When I Became a Man - a Call to Christian Maturity — Joe Root

The Young Men Who Arise to Play

Two generals stood face to face across a pool of water. They both had their armies behind them. And there they were. It was a moment of reality. It was a moment of confrontation. But one general looked across at the other and he put out a challenge.

He said, let the young men arise and play before us. And the other general said, let them arise. The Bible says, I believe it was twelve young men on each side grabbed their swords while the armies watched, while the generals watched.

And they engaged in battle. And they all died. Each one thrust his fellow and they all died. And those words have often rang in my ears that Abner cried to Joab when he said, let the young men arise and play before us.

And how many times, my brother and sister, has Satan cried out, let the young men arise and play. And only too late, they realized that it was the game of life that they were playing. It's a sobering illustration we have in God's Word.

If I read that account right, there were no survivors. And after that, Israel and Judah engaged the battle further. But tonight, I'm thinking about those words and you keep them in the back of your mind.

Let the young men arise and play before us. Let the young women arise and play before us. But just remember that you're playing more than just a game. This is the game of life. Turn with me to the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians.

Christian Maturity in 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians chapter thirteen. I imagine there are a number of you who could quote this chapter tonight. But I'm especially thinking of the latter part, where the Apostle says in verse nine, For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. He goes on in verse eleven, and I want you to think about this tonight. The Apostle says, When I was a child, I spake as a child.

I understood as a child. I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. The title of the message tonight is, When I became a man, a call to Christian maturity. When I became a man, a call to Christian maturity.

Isaiah's Dearth of Mature Men

I want you to look with me for a little backdrop of this message at the third chapter of Isaiah. As I reminded you last night, this week is aptly called Bible School. YBS, I think you call it. Youth Bible School.

So we have that word youth, but as we talk about Bible School, we're interested in this book. We're interested in the unchanging Word of God, the Bible. And so tonight we want to hear that sound of rustling pages as we glance at a few passages of Scripture.

My favorite way to preach the word is to just expositionally go through a passage of Scripture. But tonight and in some of these messages this week, we're more looking at subjects and and glancing at some various themes from different passages of Scripture.

So if you can practice that fast draw that we talked about last night with the Word of God, sometimes you can jump and find where we're at. If you would look with me now at the third chapter of Isaiah, I want you to read with me the first few verses of Isaiah 3.

Follow along. In this passage of Scripture as a backdrop for the message tonight, we see a dearth in Israel of godly men. God says, I'm going to take away from Israel the men because your hearts have turned away from me.

He says, I'm going to take away the mighty man and the man of war and the cunning artificer and the eloquent orator. I'm going to remove Israel of men. There will be a dearth of men. But tonight, as we look around in America today, I believe we can say there is a dearth of mature men.

But I think you have gathered this week because you desire something different than that. You desire to be men of God. That's why tonight we're looking at this subject, When I Became a Man, a call to Christian maturity.

Christian Maturity for Men and Women

I want to say that this call is also to the ladies that are here as well. In the eighth chapter of the Song of Solomon, you can look there if you'd like, beginning about verse six. I'm just going to quote and perhaps paraphrase it a little bit.

We have a question of a young lady there as to whether she's mature or not. And remember, tonight we're talking about a call to Christian maturity. And there's a question whether this woman is mature.

And there are some people who say, we have a little sister and she's not mature. She's just a baby. But that young lady answered with courage and with confidence. She said, I am a wall and I am a woman.

I am mature. I am a wall and I am a woman. Indeed, she was a palace. So tonight, as we consider this call, we're thinking about a call to men and women to Christian maturity. When I became a man, when I became a woman.

Most of you know what this is. There was a time that I called some young men and some young ladies forward in front of an auditorium. And I said, I'm going to give each one of you something and you do what you know would be expected to be done with this.

And I handed each one of them a blanket and a pacifier, just a little baby blankie and a pacifier. And and they turned a little bit red and they looked a little bit foolish and and they squirmed a little bit.

But they did respond. And each one of these young men and young ladies in their 20s, probably they put the pacifier in their mouth. And they held on to the blanket and they stood there wondering what was going to happen next.

And they did look a little bit silly. I'll have to admit that just for the illustration, I wanted them to realize and I want us to realize tonight that sometimes we look about that silly. Sometimes we grapple with the same immaturity.

It just is inappropriate. Yes, there's a place for this instrument. It's a blessing for a little child. There's a place for that little blanket to comfort a little child. But tonight, God is calling us to Christian maturity.

And the Apostle said, when I became a man and we could say when I became a woman. I put away childish things some years ago. Emotions were stirring in my heart. Concern was mounting in my own heart. I was looking at some of the situations in my own setting and I began to write and I wrote these words and I'm going to read them to you again tonight.

A Vision for a Holy Christian Generation

I have a vision of an army of hundreds and thousands of young men and young women who have a living faith in Jesus Christ, who have repented and been set free from their past sin and have boldly been baptized into Jesus Christ and are glad to be a part of his kingdom.

Who are not ashamed to step out in sincere biblical separation from this sinful American society and who are amazing examples of godliness, love, purity, humility, and unselfish Christian service. Who lock arms and hearts in prayer and in love for the word of God and will not compromise with watered down doctrine.

Who sound out loudly with hymns and lives of joy and devotion and praise as they march toward victory. That burden is on my heart yet tonight. I thank God, though I don't know very many of you, I believe that you are here because you're desiring to lay this aside and accept the call to put away childish things and become a man.

A man in Israel. A warrior in America today. Or wherever you live. Some of you live in Canada. Some of you live in Mexico. Some of you live in China. Some of you live in Bolivia. Some of you live in, I think, another country or two that I can't remember.

God bless you, each one. Wherever you are at, the Lord is calling you to Christian maturity. Jesus Christ gave a cry one time. This was the text of the first sermon I ever preached 20 years ago. I still think of it tonight.

Jesus Christ as the Model Man

Jesus looked out on the men of Israel in His day, in His generation, and Jesus, remember, He was a man. Recently, the last, I say recently, the last three or four years in our home congregation, I've been preaching through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Just finished sermon number 50 and not nearly done. But the inspiration for that message was a recognition that in Paul's letter to Timothy, he says that there is one God and one mediator between God and man.

The man, Christ Jesus. And Jesus Christ was a man. Did you know that? Our brother said already that He was the example of the, I forget just how he put it, the model man. The perfect Christian man. The man, Christ Jesus.

Did you know Jesus chose as He came down and took upon Him humanity? He chose to be one of us. He took not on Himself the nature of angels. He took upon Him the seed of Abraham. He became one of us. He knows what it's like to be a man.

And I believe in His perfect and complete experience. He can understand fully what it is to be mankind, whether man or woman. He grew up in a family. He was the oldest boy. Had at least six siblings. Did you know that?

The Bible speaks, names His four brothers, James and Joseph and Judas and Simon, I believe. And it says, and His sisters, are not His sisters with us? They're not named, but there had to be at least two.

So He had at least six younger brothers and sisters. He knew what it was to grow up. You know, the Bible stops the record of Jesus Christ when He was 12 years old. And we have an 18 year gap until Jesus began to be about 30 years of age.

An 18 year gap. What do you think happened in those 18 years? Remember when He was 12 years old? He was kind of lost in the company and His mother and father couldn't figure out where He was at. So they went back to Jerusalem and they finally found Him after searching and searching.

He was sitting among the lawyers there, both hearing them and asking them questions and visiting with them there. And His mother came up to Him and said, Son, why have you thus dealt with us? Your father and I have sought you sorrowing.

Jesus gave a very profound answer to that 12 year old young man. He said, how is it that you sought me? Wished you not that I must be about my father's business? Mary knew who His father was. Joseph knew who His father was.

Mary said, because Joseph certainly was His parent, His earthly parent, although He was not His actual biological father, that was God. This was a man like no other man. This was the God-man. 100 God and 100 man.

The man Christ Jesus. And so Mary said, your father and I have sought you sorrowing. But Jesus said, but I must be about my father's business. But the Bible says He went home with them and was subject unto them.

The Bible has something to say about Jesus. It says something very similar about John the Baptist. This was even when he was younger. It says, and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

Oh, what an incredible testimony of two young men. So we have an 18-year gap in Jesus' life after 12 years old. You know, Jesus, I believe with all my heart, went through puberty. He became a man. He began to develop.

I think His voice changed. I think Mary noticed as He began to sing with a little deeper voice. Jesus was 14, 15, 16. Imagine 16-year-old Jesus. 17, 18. What do you think He did when He was 18? 19, 20, 22, 24, 26.

The Bible's silent in those years. We know from the biblical record that Jesus knows what it was to be tempted. Scripture tells us He was tempted in all points. I don't know what all you've been tempted with, brother and sister.

I can assure you tonight that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was tempted in all points. Like as we, yet without sin. Wherefore, Hebrews goes on to say, He is able to save them to the uttermost who come to God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Praise God for that tonight. The man, Christ Jesus. Well, tonight as we consider this call to Christian maturity, I want to consider four areas with you. First of all, I want to think about childhood, just a little bit.

Secondly, I want to think about conversion, just a little bit. Third, I would like to think about character. And fourth, I would like to think about courage. Childhood, conversion, character, and courage.

Prayer for Christian Maturity

Let's think of those areas a little bit together tonight. May we bow our heads for a word of prayer. Oh Lord, our Heavenly Father, in the precious and powerful and most worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come together tonight.

Lord, You know that Your servant is feeling pretty weak tonight. I pray that You would fill by Your Holy Spirit, You would take words from Your Word, and that You would fuel and empower and inspire them by Your Holy Spirit in the heart of each one tonight, Father.

And call us, call this generation, Lord. Call this generation to Christian maturity. Open our hearts to Your Word. Speak to us by Your Spirit. Exalt Your holy name. In Jesus' name, amen. I spoke just a little bit to you about this man, Christ Jesus.

Examining the Men of This Generation

But I never got to that cry that He gave. And so now I want to tell you that cry that Jesus gave early in His ministry was the text that welled up in my heart over 20 years ago, the first time I ever stood in a church building and gave a sermon.

And it was these words. Jesus, recorded in all three of the Synoptic Gospels, said this. As He looked out at humanity, He said this. Whereunto shall I liken the men of this generation? And to what are they like?

I think that's a good question for us to consider tonight, as we think about this call to Christian maturity. Look at your generation. Couldn't we have a little bit of a generation examination? You know, the Bible calls us in 1 Corinthians 11 to self-examination.

Examine yourselves. Let a man examine himself. But I think it's appropriate tonight, as we think of those words of our Lord Jesus, to have a little bit of a generation examination. Whereunto shall I liken the men of this generation?

Jesus wondered about the men of His generation, as He looked out in Israel 2 ,000 years ago. He said, what are they like? If He could ask that then, can we ask it tonight in 2017, here in eastern Pennsylvania?

Whereunto shall we liken the men of this generation? Let's come down a little closer to right in this building. You, men. What about your generation? Ladies, what about you? What about your generation?

Jesus asked that question. What should I compare this generation to? I think it's a good thing to think about. He went on to say, in His day, He said, they're like children sitting in the marketplace.

They're saying to their fellows, we've piped unto you and you have not danced, and we've borned unto you and you have not wept. And He goes on to explain what He meant by that. Because He said, John the Baptist came, neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and they said, ah, he has a devil.

And the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they said, behold, a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. And He went on and said, but wisdom is justified of all our children.

In other words, if I could translate that down to us tonight, He's just saying, what's it going to take? He said, John the Baptist came in the stern, strict, separate life of a Nazarite, and he had a commission and he had a ministry, and they wouldn't listen to him.

They mocked him. I came and I sat down with publicans and sinners, and I related and I ate with them and received that criticism. And they said, ah, we won't listen to him either. Jesus said, what's it going to take?

We've piped and you haven't danced. We've borne and you haven't wept. But wisdom is justified of all our children. We tend to justify our own understanding, our own wisdom, don't we? Tonight, God bless you, I'm not here to look down or to criticize.

Rather, I'm here to inspire and encourage and call you to Christian maturity tonight. And I feel like I can do that. And I don't feel like you're going to refuse to dance when we pipe, and refuse to mourn when we weep.

Because I think you're interested in that too. That's why I have the courage to stand here. I trust I would even if that were not the case. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. A call to Christian maturity.

Childhood and the Formation of Character

Let's take a look at these four areas this evening. Number one, tonight we want to talk just a little bit about childhood. Just think with me a little bit about childhood. There's so much that could be said.

The Bible has a lot to say about childhood. Childhood is a tremendous blessing. It's a joy to see children here tonight. I always say to the parents, we've got lots of young children in our congregation.

I think I counted a while back, and among those that normally come through our doors at church, I think I figured from the age of 16 and under, there's around 60 children. And more on the way, praise God.

It's a blessing when there are children. In fact, the Bible says again and again, when it speaks about God's curse, or a great distress of a nation, it talks about no sound of children in the streets.

So I love that sound of children tonight. Those little noises we hear from the children. I often tell the parents when a mother's maybe turning a little bit red and heading out the back door, I say the Bible calls that perfect praise.

We're singing, we're praising, we're worshiping, but the Bible calls that perfect praise. Isn't it written? Out of the mouth of babes, thou hast perfected praise. The Lord loves that sound, and so do we.

Childhood, it's a beautiful thing. The blessing of childhood. Even a child, the Bible says, is known by his doings. Whether his work be pure and whether it be right. Childhood, already character begins to form in childhood.

And I just have just a few little snatches of thought as we think about childhood. You know, we often hear this phrase, or maybe you've seen this written on a poster, a billboard, something like this.

That the difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. But is that really true? Is that really the difference between men and boys? No, it's not. There's more to manhood than more expensive toys.

We're talking about a call to Christian maturity tonight. And Abner faced Joab and he said, let the young men arise and play. But the price of their game that night was 24 lives. It was the game of life.

So my brother and sister, as you arise and play, just remember, it's the game of life. And we're playing for keeps. And the Lord God is calling us to Christian maturity. We're thinking about childhood a little bit more.

You know, there was a boy, just a young boy. I'm thinking about childhood. He was just a youth. And the Lord had seen a man that was a great, big, tall, strong man. The Bible says he stood head and shoulders above everybody else in Israel.

And he started out such an humble man that when they wanted to ordain him king, the Bible says they finally had to go find him and he was hidden among the stuff. Saul. But Saul became proud and Saul began to walk away from God.

And the Lord said, it grieves me that I've got Saul. He told Samuel the prophet, I want you to go ordain another king. I've got a king. You go to Bethlehem. You go find Jesse. I've got a king among his sons that I want to anoint.

So Samuel went to Jesse and Jesse was a little nervous when Samuel got there. But Samuel said, bring your sons. And so Jesse brought his sons one after another. And the Lord kept telling Samuel, no, not this one.

No, not this one. No, it's not him. And young men would come. Men, strong, noble looking men. And the Bible says Samuel thought, surely this is the Lord's anointed. And God said, no, it's not him. It's not him.

Finally, the boys ran out. And Samuel had to ask Jesse, he said, is there anyone else? He said, well, yeah, there's David. He's a younger boy. But he's just a youth. He's out there with the sheep. And Samuel said, call him in.

We won't do anything until he comes in. This young man, a boy, a youth came in. God said, rise up and anoint him. He's the one. He's the one. You know, David's brothers looked down on him as he began to grow, as he began to mature.

Remember when he went out to the battle? His father, he was obeying his father, said, you take these cheeses, some clumps of figs and raisins and some things. And you go take it to your brothers and see how the battle's doing.

And David went out there. And one of his brothers said, what are you doing coming out here? Who'd you leave those sheep with, little boy? I'm paraphrasing. David said, what have I now done? Is there not a cause?

He was a young man after God's own heart. He was looked down on by his brothers. But not by God. Remember, each of those boys went by and God said, no, no, no, yes. It's that young one has a heart toward me.

David wasn't a perfect man. But he was a man with a heart toward God. Thinking about childhood, I remember when I was a boy, these words stuck in my mind. I can remember a man, and I was with an older man.

And there was this other man who was involved in our church at that time where I lived. I grew up in California. And I just remember hearing an older man kind of shake his head and say, you know, he's just a 35-year-old kid.

Just a 35-year-old kid. And this man had trouble not spinning his tires when he went around a curve. And he had trouble not just acting like a child. He was 35 years old. And he had a wife and he had some children.

But he didn't have maturity. A 35-year-old kid. Childhood. Childhood. You know, I'm thinking about this call to Christian maturity. I picture tonight two pictures that I've seen. I'm going to try and describe them to you.

Ladies, you can think about this one. In the town I live in today, Melanie and I moved to Ellensburg, Washington, 25 years ago. Right in the center of the state of Washington, there's a small city there.

And in that city, one of the big events of that city every year, we live outside of town a ways. One of the big events in that city is a rodeo. It's kind of a western town. There's kind of a mix. There's a university there.

But there's also a very agricultural cowboy-type community. And so there's a rodeo in Ellensburg. And it's in the pretty high circuit of rodeos. It's working its way down toward the finals. I know very little bit about that.

I've never been to that rodeo in 25 years. But it's there. And I do see, as I go around town, and they're getting ready for the rodeo, they have posters up. And there are pictures of young ladies. And they're getting ready to choose the rodeo princess from our local city of Ellensburg.

The rodeo princess for the year. And then afterwards, you'll see the posters of, this was this year's rodeo princess. And a few times I've known the father. It'll be on the door of a business as you're going in and out.

And you see the rodeo princess for this year. I don't know who the rodeo princess for 2017 was. But they have a crown on their head. And they're dressed and trying to make their appearance very beautiful.

And they're crowned. And it's considered a very honorable thing. But I see that scene. And I see that picture. And a couple of years ago, I was thinking about another picture. It's a picture. It's a drawing.

It's a lithograph in the martyr's mirror. And it's two young women. And usually when they show the rodeo princess, they'll show the princess and then the runner-up. They'll show two girls crowned. Two young ladies that are crowned.

We're thinking about childhood tonight. But I'm thinking about what martyr's mirror tells us about two young ladies also in the city of Bomberg. I believe it was in the year 1550. These two young girls were captured because they were Christians.

And they were persecuted. And they were tortured. And they were tormented. And they tried all kinds of things in prison with these two young ladies. And they tried other kinds of ungodly ways to talk them out of their faith.

Or offer them some amazing and magnetic fleshly offers to see if they could get them to renounce their faith. And these girls would not budge. Finally, they were taken out to be killed. The martyr's mirror says that as they led these two girls out, these two young ladies.

Now picture the rodeo princesses with their crowns. And then picture back in 1550, these two young girls being led by a rope. And martyr's mirror says they wove a crown, a wreath of straw. And put it on these girls' heads for mockery.

And those girls, even their enemies recorded that their courage was incredible. They said, our Lord was crowned with the crown of thorns. Surely we can be crowned with a crown of straw. But do you know that soon we're going to have a glorious crown that shall not be taken away.

In my own words. You read the account. Now which crown tonight do you want? Our city has a glamorous, popular, appealing crown. But God is calling you to a much more beautiful, eternal crown. And let the world laugh and call your crown a crown of straw.

You know that you have a crown that fades not away. Reserved in heaven for you. Childhood. Childhood. You know the journey from infanthood to adulthood is a journey of learning unselfishness. Little children are naturally selfish.

You don't have to teach a child how to be selfish. You can watch little children. Little children can come from the best home or from the worst home. But when they're little children, they have to learn how not to be selfish.

They'll grasp a hold of that toy. And if another child comes and grabs that toy. I just heard it the other day again. You hear, I heard a blood curdling scream that I thought there must have been a terrible accident that happened.

And I turned and I realized all it was, was the toy got taken. Childhood. And we train. And we teach. But sometimes we don't lose that selfishness like we should. And sometimes children enter into adult life.

And others experience that difficulty. And they experience that difficulty. And that problem that came with not responding to the call for Christian maturity. You know I think about even marriage. The Bible says, therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and be joined unto his wife.

But sometimes it's a child. Even though he might be 20 or 30 years old. Or 40. He might still be a child. When I became a man, the Apostle said. And we're talking about a call to Christian maturity. You know David prayed for his kingdom.

He wanted a powerful kingdom. And he prayed, you can read this passage in the 144th Psalm. I like to read through the Psalms my pattern of daily reading for many years. I like to read something out of the Old Testament.

A chapter out of the Old Testament or a passage. Sometimes more. Sometimes maybe a little less. And a chapter or a passage out of the New Testament. And then also something out of the Psalms or the Proverbs.

Or the Ecclesiastes or the Song of Solomon. One of those poetic wisdom books. Something out of each of those each day. I like to have. And often I've read this 144th Psalm. You know there are 150 Psalms.

And as you get toward the end, there are some very interesting Psalms there. But in Psalm 144, David was praying for a strong kingdom. And he said, rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children.

Whose mouth speaketh vanity. And their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. And then he had a prayer. He said that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth. And that our daughters may be as cornerstones polished after the similitude of a palace.

That is Christian maturity. David who had been. Remember, he had been that young man. Who had a mature vision from the time he was young. And he now wanted that in his kingdom. He said, oh that our sons could be like plants that are grown up in their youth.

And that our daughters could be like cornerstones. That could be literally translated corner pillars. Look at these big pillars. Like beautiful corner pillars. Polished after the similitude of a palace.

David longed for maturity. Childhood. Childhood. It's a beautiful time. But we don't want to remain there. We want to move on and be called into Christian maturity. Let's talk briefly now about conversion.

Conversion and New Life in Christ

Our brother this morning in the first message gave us an excellent discourse. As he spoke about conversion. I recommend you review that and consider that. But I just want to highlight a couple of things.

Maybe just share a couple of thoughts as we think about going from childhood to conversion. Thinking about each of you. I believe that you that are here. You came because you've been converted. You have a desire for something different.

You've been called into the kingdom of Christ. You're walking with Him. You desire to learn more. You desire discipleship. That's a very wise desire. God bless you. Let's think a little bit about this thing of conversion.

It's a call to conviction of sin in the need of a Savior. All of us are familiar there in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. When there were 120 people there in that upper room. Probably the upper room owned by John Mark's mother.

They were gathered there and they were waiting. Remember Jesus had said, you tarry in Jerusalem. Don't go out yet. You tarry in Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high. The Bible tells us in the second chapter of Acts as those 120 men.

That was the 11 disciples. It says with the women. Probably it included the 70. Maybe some others. I don't know who all was there. 120 folks in that room. And they waited. And they prayed. The Bible says in the second chapter of Acts those thrilling words.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come. They were all with one accord in one place. You know powerful things happen when we're with one accord in one place. The Bible says and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind.

And it filled all that house where they were. And cloven tongues like as of fire sat upon each of them. And you remember how the apostles began to preach. And the people outside began to gather. There were thousands.

Perhaps many thousands gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. Jewish proselytes from many different countries. And they sat there and they marveled. They said aren't these men Galileans? How do we hear every man in his own tongue?

Parthians and Medes and Elamites and dwellers of Mesopotamia and Libya. And around Cyrene and all those nations that mention. These Jewish proselytes were there for that feast. And they were hearing in their own tongue.

But Peter was preaching. And conviction fell upon that crowd. They began to realize that they were guilty before God. Tonight we're thinking about conversion. I want you to think about the simplicity of conversion.

The crowd finally began to cry. And they said men and brethren. What shall we do to be saved? Peter had a simple answer. It's still true tonight. I believe you have responded to that answer. Maybe there's someone here that has not.

But he said repent. And be baptized every one of you. In the name of Jesus Christ. For the remission of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you. And to your children.