Are You Growing?
2 Peter 3:18
In this sermon we are going to look at the subject of spiritual growth. Many people are saved yet never really grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ which is sad. There are tons of spiritual babies, as Paul said regarding the church at Corinth, but it does not have to be this way. Let us look at some of the things that keep us from growing as well as what is needed to grow.
Example of growth: (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
It is said that the people of Thessalonica’s faith had grown exceedingly. Could the same be said of us today? Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Therefore, we will never grow with out the word of God (2 Peter 2:2).
3 Things that can cause us not to grow:
- Malnutrition 2) Disease 3) Death
Gauges for our growth:
When children are little, we make charts of their growth in our homes which is done by measuring with a tape measure. What are some things that we can use to gauge whether we are growing or not.
- Learning New Things
- Putting away childish things
- Desire different things
- Think of others rather than ourselves
- Being faithful becomes the priority
What can we learn from the Parable of the Sower regarding our growth?
(Tell the parable and show the explanations using pots with soil and signs). We will use this parable to make spiritual applications to hearing and receiving the word of God.
1) The same seed is sown on all the different grounds.
- The seed is the word of God and it is not the problem. The problem is the ground it is sown upon.
2) The different types of ground represent different hearts that hear the word.
- Wayside hearer – heart is so hard the seed never penetrates so Satan steals it.
- Rocky ground hearer – receives with joy but no depth, grows quick and then withers, Note the word eventually offends them.
- Thorny ground hearer – seed grows but is chocked by riches and cares of this world.
- Good Ground hearer – Bears fruit, some 30, some 60, and some 100-fold.