Christian Growth

Christian Growth

To help believers to keep their spiritual growth alive.

Intro

I. God kicks it off in an atmosphere of complete trust

Eph 2:8-10

                        The person who initiates growth, who gets us moving off dead center, is God.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

II.  I yield (confess, commit, obey)

Ro 12:1-2.

                        The cycle of growth begins when you and I finally decide to let him do his thing.

We turn over the control of various areas of our intellect, attitudes, values, emotions, relationships, thoughts, habits, motives, and desires as much as we can, to the one we have acknowledged as Lord.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

III. Christ Becomes Lord

Philip 2:9-11.

                        Do you know what a "lord" is? British young people would be more familiar with the term than we are, since they live around nobility called lords, and

          But all of us at least know what a landlord is; he or she is the person who owns the building, controls what goes on inside, has the power to kick out whoever he doesn’t like, etc. Why? Because it’s his or her house! He or she is the boss.

Well, that’s what happens when we permit Christ to be Lord of more and more of our lives. We give him the right to control what goes on. There’s a difference, of course, in that he is no brute or selfish money-grubber; he guides and leads us through the power of his own example as explained in the Bible.

We can "give God permission" because he does not force himself on us. He allows us to exercise our wills.

As we keep yielding various areas to the Lordship of Christ, he eventually comes to control more and more of our "house." We are on a continuum from zero percent Christ-control to 100 percent Christ-control. Only you can say at what point you are on the continuum: 40 percent? 75 percent? 20 percent? Which way is the present trend—toward more and more lordship for Christ or less and less?

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Then draw an arrow down the left side of the worksheet going from #2 to #3 and write, "Permits" along the arrow.

IV. HOLY SPIRIT’S power

Eph 3:16-17.

When the Holy Spirit’s power is released in your life, he produces all sorts of by-products.

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

Draw another arrow down the left side of the worksheet going from #3 to #4 and write "Releases" along the arrow

V. Sensitivity to Sin

Ga 5:16-18.

 Now that the Holy Spirit has pointed out some problems in our lives, what are we going to do about it? We can stifle, squelch, or ignore him, but this will put us on a dead-end street toward guilt, rebellion, and the lack of power as well as the lack of feeling of being loved that we have enjoyed.

Or we can face up to this new problem that the Holy Spirit has illuminated, which requires that we yield and confess once again regarding this new area.

16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

. Then draw an arrow from #4 to #5 and write, "Produces" along the arrow

draw an arrow on the right side of the worksheet that goes all the way from # 5 back up to #2 and write the word "Requires"