SPIRITUAL GROWTH:
GROWING IN GRACE
Colossians 1:9-11; Acts 2:42
S: Four Marks of the Church
Th: Spiritual Maturity
Pr: WE ARE TO DEVELOP AS PEOPLE OF GRACE.
?: How?
KW: Desires
TS: We will find in our study of Colossians 1:9-11, three
desires that we need to have in order to develop as people of grace.
The _____ desire that we need to have in order to develop as people of grace is…
I. KNOW THE WILL OF GOD
II. GROW IN KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
III. STRENGTHENED BY THE POWER OF GOD
RMBC 3/26/00 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Growth (Miracle Grow)
A father talking with his daughter and her five-year-old friend, Elizabeth, about birthdays. Elizabeth’s was March 30 and the father’s was March 27. "Our birthdays are three days apart," he said to her. She looked up at him and remarked, "Yeah, but you grew much faster than I did."
Well that brings us to a question…
How fast are you growing?
I know some of us are growing in places that we don’t want to.
We seem to be expanding at the wrong places.
And it is going so fast that it seems to be out of control.
But there is a kind of growing that we are considering this morning that we do want to be a part of our lives.
TRANSITION:
Our study today is the second in a four part series on the marks of the church.
Last week, we considered the priority of worship.
1. Today, we consider the priority of spiritual growth.
We have been having happy days here at the church recently, because we have had a new influx of babies.
I think babies are great, especially now that we don’t have anymore.
But there was one point in our lives when we had ages 0, 2, 4, and 6.
That was a stressful time.
And for years, we were washing diapers.
ILL Stedman
Someone with a lower opinion of babies once described them this way:
“A baby is a digestive apparatus with a loud noise at one end and no responsibility on the other.”
Well, it is true, for the baby, the world is centered on itself.
It has needs that it cannot meet on its own.
The baby is a completely dependent creature.
You know, when it comes down to it, we all love babies, but we don’t want them to stay that way.
If a baby doesn’t grow and develop and progress, we know there is a problem.
The same is true of the Christian.
We have been born again.
And as a new Christian, we need special care.
We have a great deal of promise and potential.
Yet, everybody waits and hopes that we will grow up.
But if we don’t, there is trouble.
Not just for us, but for the whole church as well.
For…
2. The church that consists of Christians that remain babies flounders and turns people off.
Unfortunately, there is such a thing as Christians that have not gotten past the baby stage.
And not only do they hurt themselves by their lack of progress, they hurt the whole church.
For we are called to mature toward Christlikeness.
If we don’t move toward that goal, we are immature and petty, concerned only about our needs.
Nobody wants to be around that.
No one is attracted to that.
The truth is is that many folks become Christians because they realize their need of a Savior.
But then, they sit back on that and don’t go anywhere with it.
It is like they bought their “fire insurance.”
Their eternity is secure, but now life goes on pretty much as it always has.
They are like the dog that catches his own tail unexpectedly, or catches an unsuspecting squirrel to the surprise of both.
Now the dog faces a problem that he’s not trained for.
He doesn’t know what he should do next!
So the easiest and most sensible thing for him to do is simply to drop it, file the event away as a victory, and then continue with the day’s normal activities of sniffing, exploring, eating, and sleeping.
There are too many Christians just like this.
You may realize today that, like many others who don’t know where to turn next after coming to Christ, the best and easiest solution to that dilemma is simply not to take any more steps!
You are just going to settle down and never grow up.
But I want you to know today, that growing up is important!
It is important because it is a tough world out there.
3. In Colossians 1, Paul establishes the importance of spiritual growth by making it a matter of prayer.
For these believers, Paul did not consider spiritual growth as something that would be nice for them.
He did not consider it optional.
No, in fact, he considers it so important that he prays for it.
He goes to the Father and says, “Lord, help these people to live a life that is worthy of You.”
Paul’s goal was that the believer’s life be pleasing to God.
But you know, all over Christendom, there is confusion about what a life that pleases God is like.
We tend to talk about certain experiences, like the manner of conversion, or the mode of baptism, or a secondary experience of being baptized by the Spirit.
We speak of the absence of certain vices like we don’t smoke, don’t dance, don’t watch bad movies, or gamble.
We develop certain theological litmus test issues like abortion, the view of the end times, or a particular stance on spiritual gifts, and even the version of the Bible.
But the truth is…these are all externals.
In fact, if we listen closely to our list, what we are really saying is that the one who pleases God is the one who is most like me!
But I think if the goal is to live in a way that is worthy of the Lord, that answer is both simpler and harder.
It is harder because it has less to do with the externals (which are easier to judge) and more with the internals.
It is simpler because the example has already been given.
It is Jesus.
A life that is worthy of the Lord is a life like Jesus lived.
And to live a life like that, we need to move toward grace.
Which means…
4. WE ARE TO DEVELOP AS PEOPLE OF GRACE (II Peter 3:18).
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
We are to be people that are growing in grace.
We are to be a people that are characterized by grace.
So how do we do that?
Well..
5. We will find in our study of Colossians 1:9-11, three desires that we need to have in order to develop as people of grace.
Before we consider this passage, we need to understand the context of Colossians.
We know there was a man named Epaphras who had traveled to visit Paul, while he was under house arrest in Rome.
Epaphras had given Paul a report of the Colossian church.
Paul had a great deal to be joyful about because this report was a good one.
The people evidenced faith and love.
This was a good report from a healthy church.
But Paul doesn’t want them to stop.
So in this introduction, he builds one magnificent theme on top of another magnificent theme.
Now, there is so much here even in these few verses, we can’t even begin to cover every detail, but I do believe that we will discover enough to be helpful.
(9) For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. (10) And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, (11) being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully (12) giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first desire that we need to have in order to develop as people of grace is KNOW THE WILL OF GOD.
1. Do you know what God thinks about life, and your life in particular?
I often hear people ask some of the big questions about life.
What does God intend for me?
Should I move to another state or country?
Should I take a particular job?
Should I pursue a relationship that seems to have possibilities?
Should I confront some evil that needs to be challenged?
What is God’s will for me?
Because we know that God loves us and cares for us, we want to know what God thinks and has for us.
And this is a good beginning point.
For the will of God is reality.
Everything else is fantasy.
Everything else that looks desirable according to the world’s standard is a dead end.
If we really want to know about life in general and about our life in particular, then we have to know God.
For God is a living person with thoughts and convictions.
Since God is a person, it means that we can have a relationship with Him.
And this is exciting.
For…
2. Our relationship with God ought to be the most exciting thing in our life.
Contemplate this for a moment.
The most powerful being in the entire universe knows you.
He knows all about you.
He knows you better than you know yourself.
Now that would be a scary thing if He were an enemy.
But He is not.
He is your Friend.
And He is a friend that wants to be in relationship with you.
He wants you to know Him better.
Knowing God is the most exciting thing that can happen to us in our life.
Our relationship is to be personal.
And when it is personal, we have an advantage, for we can know God’s will.
There are some, though, that do not trust God.
They do not trust His will for their lives.
They are glad to receive salvation, but the rest, that is another story.
ILL Internet (Today in the Word, May, 1989)
There is a story of an old Scottish woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed. One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. “Why do you toss the stick more than once?” someone asked. “Because,” replied the woman, “it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right.” She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go!
I sometimes wonder if we treat God in the same way.
For…
3. Knowing God doesn’t mean we vote on whether we do His will or not.
I often speak to people about what God is doing in their lives.
For some, I realize that after I’ve talked to them, what they want is a blueprint of God’s will so they can vote on it!
They want His plans for their future all laid out for them, so they can stand back and decide if they are willing to go along with them or perhaps modify them a little bit.
They want to hold the trump card, so to speak.
But this completely misunderstands God.
It is based on some absurd presumption that God wants to make them miserable or is going to make life as hard as it can be.
But God is not out to make us miserable.
In fact, He wants to give us the desires of our heart.
His intent for us is joy and rest.
It doesn’t mean that it won’t be difficult, but the end result is guaranteed to be a winner.
4. Do you have a desire for God’s will?
When we do, we are well on the path to be a people of grace.
Doing and practicing God’s will is the path of spiritual growth.
II. The second desire that we need to have in order to develop as people of grace is GROW IN KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
1. We can become great storehouses of information, but it can be worthless.
I know some “Christians” that know theology better than I do.
They know the Bible up and down and all around, but something is missing.
We know by the encouragement of Scripture, that growing in the knowledge of God is a good thing.
But increasing in our knowledge of God was never intended to make us sound clever.
It was never intended to help us win arguments.
ILL Wiersbe
I like how Warren Wiersbe puts it:
In my pastoral ministry, I have met people who have become intoxicated with "studying the deeper truths of the Bible." Usually they have been given a book or introduced to some teacher’s tapes. Before long, they get so smart they become dumb! The "deeper truths" they discover only detour them from practical Christian living. Instead of getting burning hearts of devotion to Christ, they get big heads and start creating problems in their homes and churches.
Knowledge for knowledge’s sake is dangerous.
It leads to pride.
But knowledge does have a purpose.
ILL Notebook: Knowledge (bus schedule)
At a golf course, a foursome approached the 16th tee. The straight fairway ran along the road and a bike path fenced off on the left. The first golfer teed off and hooked the hall in that direction. The ball went over the fence and bounced off the bike path onto the road, where it hit the tire of a moving bus and was knocked back on the fairway. As the foursome all stood in amazement, the second golfer asked the first, "How did you do that?” Without hesitation he said, "You have to know the bus schedule."
Well…knowledge can be a great thing!
2. The knowledge of God is to make a difference in the way we live (Proverbs 2:6, 9).
For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path.
In the Colossian text, knowledge of God and fruit go together.
They do not stand separately.
Simply, the better you know God, the better your fruit.
The more you pay attention to developing this knowledge of and relationship with God, the more fruit you will bear.
You cannot help but grow.
A true knowledge means I am falling in love with God more and more.
This means, I am never content to leave it as it is.
There must always be more to the relationship..
3. Do you have a desire to grow in you knowledge of God?
Do you want to know more?
You see, when we do, we are well on the path to be a people of grace.
Searching to know more means that we are well on the path of spiritual growth.
III. The third desire that we need to have in order to develop as people of grace is to be STRENGTHENED BY THE POWER OF GOD.
ILL Notebook: Follow (ducks)
Ron Doak admonished his 7-year-old daughter for chasing their neighbor’s domesticated ducks. But she insisted she wasn’t chasing them. Her explanation: "I was just following them...and running."
I think that is a great picture.
You see, if I truly desire to be a person of grace, it is more than just following.
It is running.
1. Our knowledge of God gives us power to follow His will (Ephesians 3:16).
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being…
When we are tapped in to the Spirit, we have the strength and the power to do God’s will.
God gives us the ability to accomplish what He has for us.
He does not leave us shortchanged in any way.
He provides for us.
And…
2. God’s Spirit gives us the strength to endure what we cannot change.
I am able to attain patience and steadfastness.
There are so many things that are wrong in the big picture of the world.
And God gives us the ability to accept what we cannot change and at the same time, gives us the power to change the matters we can.
Not only that, By God’s Spirit, I am left unbroken by things that attempt to change us.
3. Do you have a desire to be strengthened by God’s Spirit?
When we do, we are well on the path to be a people of grace.
When we are submissive to His Spirit, we can change what is ours to change and endure that which we cannot.
It is then we are well on the path of spiritual growth.
APPLICATION:
In Acts 2:42, we find:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
The early church continues to serve us as an example of the priority of the church.
Last week, we observed their priority of worship.
Using the same verse, we see the necessity of spiritual growth.
So the early church shows us that…
1. To grow, we are going to need to spend time with God.
This was the first lesson of our 50-Day Adventure.
Jesus stayed spiritually connected and directed by the Father.
We can do no less.
We need to be refilled and refreshed consistently in our relationship with God.
The only way we can do that is to regularly spend time with God.
We need to isolate ourselves from the traffic and confusion of worldly concern.
And then we need to allow God to speak so that we can listen.
The more time I spend with God, the more I am able to reflect Him and be a person of grace.
2. To grow more, we need to make learning about God an ongoing process.
Don’t settle.
Too many Christians do.
They seem to go so far in their relationship, but then no further.
You know, sometimes we settle to be Sunday morning Christians.
Our commitment to Christ makes a difference while we are here on Sunday morning, but the rest of the week…well it continues on as it always has.
And I want to encourage you, to be a person of grace, don’t settle for that!
For the life that pleases God is the one that yearns to know more about God so that they can know God better.
This kind of person reads the Bible, not primarily for factual information, but to discern the heart of God.
They look for direction not merely information.
Their prayer time is not totally consumed with requests.
They take time to work on their relationship with God.
They are eager to learn of God.
They want to read or to be taught anything that might help them know God better.
They are like a boyfriend or girlfriend who enjoys looking at family pictures and hearing stories of the past.
They want to learn anything they can that will help them know the one they love better.
This person is careful to make sure they are seeking truth and not just seeking ammunition to defend their own perceptions of God.
They take time to practice the spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, study and meditation, simply because they want to know God better!
ILL Notebook: Discipleship
Hugh Hewitt tells this story on himself:
"I’m one of those folks who is completely useless outdoors. My brother-in-law, sturdy retired United States Marine lieutenant colonel that he is, tried to educate me in the use of a compass one summer. I gave it a whirl...and stopped pretending to learn. ’Lead on, George,’ was my answer. I wasn’t lost, though, because I was with a fellow who wasn’t lost."
How about you?
Are you following someone who knows where He’s going?
Or are you following the rest of the crowd that’s just as lost as you?
You see…
3. To grow as a church, we must become dedicated to the concept of discipleship.
If I am a newer Christian and I want to be a person of grace, that is, experiencing spiritual growth, I must be committed to the concept of discipleship.
I must be willing to be a follower.
I must desire to be discipled by someone who knows the way.
I will hold myself accountable and let them share with me their experiences that have brought them to the place they are now.
If I am to be a person of grace, I must also be willing to be a discipler.
I must be determined to follow God in such a way that I can say to others, “Follow me.”
“Imitate me.”
Be aware, that as people that are spiritually growing, that we often play the role of the discipler and the discipled at the same time.
God has called us to fellowship together so that we will do this very thing.
God has called us to grow together toward Christlikeness, in unity, as His family.
So…
Are you growing or stagnant?
Are you bearing fruit or barren?
Are you a person of grace?
What is your heart’s desire today?
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Be a person growing in grace…and desire to know God’s will, for God wants you to know about life; but more importantly, He wants to be in constant relationship with you, so that you will know His good and gracious will;
Be a person growing in grace…and desire to grow in the knowledge of God; don’t settle for where you are now, but instead do all you can to learn about Him so that you will know Him better;
Be a person growing in grace…and desire to be strengthened by the power of God; listen to His Spirit and then let Him empower you to grow and bear fruit so that others may know God’s grace in this ungracious world.
Now may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ…make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
