Real Growth For The New Year

Text:

Introduction

Opening IIlluss.:

o Through the power and promises of God, growing in your faith is made possible

Season of changing and lying

In my running days, I was a gym rat - about an hour a day

We dreaded January - The gym went from sparse to sardens overnight - we had a saying - Two weeks until normal again

This is the season that people dream of change, lie to themselves, and then quit

About 1/2 of us say we are going to spend less money, about 1/2 say we are going to lose weight and get in shape

The New Year offers a sense of change and newness, february often brings a sense of reality - We have trouble changing our ways - We can and do but must often we don’t

Losing weight is a good thing but we can’t lose focus on the things that matter most - spiritual things

Spiritual change - or my I say growth affects everything

When we grow in Christ - We see our bodies as temples, our finances as stewardships, and our relationships as priorities

But how can we have a paradigm shift from failure in changing to real growth this year

I believe we find the answer to this in 2 Peter

· Illuss.: Have you every been traveling some place new and lost your GPS signal – a feeling of uh-oh, Many of us are trying to grow Christ, using our own man made methods/plan –

· Illuss.: Have you every been traveling some place new and lost your GPS signal – a feeling of uh-oh, Many of us are trying to grow Christ, using our own man made methods/plan –

· God has specifically given us a plan to Christian growth

I want to share 6 principles of Christian growth for you today - don’t just take notes, don’t just listen - apply

Exposition

The Power of Growth (3-4): We Grow By God’s Power Not Our Own

Our first issues lies in the fact that we are trying to change under our own power

How?

a. God’s Power (v3) – This is the Holy Spirit

i. You can overcome any temptation

ii. You can discern (with prayer) any situation

iii. You can have victory of sin

b. God’s Promises (v4) – This is the Word of God

i. God has given us commands and examples through His Word

ii. Promised us victory, assurance, His power and presence, eternal life, and wisdom

c. Illuss.: God has given us the gassed up car and the instructions on how to drive it

d. Recap: Everyone saved can grow in Christ

The Plan of Growth (5-7): God has a specific plan for a Christian to grow

Even though growth happens through God’s power, it will require our effort - don’t expect magic pixie dust

· These are not stepping stones but constant additions that are added along the way

o Illuss.: Don’t be unkind to a brother in Christ and then tell them you are still working on self-control and you haven’t reached brotherly kindness

o You should be adding these qualities along the way

· These are not abstract but real tangible qualities of growth

· Also, faith is the foundation to all of this – you must be born again – but faith will produce growth

· These are the qualities you add

1. Virtue – Greek – excellence, valor, manliness – Man-up attitude

a. You have been placed on the rock, you are more than a conquer – Now act like it

b. This is mostly an attitude adjustment

c. Illuss.: When my children were very young, any time I painted a room, I would always set them up a place to paint (They always wanted to paint and I thought it was a good lesson). Inevitably, two things would happen: they would do a terrible job and then quit after 15 minutes – But, why? They were children

d. Virture is the attitude that seeks excellence over comfort

e. Virtue is the difference between between staying in bed Sunday morning because your “tired” or coming to church

f. Virtue is the difference between watching your 4th hour of tv or opening up the Word of God

g. Virtue is what carries your prayer life farther than a few minutes a day

h. Virtue is patience, working hard for growth that will not be realized until the future, knowing that your sacrificing the comforts of right now

i. Virtue is never satisfied with your current level of growth but is always striving forward

2. Knowledge – Diligent Study of the Word of God

a. Once you have added the right attitude then you can get to work

b. Every week I stress the importance of the Word of God

c. You must diligently “do it”

3. Self-control – Discipline

a. Discipline to follow God’s Word

b. Discipline is obedience to the Word of God

4. Counter culture – the world says indulge

a. Discipline requires diligence

b. Self-control is Holy Spirit controlled

c. How can we expect to grow without discipline

d. We can’t fast, pray, study, witness, overcome sin because there is no discipline in our lives

5. Steadfastness – perseverance

a. Recap – Faith-Study-Discipline-Steadfastness

b. Sticktoitness

c. Christianity maturity involves getting off the roller coaster

d. God can’t use unstable people – there is no fruit

e. Satan is trying to get you off the track (to quit) – get you distracted or discouraged

6. Godliness

a. Completeness

b. Godly people are fully submitted to God in every area of their lives

c. What area does God not belong in? None

7. Brotherly affection

a. Everything to this point has been about self – Once you began to experience Godliness then the focus moves to others

b. Text: Does your prayer life revolve more around you or others

c. The growing Christian develops love for God’s people

8. Love

a. Remember what Christ said – they will know your my disciples by your love for one another

b. This is the pinnacle of Christian maturity

c. A life marked by Christ-like love

i. Sacrificial

ii. Unconditional

iii. Serving

iv. Grace and truth

v. God-exalting

d. God is love – When we begin to love like God – then maturity really begins

e. TEST: How do you view the people in the world around you? Mature Christians view souls in need of a savior

· Applications

1. No short cuts : This is a specific path to growth (No other way)

2. These qualities go together, can not be separated, can not be skipped

3. Require diligence – Effort

4. Reminder: We do this through the power of God and with the promises of God

But how does this affect my weight? Take your eyes off of the symptom and place your eye on the cause

Promise of Growth – Growing Christians are fruitful (v8)

· Remember this is not about destination but direction (have and increasing)

· So, you don’t master self-control and move on – you are increasing in all of these qualities

· Implication: You are either moving towards Christlikeness or away from Christ

o There is no stationary place in the Christian life

· Before you leave today – You need to ask yourself this question – Am I growing?

· Because Peter now tells us that there might be something more wrong if you are not growing

Pitfall of No Growth- Growthless Christians lose sight of their salvation (v9-10)

· Illuss: Me without my glasses is dangerous, I am not far from legal blindness without them

· When growthless, we:

o Lose sight of the cross – have no motivation

o Lose sight of the resurrection – we have no hope

o Lose sight of our salvation – we have no assurance – therefore we have no joy

· When we don’t grow – we lose sight of what Christ has done in our lives

· Growth is the indicator of life

· Our growth is an encouragement and a testimony to ourselves that God has saved us and is working in our lives

Prospect of Growth: Christian growth leads us to joy (v11)

· This way: the way of growth is the path to Heaven and Christ and Eternal life

· This is not works salvation – The way is the indicator that you are saved

· Exhoration: Don’t rob yourself of the joy and peace of assurance in your salvation by neglecting your own spiritual growth

· Confirm your election and calling by adding diligence to God’s power and promises

· Growth = joy

Preaching of Growth: The Christian must be constantly Stirred (v12-15)

· Understand the nature of the flesh – habitual comfort

o Overeating, sleeping, and wasting time has never been difficult for me

o Discipline, study, love require some effort

· We need reminded: I know this stuff – but I need reminded

· The issue: We need stirred up.

o Illuss.: We are like the macaroni salad at the deli – gets crusty on top after it sits a while – so the woman comes around and stirs it up

o We need stirred up

· Peter says – I am writing this epistle so I can be your personal trainer throughout your Christian life

· We don’t need new revelation – we need the old revelation applied to our lives

· Exhoration: Visit this scripture often – memorize it – I must often preach on it

Conclusion

1. Make every effort to add to your faith and I, through the preaching of the Word, will make every effort to stir you up by reminder

2. See the big picture – We prepare for false teaching by making sure we are growing in Christ