Spiritual Growth

Temple Baptist Church - 3-8-2017

1 Peter 2:1-5

Introduction: 

A.  Growth is a natural occurrence after birth. 

1.  We expect our physical children to grow at a specific rate and, if they do not, we become concerned and take them to the doctor and find out what the problem is. 

2.  We also realize that not all children are the same so there will be those who grow bigger as well as mature differently.  It takes some children a little longer to “grow up” psychologically. 

B.  Spiritual growth is the same.  

1.  We are expected to grow consistently after the New Birth.  As a baby desires to feed on the milk of the mother, the newborn child of God should have a desire to feed upon the “sincere milk of the Word.”  I am bothered when a professing believer has no desire for the Word of God or the things of God!

2.  Not all will grow at the same speed but all need to grow.  And, yet, we too often fail to be concerned when God’s children remain in a state of spiritual “infancy!”  Let me give you a Biblical example.

Hebrews 5:11-14  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.  (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.  (13)  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  (14)  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

C.  We should have: Spiritual Babes, Spiritual Young Men and Women, Spiritual Older Men and Women.

1 John 2:13  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.  

D.  With our physical health, there are three main ingredients for proper growth and good health.

1.  You must eat right!  Children need a nutritious, well balanced diet that incorporates all the food groups.  Children of our day are obese because they eat all the wrong things.  A good healthy appetite must be cultivated at an early age.  When I was a child, I learned to eat what was set before me.  Today, I eat what is put before me!  Churches do more entertaining than they do Biblical preaching and teaching.  The pulpits pander to the “fast food” appetites of the people.

2.  You must have exercise!  Healthy bodies require exercise and plenty of sunlight.  Children of our day are physically lazy and spend most of their time indoors while playing around on cell phones or other electronic devices.  When I was a child, mom would not allow us to remain in the house on beautiful days.  No sitting around watching the TV set for us.  We spent our days running and playing out in the sunlight.  People must exercise spiritually unto godliness.  (1 Timothy 4:7-8)  Instead of doing only those things which please self, do things for the Lord that will be a blessing to others.

3.  You must have rest!  Our bodies and minds need rest.  When you fail to eat right while sitting around doing nothing, you do not rest right!  When I was a child, mom would make us lie down for a while in the heat of the day and either nap or just rest.  When night came, we got to bed early and were refreshed when we got up in the morning.  Spiritually, there is an old saying: “You need to come apart before you come apart!”  I have heard men say that they had rather burn out than rust out but you are out either way.  We must learn that rest is a good thing and renews us for the work that lies ahead.  Even our Lord got tired and slept.  He also took his disciples apart to allow them to rest.

E.  There are two things that I want to look at in this message.

           

THINGS THAT WILL STUNT YOUR GROWTH – “laying aside”

1.  Malice

MAL'ICE, n. Extreme enmity of heart; a disposition to injure others without cause, from mere personal gratification or from a spirit of revenge; unprovoked malignity or spite.

a.  Malice Causes Defilement - Hebrews 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

1 Peter 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

b.  Malice Causes Division - Ephesians 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Philippians 4:2  I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

2.  Guile

            GUILE, .  Craft; cunning; artifice; duplicity; deceit; usually in a bad sense.

           We may, with more successful hope, resolve

a.  Honest Before God - Romans 13:13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

b.  Honest Before The World - 1 Thessalonians 4:12  That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

c.  Honest Before The Saints - Hebrews 13:18  Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

3.  Hypocrisies

a.  Unfeigned Faith - 1 Timothy 1:5  Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

2 Timothy 1:5  When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

b.  Unfeigned Feelings - 1 Peter 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

4.  Envies

a.  Envy And Carnality - 1 Corinthians 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

b.  Envy And Contention - 2 Corinthians 12:20  For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

c.  Envy And  Confusion - James 3:16  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

5.  Evil Speaking

a.  The Deceitful Tongue - Psalms 52:4  Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

Psalms 120:2  Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

b.  The Destructive Tongue - James 3:5-6  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

Psalms 15:1-3  LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?  He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.  He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

THINGS THAT WILL STIMULATE YOUR GROWTH – “that ye may grow thereby”

1.  It Takes A Birth – “as newborn babes”

John 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.  (The dead have no life)

1 Corinthians 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,because they are spiritually discerned.

2.  It Takes Desire – “desire”  (You must have a desire to grow in Christ)

3.  It Takes Sincerity – “sincere milk”  (If you can prove it to me in the Bible – you don’t want to know the truth!)

4.  It Takes God’s Word – “the word”  (The Word of God is both milk to the young and meat to the strong)

5.  It Takes Remembrance – “that the Lord is gracious”  (By the mercies of God)

6.  It Takes Approach – “To whom coming”  (If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God)