GROWTH AS A PROCESS
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Mark 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake,
immediately they are offended.
Jude 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
I. WHAT IS GROWTH?
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
A. GROW:
The process of growing
To spring up, to develop to maturity.
To increase in size by assimilation of material.
B. Is growth a priority goal in our families?
C. IS GOOD GROWTH ACCIDENTAL OR PLANNED?
D. PROCESS:
Unfolding of an activity.
Course of action that leads to progression
To progress, advance A SERIES OF ACIONS CONDUCTING
TO AN END.
II. NOT ALL GROWTH IS HEALTHY!
Mark 11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
A. Malignant Cancer Tumors have unlimited growth potential.
B. Cancer is a parasite -- it feeds up the host.
C. The cancer will expand and invade and metastasize and spread destruction and eventually death.
D. WE NEED GOOD HEALTHY GROWTH!
E. Growth within itself is not necessarily healthy and good.
III. HAVE WE MADE PLANS FOR GROWTH?
IS GROWTH A PERSONAL GOAL?
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO BRING ABOUT GROWTH?
A. There are more people in the cemetery today than there was a year ago?
IS THAT HEALTHY, BENEFICAL GROWTH?
B. We need more than mere pounds? That is just getting FAT!
More than height? That is awkward.
More than mere ears and eyes? WE NEED MORE LOVE!
C. People are not planning to fail, they are failing to plan, and Thus we become trapped in this perpetual babyhood state.
D. We have leadership that acts immature and demanding.
We must establish growth and learning as personal and corporate goals.
IV. PERPETUAL BABYHOOD?
A. We have in the United States a condition that we shall call — PERPETUAL BABYHOOD.
B. I am not just throwing this BABY BLANKET over the church, it covers many of our educational systems, business organizations, government officials, and sports clubs.
V. WHY DO WE GO TO SCHOOL?
WHAT HAPPENED TO LEARNING AS THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF SCHOOL?
WE CATER TO CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF OUR ELITEST SOCIETY GROUPS.
A. Super good athletes get to bypass the educational part of school to be the STARS THAT BRING TROPHIES to school programs.
B. Have you ever heard of a basketball player graduating high school and he can not read or write?
But he has a scoring record?
C. Have you ever heard of STAR ATHLETES being at drunken and sex parties and accused of rape? They claim their innocence?
I say: WHAT WERE THEY DOING THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?
D. Big school athletic programs pass money, cars, and women to sign the stars to play and bring national attention to the school for winning championships?
WHAT ABOUT A GOOD EDUCATION?
E. In many big name schools the sports programs use the players’ eligibility to play, and up to 70% do not have a degree after four years?
Teachers learn to pass the players so the school can win?
VI. I WONDER IF WE CAN SEE GROWTH AS A PROCESS?
WILL WE SETTLE FOR MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL MIDGETS?
A. WE HAVE PEOPLE IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE MANIPULATING THE SYSTEM TO BYPASS GROWTH AND LEARNING AND STAY PERPETUALLY IN BABYHOOD?
B. What are we teaching? What are we growing?
C. WE MUST PROMOTE GROWTH:
WE MUST GROW STRONG MINDS---
WE NEED TO GROW STRONG HEARTS---
WE NEED TO GROW STRONG WILLS AND DETERMINATION---
WE MUST GROW A STRONG SPIRIT---
D. WE ACCEPT NO EFFORT PYGMIES AS A NORM?
Does it ever get to be an embarrassment to change the diapers on adult students because they are so lazy they don’t have to apply any effort?
VII. WHAT ABOUT THE CHURCH?
1 Cor. 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
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?
VIII. FAILURE TO THRIVE:
A. THRIVE:
To grow vigorously, flourish.
To gain, to prosper.
To progress toward a goal.
B. Once I was a Chaplain at a local hospital.
We saw patients and would talk and pray with them.
Once a Doctor referred a little child to me to visit and spend time with the family.
The diagnosis on the card listed: FAILURE TO THRIVE.
I was so surprised when I walked into the room.
Here was a child that was less than ½ the weight it should be.
The doctors could find nothing medically wrong.
Just the child never had an appetite and was not very active for it’s age.
C. CAN WE HAVE A SIDEASE IN OUR PERSONAL LIFE---
FAILURE TO THRIVE? HOW CAN WE CURE IT?
IX. WHAT DOES GOOD GROWTH REQUIRE?
A. A balanced diet
B. Proper rest
C. Educational opportunities
D. IN THE PROCESS OF TIME
E. DO WE RECOGNIE A PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT?
We crawl before we walk? We make sounds before we talk?
F. Have you ever been in a process to kill some monsters, and become a monster?
G. Trial and error can become a developmental process.
H. Do we learn a process where we all begin to eye our neighbor as the possible enemy?
X. WE ARE AL EVENT DEMANDING SOCIETY!
A. EVENT:
Outcome, something that happens, episode.
Something that may or may not happen.
A memorable point in development.
B. WE TEND TO SEE REVIVAL AS AN EVENT INSTEAD OF A PROCESS.
XI. THE PROCESS OF GROWTH REQUIRS AN ELEMENT OF CHANGE.
A. We can not stay the same way we have always been and expect the whole world to change.
B. Growth must first focus on the individual before the church or group will change. SOME INDIVIDUALS GROW SO EASY AND NATURALLY.
C. It is easy when we have growth that those that adapt and apply new principles quickly will want to run ahead of the group.
XII. LET’S DRIVE THIS FLOCK? LET US MAKE THEM---?
DRIVING GOD’S FLOCK, WILL DRIVE THEM AWAY!
John 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
A. Many Preachers and church leaders get frustrated wanting to lead the group faster than the group wants to go.
We need BALANCED WISDOM.
B. One can not lead any group faster than they want to go. I have heard it said: YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER, BUT YOU CAN NOT MAKE IT DRINK.
This is true, and can become a source of contention.
C. But any good farmer knows, you don’t have to make the horse drink.
There is a smarter way than fighting bull headed horses.
D. Buy a salt block, place it in the field, you don’t have to make the horse drink. After a few licks from the salt block,
YOU CAN NOT KEEP THE HORSE AWAY FROM WATER.
E. Now God has a plan for his people.
God does not call COWBOYS TO DRIVE HIS BLOCK.
God calls shepherds. Shepherds gently lead.
A good shepherd finds green pastures, and still waters,
and leads the flock.
Growth will be the result of any good shepherd finding rich nourishment and refreshment for God’s flock.
XIII. GROWTH IS DARING YOUR HEART TO BELIEVE AND ACCEPT WHAT YOUR EYES CAN NOT SEE AND YOUR EMOTIONS CAN NOT FEEL.
2 Cor. 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
A. HOW WILL WE APPROACH DIFFICULT PROBLEMS?
WHAT ANGLE SHOULD A CHRISTIAN TAKE? THE TRY-ANGLE!
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
B. WE MUST ESTABLISH GROWTH AS A GOAL.
We need people to grown to the point that they do not need to be continually ministered to—but they can and are willing to minister to others.
C. The difference in ordinary and extraordinary --- is a big EXTRA!
D. ARE YOU GROWING?
HOW MUCH HAVE YOU GROWN IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS?
ARE YOU ENCOURAGING AND PROMOTING GROWTH, OR SHALL WE
STAY THE SAME. IT IS UP TO YOU!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Be on my team? Pass this on to others?
