Spiritual Growth
A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick
Spiritual Growth - what a strange set of words! It seems, by very definition, that these words are contradictory to each other. "Spirit" cannot be seen. Jesus said it to Nicodemus in John 3:8: "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." On the other hand, "growth" is something which must be seen - to know that there is growth, there must be a measurement. Like plants, for example, or like a youngster who stands with his back to the ruler on the door jam, or like stocks and bonds and other finacial instruments - they can be measured. When associated with the church, the word "growth" most often relates with the visible and measurable aspects - the size of the building, or size of the congregation. And in fact, in most cases, when the church is well, and when the church is healthy, it grows. Sheep beget sheep, and you can count them. In our church we're praying for, believing for, and preparing for that kind of growth to happen. And the Bible speaks about this kind of growth, numerical growth. At the very beginning of the church, Acts 2:47 recounts, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Actually, the numbers begin in I Corinthains 15:6: "After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep." On the day of Pentecost the number had reduced to 120, but note Acts 2:41, where it says, "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." Then there is an update in chapter 4 verse 4: "But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand." There are several other places where growth is noted, but it's interesting to note that most of the time this kind of growth is described as "Growth in God's Word", which really is referring to the spreading of the Gospel
Acts 12:24 "But the word of God grew and multiplied." (KJV) Acts 19:20 "So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." (KJV) Jesus often talked in parables, and in many of the parables He used the term "Kingdom of God", or "Kingdom of Heaven". For example, Mark 4:26-32. "'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.' Again he said, 'What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.'" "Kingdom of God" is just another way of saying "Spiritual Life", and it is expected that this "Spiritual Life" be growing. In fact, this is the very reason why the Lord provided leaders in His Church:
1. Grow in Wisdom -
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (II Peter 3:18) Growing in wisdom is growing in the knowledge of Christ.
Recently we have been talking about the necessity of our taking responsibility for our own spiritual well-being. Perhaps this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote the second chapter of Philippians: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12 - KJV) ("continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling" - NIV) "To work out" means "to work fully, to finish." Albert Barnes, in his great commentary writes, "It is a duty, because the salvation of the soul will not take care of itself without an effort on our part. There is no more reason to suppose this than that health and life will take care of themselves without our own exertion. And yet many live as if they supposed that somehow all would yet be well; that the matter of salvation need not give them any concern, for that things will so arrange themselves that they will be saved. Why should they suppose this any more in regard to religion than in regard to anything else?" He goes on to explain that to "work out our own salvation" means:
(2.) that we are to break off from our sins by true repentance; (3.) that we are to believe in the Saviour and honestly to put our trust in him; (4.) that we are to give up all that we have to God; (5.) that we are to break away from all evil companions and evil plans of life; and (6.) that we are to resist all the allurements of the world, and all the temptations which may assault us that would lead us back from God, and are to persevere unto the end. The great difficulty in working out salvation is in forming a purpose to begin at once. When that purpose is formed, salvation is easy.
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall." (II Peter 1:5-10) A. The Pathway to Growth
"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon." (Psalms 92:12)
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