“Growth” By Brother Kenneth Ray December 5th,
2010 Growth is something that we all have to do; we never stop growing. There are different stages of growth, but it is a never-ending process. It’s not like one day you earn your PhD and then you stop learning. You never get to get it down. You are constantly maturing. When you first get baptized, it’s different than after 5, 10, or 20 years. You start out humble, then you get proud, then you get knocked down, then you start over. I just came back from a school for electricians. They taught us a lot of formulas. If there is a formula for growth, it is Christ-likeness. The more you grow, the more Christ-like you become, and the more Christ-like you become, the more you grow. There is a difference between knowing something, and knowing how to use it. There is also a difference between knowing Christ, and having a relationship with Christ. You can know Christ your whole life and never benefit from it, but if you step up into a relationship with Christ, then you get something from it. You ever see those seed packets? The seeds don’t grow until you get them out of the packet. God has added to us. We still need to grow. We’re doing good, but we can do great. I thought it was my accomplishment, but then God reminded me that it was my blessing to graduate close to the top of my class. We didn’t create knowledge, God gives us knowledge. I didn’t bring it into being; God gave it. When you start to realize that it’s not all about me, it’s about God. John 5:30 …I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me. Our Heavenly father’s will—His goal—is for you and me to mature and to develop the characteristics of Christ. Don’t be like me; don’t be like Christian Fellowship Great Lakes. Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a philosophy and a lifestyle. There is no formula for that. Did it ever occur to you that the best leader was the best servant (Matthew 12:15-21)? There will be dry seasons, but it will make it if you follow the leader. God is always there; He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Spiritual growth is not automatic, it takes an intentional commitment. I proposed to my wife intentionally, and I have had 11 years of married bliss. Matthew 9:9 …Follow Me… When the first disciples chose to follow Jesus, they didn’t understand everything about their decision, they simply responded to Jesus’ invitation. That’s all you need to get started: decide to be a disciple, or, in other words, accept the invitation. If you want to shape your own program, well, God’s not asking for that. You may be in this one spot, and you may like it there, but He may be trying to get you to move to some other spot. I’m not a betting man, but if I were, then I would bet on Jesus knowing what’s best for you and those around you. His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). You have to decide to go forth and do something. You have to work hard to earn a crown (James 1:12). Too many people don’t speak the common man’s language; they want to talk about philosophy and theology. People don’t want to be lectured to; they want to understand it. That’s why we always ask, “Why do you want to be baptized?” before we perform a baptism, because we want to make sure you understand it before we baptize you. Commitment will make men run; either to it or from it. Sadly, it seems that Jesus makes more men run from than to. Commitment shapes your life; it will develop you or break you. Your commitment defines you. We are what we commit to. Whether your commitment is just coming to church, or whether you have a relationship with Christ, that will shape you. Every choice has consequences, eternal consequences, so choose wisely. Christ-likeness, what is that? It’s the result of making Christ-like choices and depending on the Holy Ghost to help you. We all need some help. Parts: When you finally decide to get serious about becoming like Christ, you need to act in new ways. You need to drop some old routines, develop new habits, intentionally change the way you think. Be certain that the Holy Ghost will help you with those changes, but He doesn’t help teeterers (James 1:6-7). There are two parts to growing: God’s part, and your part. God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and you are supposed to be the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 16-17). Remember that we depend upon His Spirit to help us fulfill our Christ-like choices, but He will help us if we allow His Spirit to dwell in us. What I’m talking about is Spiritual growth. Philippians 2:12-13 …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you… 1) ‘Work out’ is our responsibility. 2) ‘Work in’ is God’s part. You can’t work out your salvation without allowing God to work in you. It’s a combined effort between you and the Holy Ghost. God’s Spirit works with us, not just in us. Let me point out, this was written to believers; it’s not about how to get saved, but how to grow. It doesn’t say “work for” salvation; you can’t add anything to what Jesus has already done. If you physically work out, you are developing your body, not getting a new one. If God has given you a new life, then you are responsible for developing it. When it says, with fear and trembling, it means that you need to take your Spiritual growth seriously. Are you going to cower in front of God? Well, that depends on your relationship with God. Maturing is a process; you have to change your auto-pilot. Behind everything you do is a thought; behind every behavior is a belief; behind every action is an attitude. If you try to change based on sheer will power, you may be able to change temporarily, but there will always be resistance, and you will eventually tire, and go back to your old patterns. The easier way is to change the way you think… Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the Spirit of your mind; God is the Spirit; our job is to be the temple. Let Him rule the roost. That may call for repentance. Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Was Christ self-centered? No. Stop being self-seeking. When you first get saved, you spend a lot of time growing and learning, but eventually you start focusing on helping other people, just as you were helped. Power is in your daily life, living the example in front of other people. Let your light so shine before men (Matthew 5:16). Share the hope that you have with other people. Start encouraging people by showing them that you have a relationship with God, not a false bill of goods. 1 Corinthians 13:11 …when I became a man, I put away childish things. Today, many people will assume that Spiritual maturity is measured by the amount of Biblical information you know, and the amount of doctrine you know. Knowledge is one measure, but it’s not the whole story. Christian life is more than creeds and convictions. It also includes conduct and character. Our deeds need to be consistent with our creed. Our beliefs must be backed up by Christ-like behavior. Let me repeat what I said earlier: Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a philosophy and a lifestyle. 1 Corinthians 12:12 …one body… Jesus wants you to have growth in your life every day. Sermon notes by Pete Shepherd |
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