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This is section 104 of Living as God's Community, recorded at our YCCA Church Camp held in Penang, Malaysia. Our speaker is Pastor Benny Ho, former senior pastor and current leadership mentor of Faith Community Church in Perth, Australia. Prepare a hot drink, find a cozy place to sit down, and prepare to be ministered to.

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Good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for giving me the joy and privilege of coming. My voice sounds a little bit sexy because this is my fourth camp. So it's a bit of an overuse, okay? But don't worry about it. It will, as I speak, it will come back. You'll just come back. Firstly, uh let me say thank you for having me, Pastor, and uh all of you for just uh giving me the privilege of uh sharing God's word with you in your camp. Now I have not had the privilege of meeting many of you for some time, so I thought that it might be appropriate if I introduce my family, I introduce my church to you, and by doing so also, then I need not repeat myself uh at every dinner table because people are gonna ask me the same questions. So, about my family, how many children you have, that kind of thing. So I'll just give you a quick introduction. Firstly, let me show you a slide of my family. Uh I have three grown children. I have six grandkids. Uh, and the my eldest is a boy, he is very brave. He has four children, uh, three daughters and one son. My middle daughter is in London and she has two kids, uh, a boy and a girl. My youngest daughter is married, but haven't opened a factory yet. So I believe that I will have more than six. So I'm kind of expecting six to nine, uh maybe eight to nine, something like that. And that's what I'm looking forward to. So that's my family. Uh, in terms of my work, I used to pastor a church in Perth. Um, this is our church in Perth. We now have about a little over maybe 2,300 people that on an average Sunday that will call Faith Community Church their home. And for those of you who ever come and visit Perth, uh do come and drop by and visit us. And it's called Faith Community Church. But two years ago, I've handed over the church to the next generation. So the new senior pastor has taken over. So my role now is basically a leadership mentor in the church and uh just spent time with my successor and some of the key leaders uh that are still there. Yeah, I wanted to show you this picture. Uh it's our foyer in the church. And the reason why I want to show you this picture is I want you to see how uh spacious it is, and the reason is because uh we intentionally made the foyer in such a way that the foyer is able to contain all the people that are in the auditorium so that when the service is over, the one group of them come out, uh the another the next service comes in, we can still all mingle still uh and stay there. And the reason is because we have one thing that we value very much in the church, and that is community. Community is such an important part of church. And the truth is that people may be attracted to our churches by what happens on stage, you know, the worship, the preaching, and all of that. But I find that they stay on because of relationship. And ultimately, Christianity is gonna boil down to one thing: relationship. First with God and then with one another. How many of you agree? And I think this what this is what this camp is all about. And I understand that uh YCCA has got a culture of church camps. Every year you run church camps. That's amazing. That's a lot of work, you know. Most churches probably only do it once in two years. So pat yourself on the back and say we're all done, you know, because it is in camps like this that we could really connect with one another and you deepen relationships both with God as well as one another. And this is what it's all really about. So now you know who I am and you know a little bit about what I do. Now that we are acquainted, are you ready for the word of God? Yeah? So let's hear the word of God and hear it with our hearts and minds, soul and spirit. So let's pray together and then we'll begin. Father, I ask this evening that you anoint this time that we have together. What a privilege it is to be able to share your word. And what a privilege it is to sit under the sound of your word, because your word changes life, it renovates our inner man. So I invite you, Lord Jesus, come and speak to us. And I pray that you hide your servant behind the cross so that Jesus alone is magnified and lifted up when your word is being preached. May all of us here decrease, but you alone shall increase. Come and take preeminence in this place and rule and reign as your word is shared. So hide your servant now and let your word go forth. In Jesus' wonderful name we pray. And everybody say, Amen, amen. You'll be very good if uh you listen actively. When I say listen actively, what I mean is this one way to listen actively, take notes now. So you can interact. So you listen actively, you take notes and all of that. Another way to listen actively is every now and then you think you hear something you like, you just say amen. You say yes, you know, so that we all can uh interact with one another. Would that be okay? Yeah? So I palm you up, you pump me up, and then we can all have a good time together. Okay? Alright, wonderful. One of the first lessons we all learn in primary school science class is this thing, this statement that goes like this. Every living thing grows. Remember that? When we go to science class 101, every living thing grows. How many of you are alive this evening? Guess what? You must be growing. Am I right? If we what is true in the natural is also true in the spiritual. How many of you are alive in Christ this evening? Then guess what? You must grow on to maturity. Everyone has to grow on to maturity. Christianity is not just about getting saved and then wait to go to heaven. It is not just about securing a ticket to heaven and then we carry on life as usual. But every single one of us here must grow on to maturity. Colossians chapter 1, verse 28 and 29. Uh it's a key text that I would like to focus on uh for a while. Colossians chapter 1, verses 28 and 29. Uh let me read this uh for you. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. And to this end, I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. I believe that this is Paul's definitive ministry goal. What is this ministry goal? It is to proclaim Christ, to teach his word, make his ways known, until we can present every believer fully mature in Christ. And I believe this must also be our ministry goal to bring every member in YCCA to full maturity in Christ. How many of you can say amen to that? Yeah, this is what we are all about. We cannot be content just to attend services and go for connect groups, but we need to present every member mature in Christ. And we can only do this by the power of God that works in and through us. Our end game in disciple making must be spiritual maturity. And what I'd like to do in the time that we have, we have a total of four sessions. What I'd like to do is take you on a journey to discover what it takes to go on a pursuit of spiritual maturity. If we are gonna live as a biblical community, I think that's our purpose. That together we go on this journey towards spiritual maturity. And this evening, I want to start our journey by bringing us first back to basics, okay? We start our journey by first clarifying what spiritual maturity is not. Let's let's let's talk about this first. What spiritual maturity is not about? So, can I outline six things that spiritual maturity is not? Number one, it's it's so basic, but I'll be as practical as I can. Number one, spiritual maturity is not about age. Okay, no offense to the seniors among us. I'm one, too. This year I just became CPF uncle. So I'm also a senior now, 65 years old. But how many of you agree we can be a Christian for 30 years, 40 years, 50 years even, and still be immature. Am I right? Can still be immature. It's not about aging, but it's about growing. And just because we have gray hair, we look a bit more dignified, it does not mean that we are more spiritually mature. It is our attitudes, not our arteries, that determines, you know, the substance of our spiritual life. It is the posture of our heart, not the positions we hold that determines our ministry, our maturity, or the lack of it. Amen to that. See, it's not about aging. In the context of training to be godly, Paul actually told young Timothy in 1 Timothy 4 12, he said this don't let anyone look down on you because you are young. But you set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. Now, what this verse informs us is this it is not age, but it is godliness that qualifies one to be an example for others. That is why I'm a firm believer that the older can actually learn from the younger, and vice versa. We can all learn from each other. It's not about age. Spiritual maturity is not measured by spiritual, uh, physical age, but by spiritual substance. That's what makes us spiritually mature. Here's number two spiritual maturity is not about appearance. Some people may look spiritually mature, but they they may not. And just because someone appears dignified, it doesn't mean they are holy. So don't judge a book by its cover. In the same way, don't just look at external appearance and form a conclusion. Well, he's got tattoos, must be a gangster. Who says that? He wears a suit, no, he must be a professional. No? And the guy has a ponytail, he wears a cat, must be in the media team. Who says so? Oh, she looks so pretty, she must be smart. Is it really? I think we have the poignant example of this biblically in 1 Samuel 16. Remember when the prophet Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel. So, what did Jesse do? He paraded all of his sons before Samuel. Okay, and then 1 Samuel 16, verse 6 and 7 recorded this. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliad, and then he thought, Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord. Surely, he was so certain, you know, surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord. But the Lord said to Samuel, do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. How many of you agree, right? If God had to tell us, do not consider, it means he must be considering. Right? He must be considering this. And the Lord says, Don't consider his appearance or his height, for I've rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. The prophet Samuel made the same mistake of concluding that Eliot must be the anointed one, based on what? Outward appearance. See? And but God looks at the heart and he chose David instead. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 23, verse 27 and 28. Listen to this. He says, Woe to you, teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs. You look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside you're full of bones of the dead and everything unclean. Now, in the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside, we can be full of hypocrisy and wickedness. So spiritual maturity, brothers and sisters, is not measured by outward appearance, measured by heart posture. Heart posture. Here's a third one. Spiritual maturity is also not about achievements. You can accomplish much without being mature in your faith. We can even graduate from seminary and not know Jesus personally. Right? You can win the award for best student in Bible college and yet not be spiritually mature. You can win first prize in a Bible B competition. Ever been seen one of these Bible B competitions? It's incredible, you know. These people could memorize all sorts of scriptures. It's amazing. You can know the cover and know the Bible from cover to cover and still be spiritually immature. But in the context of testing the fruits of true discipleship, Jesus said in Matthew 7, verse 22 and 23. He says, Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? And then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, your evildoers. It's not about spiritual accomplishments. It's about spiritual authenticity. Can you can I add one more? Are you following me so far? But I need to bring you back. Okay, let's state the obvious. Spiritual maturity is also not about academics. It's not about academics. Spiritual maturity is not just about knowing the word of God academically, it's about knowing the God of the Word intimately. It's not just about the Word of God that you know, it is the God of the Word that you must encounter. It's not how many times you have gone through the Bible, but has the Bible gone through us? Jesus actually said in John 5, verse 39 and 40. Listen to what he said here. You study the scripture. He's talking to the Pharisees. He said, You study the scripture diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. Now, these are the very scripture that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. This basically tells us that one can know the Bible academically and not experience the life of Christ personally. Spiritual maturity is measured not by the amount of information we can gather, but it's measured by the transformation from the inside out. It's not measured by our ability to accumulate truth, but it's measured by our willingness to apply truth. Apply the truth. James 1, right, verse 21 and 22. Shall we read this one out loud? Uh Chinese church style. Okay, read it out loud. Chinese church always read out together. Shall we do it? Okay, at the count of three. One, two, three. Therefore, get rid of all moral fear and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Do what it says. It's not the accumulation, it is the application of the word that actually transforms us, that brings spiritual maturity. Edmund Chan, uh, the disciple-making pastor, is famously quoted for saying this. Truth does not transform lives. Truth applied transforms lives. And he's right. Truth does not transform life. It is truth applied that transforms life. Truth that is believed and applied leads to spiritual maturity. Here's number five. Spiritual maturity is also not about activities. It's not about activities also. Just because we show up for connect groups, youth groups, Sunday school, prayer meetings, etc., does not equate spiritual maturity. Why? Because discipleship is done from the inside out, not outside in. It's done from the inside out. What brings about true transformation is not what we do on the outside, but it is value change on the inside. That's what really brings transformative change. And just to be clear, I'll just be clear, I'm not saying therefore that you should not turn up in church or your cell group or prayer meeting, okay? You you should. Okay. All these are important. I'm not saying they're unimportant, but my point is this don't just mark your attendance, but go for transformation. Okay, I better say this or else your pastor will not bring me back again. You get the point. I'm not saying that you shouldn't be. All I'm saying is, in itself, these things that we do do not actually bring transformation. What is transformative is the values from the inside out, not the activities on the outside in. Okay, a classic example, I think, would be Ephesians chapter 4, verse 28. Can I let me give an example of what I mean by inside out and not outside in? Okay, um, Ephesians 4.28 has a verse that goes like this Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work. Doing something useful with their own hands that they may have something to share with those in need. Paul is making an application here. Okay, and he's saying that, okay, if you have truly been transformed by Christ, then anyone who has been stealing, you should stop stealing. You should work. Do something useful with your own hands so that you can have something to share with those in need. Now you notice in this verse, there are three actions within this verse, right? What are the three three actions? Number one, stop stealing. Stop stealing. Number two, you better start working. Then number three is for what you better start sharing, right? You better stop stealing and start working. Now imagine if you can, John is uh someone that I'm trying to disciple, someone that I'm trying to journey with. And John has been stealing. So what do I do as his disciple? I go to him and say, John, now that you're a Christian, you should stop stealing. And then John said, Okay, okay, Pastor, since you say so, I'm gonna do my best, I will stop stealing. Then he said, You should start working so that you get what you need through your own hands, not by stealing. He said, Okay, I'll start working. So on the outside, you notice that John has changed. Am I right? He stopped stealing and he has started working, but he may not start sharing. You know why? Because he's still driven by a value inside, and the value hasn't changed. Now, why is John stealing in the first place? It's because he's driven by a value. What's that value? I think it's greed. The value that drives him to steal is greed, right? And now that he has stopped stealing, he has started working, but greed is still there. The only difference now with John is that he is now fulfilling his greed through a more legit way. Not by something illegal, but by something legal. Are you with me? No longer stealing, but is working. But he's still greedy. That hasn't changed. And as long as he's greedy, he will not end up doing the main thing, which is what? Start sharing. He's not gonna share. Why? Because he's still driven by greed. Are you following me? And he will never get to the point of being able to share until what? Until there's a value change. Not the action on the outside, the value on the inside. Until that greed is replaced by generosity, he is not gonna share. Are you following me? So discipleship is truncated, you know, when we don't experience value change. See, and but on the outside, it appears like he has changed. But on the inside, nothing is really changed. He's still greedy. Are you following me? And we say discipleship is not done from the outside in. Then if you if that value doesn't change, basically we have experienced behavior modification. I have modified and changed your behavior on the outside, but I have not really transformed you on the inside. And why would the why why would John change the value from greed to generosity? It's because generosity is who God is, and generosity is what God says. So if he lives his life now with a compass based on What God says and who God is, then that transformation of value can really happen. But because until then it's behavior modification. See, and I think it's important we understand this because discipleship is done from the inside out and not outside in. And discipleship is truncated when it is not accompanied with value change. Bill Hall, another wonderful disciple-making pastor, said this there is no discipleship without accountability. There's no discipleship without accountability. So until someone actually holds you accountable for value change, nothing really happens. So spiritual maturity is not about activities. Can I give you one last one? Spiritual activity, spiritual maturity is also not about abilities. It's not about abilities. Just because we are gifted does not mean we are spiritually mature. There are very gifted men and women of God who are great in public ministry but immature in their private lives. In recent times, we have seen so many giants of the faith, spiritual luminaries that have stumbled and fell. Just think of it biblically. They are not lacking in spiritual gifts, but they are still carnal. They are still immature. And Christianity is always being before doing. So it's not what we do, it's who we are that really matters. Paul therefore says in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 1 to 3, he says to this carnal, very gifted, very able church, he said, if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. If I give a prophecy, I can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge. If I have a faith that can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor, give over my body the hardship that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. The true measurement of spiritual maturity is not the possession of gifts, it's the production of the fruit of the Spirit in our life. So these are six things that spiritual maturity is not about. It's not about age, not about appearance, achievement, academics, activities, or abilities. Now, we it's important that we face it. And then we reflect on this. In the next session, tomorrow morning, I'm gonna go on to talk about what spiritual maturity is. But the good news I want to end this session with tonight, very importantly, is this growing in spiritual maturity, brothers and sisters of YCCA, growing in spiritual maturity, I want you to know, is an attainable outcome. It is not unreachable. In fact, it must be the goal of every disciple and every disciple maker to present everyone fully mature in Christ. The apostle Paul makes it clear in Colossians 1, verse 28. He says, He is the one we proclaim, admonishing, teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. That is our goal. The word mature in the Greek is the word teleos. Okay, mature, telios, which actually means complete. It means perfect, it means finished. Okay, present everyone as finished product, complete, perfect. And this must also be our life goal for every one of us here, from the youngest to the oldest in this hall. Our life goal must be first to pursue spiritual maturity for ourselves and then bring those that we disciple to full maturity in Christ. How many of you can say amen to that? Yeah? But the king says, spiritual maturity is not automatic. We must want to grow. You must decide to grow and you must pursue growth. There is no such thing as instant maturity. Maturity takes intentionality, it takes effort, it takes time. I think it was John Maxwell who said this. It takes years to get an oak tree. If you want something overnight, you must settle for a mushroom. And I think he's right. You want something solid, you want something mature. Like an oak tree. It takes years. You want something overnight? Then just be a mushroom. You will you will you will sprout very quickly. And then you die very quickly also. And that is why I think Paul goes on to declare that because spiritual maturity was his definitive goal, he was going to pour all that he has towards this singular goal. So you read what he says in verse 29 of Colossians 1 now. To this end, he said, I strenuously contend. Oh, you know those words are very strong, right? I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. I like that. I strenuously content. If you want spiritual maturity, it's not gonna happen just like that. It's not a walk in the park. It's something you need to strenuously contend for. You really want it, then go for it. It's either all the way or no way. I think Christianity is like this. If you really want to go all the way with Christ, then go all the way. Christianity is like eating during. If you're gonna eat, eat the best. Why eat the rest? It's not worth the calories, you know. You you're gonna you're gonna put on, then go for the best. And that's what it is. You either pour everything in or nothing. Christianity is like this. If you really want to follow Jesus, go all the way. Christianity is like getting pregnant. You're either pregnant or you're not pregnant. You cannot be a little bit pregnant. Nobody is a little bit pregnant. Are you following me? And allow me to challenge you. Anyway, I only come once in ten years. So let me say it as it. I think the writer of Hebrews put it this way. In Hebrews chapter 6, verse 1, he put it this way. He says, Therefore, let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity. Another translation says, Let us move on to maturity. You heard the part, you heard the story. There were two pastors walking down the road and they crossed each other's path. They met face to face. So one asked the other pastor, so where are you hurrying to? And the other one replied, cheekily, Oh, I'm hurrying on to perfection. So immediately his pastor friend replied, Oh, if that is the case, I better let you go. Because you got a long way to go. And that's true for all of us, isn't it? We are often nines from far, but far from nines, you know. We are far from perfect, and we still have a long way to grow to completion. We are all still work in progress. None of us are finished work. In fact, the phrase the writer of Hebrews used is so instructive. He says, Let us go on to maturity. This phrase is so instructive. Let us go on to maturity. And it instructs us three things, and this is what I'd like to leave with you tonight that we can talk about, okay? Here are three things that this phrase, let us go on to maturity, suggests. Number one, he's telling us, and he's telling all of us here tonight, don't stop growing because of complacency. Don't stop growing because of complacency. You could be in this church for the last 30 years, 40 years, but don't stop growing. Hebrews 6, verse 1. Therefore, let us move beyond, let us go on to maturity. Can I challenge you, my brothers and sisters? Don't stop growing. We must move beyond. All of us must be lifelong learners. We must never stop growing until we see Him face to face. Keep on growing in the Lord. So, question now is how do you ensure that you will keep on growing? And this is where, can I just write a few words here for you? Or maybe this is a good time to bring it over. Uh bring it a little bit closer. Thank you. Thanks, brother. Now, how do you ensure that you will keep on growing? How many of you want to keep on growing? You do, right? If you put these five things into your life, I do believe that we will grow. Here are five things that actually I've I've been observing Christians who grow, don't grow, and I've come to a conclusion that here are five things as a little framework for you that we all need in order to keep on growing in the Lord. And the five things are this. We will never outgrow them, okay? Number one is this. Number one is practical teaching. Practical teachings. Now, if you trace back in your life, would you agree that all of us started to grow because someone, a teacher, a preacher, is able to take the word of God and unpack it and apply it and make it relevant to us. And as a result, we grow. Am I correct to say that? I grew up listening to men like Dr. David Paulson, uh, Ray Steckman, you know, Derek Prinks, people like that. I listen to them and they take the word of God, expositors of the word, who open up the scripture and make it real, relevant, and then apply it to our life. And as a result, I grow. In fact, um I think listening to the expositors of the Bible had taught me more than Bible college, you know. I actually grow more through practical teachings than anything else. How many of you agree? We need practical teaching. That's why we cannot neglect the coming together every Sunday, every Friday when you go to a connect group. It's there that we get practical teaching. You sit under the sound, your pastor unpacking the word for you. It's so important. That's how we grow. Practical teaching. Okay, here's number two. It's private disciplines. Private disciplines. Now, just because we hear the word of God unpacked for us by teachers and preachers does not negate the need for us to practice our own spiritual discipline. You still need to make time to study the word for yourself, uh, time to pray, time to practice solitude, silence, study, things like that. These are practic, they are private disciplines that actually root us, give us an anchor for our own spiritual growth. Take this away, and we will be malnourished. Okay, and we need practical, uh, private discipline. Here's a third one. I think it's personal ministry. Personal ministry. Listen, those who don't serve don't grow. How many of you agree? The day when you start to get involved, you start to serve, you start to get involved, that's when you find your growth escalate. Isn't that true? Now I know there are many Christians doing nothing, but there is no Christian who has nothing to do. Okay? Everybody has something to do. There's no one seated here that is good for nothing. We are all good for something. Okay? And if everybody really takes their gift and bring it to the table and contribute in the church, everybody participate and contribute. Then I guarantee you, every function in the church has a member to perform it. And every member in the church has a function to perform. We all have to participate. If you don't serve, you won't grow. So if you have not been serving, go sign up. There are many, many things your pastor will love to have people put their hand to it. Okay, personal ministry. Number four, it's providential relationships. Providential relationships. Listen to me on this one. This is so important. If you trace back your own spiritual journey, I think I would not be wrong to say that your growth began to escalate because there were people, divine appointments that God gave to you. Significant people who come into your life, whom God allowed your path to cross. It could be a leader, it could be a pastor, it could be a kindred spirit, a mentor, whatever it is, someone who actually whose life and yours cross. And because of that, your growth escalated. They impacted you in such a way that it could be parents, it could be whatever it is, but they are providential relationships that God has given to us. I call them divine appointments. Mentors, people like that, who come across your life. And because of that, you grow. They are providential relationships. And we mustn't take them for granted. We should honor that. Many years ago, I have so many mentors in my life that make a difference for me. You know, uh, Dr. John Garlock was my mentor, the late John Garlock. He was a Bible teacher from Christ for the Nation. You know, I used to carry his bag when he goes and teach in pastors' conference, or just a young man, carry his bag, watch him do it, and unconsciously, you know, he was mentoring me in how to preach and teach without even realizing it. There's a navigator guy who came into my life. Uh, he's from America. His name is Dwight Hill. You know, and he taught me the importance of doing responsible evangelism. That every time you bring someone to Christ, you must give him the basics of the Christian faith and personally follow up with the person. And he taught me a lot. And he gave me this deep conviction that we must do responsible evangelism. Edmund Chan came into my life later and taught me the ropes of how to mentor pastors and leaders. And these are all providential relationships that God can give to us, and we must honor that. Now, don't always think that it must be top-down. It can even be peers. Do you realize that your Connect group members, they are providential relationships God has given to you so that you can do life together with a significant few. And then together you grow. Amen. One last one. You following me so far? Okay. Last one is I think there are pivotal events. Pivotal events. Stuff that happens in our life that impacted us in a big way. The first four, you can intentionally go and look for them. This last one, you it just happened to us. And stuff that happened, events that happen to us, sometimes they are happy, sometimes they are sad. Sometimes they are victorious, sometimes they are failures. There are times when it's really high, but there are times when it's in the valley. Stuff that happens in our life. And when these things happen, it can either make us or it can break us. When tragedies happen, when things happen that brought us disappointment and sadness, conflicts and stuff like that. If you respond to it with a new man, you become better for it. You respond to it with the old man, you respond in the flesh, you become bitter. You can go either way. If not, we can be disillusioned. We can even backslide. And people have become disillusioned because of events that happened. Are you with me? Now, what is going to determine whether you go up or come down? I think the key is this. Listen, don't miss this, huh? The way that we are going to respond to pivotal events, whether to become better or better, whether you respond in the new man or the old man, is dependent on whether these four are in place in your life. If these four are in place in your life, you are very likely going to respond to it better. See, if you have been, if you have received so much practical teaching and you got a biblical worldview, then when stuff happens in your life, you will respond to it through that worldview. See, you respond to it not carnally but spiritually. See, if you have been practicing the private discipline, if your life is anchored in the Lord, when tragedies happen, you can take it. You can take the blows, you know. And when if you have mentors that you can process these things with, you are likely to respond to it correctly. See, and a lot depends on whether these things are in your life. So here's my challenge to you, brothers and sisters. If you really want to grow, put these five things into your life, and I guarantee you, you will grow. You will grow. You are putting yourself in a place where you can actually grow in the Lord. Amen. Are you following me? And this is so important. So don't, we will never outgrow. So here's the point: we will never outgrow the need for these five growth essentials of practical teaching, private discipline, personal ministry, providential relationships, and pivotal events. And these growth essentials must always be in our lives as we press on to maturity. So don't stop growing. Turn to your neighbor, tell them, don't stop growing. Okay? I think we can move this now, brother. We can move this aside now. Okay. Here's number two. Let us move on to maturity. Here's the second thing. Don't do this alone. Don't go on this journey alone because you need God and we need one another. Okay? Hebrews 6:1 says, therefore, let us move on to maturity. We are never expected to go on this pursuit of maturity on our own. Because the truth is this: number one, we cannot do it in our own strength. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about sanctification in our life. That's the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. See, Paul said in Colossians 1.29, to this end, I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. Now, while we must personally pursue maturity, it is by cooperating with the Holy Spirit that works within us that we can actually grow into maturity. So, number one, we need God. Number two, we need one another. So you cannot do it on your own. The writer Hebrews also reminded us that in the pursuit of maturity, we do it together in community. He says, Let us go on to maturity. And that is why we all need a group of like-minded believers to journey with. We need like-minded kindred spirits to go with us on this journey of discipleship. And for that reason, I believe everyone in YCCA should be in a connect group. Okay, I say one more time. That's why I believe everyone here must belong to a connect group. Because we cannot do this alone. We cannot. We need kindred spirits who will propel us to mutual encouragement to keep on growing towards maturity. Because the truth is discipleship is demanding. To follow Christ is not always easy. It's not a walk in the park, it's a lifelong journey. In the words of Eugene Peterson, he put it this way: he said, discipleship is a long obedience in the same direction. Can you feel it? You know, it's a long obedience in the same direction. So don't try and do this on your own. Look for a group of kindred spirits who will go on a journey with you. That's why I keep telling all my parents in the church, you know, make sure that our children have all kinds of friends so that they can know the world and they can also be influencing people for Christ. But be sure that while they have all kinds of friends, make sure that their best friends are those who want to go on a discipleship journey with them. They can have all kinds of friends, but their best friends, these are their soulmates, these are the guys who will actually influence them. And if they are not believers, I think the risk is very high. You agree? No, we can have all kinds, but our best kindred spirits should be people who are on a discipleship journey with us. Okay? One last thing. Number three don't slow down also because of discouragement. People stop because of complacency, they stop growing. People also stop because of they begin to feel that they they they are they are on this journey on their own, and because of that, they they can really. Lose the way. But the third is this don't stop also because of discouragement. Hebrews chapter 6, verse 1 says, therefore, let us be taken forward to maturity. Let us move beyond. Let us go on. The fact that the writer of Hebrews have to remind us of the need to be taken forward to maturity implies that we can all succumb to the danger of discouragement and we stop pressing on. And that is why the Apostle Paul said in Colossians 1, verse 29, he says, to this end, I strenuously content with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. This phrase, strenuously content, is a very loaded phrase. It actually means to struggle with difficulties and danger, to agonize, to obtain something to the point of weariness and exhaustion. In other words, it's very intentional. It is a strong call not to be discouraged or to give up, but to keep on pressing on to maturity. So my challenge to all of us tonight is let's commit ourselves to grow towards spiritual maturity. Don't be content just to stay where we are in our spiritual journey. But let us grow on to maturity. Don't just engage in church activities, but let us grow on to spiritual maturity. You remember there's an old nursery rhyme that goes like this Pussycat, Pussycat, where have you been? I've been to London to visit the queen. Pussycat, Pussycat, what did you there? I frightened the little mouse under her chair. Remember this one? Nursery rhyme, you know. My friends, what I'm trying to tell you is this don't be like silly, don't be like that silly cat that went all the way to London just to frighten a mouse when she could be spending time with the queen. What did you do there? Frightened a mouse. Come on. Went all the way to London. You should be spending time with the queen. In the same way I'm challenging you, let's not spend our time on earth engaged in trivial pursuits, chasing after worldly stuff when we have the opportunity to spend time with the King of Kings. We should commit to grow on to spiritual maturity. Amen. Everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, from the pastor to the usher, we commit ourselves to grow on to spiritual maturity. Let me end with this true story and then we'll pray. I teach in a school in Singapore. Many of you would have heard of it, called Tongling Bible School, Tongling Bible College. I was very blessed a few cohorts ago to hear a testimony from one of the students that were there. I asked him for permission to share his story and he said, please do. So I'm telling you his story. I was very blessed by it, so I remember it. He was a young man, about 30 something, a young Christian professional. He's married with two beautiful little daughters. He runs a successful business that brings home about half a million dollars income every year. So he ends up driving two Mercedes and a Porsche, you know. Owns two private properties, and we all know we got all these things, life is good. And he was living a really good life. He's a regular active member of a good church. If I tell you which church you will know, serves as a worship leader in his Connect group, also served as an usher in his church on Sunday. And on top of that, he runs a marketplace outreach cell in his marketplace, in his office. So when you look at him, he ticked all the boxes, you know, to become a model church member or even a lay leader. But the problem is this behind all this, he was leading a double life. Behind all of that spiritual activities, he never had an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. He was active on the outside, but he was empty on the inside. And behind all of that religiosity, he was addicted to pornography, he was addicted to prostitution, to alcohol, all sorts of sexual immorality he was doing behind the scene. He described it in his own testimony, he described it himself as an unhappy man going for a drink. And during the drinking session, he feels happy and high. But the next morning he will be left with a big hangover and a massive dose of emptiness. And every time it happens, he promised himself that he will never do it again. But like a dog, he keeps returning to his own vomit. And after a while, it became a life that was full of guilt, full of shame, and full of emptiness. There was so much contradiction within his life. And this went on for a few years until he finally had a meltdown. And in that meltdown, everything fell apart. And after a while, he ended up divorcing his wife. He left his work because, you know, left his church, left his friends, fell into depression when all of that happened. Because he couldn't work anymore, because of his depression, he ended up in debt. Ended up in debt. And in the midst of all of that, he blamed everyone, including God, for his situation. But praise God, how many of you know we serve a covenant keeping God? Even when we are unfaithful to him, he remains faithful to us. And at the bottom of that valley, one day, he decided to take out his Bible after many, many months of never even touching it. He finally took it off the Bible, blew the dust off, and he flipped it open. He decided at a pit he might, he was trying to find something. He opened up the Bible and it fell open in John chapter 8. And God actually used the story of the woman caught in adultery to woo him back to himself. And that became a journey of reconciliation. And God used that to actually slowly restore his life. And today he's reconciled to his children and pursuing God in Bible college. He learned afresh that spiritual maturity is not about age or appearance or academics or abilities or achievements or activities. It's about an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ based on who our God is and what our God says. The ways of God and the word of God is what we need. Put ourselves on a pathway to spiritual maturity. And brothers and sisters of YCCA, can I just leave this thought with you? I think it is a dark illusion to think that we can live a double life and still be close to God. That was his problem. He was under this dark illusion that we can live a double life and still be intimate with God. I don't know where you are this evening in your own journey. But maybe we can identify with this student of mine. Everything can look good on the outside, but deep within we sometimes have our struggle. We have our own brokenness, if you like. Our spirit can be dry, our prayer life non-existent. The soul can be restless, the marriage can be fractured, life can be barren, but no one even knows. But the good news I have for you is that we serve a faithful God who is here to restore and he is here to rebuild. But the key is this don't be complacent and don't be discouraged and don't give up. Whatever it is, we are not going to stop pursuing spiritual maturity. I think it's a dark illusion, however, to think that we can live a double life and still be close to God. We need to break out of this illusion so that we can be free. We return to God and He will return to us. We take one step towards Him in all of our brokenness. I think He will take 10 steps towards us. And I think, brothers and sisters, this is where we must begin. Commit ourselves afresh to grow on to maturity.