Growing in the Grace of God

1 Peter 2:1-6

1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

1 Peter 2:2-3

2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. NIV

Body:

1.     Everyone grows differently in the natural and the Spiritual.

2.     Some grow rapidly it is according to how much of the word of God they can handle.

3.     Some have to grow gradually.

4.     Some takes a lot longer due to things going wrong with their lives.

But no one can force feed a person to grow spiritually. It will kill them spiritually.

Follow God in peace and love and prayer and then God will begin to show you things.

But even a little child if he doesn’t eat or drink and isn’t taken care of properly, he will die.

It is called child neglect. And so it is with God…. you cannot neglect a new babe in Christ they will die Spiritually.

The first thing to do is be born again. That is to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and then receive the Holy Ghost.

That won’t happen without the word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10.

1.     A baby born into the world needs a mother and a Father.

2.     To be born again you need a mother {the church} and a Father {God] and you need a Pastor to give you directions. Pastors are Shepherds or spiritual babysitters.

What is the first thing that happens after a baby is born into the world?

You bath them and clean them up. You clothe them to keep them warm and hide their nakedness.

You give them milk to nourish them and give them strength. That is what a good mother does.

You watch them to make sure they are not harmed in any way.

·        You treat them as babies.

·        You get scared if you can’t find them.

·        Worried if they are hurt or sick.

1.     As they grow you teach them to sit up and stand and then you to them to walk and you correct them.

2.     You teach them not to do things that might hurt them.

3.     You even smack their hands to keep them from dragging things off the table.

4.     You say no, no don’t do that.

5.     And sometimes they will try you to no end and frustrate you but you still love them.

It is the same way in the church ….when they are born into the kingdom you began to teach them. You can’t force feed them you can’t expect them to change overnight or in a year.

But you need to see some growth as they learn to pray and receive the word of the Lord.

·        What happens to a baby if they don’t eat?

·        What happens when they are getting older and they aren’t growing the way you expect them to grow?

·        Do you take them to the doctor to see if there is a problem?

Unless a person takes the word of God and begins to apply it to their life… they will not develop into a child of God.

As a baby needs milk to grow so will the new born Christian need prayer and the word of God to grow.

As a baby grows, his eating habits change and so does the way they are dressed.

1.     They sooner or later outgrow diapers.

2.     Some take longer than others it is according to how much determination the parent has in training them.

3.     They learn to crawl then walk and as they do you have to hold on to them so they won’t fall and if they do most of the time they will get right back up and try again.

They eventually learn to feed themselves that is a good sign of growth.

The new born Christian has to do much the same way they make changes as they grow. They learn to pray and read the word of God and try to feed themselves.

But the parent is always there to help if they need it. So is the Pastor.

I noticed as I grew up, I did a lot of things contrary to what my mother taught me and I got into trouble. I thought mom was just trying to boss me around and didn’t think I could do anything on my own.

Like if I give you Godly advise you think I am griping at you. That is what I thought when mother gave me advise. I was telling her I don’t need your help. But I did.

Well I learned after a lot by trial and error I found out that mother was right… her way would have saved me a lot of trouble.

But most of the time I learned a lesson too late.

If I had listened to the voice of experience it would have saved me a lot of heartache.

Now that I am older, I find much the same in my own children and now they are finding out that dad and mom was right after all too.

When I hear them complaining about something their kids are doing I remind them of the things I warned them about.

To live for God you have to do it a day at a time, step by step. As the writer says line up on line precept upon precept here a little and there a little.

But you never get it right by quitting.

Some here I have watched for the past few years….. you took it a little at a time and you ask questions and you tried to make the change you saw you needed to and you have grown.

I watched you take my advice and apply it to your life and it helped you to grow.

My calling as spiritual advisor is a very serious calling and I take it serious. I am responsible for your souls.

If I don’t warn you of sin or something I see you doing against the word of God, God will require your blood at my hands. I have to answer to God. But if I warn you and you refuse you have to answer to God. Not me.

Some who didn’t have the Holy Ghost have now received it…why? Because you knew you need it. You have operated in the gift of the spirit and a year ago you wouldn’t believe you would be this far along.

But you came to me and ask questions. And you did as the word of the Lord said and look at the results from obedience.

·              I can only help you grow if you let me feed you and teach you how to walk in the Spirit.

·              Spiritual growth comes from experience. It isn’t accomplished overnight it takes patience and doing things that go against the flesh.

The disciples followed Jesus but they didn’t always listen to him, they had their own ideas about what they thought they should do and it cost them…it cost Judas his salvation.

We all have to grow in the love of God; 1 Tim 4:6-7

6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

Rom 13:1-2

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Ezek 3:17-21

17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

So you see I do what I do because of the calling of God that is within me.

It’s called the love of God.