March 2023 Revealing Light Newsletter

Recently, I’ve had some wake-up calls, clarifications, confirmations, and some challenges. One of those challenges dealt with maturing in Christ. As parents, we would be concerned if our kids stopped growing while they were babies up through their teenage years, right? Something would be wrong and we would try to figure out what we needed to do to help them grow. This is the same for the church as a whole and individual followers of Christ. If there is a stop in growth (spiritually and in God’s Kingdom), this should cause concern! Paul expressed his desire to present everyone mature in Christ (Col 1:28; 4:12). He wanted infants in Christ to grow into maturity in Christ. 1 Cor 3:1-2 “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready...”

Peter will later explain, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation...” (1 Peter 2:2). There is this need and desire to grow with maturity into Christ. As the disciples grew in maturity, Jesus then gave them the command “As you are going, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:19-20). I have this desire to grow into maturity in Christ, but that maturity involves making disciples as well. This has challenged my next steps in Jesus: to grow in maturity means making disciples. (Eph 4:11-15).
- Daryl Struemph

We start as infants, and grow as children, young adults, adults/parents who then start the process over... investing into our kids.‌ There's replication. Part of maturing in Christ is to train and invest into (disciple) spiritual infants, children, and young adults in Christ (spiritual stages... not physical ages) who will also one day make disciples.

Notice Paul's spiritual parenting heart toward discipling these Christians in Thessalonica.

"Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nurse nurtures her own children. We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers and sisters. Working night and day so that we would not burden any of you, we preached God’s gospel to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly, righteously, and blamelessly we conducted ourselves with you believers. As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory."  (1 Thess. 2:7–12 (CSB))

Paul is then excited for the children's response!
"This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also works effectively in you who believe."  1 Thessalonians 2:13 (CSB)

We can see how maturing in Christ means discipling as Spiritual Parents. We want to mature in Christ (Eph 4:13; Col 1:28; 4:12), to see transformation (Rom 12:2); & following Jesus' command to make disciples as we go through life (Mt 28:18-20).

One last note about discipling, Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:37-38). We do not want to see the harvest rot away, so we pray for us to get involved as we are encouraged and equipped (Eph 4:11-16) to Disciple as we are growing/ transformed/ maturing in Christ (Col 1:28).
- Daryl Struemph

Discipleship Resources:

• Discipleship.org (“Four Disciple Making Essentials”, articles, free ebooks, and more)
• Navigators.org
• Renew.org
• Four Chair Discipling by Dann Spader
• The Disciple-Making Leader by Tim Wallingford
• Turning Church Members into Disciple Makers by Tim Wallingford
• Check eugenechristianchurch.com for more.

Ephesians 4:11–15 (CSB)
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.

I have several friends who are contemplating retiring in the next year or two. They have concerns about having enough money to live on during their “golden years.” Their apprehensions have increased the last couple of years with the new administration and extreme inflation rates, plus the high cost of fuel and food. I’ve had to remind my friends about a story Jesus told in Luke 12:16 -21. The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Sometimes in wanting to pile up a big reserve of cash, we forget the more important mission for God (to serve and trust Him—Not Money). The story continues in the following verses (22-24). Then turning to his disciples He said, “Don’t worry about whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. For life consists of far more than food and clothes. Look at the ravens—they don’t plant or harvest or have barns to store away their food, and yet they get along all right—for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to Him than any birds! (Living New Testament). So the good news is: God promises to take care of us, and the more you give up here—the more your account grows in Heaven. So to my friends about to retire, I say be thinking and asking God, ‘How can I serve you more during my retirement, now that I don’t have to go to the office everyday.’
- Alan McNeely