BUT GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
(There is a part #1 STUPIDITY: TO GROW OR NOT TO GROW, THAT IS THE QUESTION?) Stupidity of sameness.
There is a sad tendency with a low priority on spiritual growth. We must correct this problem.
*GROW: DEVELOPMENT BY INCREASING, PROGRESS, MATURITY, CHANGE, GREATER, ADVANCEMENT, BETTER, SUCCESS, EXPAND, OPTIMISTIC, OPPORTUNITY, IMPROVE, LEARN, FLOURISH, GOALS.
Am I asking myself do I walk by faith? As we learn more and more about God we learn to trust His plan more and more. We learn as we trust by faith that we CAN LEAN ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS OF AN OMNIPRESENT GOD. The more we read, learn and believe God’s word GROWTH will become natural. Good healthy growth takes a plan involving time and effort. Is my compassion and love growing? DO WE VALUE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OR ARE WE STAYING IN THE SAME PLACES? Spiritual growth will help us deal with our emotional and spiritual UPS and DOWNS.
REAL GROWTH COMES WHEN WE ASK JESUS: PLEASE HELP ME. We must let go of our anxiety, fear and worry. WE CAN HONESTLY SAY LORD, I TRUST YOUR PLAN… BUT JESUS HELP MY UNBELIEF…
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
GROWTH: COME AS A CHILD, BUT WE MUST PUT ASIDE CHILDISHNESS…
*CHILDISHNESS: BRATTY, SILLY, IMMATURE, POUT, FOOLISH, EMOTIONAL YO YO, BLAME, IMPULSIVE, MINE, NO BOUNDARIES, EMOTIONAL, LIE.
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
TRIALS AND TEST HAVE A PURPOSE. WHY ARE TEST GIVEN?
I read where a man that never graduated high school worked as a janitor and helper in an operating room at a hospital for many years. He watched the doctors do major surgery. He thought I can do that. He got the bright idea of moving and sitting up a doctor’s practice and doing surgery. He was very successful until his real record was found. He was just a janitor and a helper. He had done several surgeries before he was caught. The man that did the surgeries never finished high school. He never graduated college or medical school. He just decided to be a SURGEON, kind of like Jethro Bodine. He never studied. He was never tested. He never did residency. He was just a surgeon. (NOTE: Wow. When this became PUBLIC NEWS several of his patients said he was the best doctor ever?)
Would you want a doctor that never passed a test? How about a lawyer that never attended law school or passed the bar exam? How about someone to do your taxes that had absolutely no knowledge of the tax codes? We want people that had exerted effort and learned and grew and bettered themselves.
Often we see in the spiritual realm people that never apply effort to improve. They are lazy as a dead fish drifting with the river current. WHAT ARE YOU DOING OR NOT DOING TO STUDY AND GROW CLOSER AND CLOSER TO GOD’S PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE?
COME AND LEARN AN ENGLISH LESSON:
There are 4 kinds of sentences. 1. Declarative; 2. Interrogative (?); 3. Exclamatory (!) 4. Imperative command.
Let us look at what an IMPERATIVE COMMAND IS. The imperative command is a sentence that expresses a direct command, invitation, instruction or warning. Rarely do imperative commands have a subject, it is implied second person, you understood. (Example: Turn the stove off.)
There are many imperative commands in the Bible. Let not your heart be troubled. John 14:1. PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER… Growth is not optional it is essential and a requirement for healthy spiritual life. HOW DO WE EVALUATE SPIRITUAL GROWTH? MEASURE? But!
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18 (MSG) Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Yes!
WHAT IS A NOVICE? DO WE EMPHASIZE SPIRITUAL GROWTH?
We send our kids to school 35 hours a week and we close our Sunday School classes from lack of attendance?
1 Timothy 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1 Timothy 3:6 (MSG) He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up.
A novice (na-vas or NO-vas) is no skills, not proficient, a beginner, new person, inexperienced in situations, a race horse that has never won a race, someone not qualified, not prepared.
I knew a man that had a wonderful experience with the Lord. He had been an alcoholic and drug addict. He had never been in a church all his life. He had never owned or read the Bible. He knew absolutely nothing about Bible Doctrine or Christian believes. HE WAS A NOVICE! He went to church one time, the pastor had resigned. The man announced he was called to preach and to be the pastor of that church. Several people were very excited and was willing to accept him. The man talked to a preacher friend and got some new ideas. Several services later the man carried in a large wooden box and sat it under the altar. He called for all the believers to come forward. If you were an unbeliever stay in the back. They cranked up the music. THE NOVICE PREACHER PULLED OUT THE BOX AND OPENED IT. People were excited and started screaming. He pulled two rattle snakes and 3 copperheads out of the box. In his excitement to preach he thought he was doing right. The unbelievers as well as the believers cleared the building and the new pastor was DISMISSED… He reverted to the alcohol and drug lifestyles. He blamed the hypocrites at the church, not being a novice.
The church did not follow the imperative command: NOT A NOVICE… We need leaders that have studied, been mentored, follow and grew under spiritual models and been motivated to GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING SMALL… BUT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WHEN THERE IS NO EFFORT TO GROW. THERE IS A SHORT PARABLE THAT JESUS TAUGHT LISTED IN ALL 3 OF THE GOSPELS… SMALL BUT GROWING.
(Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 23.) NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE.
Mark 4:30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
IDENTIFY THE REAL GROWTH TEST: IF THERE ARE NO ROOTS THERE WILL BE NO FRUITS…
Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matthew 7:20 (NLT2) Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
GROWTH? YOUR GROWTH WILL BE TESTED BY STORMS… THE ROCK VS THE SAND… THE MIGHTY CRASH COMES WHEN YOU BUILD YOUR VERY FOUNDATION ON THE SAND. THE STORM WILL TEST… YOUR GROWTH…
Matthew 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
THE TEST OF GROWTH WILL COME BY STORMS: 1. Rain (small, frequent) 2. Floods (build up, accumulation) 3. Winds: Seek shelter, survey damage and build again.
HAPPENSTANCE, COINCIDENCE OR CHANCE GROWTH? Growth from THE FIRE WILL REVEAL IF YOU HAVE GROWN OR IF YOU ARE PLAYING GAMES… DO WE HOLD OUR GROWTH ACCOUNTABLE?
Remember Luke 15, the lady had 10 coins? When she grabbed a candle and got a light, she saw dirt, she cleaned house.
1 Corinthians 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
DO WE REALIZE GREAT MEN OF GOD GREW? IF MEN OF GOD GREW, HOW MUCH MORE DO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON GROWING?
HANNAH TOOK HER LITTLE BOY TO CHURCH AND GAVE HIM TO GOD: SAMUEL GREW…
1 Samuel 2:26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT BUT HE GREW…
Luke 1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
PAUL HAD A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE LIGHT… BUT HE GREW…
Acts 9:22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
JESUS WAS THE SON OF GOD BUT HE KNEW AND DEVELOPED…
Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
CONCLUSION: I know it all? I don’t need fellowship? I allow my emotions to be up and down? I refuse to discipline my spirit? I don’t need accountability? I am good? I don’t need improvement? Why do I need to grow? We are commanded to grow in grace and knowledge.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol..com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
