“Just Grow”
INTRODUCTION: As we begin this message let me call your attention to two passages of scripture and one word that will be the point of this message. In the very last verse of II Peter 3:18 we read,
“But GROW in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
In one word, God wants us to “GROW.” Christian growth is our subject, because that’s what we need to do. If I am a growing Christian, then I’m pleasing God, because He is commanding us to “…GROW in grace and knowledge…”
The second passage is found in I Peter 2:1-3 where we read,
“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 (what is the next word?) “grow” thereby: (3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
Let’s face it, babies are cute and delightful in many ways. But if a person were to remain a baby for ten or twenty years, something would be terribly wrong. We would find in that baby something lacking or pitiful.
In a literal, physical sense, there are no twenty-year-old babies. But there are twenty-year-olds, forty or sixty-year-olds who often act like babies.
Think of a grown man coming to church with a flower in his lapel that squirts water at you. You mutter, “Why don’t you grow up?!” After a while, he might find himself without many friends, because people like that can be irritating, a real pain in the neck. Immaturity is hard to tolerate.
Today, I’m afraid that God is similarly annoyed by some of us, for there is a lot of spiritual immaturity among Christians.
This is not necessarily a bad thing — much of it results because God blesses evangelism. When the church has young Christians, we expect them to be immature. However, we are to keep encouraging each other to grow, since we never “outgrow” that need.
The Bible is what will help you grow, like milk helps a baby, or food helps an older person to grow and maintain strength.
II Thessalonians 1:3 reads, “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; ”
In II Peter 3:18, we read, “Grow in grace…”
In I Peter 2:1 we read, “…as new born babies, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow.”
In II Thessalonians 1:3 we read, “…as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly…”
Now, in one more passage found in Colossians 1:9-10, we read Paul’s prayer that also happens to be my prayer for the readers of the Weekly SERMON as you begin the year of 2026,
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (10) That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing (that is growing) in the knowledge of God;…”
What is our subject or key word? “GROW.” And growing pleases whom? “GOD.” Now, let me ask you,
Wouldn’t it be great to know the Bible with clarity and to always pray with great faith, and to be able to handle life’s difficulties without stress?
Wouldn’t it be awesome to have some sort of magical device that would instantly transform us into Christ-like believers? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
Spiritual growth takes time. It’s a process – and depending on your level of cooperation and commitment, it can be a very long process.
When a person becomes a Christian, the Bible says he is a new creation. All of his past is forgiven and he now has the Holy Spirit living inside him to guide and grow him.
We come into Christianity as spiritual babies with very little understanding and much to learn. We are completely dependent upon the Lord and those who would mentor us to show us the way we ought to go.
After spending time in God’s Word and walking in the Spirit, we grow.
We learn how to feed ourselves; how to make godly decisions. Before too terribly long - we can offer help to OTHERS who are new in their spiritual journey.
As we grow and become what the Lord wills for each of us - we are THEN able to help others with the help we have received.
That portrays a spiritual life in the family of God… at least, as it SHOULD be. But sometimes things don’t happen the way they should.
Think for a moment how a person would feel if they had a baby that never grew. PARENTS would be GRAVELY concerned, don't you think???
Here is my point - Why is it that we show so little CONCERN when we aren’t growing or others in the congregation aren’t maturing as they should?
It is tragic how some Christians have been saved for decades, but exhibit the maturity of an infant.
They aren’t reading God’s Word.
They don’t pray.
They are dogged by bad habits.
They are living a very worldly lifestyle.
They are very shallow in their faith. The slightest difficulty causes them to fall apart.
They are more absent from the House of God than present.
So, like a doctor with his patient - it’s time to ‘run some tests’ to find out why they aren’t growing.
So let me ask you, “Really, how much have you grown spiritually in the last year?” Don’t push this question aside. Your growth is evident by the statement, “By their fruit ye shall know them.”
By your life-style or lack of activity in the following areas, you are either, “GROWING IN THE LORD” and maturing as a believer, or you are at a standstill or possibly in a free fall, called “BACKSLIDING!”
What about your church life? What is your attendance in Sunday school, for the morning and evening services and Wednesday evening?
For the vast majority, one service will do and even here the average attendance is only 70% which means you are participating in worship and hearing the Word of God just 38 times a year. Do you call that growing in grace and knowledge?
What of your home life? Especially those of you who have children, are you teaching them the Word of God, and by your example helping them to grow in grace?
What about your personal devotional times in the Word? How much have you put into practice what you have learned from the Word of God? In Philippians 4:8-9 we read,
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
What of your prayer time both personal and family? On a scale of 1-10, with one being low and 10 being high, where is your personal and corporate prayer life?
Are you praying throughout the week for your spouse, children, grandchildren, our nation, your church ministries, families and pastor? What about the unsaved in your family, are you praying for them?
I ask this question on prayer because today there is an absence of corporate prayer for the ministry. I sense the loss, for without prayer support neither you nor I can grow spiritually.
From Peter’s second letter, it is obvious he was very concerned about the lack of maturity he saw in Christians. Peter longed for the growth of God’s people. So HERE, Peter offers three lessons in spiritual growth.
NUMBER 1: There is the Building of Growth through the Word of God. Without the Word of God, a person cannot stay on the road to change, maturity, and Christ-likeness!
Again in I Peter 2:2 we read, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: …”
In II Timothy 2:15 the Apostle Paul wrote, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
If you want to become mature, you need to HEAR the Word of God - STUDY the Word of God - LIVE the Word of God!
Your success as a Christian is directly linked to the value and priority you place on the Word of God.
The Word of God is essential to your growth. That’s why you need to read it. That’s why you need to come to Sunday school, Sunday Worship and Wednesday Night Bible Study.
You need to imprint God’s Word on your mind and heart – and as you do, you WILL grow.
You should seize every opportunity available to pour the truth of God into your lives as well as that of your children.
There is nothing Satan so desires to control as your mind. If he can get inside our minds, he can wreak havoc in our lives and culture. Satan can quickly seize control of a mind that isn't submissive to God. That's why we must inventory our minds and ensure we are cultivating a Spirit-controlled thought-life.
Romans 8:5-8 reads, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Ephesians 4:23 reads, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Our minds are made for truth. God created our brains to need the truth of His Word just as He made our bodies to need the food and water He built into the material world around us.
This is how we are to bring our thoughts into the captivity of God’s will:
First: By embracing and saturating our minds with the “TRUTH.” In John 17:17 Jesus said in His prayer, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
Second: By cutting off the devil's food chain to the mind and begin feeding on God's Word. Every temptation comes to us via our thoughts, therefore Christians must carefully evaluate what they read, see, study, and watch.
In Psalm 119:37-38 we read, “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. (38) Stablish thy word unto thy servant…”
Third: By embracing the scriptural habit of biblical meditation. In Philippians 4:8 we read,
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think (mediate) on these things.”
Worldly meditation involves trying to empty your mind of all thoughts, but biblical meditation involves filling your mind with God's Word, chewing on His truth, digesting it, and disseminating it to every part of your spirit.
Like water flowing through a fountain, God's Word should be constantly circulating through our minds so that we begin seeing things as He does, which is the essence of wisdom.
Suppose you pored over a passage every day, reading it upon arising, learning it one word at a time, thinking about it when you showered and dressed, quoting it as you drove to work or school.
What if you read it aloud or quoted it mentally whenever an anxious thought arose in your mind? Imagine going to sleep at night with those words rolling through your mind like a recording.
Through sustained meditation on passages like that, the Holy Spirit transforms us by the renewing of our minds. As someone said, "Nothing rewires our brains like Scripture memory, and nothing heals our minds like biblical meditation."
I would strongly encourage you – as your Pastor – to do whatever it takes to make time in your daily schedule for God’s Word.
NUMBER 2: There are the Blessings of Growth.
You will “Grow in Grace.” What does that mean???
You will become more and more aware of how good God is. You will begin to see yourself through the eyes of grace - making you humble, thankful, and FAITHFUL.
You will also see OTHERS through the lens of grace. Instead of being demanding, critical, and judgmental; instead of writing people off as ‘hopeless causes,’ you will begin to see people through God’s eyes. You will become compassionate.
If there’s anything people NEED – it is grace. When we are filled with grace, people will see the love of Jesus in us.
You will also “Grow in Knowledge.” Why do we need Bible knowledge?
When you find yourself in difficult situations that you don’t know how to handle, true Biblical wisdom will lead you in the way you should go.
NUMBER 3: There are the Barriers to Growth.
The first barrier to your growth is the world. All those people who are lost, the ones you spend time with on a daily basis who have a different set of values and convictions, will challenge you and say how “foolish it is to trust the Lord.” Be careful! It DOES matter with whom you spend time. You are NOT so strong that you can easily overcome the influence of an ungodly man.
In 1 Corinthians 15:33 we read in a literal sense, “Don’t be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals.”
Remember this - Just as the Word is a positive influence, the World is a negative one. The counsel of bad company will lead to folly and will act as a Barrier to Growth.
The second barrier to your growth is YOU. Yes, you!
Maybe it’s a fear of commitment – you’ve tried so many times to do right, and you have failed again and again – so NOW you are afraid of making a commitment because you have no confidence in your ability to keep it.
Maybe you think – “Pastor I hear what you are saying, but I don’t really want to get that serious about the Lord.”
Maybe you keep telling yourself “I can do things MY way.” “Me and God have our own thing worked out… He knows my heart…”
You need to make up your mind about this thing. You can’t go about the Christian life half-heartedly. The commitment to GROW must come from you. I can’t make it for you. Those who love you can’t make it happen either – YOU have to do it yourself.
Grow in grace: All growth is by grace; it’s God’s gift. We must constantly ask him in prayer to help us grow. We need God’s grace, not only when we first believe in Christ, but we need it again and again, to become the people God wants us to be. Once again let me ask you:
Are you as loving and kind as you wish you were? If not, you need to grow in grace.
Are you hospitable? If not, you need to grow in grace.
Do you witness to the lost in some way? If not, you need to grow.
Do you support the ministry of your church with your time and resources as well as your attendance? If not, you need to grow.
Do you keep the Lord’s Day holy, a special day for God and away from your own work and play? If not, you need to grow.
Are you teaching your children, intensively, from the scriptures, giving them the knowledge they need to withstand false teaching? If not, you need to grow.
Do you have a daily time of Bible reading and prayer? If not, you need to grow.
Has there been growth in your spiritual walk with the Lord whereby you are practicing truths? If not, you need to grow
Do you love to worship Jesus, so that you seek out opportunities to praise him? If not, you need to grow.
Is the Lord Jesus the first priority in your life, so that to serve him you would count everything else as garbage? If not, you need to grow in grace.
You should put everything else out of your mind and pray:
“Lord, I need you more than anything… and I need you to help me. I realize that I can’t grow on my own – I need you working in my life.
Lord, help me to hear YOUR voice that I might grow and be what YOU want me to be. Oh, Lord, I commit myself to You!”
Is that your prayer? Will you make a fresh commitment to spiritual growth? Now is your chance.
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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Just Grow” right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.
Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in
Acts 16:31, “...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...”
Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”
If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please let me know. Please send an e-mail to pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.
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