2022-01-30 Grow! Graham
If something does not grow, it’s dead!!
2 Peter 3:18
God wants intimacy with us!! – And He does this through Jesus
Jesus needs to be our Saviour AND Lord!!
Jesus is Lord, He deserves all our praise & glory
We are to grow in several areas, like:
Grow in Grace
Grow in Intimacy
Grow in Spirit
Grow in Giving
Grow in grace & in Kingdom work!!
As we get older, the temptation increases of looking in the rear view mirror, and looking at regrets….
Don’t look back, Look forward! Look to the Lord!!
Biblical Growth
God gives growth
There is an expectation of individual growth
Corporate growth as a church
Grow in the gifts you have been given!!
1. God gives growth – He makes things grow!
1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Only God is anything, Who makes things grow!!
Grow as an individual
Many people depend on self-help books, but Only God can make you grow!! – so depend on Him to help you grow
2. There is an expectation that growth is part of our life in Jesus! We grow to be more like Christ!
1 Peter 2:2 – new believers need pure spiritual milk, as we continue to grow, we need more of it, and as well we need to add meat to our diet as we grow
Colossians 1:9-11 ‘I have not stopped praying for you’ Wow – this is so encouraging!!
So we live a life worthy of the Lord… to please the Lord, bear fruit in every good work, and grow in the knowledge of God
Ephesians 4:15 – speak truth in love, growing in every way like Christ!
Jesus is the Head of this church! He is in charge, and we want to become like Him
3. We are to grow corporately, as well as individually, to build the ‘Temple’ where the Lord can abide.
Ephesians 2:21 – we are building and growing as a temple of the Lord
v21 in Whom the whole building being fitted together, is growing in a-holy temple in the Lord, One new man! Both Jews and Gentiles joined together in Jesus
Ephesians 2:11-22 Read this verse in context, we were at one time… But now!!…
In Jesus, we are one new man!! We should desire to be one with God’s people!
4. You must grow and be empowered in the gifts that you have! (Not the Gifts that you want!)
Remember: you receive gifts, you grow the fruits…
There are several kinds of gifts, but they are all given (to you) by the Holy Spirit as He decides!
We need to grow in our gifts that God has given us. We are guaranteed to have been given a gift from God, if we belong to Jesus!
If you don’t know what your gifts are, then ask the Father to show you what they are, and you can also check with one of the church elders. We have some handy Gift survey’s that can help you identify that they are!
Galatians 5:16-25 (TPT) Contains a wonderful list of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit – no matter what our spiritual gifts are, we can and should bear these fruits of the Holy Spirit in us!!
Galatians 5:22-23 NLT “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Don’t stay in an unfruitful state!!
Stay connected to His Devine Love, remain in Him!! And let His Word remain in Him and grow our in Him!!
As a team, organization, Church: are we: Forming, storming, ‘norming’ & finally performing, as we grow in Christ and with one another?
Ask yourself – How are we growing? Are we bearing fruit?
Are we thin & spindly fruit? Or are we fat & juicy fruit?
Practical ways to grow:
Grow in prayer:
Make prayer a 2-way conversation with your Heavenly Father!! He loves you and wants to speak to you too!!!
Grow in Worship: it is a very broad area, but there is an element of intimacy with the Lord, we are worshiping the Lamb upon the throne! We are joining the vast numberless hosts of heaven in worshiping Him!!!
Grow in Reading the Bible:
This year, double what you were doing before!! You will surely grow as you spend time in His holy, inspired Word!!!
Feed & grow!!
Grow in connecting & sharing life together with other believers!
Grow in giving of your resources(abilities, relationships, finances) to the Lord’s work/Kingdom & to His community!
So, Take the challenge to Grow!!
There are also some negative growths to avoid!
2 Thessalonians 3:13 Do not grow weary in serving the Lord!!
Galatians 6:9 Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up !
The Father has shown us this year He wants us to grow, so grow in him!!