Spiritual Growth

Opening

apologize for several references

not a term found in scripture but a concept category (like trinity)

authority of scripture

tapestry mosaic not linear

Spiritual growth

Spirituality

Reasoning

not a word in found in the bible

Not eastern Mysticism

Definition form the Dictionary of Biblical Themes

The quality of life generated and nourished by the Spirit of God, in which believers experience the power and presence of God in their lives. True spirituality comes from living under the control of the Holy Spirit and is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit, spiritual maturity and growth in holiness.

What spirituality is

scripture examples of spirituality mature individuals

Enoch

Genesis 5:24 ESV

24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Noah

Genesis 6:9 ESV

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

Enoch and Noah walked with the LORD

Moses

Numbers 12:3 ESV

3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.

Numbers 12:7–8a ESV

7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Numbers 12:7–8 ESV

7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Nu 12:

David

Moses is meek in character

explain meekness horse analogy

Numbers 12:

speaking clearly without confusion

beholds the form

David

1 Samuel 13:14 ESV

14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

1 Samuel

The book of adds “who will do all my will”

desires the heart and will and there connection

Stephen

Acts 6:5 ESV

5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

Acts 6:1–8 ESV

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

Acts 6:8 ESV

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

had wisdom,

full of faith

Grace

because of the Holy Spirits power

Finally Barnabas

able to bare fruit

ac 11:24

Acts 11:24 ESV

24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

spiritual growth

What causes spiritual growth, then how do we grow spiritually?

What causes spiritual growth

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

work out your own salvation (strive)

it is God who works in you (active role)

his will and pleasure (David)

How it works

Genesis 1:26–28 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

repetition and poetry

before unpacking the connection. Submission

authority vs. submission (Texas)

Trinity submission

3 way we are like God

likeness

image

authority

how spiritual growth works is by our submission

How do we grow spiritually aka submit to the LORD

set context for wilderness

what happens right before wilderness

make food for yourself, not bread alone

throw yourself off, don’t the LORD

matt 4

Matthew 4:8–10 ESV

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ”

Satan is offering authority of world through what means

fall down (submit) and worshiping him

by Christ response we have true authority

Worship the LORD and serve him

authority we have is because of the one we worship

Review where we have been

presence of the LORD (like our Examples)

to be like the CHRIST

submission that gains us true authority

through Worship

worship

Illustaration of complete worship

individual and community Worship

family is shared history

acts gives us the 5 main components

the LORD’s Supper, teaching, prayer, praise, and giving

sociologist’s definition of culture: “Culture . . . is the effort to provide a coherent set of answers to the existential situations that confront all human beings in the passage of their lives.”

He then defined a cultural revolution as “a decisive break from the shared meanings of the past.”1

This is a significant description. “Shared meanings of the past” — is this not what describes a family?

Zacharias, Ravi. The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives (p. 137). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

have you ever felt like an outsider

this conects the success and the deep disappointment

The church is supposed to be a community — and a healing community at that. Yet if you listen to the stories of disappointment among people within this community, you quickly realize how far from God’s purpose and ideal we have drifted

Zacharias, Ravi. The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives (p. 138). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Illustrate the condition of our Church

for example I have carelessly uttered words of castigation against certain persons, things, and behavior

Pulling someone down is easy; building someone up is difficult. It takes a mature and patient heart to heal with a tender touch without compromising one’s convictions. Was that not the way our Lord handled the Samaritan woman and the woman with the alabaster ointment (see ; )? Without justifying their mistakes, Jesus brought hope and healing, not condemnation and reprimand. But we tend to focus on each other’s mistakes and sins. We hurt and injure the already injured. We knock out the already knocked down.

Zacharias, Ravi. The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives (p. 139). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

early church from left to division and comparing gifts and feelings of superiority over others.

Comm-union and comm-unity do not ignore diversity

Prayer

Little of the word with little prayer is death to the spiritual life. Much of the word with little prayer gives a sickly life. Much prayer with little of the word gives more life, but without steadfastness. A full measure of the word and prayer each day gives a healthy and powerful life.

-Andrew Murray

so how do we pray?

example of the LORD’s Prayer

intercession

Christ example in John 17

I have heard it said that nice in all but I not much of a prayer

3 guides for myself and you

pray till you pray

Pray till you are conscious of being heard

pray till you receive an answers

Prayer meeting (Jana hosting?)

fasting

Teaching

OT to NT shift from ceremony to teaching

this is the Back bone of all worship

so we may know understand the truth

so

Deuteronomy 6:7 ESV

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Duet 6:7

address teachers

warning that when praise music becomes the center peice

Praise

just like poetry music capture emotions and memories these are deeply rooted to a persons being

when we cut off the hymns

when prohibit the contemporary

it is the msg and teaching in the music that is important

Charity

I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. in other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries amusement, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. if our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.

with all these it the heart of the act to matters most

The Lord’s Supper

why is it called communion

unity of use in the presence of the LORD and our unity as a community

Importance

there is the ceremonial of it

that symbolize what was mention

our public profession as a group

early church style of Lord’s supper in context

any time we eat with other believers

but does that take it lightly

Ritual based on tradition is important but if made the focus is wrong

If ritual based on obedience loses it focus its not the sacrament at fault but the heart of the individual

in closing

invite you to commit to grow spiritually

by ask the LORD for growth

by making a personal commitment

it ok if you fail try again

so you may experience the power and presence of God in this life.