Growing Spiritually

Growing Spiritually:

Disciples of Christ want to grow spiritually.  They have a great desire for a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus. They want to have a greater understanding of God's Word and how to apply it to their lives.  They desire to connect with their Lord on a daily basis. What we must remember is that spiritual growth is a process. It must be tended like a garden so it can produce a crop. Disciples want their lives to be fruitful and pleasing to God. The only way they can produce fruit and stay on this path of spiritual growth is to ask God for help. He will provide it through the direction, power and teaching of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the real change agent in a believers life. Their is no such thing as a go it alone Christian. Jesus said this:

John 15:6-8 New International Version 
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.


The Church has an important role in the edification, building up, or spiritual growth of the body of Christ.

There are three areas of work, commissioned by God for the Church: (Stan Cox)
1.The church is to preach the gospel to the lost in the world (evangelism)
2. To engage in works of physical and material charity toward needy saints (benevolence)
3. To encourage and build up those of the household of faith (edification)
 

Warning to the Church:

The Church should be careful when pursuing Church growth in numbers that it is not at the expense of Spiritual Development of its congregation.

But ultimately it is the responsibility of the follower of Jesus to pusue a course of spirutal development.   

Here are some tips on what to do.

1. Daily work on becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus:

As followers of Jesus, we need to reflect a life of Christ-likeness through the way we love Him and devote our lives to Him. To become a fully devoted follower we must be willing to spend time with God, thinking about God, and with purpose, doing life for God. That way when others observe the way we live they will know we are set apart to God through our identity in Christ. The greatest way we can prove we are His disciples is by the way we love God and others.

2. We need to include spiritual disciplines in our daily activity to help us live a 

     life devoted to God.

One way to live a life devoted to God is through the spiritual disciplines: (Spiritual disciplines, are spiritual exercises that one engages in habitually which bring

 one closer to God and thus become more godly in character and behavior)

  Here are some examples of Spiritual discipline:

A. Prayer – Spending quiet time with God, making your requests known and  

spending moments just listening to your heart where the Holy Spirit can inspire you to act in accordance to God’s will.

Colossians 4:2 NIV

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

B. Meditation – A time where we contemplate the meaning of God's Word

Philippians 4:8 NIV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

C. Fasting - usually accompanied with prayer, in which one abstains from food, drink, sleep or sex to focus on spiritual growth.

Daniel 9:3 NIV  
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Joel 2:12 NIV  
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."

God considers fasting important, and His Word contains 92 passages mentioning it. Many of our heroes of the faith, including Moses, Elijah, Esther, Nehemiah, Daniel and Paul, fasted at crucial points.

One reason we fast is to demonstrate humility before the sovereign Creator of the universe. God responds when we diligently and wholeheartedly seek Him.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Jeremiah 29:13 NIV

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Acts 13:1-3 implies that church leaders were seeking God's direction for their ministry through prayer and fasting.

Acts 13:1-3 NIV

In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

In this instance, people fasted and prayed in order to determine God's will.

The Bible also talks about renewing our minds as a way to understand God’s will. Fasting can help us focus in on that renewal.

Romans 12:2 NIV 
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Here are some other activities that can help train us to become more devoted to God through regular practice.

      1. Praise and Worship: (Living a life of worship, not just on Sunday)

      2. Our giving/tithe:  (Trusting God with our finances)

      3. Corporate Worship: (Regularly attending church to help edify (build up) the 

          Body of Christ)

      4. Hospitality:  (Being Christ-like toward others)

      5. Teaching/Evangelism:  (Sharing the Gospel and train others to do the same)

      6. Stewardship: (Using the resources and gifts God has provided to benefit His 

          Kingdom)

      7. Bible Study: (maintaining a connection to the truth of God’s Word for 

          inspiration and daily living)

Through our daily spiritual disciplines we can move toward living a life that is Holy and pleasing to God.

Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices (Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering), holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual  act of worship.

Our devotion and obedience to God is part of our offering back to Him for the new life and future He has provided us.  Together we can inspire and encourage one another to grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus which in turn will develop the Christ-likeness in each of us. With the help of the Holy Spirit and inspired by the Word of God, we can truly be part of the mission of the local church to play a significant

role in the community through teaching the truth about the Gospel of Jesus. We, as the local Church, can be the hope of the world.

“The local church is the hope of the world, and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders.” (Bill Hybels)

 “Church isn’t where you meet. Church isn’t a building. Church is what you do. Church is who you are. Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ. Let’s not go to Church, let’s be the Church.” (Bridget Willard)

Just Sayin……………..Dave