Sermon Tone Analysis

Thesis/ Central Idea:

The process of development and maturing, used to refer to the progress of the kingdom of God and the spiritual development of believers.

Scripture uses images of growth (such as seeds, plants and infants) to stress the dynamic nature of personal faith and the kingdom of God.

Introduction:

At some point don’t we always expect people to grow or at least change?

I wonder however if we have that same expectation of ourselves.

Do we get comfortable with a certain level of being then we just stubbornly stay there?

One needs to understand that if you are not growing in your faith,

you are failing

you are shrinking

you are withering

you are languishing

you are lessening

you are dying in your faith

There is a law in Thermodynamics called Entropy

basically this law states that everything moves towards a state of degradation, degeneration and even nothingness.

You can also say things move naturally to a state of disorder, a tendency toward decline

for instance the older you get your body degrades

the further you are away from light the dimmer it gets

This will happen in your

relationships

your education

your physical existence

your spiritual existence

your faith

Understand that if you stand still, by default you will be passed by

the world and everyday systems will change and develop without you

causing your position to experience entropy, degradation, ineffectiveness and ultimately death

That is why scripture strongly encourages us to mature

to grow in our faith

for us not to sit on our hands

but actively do something in the Kingdom

and in our individual lives

[Let’s discuss the images of growth that the Bible uses…]

Images of growth

[It is very important that we renew our faith by elementary teachings and then pursuing beyond them…]

Infancy to maturity

See also 1 Co 3:1–2; 1 Co 13:11; 1 Co 14:20; Heb 5:12–14; 1 Pe 2:2

Another image of growth the Bible uses is seen in plants

Seeds and plants

Note Luke uses the imagery of the Fruit does not mature

Paul does a similar thing...

See also 2 Co 9:10 “10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”

These few verses and several others demonstrate the need to attain understanding of the Elementary Teachings and then grow and mature in the faith

[The Apostles themselves prayed and worked hard to grow in their faith…]

The apostles worked and prayed for growth in believers

See also Col 1:28 “28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

Col 4:12 “12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”

[It is the Lord’s expectation of His people to mature.

There are four ares we can discuss where we should see Spiritual Growth…]

Dimensions of spiritual growth

In hope

[This is elementary and we should understand.

Another area of spiritual growth is…]

In faith

See also 2 Th 1:3 “3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.”

As faith increases the influence of scripture should increase as well

When the faith of the membership enlarges the ability for the Gospel to spread increases

A growing abundant faith can be seen in love for another increasing

[Another dimension of our spiritual growth is found in…]

In knowledge

See also Eph 1:17–18; Eph 3:16–19; Col 1:10; 2 Pe 1:3; 2 Pe 1:6

We do not have this knowledge intuitively, so we have to study and learn

God’s GRACE does the rest

[We also must grow in…]

In love

1 Th 3:12;

The Spirit uses Peter to reveal to us steps for maturity...

2 Pe 1:7–8 “7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We do not want to be unfruitful

[Ultimately growth is made manifest by our creator…]

Growth comes from God

See also 1 Co 3:6–7; 2 Co 9:10; Php 1:6

[God does not do everything that is why…]

Growth comes through discipleship

[That begins by…]

Putting away the sinful self

See also...

Ro 8:13–14 “13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

2 Co 7:1

Ga 5:24 “24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Eph 4:22–24 “22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Col 3:5–10

Growth does not stay basic

Moving on from basic teaching

See also Heb 5:11–14

Maturing in thinking

See also Ro 12:1

Persevering in faith

See also Php 2:12; Php 3:12; 2 Pe 1:5–8

Contributing to growth in the church by exercising gifts

See also 1 Co 14:1–5; Eph 4:13–16

Conclusion:

The Bible reveals for us how Christians are to move beyond elementary teachings and grow in our faith

by illustrating infancy to maturity and through plants and seeds

We seen the Apostles prayed and worked for the maturity of the Saints

The Bible shows dimensions of spiritual growth through

Hope