Roots Grown Deep | The Importance of Spiritual Growth in a Fallen World
Notes
Transcript
Paul was satisfied because they were these things, but he also wished to encourage them to grow even more in these things:
He hoped to shame them with praise, to shame them into maturity.
So what does it look like to be mature in the faith? What did Paul want for the Romans he was hoping to see.
The Root of Goodness
The Root of Goodness
Paul says that the Romans were, “Full of goodness” - mestoi agathosynes.
But what is goodness?
Paul’s Letter to the Romans A. Paul Affirms the Roman Believers and Explains the Nature of His Ministry, 15:14–16
‘Goodness’ may be described as a ‘positive moral quality characterized esp. by interest in the welfare of others’
Goodness according to Paul is a fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
And he encouraged the Ephesian Christians to “Walk as children of the light”
(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
According to Paul, goodness then is doing those things which cause us to “walk in the light”.
Peter agrees:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,
and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.
Christian Maturity thus begins by doing those simple, common things that lead to godliness. It’s as Peter noted, being “diligent to confirm your calling and election…” Thus we are called to do good. Goodness is about obedience to the Word and loving other as Christ commands. True faith is an outward expression of our inward confession. When our faith is about our feelings and not about loving God and loving people we are in a dangerous place.
Insular Christiantiy, a christianity that is consumed with itself will lead to falling away.
Sometimes we are looking for a sign, but God calls us to do what is before us.
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." Francis of Assisi
Filled with all knowledge
Filled with all knowledge
Paul also wanted to encourage them in their reading and studying of scripture.
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
As Christians we are to grow in knowledge. When we’re babies we know very little. We know we’re hungry, we know we’re wet or dirty, we know the voice of our mothers and fathers, and that’s about it.
We have to learn, we have to grow.
We have to develop.
How do we do this? Through Spiritual Disciplines.
Richard J. Foster develops a threefold typology of disciplines
They are:
Inward disciplines (meditation, prayer, fasting, and study)
Outward disciplines (simplicity, solitude, submission, and service)’
Corporate disciplines (confession, worship, guidance, and celebration).
Spiritual disciplines are a synergy of the divine and the human. It’s the Spirit working in our lives to develop us.
Able to Instruct one Another.
Able to Instruct one Another.
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
Though this is overlooked, we are all called to be faithful in instructing others in the Word of God.
We call this discipling someone. Discipleship is the process of instructing another believer
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
The church grows as God’s people lovingly and patiently admonish one another in the Spirit of God.
We see a negative example of this in Corinth.
The Corinthian church was very lax in encouraging others and because of that the church was in turmoil. Among the problems were: claims of spiritual superiority over one another, suing one another in public courts, abusing the communal meal, and sexual misbehavior.
Let’s be honest, these are the same problems we see today:
Spiritual Superiority, strife and arguing, favoritism, sexual sins, all of these are in the church.
Church we are called to lovingly and faithfully encourage one another in discipleship.
We do this simply. We can make discipleship something difficult but it can be as simple as 4 things:
Read the Word Together - go to lunch and read the word. Do a weekly zoom call, encourage one another.
Pray Together - Get together to pray. If you don’t feel like your know how to pray, work through a prayer process together like ACTS, or PRAY. Strategic Renewal has some wonderful tools.
Worship Together - Sit together in church. Encourage them to be there. Take notes in the sermon and discuss what touched them in the message.
Serve Together - Find a way to serve. Serve at church as a greeter together, help one another in VBS.