Dedicated to Spiritual Growth

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Dedicated to Spiritual Growth</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id163.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Intentional in Evangelism"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id171.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Relevant to the Culture"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>“Dedicated to Spiritual Growth,” Berean Bible Church, February 11, 2001am</B></div> <bR> <div>      Many Christians simply fail to grow significantly after they trust Christ. Years later, they are still struggling with the same problems of pride, lust, greed, anger, unkindness, and laziness. Believers will always struggle with the challenges of sin, but genuine growth should be evident as time passes. Are you growing in the areas of your spiritual struggles? Here’s what it takes to grow up in Christ.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. The Foundations of Spiritual Growth (Hebrews 10.19-25).</B></div> <div>      The following is based on the free access believers have directly to God. It is also based on the fact that Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest, our intermediary who leads us into relationship with God (vss. 19-21).</div> <div>      A. Be in relationship with God (vs. 22). The first aspect of relationship with God is being forgiven of and cleansed from our sin (all our acts of rebellion against God). This happens through putting our trust in Jesus Christ, who died as our substitute (in our place). Then God calls on us to draw near to him in an ongoing, increasingly close relationship. Rather than saying, “Grow up, then come close,” God says “Come close, <I>then</I> I will help you grow.”</div> <div>      B. Hold to the truth (vs. 23). To grow, we must rest on his promises found in his Word. We can trust his promises because they are based on his character – he is faithful.</div> <div>      C. Grow in <I>community</I> (vss. 24-25). Corporate worship in a gathering of any size with other believers, is vital to growth. But so is participation in a small group of believers. At this level, people can challenge one another personally to grow in Christ. You cannot grow in Christ all by yourself. It takes being in relationship with other Christians who can help you (and you can help them).</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. The Power for Spiritual Growth (2 Peter 1.3-5).</B></div> <div>      A. God’s power is more than adequate (vss. 3-4). He has given us <I>everything</I> we need for our spiritual lives and to become godly. Galatians 5.16-27 challenges us to <I>walk</I> in the Spirit. He provides step-by-step power for us to live properly.</div> <div>      B. God’s power is linked with disciplined effort and training (vs. 5, “make every effort”). It is necessary to do more than try hard – we must train ourselves. Spiritual growth is not automatic. It requires disciplined training and preparation.</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. The Results of Spiritual Growth (2 Peter 1.5-9).</B></div> <div>      A. Spiritual growth results in an increasing measure (vs. 8) of several character traits. These include faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (vss. 5-7).</div> <div>      B. Spiritual growth also results in usefulness to God (vss. 8-9). Growing believers are able to bear fruit and be effectively used by God. Christians who refuse to grow will not be useful to God, to accomplish his work and make a difference on this earth.</div> <bR> <div>      In order to grow spiritually, stay on the right foundation, use the available power, and see the results. We will do our best to structure the church’s ministry to help people in the process of growing spiritually. If our activities do not lead to people coming to faith in Christ, and  growing as devoted followers of Christ, we will make changes and do what it takes to effectively fulfill that mission, in the power of God.</div> <div>      Donald A. Carson wrote, “People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves that we have been liberated” (<I>For the Love of God</I>). You cannot slide into spiritual growth – it takes a commitment on your part. Are you willing?</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>