WHY IS IT

THAT AS BELIEVERS

WE ARE NOT

GROWING?

I COR 3:1-4

Introduction:  The beginning of the Christian life is likened to a GIFT.  Another analogy of the beginning of the Christian life is the experiencing of a birth....NEW BIRTH.  Birth as we know is the beginning of LIFE.  [spiritual life] In this Bible reading I want to move on to “what follows the beginning or the NEW BIRTH.  We all agree that following birth there will come development or growth.  I am not sure that I understand where the notion came that you can have “spiritual life” or “be born again” and NOT grow.  Only in the Christian realm can you have life, new life, the life of God, be born again and NEVER GROW.  

a.I I Peter 3:18...”grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What we want to do is to consider the possible failure of having the life and yet NEVER seeing it grow.  Birth has always up to now meant to lead on to growth.  Listen to Hebrews 6:1....”therefore leaving the principals of the doctrines of Christ, let us go on unto perfection or maturity.”  It is NEVER enough to be converted, NEVER enough to be born again.  I must grow and I must go on to maturity.  

THERE IS A TRAGEDY TO BE AVOIDED.    [which is ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT]

1. Now a baby is a source of wonder....I seriously doubt if there is anything so like a miracle as a newborn baby.  but a baby that does NOT grow is NOT a source of Wonder, but it is a source of Worry.  OBSERVATION:  If your baby did not grow, you would be running from doctor to doctor, but the interesting thing in the church....is that when they are not growing, we put them on the DEACON BOARD.  If you turn to I Cor 3:1-4...you will notice the mark of a baby spiritually which is PROTRACTED BABYHOOD.  Babyhood for long period of time is unhealthy, unnatural.  

2. These believers had an ability that was Lacking:

a. WHEN IT CAME TO FEEDING:   “they were not able”  [v.2]  These believers were unable to take another other than the simplest elementary aspects of spiritual ruth.  I think John picks upon on this in I John 2:12....”I write unto you little children.....because your sins are forgiven.”

1. The  spiritual baby is at ease and at home....in the gospel.  The gospel is fine, but as you know, it in itself is a LIMITED DIET.  Many of our churches are filled with converted people who cannot ASSIMILATE anything other than the gospel message.  

b. WHEN IT CAME TO FEEDING THEMSELVES.  “I have fed you with milk” They could not feed themselves.You have to feed spiritual babies....they have no capacity or so it seems, to feed themselves.  Even though they have THE HOLY SPIRIT residing in them and most likely three or four BIBLES around them....they CANNOT FEED THEMSELVES.  

1. They know nothing about I Cor 2:9-10....this is beyond them.  If you are a believer today, you ought to be able and capable of feeding yourself.  You have the same EQUIPMENT I have, which is The Holy Spirit indwelling me and the Word of God in front of me.  There are people reading this study who need to get off the BOTTLE....get you a set of knives, forks, spoons and GET DOWN INTO THE WORD OF GOD AND FEED YOURSELF.  

C. ABILITY THAT WAS LACKING IN THE REALM OF SPEECH.

1. A baby cannot talk much....and if it does, it is not clear or it is muddled.  Let me ask you a question.  CAN YOU TALK? Can you discuss ANY SUBJECT in the Bible semi-intelligent?  Could you even sit down and speak intelligently on How to become a Christian?  Have you ever met a forty year old Christian who is still talking “baby talk?”

D. ABILITY THAT IS LACKING IN ASSESSING VALUES.

1. A little baby has no sense of value.  They will seize on that which is valueless and trivial and play with it.  I remember our little granddaughter who on a Christmas morning would be found playing with the Christmas boxes and not even looking at the expensive gifts given to her.  The child could not assess that which as valuable and not valuable.  

It is the same in churches.  Ever listen to what church people talk about.  They usually get excited, real excited over LITTLE THINGS.....such as the color of the choir robes, the new paint in the church.  I pastored a church that came close to “splitting” over my putting folding doors in two sections of the auditorium.....so we could have two new sunday school classes.  You would not believe the ugly, unkind things said....about those doors.  Spiritual babies normally “major in minors.”  

E. THE IDENTITY THEY WERE LOSING.   “walk as men”  

1. Do you know what they phrase means?  It means that they were virtually indistinguishable from the world...hardly recognizable as believers.  They wee alive, but so nearly dead that the outside world thought they were just like they were.  THEY HAD LOST THEIR IDENTITY.   

THE NECESSITY THAT MUST BE PROVIDED   [what are the essentials?]

1. THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT.

a. Have you ever noticed that on the seed packet they always tell you about the right soil, nourishment....where the seed is to be planted,,,whether it be light soil or sandy soil..  The right environment for GROWING IS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER BELIEVERS AND A PASTOR TEACHER.  

b. Statement:  Every analogy of the Christian life in the New Test is always of a life lived not only in relationship with Christ but in relationship to OTHER BELIEVERS....”the many branches of one vine.”  “Many members of one body”  [all interdependent]

c. conclusion:  The right environment for spiritual growth is spiritual fellowship....not just worshipping in church on Sunday....but it means a vital I

2. THE RIGHT NOURISHMENT   I Peter 2:1-2

a. There is NO growth without the intake of the Word of God.  [The Bible is the only book that I can pick up in my home with DIFFICULTY.  All other books are picked up with absolutely no difficulty.  It is the only book that I can pick up and immediately THINK OF A DOZEN REASONS WHY I SHOULD NOT READ IT.  If you lose your communication between your soul and god through intake of His word, You will never grow.  

1. Joshua 1:8...”shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that you mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein...for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous....and have good success.”

Psa 1...”he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.”  [In this scripture every true that is GROWING UP is also GROWING DOWN.  

THE MATURITY TO BE REACHED    Heb 6:1-2    [two aspects to note]

1. THE INTIMACY THAT MATURITY ENJOYS.   

a. II Peter 1:23....”grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord....according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and to vrtue.” 

b. Eph. 4:13....”until we all attain the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son ofGod to mature manhood.”

c. Col. 1:9....”that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding....increasing in the knowledge of God.”

1. Am I really getting to KNOW God?  There is a difference in knowing your Bible and knowing Him....Am I getting to know Him intimately through His Word.

2. THE RESPONSIBILITY YOU ACCEPT:

a. When we grow up, we take it for granted that responsibility will be ours.  MATURITY WANTS TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY.    Are you part of the burden in your church .  Are you UNDER the burden.  Most people are PART of the load, but not UNDER the load.  

TRAGEDY TO BE AVOIDED

THE MAURITY TO BE REACHED

THE NECESSITY THAT MUST BE PROVIDED.

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