1 Peter 1:25b- 2:3
A Real Church Service 2: Spiritual Growth
I. Introduction
- Ill. Aesop's Fables: The Hunter & the Woodman
1. A hunter was searching for the tracks of a Lion.
2. He asked the a man felling oaks in the forest if he had seen any tracks or the lion's lair.
3. "I'll take you to the lion." said the woodsman.
4. Hunter turned pale & said: "No, thank you. I did not ask for that; it is only the tracks and lair that I am in search of, not the lion."
5. Are you looking for signs that Jesus is here or for where his Spirit abides?
6. Or are you looking for Him?
- What makes a good church service?
- We base our answer on some of the wrong things.
1. It shouldn't matter whether you like the teacher, preacher, song leader, etc.
2. What matters is the object of our Worship.
- But now let's answer that question on your side of the fence.
1. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit.
2. What is your obligation toward a good church service.
II. Scripture
III. Christianity is About Growing
- Our faith is about growing [relationship].
- The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is about making disciples
1. Disciples = pupils
2. Not just converts or professions.
- He did not commission us to enlarge our finances or our numbers or our programs.
1. Make disciples!
2. Students of the Word who are growing!
IV. Born to Grow (Stage 1)
- In order to grow spiritually you must be born-again!
- 2:3 "...if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good!"
1. Repent of sin & believe in Christ.
2. Spiritual growth w/out spiritual birth is impossible.
- If you're not growing...
1. ...something is wrong!
2. ...you might be dead!
- Those born-again will have a longing to grow.
1. It is in the DNA of a believer
2. v. 2:2 Cultivated Desire
- Long for what?
1. pure milk of the word
2. pure= nothing but milk
3. beware false teachers/ preachers
4. Pure milk sometimes doesn't taste as good as a coke, but it's better for you.
- 2 Timothy 4:3 "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions."
- The biggest enemy of the church today is not the world, but that which poses as the church!
- Long for...
1. Milk of the Word- Bible. Biblical preaching, biblical songs, biblical discussion, biblical thinking, etc.
2. Sunday School, Wednesday Bible Study, Sunday PM, all focused on God's Word!
- Query: Are you 'lactose' intolerant?
V. Stage 2: Lay Aside Acts of Sin!
- After being Born-Again and God giving you a longing for growth, you will begin conforming more and more of your actions to those of Christ.
- This is where Christians get the cart before the horse.
1. We can't clean them up to get them saved.
2. We are to get them saved so they will get cleaned up!
- As a new Christian you will begin aligning your actions with those of Christ!
- Put aside/ quit sinful acts.
1. alcoholic, get sober & be filled with the Spirit.
2. living together, separate.
3. cheating in business, restitution.
4. lying, tell the truth.
5. abusive, bring healing
6. profane language, holy language.
- Growing involves putting off sinful acts.
1. If you don't, you won't grow
2. If you don't, it will kill you.
VI. Stage 3: Lay Aside Attitudes
- Usually God will deal with your blatant sinful acts and then begin to work on your attitudes.
- Conforming your attitudes to Christ.
- We end growth with outward actions.
1. Those are what people can see.
2. But we don't like to deal with our attitudes.
- At that point we become big babies who don't do bad things, but do have bad attitudes.
- We don't want to grow.
- Hebrews 5:12-13 "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."
- Some of us have been Christians long enough that you should be in a position of leadership; involved in a ministry.
1. SS teacher, board members,
2. small group leader, etc.
- Ephesians 4:13-14 "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."
- Growing will involve taking on the attitudes of Christ.
1. Love, humility, perseverance
2. Putting off envy, pride, greed, malice, hate, etc.
- Ultimately it means you will begin to care more about others than yourself.
VII. Spiritual Leadership
- There are some things in the church that require growth before you can do them.
- If you are a new Christian, we are not going to put you on the board!
1. ...make you a SS teacher.
2. ...make you the preacher.
3. ...put you in charge of a ministry.
- Ill. Simon the Magician
1. Acts 8
2. New Christian, saw the apostles lay hands on believers so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
3. He wanted to buy that power.
4. He didn't want to grow.
- Johann von Goethe "Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow."
- With leadership & authority comes the responsibility to grow.
- Paul tells Timothy about leadership/overseer:
1. 1 Timothy 3:6 "He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil."
2. 1 Timothy 5: 22 "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure."
- If new to the church the same applies.
1. If left the church & come back same applies.
2. If unfaithful to the church this applies to you.
VIII. What is Spiritual Growth?
- It's not a flash in the pan or a shooting star!
- C. S. Lewis "Mere change is not growth. Growth is the synthesis of change and continuity, and where there is no continuity there is no growth."
- I've seen lots of stuff happen on Sunday and then you wonder what happens the rest of the week!?
1. Or you never see that person again!
2. You're not growing if you're not consistent.
- Old timers use to say: "It's not how high you jump on Sunday, but how straight you walk on Monday."
- Ill. Aesop's Fables: The Tortoise & the Hare
1. A hare challenged a tortoise to a race.
2. The hare took off in the beginning but got a lead so that he could take a nap.
3. The tortoise never stopped, but slowly continued along the path.
4. The tortoise won, b/c he was consistent!
5. Slow but steady wins the race.
6. God is not impressed by all-stars as much as He is consistency.
- Spiritual Growth is not just change.
1. Ellen Glasgow "All change is not growth; all movement is not forward."
- Spiritual growth means you won't be at the same place you were 10 years ago or even one year.
1. Robert N. Coons "If the shoe fits, you're not allowing for growth."
2. Are you stunted in your growth?
3. Are you a spiritual midget?
- Spiritual Growth means you still have more to learn.
1. ...in communicating w/ God.
2. ...in using your spiritual gifts
3. ...in spiritual disciplines.
4. ...in love for God & others.
5. "I'm not a finished product!"
- Spiritual growth means different ppl are at different places.
1. If you are a Christian we have expectations of you!
2. Different for different ppl!
- No matter where you are in your spiritual walk: there is still room to grow.
IX. Conclusion
- Ill. Family driving from Ft. Lauderdale to Tampa, FL.
1. As far as the eye could see: Orange trees!
2. They stopped at a little place in the middle of the orchards for breakfast.
3. Father orderd OJ w/ his eggs.
4. "I'm sorry," the waitress said. "I can't bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken."
5. Leroy Eims said: "They were surrounded by millions of oranges, and I knew they had oranges in the kitchen--orange slices garnished our plates. What was the problem? No juice? Hardly. We were surrounded by thousands of gallons of juice. The problem was they had become dependent on a machine to get it."
- Are you growing? I'm not asking whether...
1. ...our church is growing... I know it is.
2. ...your parents, kids, siblings are growing.
3. I'm asking: Are you growing spiritually?
- Ill. We had company & my wife told me to stop using my 'preacher voice.'
1. Can I cease to be the preacher for a second and just be your pastor.
2. It's time to grow!
3. The oranges are all over the place!
- Don't look for evidence that Jesus has been here; look to Him.
- Discipleship is not optional, it is what God has called us to be.
