02 22 03 17-18 - G.r.o.w.t.h.
GROWTH
2 Peter 3:17-18
Intro:
· @ Thinking about what to preach as the first message of the year
o Gotta kind of be a theme message for the year
§ What else have I preached / heard?
· @ Rotorua pastor – “L-e-a-d-e-r-s-h-i-p”
o What is it that we will face this year? What will we need this year?
· What will we face this year?
o As a church
§ Church development in the Solomons
· Pastor training – church resources
§ AGM – considering God’s will for our money
§ End of June, our family leaves for six months
o Individually
§ Who knows where God will stretch you
§ Deaths, births, blessings, disappointments
· We don’t really know all that we will face – but we know that we each need to grow spiritually so that we can take the next step(s) this year
· Growth
o Numerical growth – sure – more people means more people
o Personal Spiritual growth is more the focus of this word today
· The word, GROWTH. In it we find some necessary activities if we are going to keep passionately following Jesus this year.
I. 2 Peter 3:17-18
A. Introduction
1. Peter wrote his two books dealing with big problems in early church
a. 1 Peter – persecution
b. 2 Peter – false teachers
2. These two verses summarize all of it
a. “Beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness”
(1) Definitions
(a) Beware—Guard closely
(b) Steadfastness—firm position; place of safety & strength
(2) Application
(a) don’t just hope you stand strong – do what is necessary to stand strong
b. “Being led away with the error of the wicked”
(1) Definitions
(a) “error”— deceptive beliefs
(b) “wicked”— refusing to be under authority
(2) Application
(a) There are those who say you can do anything you want – God doesn’t care – doesn’t matter
(b) That is a deceptive belief and it is wrong
(c) “It doesn’t matter if you grow this year.”
3. How to avoid these two errors?
a. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
(1) Definitions
(a) Grow—Present imperative – keep on growing; increasing
(b) Grace — Salvation, freeing, empowering grace – God giving to us what we don’t deserve
(c) Knowledge — Understanding that comes from personal experience
b. Applications
(1) Grace and knowledge go together
(a) The more you know about Christ, the more you live in His grace
i. When you know what Christ did to give you salvation, you’ll receive that gift of His grace for eternal life
ii. When you know that as a Christian you don’t have to earn His approval, you’ll live a life of service for Him because you understand His grace
(b) There is always room for growth in our understanding of the Lord and the grace He extends to us
i. Therefore we must keep growing
(2) You are either moving forward of backwards – no standing
(a) You can’t say, “I’ve reached as far as I want to go.”
(b) No one can say, “I don’t want to go further.”
Trans:
· So how will we grow?
II. Greet God
A. Verse
1. Colossians 4:2 - Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving
B. Comments
1. What is prayer?
a. @ In Too Busy Not to Pray, Bill Hybels starts the book with this statement, “Prayer is an unnatural activity.”
(1) An excellent book!
b. Talking to God
2. Why pray?
a. Normal answers
(1) It reminds us of our dependence on God
(2) It reminds us of God’s ability
b. Deeper answer
(1) It connects us to God in a real way
(2) @ Try to maintain any relationship without communication
(3) Prayer is not just a Christian duty or activity
(4) Prayer is a relationship builder
3. When to pray
a. Anytime!
(1) Yes, that’s one of the beauties of prayer
(2) HOWEVER...
b. Specific times as well
(1) Daniel – 3 times a day
(2) David -- Psalm 55:17 - Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.
(3) Why?
(a) Develops a habit that ensures we won’t let this get crowded out
(b) Doesn’t that make this legalistic?
i. @ Marriage Course – “Marriage Time” time set aside to spend together as a couple
· Doesn’t make the marriage legalistic and cold 0- just the opposite – ensures you have time to build the relationship
(4) Set aside a time in the day that you will spend in prayer with the Lord
(a) Protect that time!
III. Read God’s Word
A. Verse
1. Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
B. Application
1. We spend a lot of time talking about this activity
2. If we’re growing, we’re going in some direction
a. God’s Word gives us direction
b. It is what protects us from losing our steadfastness
c. It is what protects us from false teaching
3. Bible reading schedules
a. Don’t make it a chore
b. Use them as a help to keep you accountable
4. Use a journal
a. Write down what God teaches you as you read
b. You won’t remember everything you read
(1) So write down what God says and then go back over it
5. @ “That's all I have to say about that.”
IV. overcome obstacles
A. Verse
1. Psalm 37:23-24 - 23The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
a. God makes your steps firm
(1) With all that you will face this year, isn’t it good to know that God will be directing and firming your steps this year?
b. “ Though he fall”
(1) Fall to the ground.
(a) Not falling into sin — But falling into a calamity
c. “He shall not be cast down”
(1) Hurled away – overwhelmed
d. “For the Lord upholds him with His hand”
(1) Supports, gives maintaining power
B. Application
1. The Lord knows what you will face this year
a. He will not allow you to face more than you are able to bear
2. But there will be trouble — maybe even calamity
a. But God will sustain you
3. Therefore:
a. If you will grow this year, you can’t allow trouble to keep you down
b. If you stay down, you are:
(1) Saying God did not keep His promise
(2) Relying on your own strength and resource to overcome
(3) Not going to grow
4. One of the greatest times to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord is when trouble comes
a. we should greatly rejoice during those times because:
(1) God is saying we have grown to be able to handle it
(2) We are going to grow ever more closer to the Lord
V. witness
A. Verses
1. Matthew 28:19-20 - 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you
2. Acts 8:4 - Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
B. Application
1. There are few spiritual activities that will help you grow faster than sharing the Gospel with another person
a. It makes you dependent on the Lord for:
(1) Opportunities — Boldness — Wisdom
b. It makes you rejoice when you see how God can use you
2. Make a commitment this year
a. Set some numerical goals
(1) Tracts
(2) Invitations
(3) Testimonies
(4) Full presentations
b. If you aim at nothing, you will certainly hit it
VI. throw yourself into God’s Work
A. Verse
1. You have been gifted for ministry to others
a. 1 Peter 4:10 - 10As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
2. You have been equipped for active service
a. Ephesians 4:11-12 - 11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry...
3. You have been equipped so you can equip others
a. 2 Timothy 2:2 - And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
B. Applications
1. This will be a big area for us all this year
a. Our church is about all of us using what God has given us to do the work He wants us to do
b. We have no super saints here who get first dibs on the jobs
2. Ask God — volunteer — experiment — get busy.
3. We will be talking about this more this year
VII. honour the Lord
A. Verse
1. 1 Corinthians 10:31 - Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
B. Application
1. If you do these things so that God will bless you, then you will be inconsistent this year in your Christian walk.
a. “If the primary reason that we honor God is our profit, then we will discover there are many occasions where honoring him offers us no apparent benefit. In those moments we will turn from his ways unless what motivates us is a desire to honor God for his grace rather than a seeking after our own benefit.”[1]
2. Every decision you make...
a. Choice—Relationship—Use of time—Response—Involvement
b. ...must be about honouring God!
3. If the entire church stays focussed this year on honouring God NO MATTER WHAT, we will see continued spiritual and probably numerical growth again this year.
Conc.:
· If you planted a garden this year, you have enjoyed watching it grow
o As the plants have grown, they have gotten more mature and stronger to the point where they are now producing fruit
o What would you think of a garden if you planted seeds and seedlings and they all just stayed at that beginning level of development?
o Something is wrong!
· If you stay this year at your present level of development, something is wrong!
· Make sure you commit to growth this year!
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[1] Bryan Chapell, Holiness by Grace (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2001), 32.