How do you intend to finish? - By Pastor George Lehman

This is not something you decide next week, next month or next year.It is something you need to be already mind made up.

Maturity comes when you stop making excuses and start making changes.

 1 Corinthians 9:26-27(MSG) – I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No lazy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

 Our biggest problem many times is we always have a reason why we can’t. Instead of finding a reason why we can!

This is one thing NO child of God is exempt from. MATURITY

Maturity is a process every child of God must experience.

Colossians 4:12 (NIV) - Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

The bible does more than keep us from sin or doing wrong or living wrong. It’s given as guideline to become more like Jesus!

It’s more about our victories than always trying to patch up our failures.

The truth sanctifies the sinner:John 17:17 - Sanctify them (set them apart) in the truth; your word is truth.

The reason for the truth is to Bring growth and maturity that results in the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-25 (ESV) – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

The test scripture that measures my level of maturity.

Hebrews 6:1 (NLT) – So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our *understanding. Surely, we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. 

Understanding what? The Truth.

We need to be moving on so we will finish strong.

If we follow through all the sermons, we have been discussing these past few months...and start to apply them in our lives

The reward is ‘maturity’.

Maturity is doing what you are supposed to be doing, when you’re supposed to be doing it, no matter how you feel.  Don Capers

The key to success is action.  Too often we want to feel our way into acting...(When I feel okay, ready, more spiritual, when I know more scriptures..)

When instead we need to act our way into feeling!

Because when you do the right things, you will eventually feel the right feelings and become aware of your ‘maturity’.

Maturity is the result of learning to develop...‘Good habits’

Hebrews 5:14 (NIV) - But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

The only difference between those who are maturing and those who remain immature lies in the difference of their habits.

We first make our habits and then our habits make us.  John Dryden

The original meaning of HABIT was “garment” or “piece of clothing”.

As with garments, we wear our habits daily.

Who you really are, your personality, is actually made up of your attitude, habits, actions and your appearance.

In other words, your personality is the characteristics by which you are identified.  The parts of us we reflect to others.

NB! We are not born with them.  We learn them, just as we learn our attitudes.

They are developed over time and are reinforced through repetition.

Colossians 2:6-7 (Amp) – As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving. You will finish well if you live this!

Maturity comes to those who, even if they fail and mess up and they repent, re-adjust, get back on track and stay on course to finish well.

Maturity comes as a result of a willingness to sacrifice.

People naturally tend to adopt behaviors that make them feel good.

Let’s be honest – everyone likes comfort, ease, pleasure and entertainment, convenience and we tend to focus onre-experiencing them.

If we repeatedly do this, we can become addicted or bored and seek greater pleasure. This is how bad habits are developed.

A person who cannot count the cost and sacrifice will never mature.

They will always belong to whatever they are unwilling to give up.  It will hold you in bondage.

To grow and mature we need to learn to give up some things today for greater gains tomorrow.

That’s why we are so slack, ineffective and immature – is because yesterday we were not willing to give up and sacrifice.

Maturity doesn’t mean knowing more doctrine and bible verses.Maturity doesn’t just mean you get on with your spouse and kids.Maturity doesn’t just mean you no longer steal or lie.Maturity is measured ONLY by the standard of Jesus Christ.

Then everything falls in place.

“In Christ” means becoming more like Christ.

Romans 8:29 (Amp) – For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be moulded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

Herein lies the journey – the race we are to run to finish strong.

Luke 9:23 (Amp) – And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].

Luke 6:38 (Amp) – For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the will and purpose of Him Who sent Me.

To be like Jesus is not just to stop committing a few obvious sins, such as gossiping, cheating or thinking impure thoughts.

To be maturing, becoming like Jesus, is to always seek to do the will of the Father.

Maturity is coming to the place where we delight to do the will of God however sacrificial or unpleasant that may seem to us at the time.

Simply because it is His will.

Ephesians 4:15-16 (Amp) – Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).  For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.

Bow and ask God to strengthen us on our journey to maturity.

How do you intend to finish????