Heard On Sunday - The Four Pillars of Spiritual Maturity: A Journey That Never Ends

There's something profoundly unsettling about the idea that we never truly "arrive" in our Christian walk—at least not in this lifetime. We spend our days striving, learning, growing, stumbling, and getting back up again. And yet, the finish line of spiritual perfection remains just beyond our grasp until we enter into glory itself.

This reality isn't meant to discourage us. Rather, it should liberate us from the pressure of perfectionism while simultaneously igniting a passion for continual growth. The Christian life is multifaceted, complex, and beautifully intricate—much like we are as human beings created in the image of God.

Worship: The Fuel That Powers Everything

Before his conversion, C.S. Lewis found the Psalms perplexing. God seemed like "an old lady begging for compliments" with all His commands to praise Him, sing to Him, and make a joyful noise before Him. But after encountering Christ, Lewis discovered something profound: "It is in the process of being worshiped that God communicates his presence to people."

We are, by design, worshipers. The question isn't whether we worship, but what we worship. Social media has made this abundantly clear. When we cook an exceptional meal, we photograph it. When we witness something spectacular, we capture it to share. Why? Because Lewis was right: "The delight is incomplete till it is expressed."

When our affections are truly lit up for something, we can't help but share it, experience more of it, and draw others into it. This is the essence of worship—not mere obligation, but the natural overflow of delight in God.

Here's the convicting truth: if we struggle to enter into worship, if we find ourselves unable to praise God with abandon, it might be a diagnostic sign that all is not well in our hearts. Our inner health becomes audible in our worship. Gospel-centered worship isn't just a Sunday activity; it's the fuel that powers all of discipleship.

Consider David, dancing before the Lord with such abandon that it embarrassed his wife. When she rebuked him, his response was essentially: "You think this is undignified? Watch me worship even more!" It's our clinging to false dignity that often blocks our ability to fully enjoy the God of our salvation.

Family: The Context Where Growth Happens

The American church has largely reduced Christianity to a Sunday morning event—show up, sing a few songs, listen to a message, shake some hands, and return to "regular life" until next week. But the biblical picture is radically different.

Scripture paints a vision of God's people so woven together that they can speak into and encourage one another daily. Hebrews 3:12-13 captures this: "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

Every day. Not just Sundays.

But here's where we need to be honest: we must not over-romanticize what life together means. The church is full of sinners—all of us. To enter into Christian community expecting quick, easy maturity is to walk in with completely wrong expectations. When iron sharpens iron, sparks fly. There are disagreements, misunderstandings, and yes, even betrayals.

And that's precisely where growth happens.

Learning to ride a bicycle requires falling down and getting back up, wiping off the blood, and trying again. Building a successful business requires perseverance beyond what seems reasonable. Why, then, do we give up on Christian community faster than any other aspect of life? It should be the opposite.

The question isn't whether you'll be hurt or disappointed in church—you will be. The question is whether you'll have the perseverance to get back up, extend grace, and keep pursuing Christ together with His people.

Growth: Becoming More Like Jesus

Philippians 2 presents us with an impossible standard: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

Let's be honest—there's nothing natural about this. Our default mode after the fall is to size up others to see how we're more significant than they are. Humility doesn't come naturally to anyone.

But then Paul gives us the key: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant."

Consider the profound humility of Jesus during His crucifixion. The very power that holds the universe together—the creative force behind all existence—is the same power holding together the glands and muscles necessary for someone to spit in His face. Jesus, who could have stopped it all with a word, allowed Himself to be humiliated and killed.

That's the mindset we're called to have.

How do we grow into this? Three essential practices: prayer, studying Scripture, and intentional community. God equips us with everything we need to do His will. His Word is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. And we need each other—united in the same mind and judgment, grounded in sound doctrine.

Mission: The Overflow of Maturity

The Great Commission isn't optional for mature disciples. As we grow in worship, deepen our community bonds, and increase in biblical knowledge, the natural overflow is mission—engaging with a lost and dying world.

The goal of the church isn't simply to create comfortable Christians who know a lot about the Bible. The purpose is to equip believers to do the work of ministry, to transform communities through the gospel, starting with the family and radiating outward.

There's a generation of young people breaking into abandoned buildings, calling themselves "urban explorers." They have a God-given desire for exploration and discovery—it's just being channeled in destructive ways. What if the church could provide legitimate outlets for that exploratory spirit? What if we could channel that energy toward exploring how to do good, how to serve, how to be transformed?

The Beautiful Truth

Romans 8 tells us that God is actively conforming us into the image of His Son. Every day, through worship, community, growth, and mission, we become a little more like Jesus. We're more like Him today than we were years ago, and by God's grace, we'll be even more like Him years from now.

That's the journey of discipleship—not a sprint to perfection, but a lifelong marathon of transformation, powered by worship, sustained by community, deepened through growth, and expressed through mission.

The question isn't whether you'll arrive at perfection in this life—you won't. The question is whether you'll embrace the process, get back up when you fall, and keep pursuing Christ together with His people until that day when we see Him face to face.