good from evil. And that is one of the purposes for this letter to Timothy, to give him encouragement to raise up leaders and spiritually mature people to protect them against evil teachings and false doctrines. He wants the church in Ephesus to seek spiritual maturity.

And I believe that is the big idea of this passage, to Seek Spiritual Maturity. Now, we don’t see that term “spiritual maturity” used here in this passage. But I’m using that term as a label for a concept that Paul is getting at. Just like how the Bible doesn’t use the term “Trinity” but the concept of one God in three persons is definitely there in Scripture. So I’m using the term “spiritual maturity” as a label for a concept that Paul is really trying to aim at in this passage. And he is trying to encourage Timothy and the church at large to Seek Spiritual Maturity. Which again, is the big idea of the passage here in 1 Timothy 4. And our points will naturally flow the paragraph breaks that you see in your ESV. In the first paragraph, we see what happens when there is no spiritual maturity in the church, 1. Because Some will leave the Faith (v 1-5); And then after that first paragraph, Paul then encourages Timothy to seek spiritual maturity first in himself  and says to 2. Train yourself in Godliness (v 6-10), and then he is to 3. Teach Others (11-16).

 

1. Because Some Will Leave the Faith (vv 1-5)

Remember what I said a few moments ago that Paul seems to indicate that there is a severe lack of spiritual maturity within the church of Ephesus? Well, its because of this first paragraph here in verses 1-5 that gives us the reason why…and it gets a little dark. But before we reread this paragraph, I think it’s important to set the scene a bit. Let me give a quick glimpse of what Paul has been talking about leading up to this point. I think giving this overview will help us out. 

When Paul starts his letter, right out the gate he urges Timothy to stay in Ephesus to deal with false teaching that has been plaguing the church there. Then in chapters 2 and 3, he goes on to describe to Timothy what it means to have a Gospel-shaped church, to find spiritually mature people and set them as elders and deacons over the church. So he is telling Timothy to raise up spiritually mature people to help them oversee the church. And the purpose of the letter is stated in 3:14-15 Paul says to Timothy, “I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” Then we arrive at chapter 4, where we are focusing on today, in which Paul revisits the topic of false teachers.

With that in mind, let look at our passage, beginning with verses 1-3 , “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” There are false teachers, or wolves, who are out preying on the weak. And when Paul says that “some will depart the faith,” that means that these wolves will unfortunately be successful at ensnaring their prey. 

In the context of Ephesus, a part of the false teaching that Paul is talking about seemed to center around what’s called asceticism. Asceticism is the mindset of denying yourself things as a means to follow God more wholeheartedly. While that may sound legitimate at first, it went far beyond what Scripture prescribes. Now the Gospel of Christ does tell us to deny ourselves of sinful things, sinful acts, and things that tempt us to sin. That’s called repentance. However, the false teachers in Ephesus would claim that you would need to deny yourself of anything that gives you enjoyment. For example, every once in a while I enjoy a good steak. But these false teachers would say that because I enjoy it, then I need to deny myself of steak. They believed that we should only get enjoyment from God. Well I also enjoy being married. The false teachers would say that I need to deny myself of that too. But these are things that the Lord has claimed are good. Marriage is a good thing, this is stated in multiple places in Scripture. What asceticism really teaches is to rely on yourself rather than to rely on Christ. It teaches you to rely more on your ability to deny yourself things than it does to rely on Christ in giving you a clean heart. 

Now, why do I say all that? You can see why they were probably misled. On the surface, asceticism sounds reasonable at first. As Paul says in Colossians 2:4, people can be led away by “plausible arguments”. The dark and depressing truth is that these people who are led astray would probably still consider themselves to be Christians. But they have followed such a mangled and twisted version of the gospel, that Paul considers them as having “departed the faith” Isn’t that a scary thought? That people can sincerely believe they are a Christian, and yet still be destined to hell because they have bad doctrine. Bad doctrine can lead you away from God and into hell. And that happens because of a lack of spiritual maturity. Remember the definition from Hebrews 5 on spiritual maturity, “those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” People can be led astray without ever knowing it because they have not trained themselves by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. And that is Paul’s fear for the Christians in Ephesus, that they will be led astray by bad doctrine. And that is why Paul is desperate for Timothy to get this church set on the right path to spiritual maturity.

What’s even more scary, is that there are wolves still out there. Satan is still using false teachers with deceitful spirits to prey on the Lord’s flock. During the time period of this letter, it was a little easier to spot false teachers, because they would literally and physically come to your gathering and teach things contradictory with Scripture. Nowadays, it’s far more subtle. Because of technology, the enemy can reach you without ever stepping foot here at Citylight. Social Media, blog posts, even books, tv shows, all can reach you and teach you bad doctrine. And remember, Paul said in Colossians that people could consider these things as “plausible arguments”. For example, the “God is love” movement is convincing people to embrace sexual immorality, that sin is actually good because it is all done in love, and well “God is love.” Or maybe you have folks convincing you that hell isn’t real because how could a loving Creator put someone in eternal torment, so then everyone must go to heaven. Or maybe arguments that God isn’t really in control of everything, because if he was then how could he allow such horrible things to happen to innocent people. Some of these arguments can sound convincing, but they are secretly leading you away from Christ. How do you even know if you are being led astray or not? Well, seek spiritual maturity. Seek to train yourself constantly so that you can discern between good and evil. 

But how do I do that? How do I go about seeking spiritual maturity? What should I do? Those questions lead us to the next point….train yourself for godliness.

 

2. Train Yourself for Godliness (vv. 6-10)

So, Paul has made his point that there will be those who are led away from the faith because of false teachers and deceitful spirits. Then he shifts to give instruction to Timothy for his personal spiritual life, that will impact the church in Ephesus. Now these are not unrelated topics. Paul just dropped a hard truth that some will unfortunately leave the faith, now he is suggesting to Timothy that in order to strengthen the church against those false teachings, he needs to put these things before the church, and tells him to “train yourself for godliness”

Lets read, vv 6-10: “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” 

For the sake of time, I want to focus on just a couple of the verses, particularly verses 6 and 7. To be a good servant of Christ is to be trained in the words of the faith (or the Word of God) and of the good doctrine. This makes sense given the context right? In order to discern false teaching and bad doctrine, you need to know what Scripture says. And not just know it, but know it well. It’s like exercising, the more you do, the stronger and healthier you’ll be. Likewise when it comes to the word of God, the more you read it and know it, the healthier your spirit will be. Paul immediately follows up talking about training in the Word of God and good doctrine and then encourages Timothy to “train yourself in godliness.” Now, training yourself in the Word of God and training yourself in godliness is not two completely different things. Godliness is taking what you read in Scripture and applying it to your life. That is how you train yourself in godliness. You must know Scripture, and then apply Scripture. Think of James 1, when he says don’t be hearers of the word only, but also doers. That is how you train yourself for godliness. You must know the Gospel, but let it shape you. And this is how you put yourself on the path to spiritual maturity.

Now, because this part of the passage is very practical, let’s talk about some actual steps when it comes to verse 6, “being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine.” First, in being trained in the words of the faith, or the Word of God. How do we do that? Well, you devote yourself to it. Remember what Christ said in Matthew 4, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ You eat food every day, right? You need to for your body to survive. Well, you need the Word of God everyday for your soul to survive. So you need to prioritize having time set aside everyday to meditate on God’s Word. Best way to do that is to plan out what you’re reading. Multiple ways to do this, you can create your own plan. You can go through the whole Bible, or just a portion of the Bible. The ESV app has several different reading plans that you can start at any time. Some for all of the Bible, or some that touch on just the main parts. Or you could do a daily devotional book. Paul Tripp has a great devotional book for every day of the year. These are so many great tools that help remind us of the richness of God’s word, and keep the wolves at bay. And just a quick note about doing a plan, that if you find yourself getting so far behind, don’t give up on it. It can be common to just feel overwhelmed and stop reading Scripture, but don’t do that. You can just shift the plan, or start a different one that is a little more manageable. Either way, just make sure you prioritize having quiet time with the Lord in prayer and reading of the Word daily. Your soul depends on it.

Second, how do you train yourself in “good doctrine” or “sound teaching” ? Well, that’s exactly why the pastors of Citylight created the Citylight Institute. What is the Citylight Institute? I love how perfectly it’s described right on the webpage: “Through classes in Bible, theology, and Christian living, the Citylight Institute equips believers to be fully-formed disciples of Christ who know their God, the times they live in, and how to connect what they believe to all of life.” Doesn’t that sound a lot like what the purpose of this chapter is about? To pursue the word of God, good teaching, and godliness in order to spiritually grow. Citylight Institute exists for that purpose. And there is actually an upcoming class starting January 19th, called “Knowing God.” So if you are interested in learning more “good doctrine,” it is a perfect opportunity to start with this class. Or another class starting in early February called “Gospel for Life,” and according to the description of that class, one of the things you’ll learn is “how to apply the gospel to myself and to others.” You can sign up and learn more at citylightphilly.com/institute. Learn the Word of God, learn good doctrine, and pursue godliness by constantly applying the Gospel to your life. Seek spiritual maturity by training yourself in godliness…and then teaching others.

 

3. Teach Others (vv 11-16)

Now that Paul gave Timothy, and the church at large, some ways to become spiritually mature people by training themselves in godliness, he doesn’t stop there. Listen to where Paul goes next in verses 11-16, “Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Spiritual maturity also consists of a concern for others in your congregation. Not just focused on ourselves growing in Christ, but also on those we call brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul is not just focused on the spiritual maturity of Timothy, or to the church in Ephesus, but spiritual maturity for all of the church, all of the body of Christ.

One thought you could be having as we read this is, “I’m not Timothy”, or “I’m not called to be a pastor.” Well, that may be true. But this passage is not exclusively for pastors. Let me give you an example. At Citylight, we have on average over 400 people who attend our services every Sunday. Out of that, we only have 8 elders who shepherd this flock, but actually only 4 of those are paid full time pastors. So this notion that discipling people in the Word of God is only for the pastors is not true. That is not how Paul envisions how the body of Christ functions. We (as the body) are to disciple one another. The elders are to equip us to do that. And we know this because of the letter that Paul wrote to the Ephesians themselves. This is stated perfectly in Ephesians 4:12-14, “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.”

All of the body of Christ, all of the saints are to grow in the Word of God and in good doctrine, apply it to their lives for godliness. And all the saints are to disciple others to grow in the Word of God and in good doctrine, and to apply it to their lives in godliness. That is an important function of the church. It’s an important function of Citylight. That’s why our mission statement is that “we exist to make disciples of Jesus to the glory of God.” The “we” in that statement is not just the pastors. The “we” is everyone here that is a believer in Christ.

Now, you might be hearing that and thinking, “woah, I don’t know if I can do that.” You may feel like you’re not equipped, or that you don’t know how to teach others. Or that maybe you’re not at a spiritual mature level yet to begin to be an example to others. Then I would recommend being in a discipleship group, where you and one or two others walk through a book of the Bible together. The great thing about doing discipleship with another person is that you learn from each other. You connect with each other, you read scripture together, talk about how you would apply it to your lives, and then pray together. It’s that simple. The great thing about it is that no matter where you are in your walk with Christ there is always something to learn from each other. And it allows you to open up your life to other people as well. Let them see blind spots in your life, or see it in theirs. This is how we let people help us see areas of sin that we don’t realize are there. Discipleship not only helps us to be refreshed in the sweet saving grace of the Gospel of Christ, but also refresh others in the saving grace of the Gospel of Christ. This is the way in which we keep watch on ourselves and others. As Paul in verse 16, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”  We seek spiritual maturity together, as a body of Christ. We seek godliness together, as a body of Christ. This is how we keep ourselves and others from departing the faith from the enemy.

 

Conclusion

Before I end, I wanted to say that if you’re new here, and you’re not a follower of Christ, you may think that this message is not for you. That’s not true. Remember what I mentioned before about how bad doctrine can lead people away from Christ and into hell? Well, not believing that Christ is your Lord, or not believing that there is God or Christ…that is bad doctrine. There is no neutral ground. Everyone either has good doctrine, or bad doctrine. And I implore you to get good doctrine. Repent and believe in Christ. Seek out others who can help you receive good doctrine, there are a lot of spiritually mature people here at Citylight that can help you learn more about Christ. Repent and believe in Christ. Let’s pray.