6. Maturing Disciples
The path to maturity
Maturity requires many people. Maturity cannot be learnt from a book but be built through experiences. Most of our learning and growing is done with other people and learning with others is one of the best ways to grow. The same principle applies to growing in maturity towards the image of Christ; growing requires learning and learning requires a community to do it in. Growing in maturity is the decision to grow with others.
Even belonging to a church is in itself a very big decision in choosing the path towards Christian maturity. The decision to belong will mean that you will have an opportunity to build up and bless others and this is when maturity is watered. Maintaining a relationship with a close friend at church that you do life on life with, joining a team on a short term assignment (e.g. an event team), joining a ministry, connecting through a short term homegroup, taking part in Community Week, or serving as a leader are all different environments where one can grow in maturity.
Maturity comes through experience. There are trials and tribulations that will shape a person to become more like Jesus. Patience, for example cannot be learnt through a webinar; rather it might be learnt through a situation which requires you to be patient. There are experiences which make you aware of your responses that are not Christ-like, and we can use these experiences to learn to be more like Christ. This learning through experiences is why we spend time listening to each other, to pray with each other and to read the Word together.
Maturity like sanctification is somewhat a never ending process; but there are stages of maturity that are reached and higher levels of freedom and joy to be enjoyed. Christian maturity is the ability to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17); it is the utter surrender of taking up one’s cross (i.e. choosing to serve); to give up one’s life and to follow Him (Mark 8:34); it’s to hold nothing dearer to yourself than the Lord himself (Matthew 10:37).
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37)
At HOME Church the process of discipleship (being made and matured as a disciple) is as follows:
Belong
Believe
Build
Bless
Click here for more on each of these areas of discipleship