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July 21, 2022 12:00 am
Welcome to podcast with child family for Thursday, July 21, let's turn to chapter 2 first Peter.
You can remove the main stumbling block. What evidence is there in your life that you are growing spiritually.
Do you have a deeper hunger to know what this book teaches that you use to. Do you have a stronger desire to share your faith that you use to.
Do you feel more confident when you go to God in prayer that used to you more concerned about the salvation of all the people that used to be, do you love God, the Lord Jesus Christ and his work in a more now than used to give a greater sense of loyalty to his church than used to have, are you more excited you hear somebody say that used to be, are you more content around God's people that used to be. Is there anything between you and God the father seems to be sweeter and more intimate and more content thing and more fulfilling that used to be. Are you still here on the surface activities meeting these people doing these things it on the inside your love relationship with Jesus. In fact, when I say into Melissa when I say intimate, warm, loving relationship you think I want to see me intimate, warm, loving relationship with the God who is out yonder somewhere on whom I believe but warm, intimate, loving relationship.
If you not growing in the Lord will not being or doing what our Lord expects of us, because growing is a part of being a Christian now and you notice in this first Peter back over in chapter 2. Remember now that he has writing to people who are going through persecution I getting ready go through severe persecution and is talking to them about how to prepare and what God is been doing in the life and in this first chapter he's dealt so much with how God is save them in. If you recall, in verse 23 of chapter 1. This is for you been born again another seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is the living and abiding word of God and he says all flesh is like grass in all its glory like the flower grass. The grass withers and the flower. But the word of the Lord abides forever. Then he says. Therefore, chapter 2, verse one. Putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and invent old slander like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. If you've tasted the kindness of the Lord. Now there are many ways in which you and I may grow in the Christian life, but I believe the two of the primary ones are found in these two verses here in first Peter chapter 2 verses one into and so that's what I want talk about spiritual growth to let me ask you this again because I want this to echo in your in your heart and your mind when you go to sleep tonight. What evidence is there in your life that you are growing spiritually now two things are really required here. If you like on a gross version the first of all is, we must be willing to deal with sin in our life. Listen, therefore, therefore what based on the fact that you have been born again by the word of God. He says we are to put aside that is weird to lay it down.
We are to repent of it and that word in the Greek means to strip ourselves of something we are to strip ourselves of what all malice. That is all we can ill will that you would perpetrate upon someone else all you will all malice toward someone else. He says get rid of it strip yourself of that attitude all guile that is all deliberate dishonesty in evidence of dishonesty.
He says get rid of it and hypocrisy that is pretended love pretended caring pretended obedience. These visits, hypocrisy, get rid of it. He says, and invade.
That is resentful discontent envious of someone else. He says an old slander, backbiting, lying untruths about other people.
He says no. Therefore, based on who we are put aside, strip yourself of all of these attitudes. All of these actions and he says like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word that you may grow in respect to salvation. That's interesting to me when I talk to people who have been Christians for long time.
They've joined the church when they were children and oftentimes my little old later and they go to church and their satisfied just going to church and yet there seems to be no hunger in their heart for God, no real desire to study the word of God.
I don't hear them talking about any kind of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and uses words that you pick up with reasonable not. I don't pick up anything that tells me they're excited about Jesus, about his work.
No genuine concern about people being sable. They made love to see people join the church. That test also the question, what is it that causes a person to keep coming to church. Keep listening to sermons and somehow there is no no no deeper desire for God. No hunger for no first flooring no real excitement about lung and tell you what part of it is part of it is just pure old sin, my friend, you cannot grow in the Lord holding on to anything that God has put his finger on. So, NASA question and those periods when you not growing in the Lord was going on the inside of you. He says if you want to go on the Lord first thing you have to do is to strip yourself of those things God put his finger on he's talked about attitudes he says malice, guile, hypocrisy, Indians, friend, if God bring something to your mind, and he says I want you to deal with this is not right in your life is our Lord.
One of these days I'll you bypass and you flip over and you go on and you go around 130 something the moment you pass what God is required of you and you don't deal with it at that moment, you cease to grow spiritually. You may get more active and more popular, but that doesn't mean you growing spiritually and I believe many people who sitting in church pews who are not growing in the Lord who are not spiritually growing in the Lord Jesus Christ. They had sin in their life they absolutely refused to deal with and if you refuse to they were that you're not going to grow.
Let's go back to Hebrews for just a moment. Hebrews chapter 4 analyst to look at limited study the background I want to point you to verse the whole theme of this chapter is the consequence of their unbelief until a visual when God is going to take him in the promised land. And so he says in explaining that in verse one. Therefore, let us fear lest while a promise remains of entering his rest. Anyone of you should should seem to have come short of it. Here's their problem. This listen to me, this is exactly what happens. The many people who sit right here week after week. For indeed we have had good news preached to us just as they also but the word they heard did not profit them because it was not united was not united by what by faith in those who heard you think you not growing spiritually simply because you come on Sunday morning and we share some principle of God's word is that I like that. I believe that that you know that that's almost meaningless until you unite the truth with faith and application of your life.
You can listen and listen and listen and listen until sermons run out of your ears and not grow spiritually unto you, unite the truth and your faith and application your heart, that's exactly what churches are absolutely filled with people who are not growing in their spiritual life. All I like that or I enjoyed that sermon we don't come to enjoy sermons not I presume you tell me you enjoy it. If you mean by that. Hey, that really got to see not listening for me friend you listening for him and for you and when you and I have sin in our life is what happens.
We can understand the truth not altered. We can understand the truth and still have sin in our life but it's really it really has little or no effect upon our life unless I'm willing to mix it with faith and applied to my heart. Then I'm going to grow because what I'm gonna have to do is I'm going to have to deal with whatever God spoke to my heart about the deceit if I sent the listen to it and hold on for dear life and make it through the service without applying it to my heart and mix it knows no faith. I'm not growing you the Christian life is serious business with God and if you think about what he's invested in your life to grow you and Mia.
You got nothing so motivates me to see somebody up in years and excited about Jesus and want to see somebody save all of the word of God and talk about Jesus and faith in what God is doing in their life. Mass request if somebody hits you cold tomorrow morning on your job say what's God doing in your life right now.
I wonder how many of you would stutter well up but she doing my now hope that one happened to you, but he says with a grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, the mass request has the Lord brought anything your mind already since we started the sermon we said, in order to grow spiritually must strip off some things as he brought the thing your mind will first of all, he says if I'm going to grow. I've got to be willing to deal with what God surfaces in my life. Strip all all malice and guile, and hypocrisy in Indian slander which he must've heard was going on among those who would read these letters and then he says like newborn babes long for the pure milk of the word of the living God.
Now, so I'm going to grow spiritually.
First thing I got to be with Luke is the deal sin, so that my mind is clear and God can speak and secondly there's got to be a hunger for the word of God that most everything else will be in overflow of these two dealing with sin and dealing with the word of God, he says, is newborn babes know what you think of it as new mothers would know this, but of our file as follows would probably our new born babe that's what a lot of there's a lot of what crying, you know, they just don't possibly want another feeding you know they clamor for any scream of the crown and wake up at 3 o'clock in the morning and all you have to just stick a bottle in their mouth and everything is quiet and peaceful follow.
While the master question.
When's the last time you felt that kind of real hunger for the word of God.
Anything crying out inside of you. Oh God, help me to understand this Lord so hard with this truth.
God help me to understand what you're trying to say to me, are you still have that passive idea.
You pick it up.
Is there will see tonight is Sunday night. Where was I reading last Jeremiah chapter 41 is your Bible reading. Okay, God, you know what I need today you turn to some passage you have answered this for me because I'm not God in your life but I wonder this I want to have and if you have any can of a systematic way of reading the Scriptures you see, he says as newborn babes, desire listen desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow in respect to salvation at least does not mean grow into salvation, but he says go in respect to your salvation.
Now we are turned back to Psalm 119 and the hundred and 33rd verse of this Psalm says. And it shows us how these two go together dealing with sin and delighting ourselves the word of God. Verse 133 establish my footsteps in thy word.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Listen, establish my footsteps in my word. Do not let any iniquity or have dominion over me if you not in the word of God. What we are doing is witnessing. We are feeding upon the message that builds strength and grows the believer I have never met a growing Christian who had a careless attitude about this book never, never, I've never met a growing Christian who had a careless attitude about this because it just picks up once in a while just you know they say well they can read here tonight. He says like a newborn baby long for it hunger for. And David said, my heart panted after the old God, like the deer panted after water in the mountains. My heart except you longs for you. You see, he's so willing to be so personal and intimate with you if you're willing if you hunger for it. Someone ask you something. When's the last time you had a real genuine warm personal encounter with Jesus Christ that you will never forget and what some of you thing you think about all listen you not map. I still have travelers laying around your face. You know what you have time to watch the evening news, which is usually bad you have time to read your favorite magazine you have time to go shopping and you take time. More than likely to eat three meals a day has nothing to do with time.
It has to do with my hearts desire for Jesus. You see I want God's best for you and once in a while. My heart gets grieved when I see folks who have so much potential, but who not growing in the Lord Jesus there hunger level is not increasing their excitement for him is still a mediocre someone ask again what evidence is there in your life that you growing in the Lord, you know God is working all of our lives. The same when understand that you know what you know what you growing and not you know if you're really excited about him or not you know if the world satisfies you more than it God satisfies you know what you're the real forecastle of God. You know whether if you get alone with God you feel so empty and all alone and not know what to say.
Listen if you get by yourself on your knees and you feel solo uncomfortable and you don't know what to say. It's a pretty good sign. You need to stay there and get to know the Christ want you to open the door of your heart and let him think you for listening to spiritual growth. If you like to know more about Charles Stanley or in touch ministries and tests that are lacking after the presentation in touch ministries Atlanta, Georgia