Spiritual Nurseries

Spiritual Nurseries
Hebrews 5:12

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Over the years I and Nita my wife have experienced a wide selection of churches. One of the common threads that seems to be prevalent in all of them is what I call the spiritual nursery. What is the spiritual nursery? It is a place where the spiritual babies are kept until such time they grow up as mature christians. Sadly many never get promoted and remain in the spiritual breast feeding stage until they die. The result is they need constant feeding of simple truths and being patted on the back for that spiritual burp to help digest the spiritual food they have received. Frankly this is a sad commentary for the church in America. Paul describes these truths as first principles. Principles in the Greek means “the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God,” such as are taught to spiritual babes.” In other words the babies are taught only what they can digest never progressing toward the maturity God has called them to. They are content to remain where they are never fulfilling the vision, the call, and the purpose God has called them to. I have experienced this first hand and can testify to the damage a spiritual baby can cause within a church. Does this mean the rest of us are walking in the fullness of the maturity of Jesus Christ? Good grief no! I still am growing up in many areas and am in fact still a baby in some areas of my life. The difference is that those who chose to remain babies chose to because they like the attention or they are spiritually lazy unwilling to move toward maturity. I suspect many love the drama they create within the body. So what happens when a person remains a baby in Jesus Christ?

1-They spread strife and conflict within the body of Christ. They constantly have to be corrected and given the attention they want in order to be pacified.

2-They live in constant defeat causing themselves and others around them to suffer from their actions.

3-They allow their own carnality, the world system, and (s)atanic influence to hinder them and disrupting harmony in the church they are in.

4-The church is forced to open up spiritual nurseries in order to meet the needs of the babies neglecting the growing saints who need the meat of the word. Meat in the Greek means to nourish, to nuture, to build up allowing the saint to fulfill the vision, the call, and the purpose God called them to.

So what is the answer?

A thriving church is is a house of prayer always keeping fellowship with the Lord never ceasing its contact with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is this fellowship that the church stays alert always hearing the voice of the Lord. Growth comes through a dedicated prayer life. (1st Peter 4:7)

A thriving church teaches the elementary truths encouraging its babies to grow up and practice what they are taught. (Hebrews 4:17)

A thriving church maintains a diligent watch over the flock and when strife breaks out runs to the battle correcting and restoring those who have sinned in love. (Matthew 18:15 – 18)

Spiritual nurseries should not be the churches main focus allowing babies to rule in the church and many do. There must be growth and each new born again saint matured as quickly as possible moving the kingdom of God forward tearing down (s)atan and his kingdom. Anything less is totally unacceptable.

Have a great June

Lee