Honour the Weak  

Nothing wrong with being weak, a new Christian or growing Nothing wrong with being weak, a new Christian or growing. 1 Peter 2:2-3 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

In the New Testament there are five different levels of growth for a Christian and are explained in Greek as words used to describe the various “stages” of the Christian life.  These words are: νήπιος (nēpios) Baby. παιδίον (paidion) Young child. τεκνίον (teknion) Teenager/young adult, disciple, one who follows a teacher in authority. υἱός (huios) Adult, those who revere God as their father, the honest worshiper that has put the world behind them and fis focused on God. τέλειος (teleios) mature elder, literally the word means, having reached an end and speaks of a perfection that is related to the purpose or function for which a that person is designed for and called by God, someone that has completely let go of the world, its desires and lusts etc. They are completely devoted to God, understanding that their place in the kingdom is there for a purpose and because of God’s grace and love for them and they are dedicated to that.  Importantly All are saved

1 Cor 12:22-26 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our un-comely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Encouraging physical unity through spiritual foundations Encouraging physical unity through spiritual foundations. If we can truly understand that GOD has esteemed the weak above others we can give so much honour and praise to the weak or the “apparently less important roles” and be encouraged by them. Not all will grow into maturity actually the reality is not many will… especially into the, υἱός (huios) Adult and the τέλειος (teleios) elder mature stage of life, The beauty is, It doesn’t matter!

Grace Given Eph 4:7 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. If we understand the fact that God has made the weak super abundantly honourable we can truly understand that the apparently weaker or feeble brethren are so beautiful and necessary to the church and especially the growth of those becoming mature.

The mature don’t need lifting Although the mature including elders need to be esteemed for the work they do, they don’t need the same attention as the weak, they are mature in the faith and understand they are vessels, their relationship with God, and He giving them maturity enables them to encourage and build up the church members until they reach their maturity. Eph 4:11-16 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Our best example is God Romans 15:5 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

Milk and Meat 1 Cor 3:1-4 1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? Heb 5:11-14 11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Weakness is NOT apathy to grow, Apathy is a PROBLEM. Weakness or being feeble is a stage of growth or the measure of what you have been given and honoured by God and other Christians.

The weak need lifting exalting and your attention Encourage the fainthearted and help the weak. 1 Thess 5:11-14 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. Help the weak and honour God with your gifts 1 Peter 4:10-11 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Conclusion Weakness or being feeble is a stage of growth and the measure of what you have been given by Jesus and honoured by God and other Christians so Thank you!