Growing Your Faith

Christians Grow

Growing in faith - in Christ may not matter to you:

If you are not a Christian

If you are content with mere “nominal” Christianity

If you are a selfian who only thinks that you are a Christian

If you are backslidden and in a spiritual rut - or ditch

But for every one that is a normal, healthy Christian, growth is normal and necessary

Growth naturally follows birth

when you are saved you are Born Again

There should be evidence of this growth continually in all of us.

Growth is a sign of life

generally speaking, everything alive is growing

Your Growth Begins at Birth

Spiritual Growth is the same way - you must be “born again

John 3:3 NKJV

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

When babies are born, everything is about them

they receive everything, and they don’t give anything back - except some dirty dieapers

sometimes it is like that with new Christians

We receive forgiveness for our sins

we receive eternal life in exchange for the death sentence that was against us

we receive grace from God, and joy in the new life

Not much is expected of these new Christians

Unfortunately, some people forget that a seed is planted to grow fruit

there is purpose int he a Christian Life

we are all called to ministry, and to grow in our faith - to reproduce

The Seeds that don’t grow are the ones who snatched away

But other seeds grow, but never produce fruit

those that area on stony ground

those that are among weeds

You can use the weeds and stony ground as an excuse for why you never grew

or you can break up that stony ground, soften that hard closed heart

you can pull the weeds from the garden

this means getting things out of your life that compete with Christ

sinful habits, lust, greed, sometimes friends

If you do not Grow, you will recede

Mark 4:24–25 NKJV

24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The more you grow, the more you can grow,

but if you refuse, you will lose what you have

this is true for so many people that want to get “comfortable in their Christian lives

who want to live a life without challenge, without disappointment, without sacrifice

this is true of so many who never realize the joy that could be theirs through growing their Christ-likenesses

Pray to Grow In Faith

Luke 17:5–10 NKJV

5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

Mustard seed Fatih

Jesus has given every person a measure of faith

if you have any faith, you can have great faith

this is great news for everyone listening today!

Even if you only have a tiny little mustard seed of faith,. it can grow so that you can move mountains

And which of you.....?

And immediately Jesus begins to teach about this true Christian humility, and selflessness

I suppose some people read this and think He changed the subject

but He is teaching on how to increase your faith

Get the focus off yourself

If you do some great thing by faith - do not think that you have accomplished something so great that your are worthy of honor -

you did that which is expected of a Christian

It is your reasonable service

Romans 12:3 NKJV

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Acts 3:12 NKJV

12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

Acts 3:16 NKJV

16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

The Disciples turned people’s gaze back to Christ as their faith brought miracles

so many of today’s pseudo Christians brag of their faith, and their power - as if by their own will and strength they did things

But nothing will destroy true faith faster than self

Self is an enemy of faith. Self focus and self glorification will utterly destroy true faith, and leave something fake in its place

So Jesus said, even when you have done everything just right, say we are unprofitable servants - we only did what any Christian should have done — It’s His Name, through faith in His name!

You Cannot Grow Without Food

Jesus Said His Food was to do the will of God

The Word is also compared to food

1 Peter 2:2 NKJV

2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

2 Peter 3:18 NKJV

18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

We also will grow up to look like our heroes, those we admire most

Ephesians 4:15 NKJV

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

By looking into the Word, and knowing Jesus, we can grow to be like Him

We are expected to grow up to be like Him in all things

Some immature people waste time trying to make Jesus look like them

but actually, we are all supposed to look like Him.

We have to grow to do that.

Christian Growth Should Never End

Consider Paul as an example

He did a lot of growing -

Before he became a Christian he grew in religious knowledge

He followed perfectly every Jewish law he knew

He said that he was a “Hebrew of the Hebrew”

So zealous for this law, he even persecuted the Church

He grew to become a man of power and influence

he had authority and influence

He had just about everything that you could measure as having grown to great postition

Then he became a Christian, and really began to Grow

He said this:

Philippians 3:7–11 NKJV

7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul let go of all that he had, in order to grow in Christ

and he did grow

He became willing to suffer for Jesus

He began to preach that Jesus was the Christ

He did great miracles in His name - stepped out in faith, believing

He used all that he had for Jesus’ Glory

He cast out devils

he traveled everywhere, having no certain home even

He spoke not of his greatness, but rather of his infirmites

being cold and tires, beaten and imprisoned,

He grew so much, in one place he and his companions were referred to as the “men who turned the world upside down”

After all this growth, he still said

Philippians 3:12–14 NKJV

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Are you Growing in Your Faith?

If not, why not

If so, praise the Lord

How would the Lord have you grow?

the kind of growth that is acceptable is not measure in how much you get by it

some people will brag of their great faith by counting how much money or material things they have acumulated

things things can be a measure of faith when they are for the kingdom

When they are for you, they are God’s favor, perhaps rewards, but not really your growth

Growth is your faith is measure by how much you look like Him

“I press toward the goal - the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”

If you want to grow you must discern what He is desiring for your life - and grow into it

you must grow into it - He calls us from glory to glory, to more than you are today

Even if you have only a mustard seed, you can move mountains