Draft 8

KEYS TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH
2/13/05; TSL #8 – Hebrews 5:11-14; Gateway Sermon Notes

INTEREST

Turn with me to Hebrews 5:11-14. We continue our study of the Christian life – specifically experiential sanctification, the victorious life, the abundant life.

God causes the new life received at rebirth to live itself out. It prevails.


For several weeks we have formed a foundation for this life by looking at God’s provisions for it. But in these last two times together we are looking at what God enables us to do on the human side. We spoke of five habits that we discern in the Bible that contribute to spiritual growth.

A. Habit #1 Learn and apply Scripture. 1 Peter 2:1-2

(Illustration: Bible, General) There once was a woman in the 1800s who loved her Bible. She read, studied, and cherished it. As she grew older she went blind. She could no longer read her Bible, but she loved it so she learned Braille, and got a Braille Bible and continued to read and study it. One day there was fire in her home and her hands were severely burned. The burns left scars to the point where she could no longer read her Braille Bible. She made the decision to just listen to others read the Bile, and she went to kiss – literally kiss her Bible goodbye. When she did she discovered that she could read her Bile through her lips! So for the rest of her life she read her Bible through her lips. What devotion to Scripture! I pray that each of us here at Gateway Community Church would have the same devotion to the Word of Truth. This is an essential habit for spiritual growth! God wants us to be people of the book!

B. Habit #2 Confess and forsake sin. Romans 8:13
C. Habit #3 Practice prayer and worship. Hebrews 4:16
D. Habit #4 Engage in a circle of fellowship. Hebrews 10:24-25
E. Habit #5 Serve in a ministry. 1 Corinthians 12:7

NEED / ORIENTATION

But now, taking this first item, the Scriptures, what about the subject matter of the Bile when it comes to spiritual growth? What are some the key things we learn from the Bible that help us grow? It is one thing to have a good habit of getting into the Bible, but is some key subject matter that enables us to grow? Here are some key truths that we need to know. I stopped this week and asked, of my 35 years of being a Christian what are the truths that best helped me to grow and mature? I came up with 15. Let’s see if we can take a look at the first five this morning.

I. TRUTH # GLORY: GOD CREATED MAN AND THE UNIVERSE FOR HIS GLORY.

Colossians 1:16 says, “All things were made by Him and for Him.”

Romans 11:36 says, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”

We do not live in a merely cosmological universe (nature only), nor an anthropological universe (man centered), nor a soteriological universe (salvation for man); but a theocentric or doxological universe, the purpose of which is to bring God glory. In eternity past God knew He was perfect, and perfection calls for admiration. In bringing glory to Himself God was lifting up and recognizing all that was honorable and good. It was “incumbent” on God to create a universe that would bring glory to Him. Thus He created the universe and man. Bringing God glory is our highest purpose and calling. This is not just a theoretical purpose. God added a practical aspect to this. Bringing glory to God is the way that life best works.

There are other reasons to live. God is a gentleman and respects the free will of man. God made man as no other part of creation and gave him the dignity of free choice. He gives us the freedom to live apart from Him. We can chose to live for ourselves, even for excellent causes, but nothing will ever rise to the virtue of living for which we were primarily made – to bring glory to God. Yet, a problem of catastrophic proportions appeared. How could man bring glory to God as a sinner?

II. TRUTH #2 GRACE: GOD ACCOMPLISHED WHAT I COULD NEVER DO FOR MYSELF.

How could we fulfill our purpose since we alienated ourselves from God through our willful rebellion? Instead of honoring God and bringing Him glory we acted selfishly and sinfully. And what is more, our actions appeared to be permanent in nature. We were spiritually dead. We were so dead that we did not know that we were dead. Dead people don’t know they are dead. We were spiritual corpses. Spiritually we had assumed room temperature. So much for bringing God glory.

Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”

John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of the blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Whatever help we would have received would have to be initiated by God, and carried out by God. We were completely incapable! And yet that is exactly what God did! God was not caught off guard by the temptations of Satan in the Garden of Eden and the fall of man. In fact, God had already anticipated the fall of man and included that in the equation of His plan. He would brig about a plan that through man’s fall and sin that even more glory would come to God! It would be through the provision of His Son that man would be reconciled to God.

III. TRUTH #3 ASSURANCE: GOD INSURES MY ETERNAL SECURITY AS WELL AS THE PATTERN OF MY SANCTIFICATION.

John 10:28 says, “And I give the eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God created beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

This is an astounding truth. As a genuine believer, by obeying what the Bible says to do to obtain eternal life, we have the assurance of heaven. We know with all certainty hat we are going to heaven because we have received Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord. But there is another certainty that we know. We know not only about the positional fruits of personal sanctification (that is, justification), but also experiential sanctification. God has ordained a God-ward pattern to the Christian life. Grace not only saves and insures heaven, but it insures a level of God-wardness and fruitfulness to the believer’s life. Our purpose is the glory of God, and grace ordains it for us, and we have the assurance of its application and results to our lives. Are you relaxed? You should be in light of the grace-filled plan for our lives.

We see that Paul is pointing out an established fact that took place upon the inception of our Christian lives. A real change has taken place in the sense of a new bent in life, a new disposition, and a course. In verse 11 we find “consider” which does not refer to some mind game we play in which we mystically vanquish the old man and live by the Spirit. Rather it is having an absolute, unreserved confidence in what one’s mind knows to be true – confidence that that affects one’s decisions and actions. Paul calls on us to embrace the truth of the new life and the victory over sin that it brings. In Philippians 1:6 Paul is confident about something in regard to the Philippians. “He who has begun” is a compound verb that occurs only here and Galatians 3:3 (where Paul expresses his astonishment concerning the Galatians’ fleshly approach to sanctification). The idea is that God started something in the past (justification) and that it has ongoing results and progress (sanctification) culminating in the glorification of the believer in heaven. “Begun” (#1728 is enarchomai in the Greek) is a combination of the preposition “in” and “arche” meaning “beginning.” The compound emphasizes the beginning as an event. The word means “to begin, to make a beginning, to commence.” In this case it is the beginning event of salvation that has ongoing results. “Until” can be translated “as far as” expressing progress toward a goal (the goal being glorification). In the same way that God initiates salvation, He continues it, and finally completes it.

IV. TRUTH #4 DIVINE CHARACTER: GOD’S PERSON AND ATTRIBUTES BRING INNER PEACE.

Psalm 27:10 says, “For my father and mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me up.” Here David speaks of the Lord as our refuge when all others fail us. Even if those nearest and dearest to us abandon us, the Lord will always care for us. God’s person and attributes give us the body of thought to trust Him. Because I know how great and my God is I can rely on Him!

A. Eternal Ex 3:14

No beginning, no end. God always has been and there has never been a time when He has not existed.

Exodus 3:14 says, “I an who I am.” The description “I am” is related to the “to be” verb in Hebrew but developed into the proper name for the personal and covenant-keeping God of Israel. This is where we get the familiar name “Yahweh.” God revealed Himself to Moses as the Self-existent One.

B. Sovereign Isa 46:9-10

This simply means that God reigns over and controls all of eternity and time. When we combine this second attribute with the first we find that God has eternally reigned and will always reign. There has never, and will never be a time when God will not reign and control time and eternity. Though it seems that things may escape the control of God, He is nevertheless working His eternal and sovereign will.

Isaiah 46:9-10 says, “Remember the former things long past, for I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is no one like Me, declaring the end form the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure.’”

C. Immutable Ja 1:17

Go is unchanging in essential character. God’ essence or attributes never change. This means that all the attributes we list about God’s will never change. God will always be eternal, and God will always be sovereign.

James 1:17 says, “The Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” The context in which we find this passage is suffering. James speaks to Christians who are suffering and tells them that they are linked up to the God who never changes. What reassurance!

D. Omniscient Ps 147:5

God is all-knowing. God knows both the actual and the potential. He knows everything that has ever happened or will happen, and knows everything that might have happened or that may happen. Take for instance the change of a key event in history. What would history be like if Pearl Harbor would have never been attacked or if Lincoln had not been assassinated? Go knows everything that happened and everything that might happen given even a miniscule change in events. Now link this attribute to the previous three. As eternal, God has always known everything. As sovereign, He has known everything as He has ruled over the universe. As immutable, His omniscience will never change.

Psalm 147:5 says, “His understanding is infinite.”

E. Omnipotent Heb 1:3

God is all-powerful. There is nothing that God cannot do that He wills to do. He has been omnipotent for all eternity. He is omnipotent in His sovereignty in that He can carry out anything His sovereign will chooses to do. His omnipotence will never change. He can exercise His omnipotence with perfect knowledge. His power is never wasted or misapplied. When God created the universe during creation week He expressed His power with His words. “Let there be” He said, and created all.

Hebrews 1:3 says, “He upholds all things by the word of His power.”

F. Omnipresent Ps 139:7-12

God is present everywhere. He is located in every nook and cranny of the universe (immanent) but distinct from the universe (transcendent). God has been eternally omnipresent. He has expressed His sovereignty everywhere. His omnipresence will never change. He is everywhere knowing everything. He is also everywhere will all power.

Psalm 139:7 asks rhetorically, “Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence”

G. True Jn 14:6

Truth is as things really are. God is completely consistent with reality as He defines it. God is never inconsistent. In this sense God has perfect integrity. God is the very standard and definition of truth. God has been true for all eternity. He is true in His sovereign reign. His truth will never change. He is true in His perfect knowledge. He is true in the expression of His power. He si true in every omnipresent place that He dwells.

John 14:6 says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

H. Perfect Love Eph 1:4

God’s intent and actions are always best for every person in the universe. Stop and think about that. God always acts out of love for everything and every person. His love is expressed for all eternity. His love is expressed in His sovereignty (in His choices and rulership), in the use of His power, and His presence. His perfect love is true in that it corresponds to reality. Even in allowing people to chose hell He expresses His love because He loves them enough to respect their decision. It is the ultimate expression of being made in the image of God.

Ephesians 1:4 says, “In love He predestined us to adoption as sons.”

I. Righteous Ps 11:7

God is absolutely holy and right. There is no sin or evil in God. He has been this way from all eternity. In His sovereignty He has chosen righteously. His absolute righteousness will never change. He is righteous in His knowledge, and in the expression of His power, and He is righteous everywhere He is. His righteousness is always based on truth and is expressed in perfect love.

Psalm 11:7 says, “For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness.”

J. Just Deut 32:4

God perfectly punishes sin. He perfectly pours out His wrath. He has done this from all eternity. He does this sovereignly, choosing to do this for all eternity. He does this unchangeably. He does this with perfect knowledge, power and presence. He pours out His wrath based on the way things really are; on truth. He pours out His wrath while being consistent with His love. There is no contradiction. And He does this righteously. Justice is closely related to righteousness. These last two attributes form the basis for justification by faith (2 Corinthians 5:21). Righteousness is God’s perfect standard of holiness that will never change. His justice maintains that standard by punishing all in and unrighteousness. Because God is perfectly righteous we as sinners cannot have fellowship with Him, and thus we are under His justice and wrath. Yet this is exactly what Jesus provided in our salvation. He took God’s wrath (or justice) on the cross and gave us positional righteousness. We gave Him our sin and He gave us His righteousness. Now God can have fellowship with us without compromising His character because He has justly poured out His wrath for our sin on Christ, and He has given us Christ’s righteousness.

Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”

SUMMARY / CONCLUSION

(Illustration: God, General) frank Lloyd Wright was one of the greatest architects of 20th century America. He was known for getting into the heads of his clients. He wanted to know how they were feeling and what they really wanted to express in the buildings he designed for them. He would spend time with them picking their brains and trying to discern their thinking and the motives for building the structures. Once he understood what they wanted he would take that understanding and apply it to the design of the structure. He was known to design structures and make them blend into the existing surroundings. If there was a hill he would use the hill. If there were trees he would use the trees. He brilliantly blended the desires of the client with the natural surroundings. There is a story that a church burned down in Chicago and he was asked to design a new one. Wright was at best an agnostic; he was no believer; but he agreed to do it. It would be interesting to see what kind of church he would design, knowing his meticulous preparation. He approached it coldly as an architect. This is what he did. First, he hid the front door! In doing so he expressed that “the road was narrow and few there be that find it.” God was no cheap commodity. He was not easily found: “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek for Me with all your heart.” Once congregants found the front door into the church and entered, as soon as they entered they faced a wall, and immediately had to turn and go down a long dark corridor. When they got to the end of the corridor they then had to make a u-turn to finally face the entrance to the sanctuary. The u-turn spoke of repentance and change of life. At the entrance of the sanctuary people took off their outer coats and left them. This spoke of stripping away the old life in order to worship stripped spiritually bare before God. It spoke of humility and transparency. Then the worshippers had to ascend stairs to get to the sanctuary floor. In the middle of the sanctuary was the pulpit. It was not in the front, but in the middle. In the middle it spoke of the centrality of the Word of God and revelation, and everyone in the church could sit with equal access to God and His Word. Wright was onto something, for He expressed in His design a God worthy of our deepest reverence and obedience. This is the God of our spiritual growth, our sanctification.