Kids- Grow in the Lord

Welcome-

Songs

Obedience

Submit Yourselves Therefore to God

James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Prayer

Bible Memory Verse

Lesson

Introduction -

There are some things I am going to say to you tonight that you may understand… and there may be some things i say that you do not understand and that is ok. I want you to listen carefully with your ears… and think with your mind… and have an open heart.

Let’s look at II Peter 3:18....

II 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.”

I Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”

Ask Question - What does it mean to grow in the Lord?

To grow in the Lord:

Must Be Saved.

Question - What does that mean?

A. We are ‘saved.’ This is a bible word.

Luke 7:50 “And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

Faith is belief and trust. This woman in Luke 7:50 believed that she was a sinner and the Jesus was her Savior and because of that faith---the Lord Jesus Christ saved here....

But saved from what?

When we are saved, we are saved from a place called hell.

We are saved from eternal seperation from God.

We are saved from having to pay the price for our sin… which is eternal death…

B. Another word the Bible uses is to be born again. This was an example the Lord Jesus Christ used to talk to Nicodemus.

Everyone who is here tonight has a birth day. The day that you were born.

To be born again, means that when you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are spiritually born… inside… in your heart God makes you alive… He lives inside of you and because of that you spiritually alive.

John 3:7 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

I Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

How can we be saved?

- First we must understand and be take responsibility for the fact that we are a sinner, and because of that we have need of a Savior.

If I understand I have done wrong---sinned--- and that wrong has been committed against God, I have a problem.

The problem is that God has said in His Word, I have sinned I must pay the payment for sin which is seperation from God.

There is no one that is born into this world, save the Lord Jesus Christ who has never sinned.

Romans 3:10 “10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”

Romans 6:23 tells us, “23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

- Second I must understand and believe that Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son died for my sin, was buried and rose again.

This is what we call the Gospel - which means Good News.

It is Good News, because the first thing I told you is bad news.

Nobody gets away with sin. God is perfect He is a just judge that always does right, must judge us because of our sin. However, instead of me paying for my sin, Jesus Christ paid for my sin.

Illustration: Brother taking punishment for sister.

Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

So understanding that I am a sinner, and because of that sin I am separated from God and on my way to eternal death, seperation from God for ever in a place of torment a place of darkness and I deserve that, I realize I need a Savior and His name is Jesus Christ.

- I must call upon God and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.

This is not something I can do for you. You know mom and dad can do alot of things for you. They can take you to school. They can tuck you in at night, they can feed you food. But they cannot trust in Jesus Christ and Him alone for you.

There is no other way to be saved. You must believe and recieve Jesus Christ as your Savior.

If you understand those first two things, that you have sinned against God. You have done wrong toward Him, and you understand that you are destined to die and be separated from Him forever, But you understand that the Lord Jesus Christ paid for your sin God the Father sent His only begotten Son to die for you and He did. He bled and died on a cross to pay for your sin. You understand and believe that He died was buried and rose again, You can ask God to save you by turning from your sin and turning to God.

The Bible says in Romans 10:9 “9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Romans 10:13 “13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Not only must you be saved--- to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, but you must:

Must Be In The Right Place.

Example/Illustration - Shannon places seed. Will it grow here? Will it grow here? Etc…

A seed must grow in soil.

Where do you think the right place to grow in the Lord is?

Church

Home

Anywhere

Matthew 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Illustration: ‘Simon Says’

Not only do you have to be in the right place physically like we just said (Church---Soil)

… but you must be in the right place in you heart (pointing to chest)--- spiritually. You know where God speaks to you and deals with you --- right here (pointing to chest).

So understanding all of this what are some things you and I should do as a Christian to grow.

The Bible says to read the Word of God.

I Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”

II Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

If you are able to read---you can read your Bible at Home. You can read your Bible in the morning, at noon, at night… if you have the time… anytime.

The Bible says to spend time praying to God.

Luke 18:1 the Lord Jesus Christ said this, “... that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

I Thessalonians 5:17 “17 Pray without ceasing.”

The Bible says to do what is right according to His Word.

Psalm 37:23 “23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: And he delighteth in his way.”

Psalm 1:1-2 “1 Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

The Bible says we are to come to the church house and be with God’s people.

Hebrews 10:25 We are not to forsake… “ the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Psalm 122:1 “1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Acts 2:46 “46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,”

The Bible says to pay attention to the lessons that are taught at church meetings.

I Timothy 3:15 “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

There is a right way and wrong way to behave at the church house.

You are to understand that this is the place where we come to sing to God. This is a place where we come to pray together and speak to God. This is a place where we come to hear from God. This is a place where God meets with us and we learn from the man of God preaching the Word of God.

This is a special place and we treat it as God’s because it is His. And it is special because we have dedicated it to Him, just like ourselves.

The Bible says to think on right things.

Philippians 4:8 “8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

The Bible says to tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ and Salvation by Him.

Matthew 28:18-20 “18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Mark 16:15 “15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

The Bible says to have the right friends.

Proverbs 27:17 “17 Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

Proverbs 16:27-28 “27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: And in his lips there is as a burning fire. 28 A froward man soweth strife: And a whisperer separateth chief friends.”

3. When we are not in the right place.

That means not thinking the right things.

That means not doing the right things.

That means not believing the right things.

That means not speaking the right things. In the book of II Peter 1:5-9 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” There is great danger in not growing as a Christian. Just as the Lord told us that when we are saved, it is that we are born spiritually… as a baby Christian we are to grow…

Imagine planting a seed —- it would be unusual for it not to grow.

Imagine a child that never gets any older… they remain in diapers… eats baby food… never walks…never reads… can never put on their own clothes…

And even worse God says, that those who do not grow become blind…

Everyone say ‘blind.’

What does it mean to be blind? Activity — close eyes and go for the three marks.

Not only are you blind, but God says you cannot see afar off, and that you have forgotten your even saved—-a Christian…

We run into people all of the time who have doubts as to whether they are saved or not...Do you know the number one reason why?