24/08/2022
Topic : Growing Spiritually Is Essential
Text:1 Pet 2:2
Introduction
Here Apostle Peter was adressing young converts.He had to look for a training manual that's consistent with what they are used to. Breast milk is highly important in the growth and development of a child . in it is contained all the proteins and vitamins needed for growth. Not only that , it also supplies the child some antibodies to fight diseases and sickness. Moreso it helps the brain of the child to develop. However , any child that's not well fed or malnourished will be deficient : they look pale, sickly and dull. But the one that's well fed will be strong, energetic and sharp 2 Tim 3:15 1 Cor 2:15 Pro 14:12 Ish 11:3
Matt 4:4 The proof of life is growth and to grow you must feed John 6:63. There is a saying that you are what you eat . Our physical body comprises of food and water . imagine ,you have been eating for the past 45 years , where do you think the food goes ? some said they passed it out. That's the waste , but the one useful to ur body is retained : you develop muscle , some become fat , some have big Tommy . It's more true with your spirit , the more of God's word you have in your spirit the more you are built up spiritually .
Come to think of it , if physical food can do this to your body , how much more the word of God to your spirit . Remember you are a spirit living in the body . Just like when you eat physical food and the part that's digested it transported to your blood stream to help your body , so it is when you meditate on the word of God Joshua 1:8 . A child must feed continually in order to grow. There must be consistency in your life for growth. If you don't attend class regularly you will fail.1Timothy 4:15. Reading the Bible can put the word in your head but it takes meditation to get it into your spirit i.e breaking God's word into assimilable bits or ruminating on a scripture until it makes sense to you and this where transformation takes place .
The word Transform comprises of 2 words: (1) Trans-change (2) form i.e change of form . You see how the form of a child begins to change when he feeds well .Consider how a catterpillar becomes butter fly. It's drawn into a coccon and feeds there for sometime and afterwards a butterfly will evolve.
Everything about your spiritual growth is tied to the word why? because you are born again by the word of God 1Pet 1:23
If you take a fish out of water , because it's outside it's natural environment ,it won't survivel so for you to grow you must stay in the word Col 3:16, 2Tim 2:15
Your faith grows by the word of God Rom 10:17 Rom12:3. God gave us the same seed of faith but what we do with it is what makes the difference. Some plant their own and get increase Rom 1:17.e.g Daddy GO started by praying for his children and kept Panadol one side , then from there to relatives and to congregation.2Pet 1:1e.g Peter started healing by touching - Apron - shadow
We grow in grace by the word John 1:16, 2Pet 3:18, 2 Pet 1:2 To increase in grace and peace is up to you.Not by praying but get to know Him more , the more you know Him , the more peace and grace you enjoy . There are certain things that don't scare an adult and this is by the reason of knowledge he has ( you can use Ojuju to scare a child but not an adult).
We are changed into the image of Christ by the word of God 2 Pet 3:18, James 1:21-25 the more we behold Him in the Word , the more we look like him ( if God is not around to instruct us the word is enough).The story of a child that told his mum that he saw Jesus in children church .
Evidence of growth :
Righteousness, godliness, faith , patience, meekness Gal 5:22-23.All these are are in your spirit when you get born again but they don't manifest until they mature and this comes as a result of nuturing your spirit with the word of God .Someone can feed on the wrong things and you will be amazed when it manifest Phil 4:8 what you meditate on will always have an occasion to manifest .
Just like a child who is trying to walk takes the first step then second , sometimes he even falls but there comes a time that he has a strong footing such that he will need no aid or support to be able to walk Act 24:16. If you can do something for 21 days it will surely become part of you This is conditioning process.There christians you see behave in a certain way and you re suprised , the problem is that they don't exercise themselves in the word of God .
Patience , love , peace , faith are all christian virtue and they are not gifts , they don't come automatically with salvation but you will have to through the help of the Holy spirit develope them .Matt 5:44-48, James 1:2-4 the word perfect means maturity 2 Pet 1:5-8
It will be noticeable when you are growing 1 Tim 4:15: your language will change , knowledge increases, your desire changes , all you want is how to please God 1Cor 13:11, Col3:2 , 1Tim 6:10-11
If a child is hungry he cries but as an adult it's not normal but rather you take action , a child is dependent , a child can't take decision , a child can't handle responsibilities, a child can't handle inheritance Gal 4:1-7.
It's important to grow spiritually
1) so that we can possess our inheritance in Christ
2) so that God can trust us enough to commit sensitive matters into our hands Eze 22:30
3) so that He can discuss serious business with us e.g Abraham
4) so that we can be led by the spirit Rom8:14
5) so that we can be privy to secret things John 15:15 Psalm 25:14 i.e we become His confidant .
Now in the kingdom there are different levels of relationship even though we are all born again :
1) Children (2) servant (3) friends (4) Sons .
It's not just enough to be a child of God but we must upgrade to the level of sonship. In kingdom matters only the sons are profitable to God not children.
Spiritual growth is very important , without it your relationship with God cannot develop , you can't walk in spiritual reality and you can't live the spiritual live even though you are a spiritual being .For example an eagle that grew up among the chicken will feel it's impossible to fly because it never learnt how to use it's wings .
Heb 5:12-14 Now your spiritual growth has nothing to do with how old you or young you are in faith . Some have been in faith for many years but if you hear them speak or watch their actions, you will know they have not grown . When you say am strong or am rich they say let's be realistic, they see things logically 2 Cor 11:3 give it shall be given back by who?
Bishop Oyedepo said if you don't change the way you think you will stagnate Rom 12:2-3
2Tim 3:16-17 Some select what part of the word they want to hear, if you do that you will be deficient in other areas . Just as it is required for a child to eat balance diet ,so also it's important to feed on the balance diet of the word Ephe 4 11-15 , Ephen5:17if not you will be defrauded, and some people will take advantaage of you because you lack knowledge and you don't know what to do, you always look for someone to pray for you and see vision.Thinking that you need a miracle but you only need to know what to do and the scripture is there to show you .Some think the solution must match the complexity of the problem e.g Naman
