Growing in Spiritual Maturity

One of the things that I've always enjoyed is when science and when engineering looked to nature for ideas, for suggestions on how to do things better. There's actually a title for that. It's called Biomimicry. So, biomimicry is the practice of using nature's patterns to create innovative solutions in design, engineering, and material sciences. If you will turn to Romans 1 and verse 20. Romans 1 and verse 20. Nature was given to us by God to learn from.

So, examples of biomimicry would be things like structures of leaves, spider webs, seashells, have led to the development of more efficient solar panels, stronger adhesives, lighter, more robust materials. But it goes beyond that, right? Romans 1 and verse 20. For since the creation of the world, God's invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power in Godhead, so that they, all of us humans, are without excuse.

So, basically what this thing is, creation is a witness of and about God. Well, the key lesson from nature that I'd like us to focus on today is this. All things God has made are intended to grow. All things that God has made are intended to grow. If you think about a farmer, they plant seed, they plant it with what reason? They're expecting a harvest, right? If you see a sapling in the ground, you have this very clear understanding that that could turn into a massive tree.

Can't do it now. It's too cold outside. But in spring, if you plant some tomato seeds or you go to a nursery and you buy a little starter plant, you know if you do the basics, if you plant it, you water it, you nurture it just a little bit, you're going to expect it to get bigger. And at a minimum, you're going to be rather frustrated if it doesn't have a couple, at least, flowers on it and get big and large.

Why? Because our history, our expectation is that's what happens. When you buy a puppy, well, you expect it to grow into a full-sized dog. Even when we look at the universe and there's more and more powerful telescopes that are being built, we find the universe is constantly expanding in its physical dimension.

All living things grow. As humans, well, that's the nature of what we have. We have some examples over here. You start with a little baby, right? It's a child is born. Now, no family welcomes an infant into this world and encourages them to remain a child forever.

That's not what any parent would choose to do along the way. But instead, we expect these little babies to grow to become teenagers, young adults. We expect them to get married and continue the journey and chase their own dreams. This same pattern extends to what God is creating spiritually. But there are some critical differences between physical and spiritual growth. As a kid, no real effort is required on our part to grow physically, right? There is this predictable growth pattern.

I remember going with my son to a doctor and being told that he was the 98th percentile according to a growth chart. There's a predictable pattern. If a person does the minimum basics, right? Minimum self-care, minimum nutrition, they will go through this normal pattern of physically developing. So physical growth often tends to happen by default. But spiritual growth does not happen by default. Spiritual growth happens by choice. Key difference. And this pattern of daily spiritual growth through choice is what God requires, what God expects from us.

If you like titles, the title for today's message is Growing to Spiritual Maturity. So what is maturity? How do we gauge it? Well, physically, we know somewhere around 18 or 21, we start seeing people exhibit a new level of maturity. So we call them adults. Now, I think it's fair to highlight that maturity is not always about chronology, right? We've all known situations who are adults in age, but they're emotionally, they're mentally immature. Well, in this same fashion, spiritual maturity has nothing to do with chronology. You could have been in the church for 30 years, come every Saturday. It has everything to do with us making spiritual choices to grow up in the way God says is supposed to be done.

And we'll talk about that as we go forward. How much time do you spend identifying, focusing on the fruits of growth that God wants from your personal walk with Him? That's what I'd like you to think on as we go through, and in the week ahead, do we tend to the things that show God's Spirit is actively working through us?

Well, if you look at the Bible, there are countless, seemingly, examples that I can give you where spiritual growth is referenced. So I'm going to give you a couple of real quick examples. Not going to have you turn there, but you could put them in your notes if you wish. 1 Peter 2 and verse 2, we're going to come back to this actually and read it, but 1 Peter 2 and verse 2 says, As newborn babes desire the pure milk, the spiritual milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

We're here. We have all been shown God's grace. We are all part of that.

So eternal life starts with what Jesus described as being born again, and that symbolizes this spiritual metamorphosis, basically. From that point forward, the expectation is that we're continuing to grow to become more like Christ.

1 Corinthians 13 and verse 11. 1 Corinthians 13 and 11 says, When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. We mature. That's the expectation. And full maturity as Christians is never reached until we join Jesus Christ in the kingdom. At his return. 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 3. 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 3 says, We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other. And I could keep going on and on and on.

But that's just a couple examples. I would like you to turn to Matthew 13, verse 31 through 32. So Matthew 13, 31 through 32. So this idea of spiritual growth is built into everything. And realize it's both now in this lifetime and into the kingdom. We'll read that in this verse we're about to read, but we could also talk about we're called to be what? First fruits of God, describing an early harvest. And then we know God's purpose is to call all humanity into a larger, later harvest. Somebody share with me, and they're saying, well, you look at Isaiah 9 and verse 7, it says, Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end, even in the kingdom. Growth is going to continue. But let's read Matthew 13 and verse 31. Another parable he put forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. Let me share a core spiritual concept that I think helps guide you as you face life, as you look at different things that are taught or people's willy-nilly concepts of life. Because a lot of people share things that they think make sense, and they miss this. If it ever violates this, start questioning a little bit.

God tends to use a template and a pattern and all that he does. If somebody tells you something that's outside the norm of what God does throughout the rest of scripture and examples, question it. There's an agenda going on, most likely. There's a central and a consistent way that God has worked with his people over the ages. The pattern is having his people grow to maturity.

That's what is expected of us.

And when this happens, then God blesses the person.

We see that with Israel, when he talked about the blessings and the cursings, right? If you wish, you could turn there. I'll read well-known verse Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19, right? Where it all culminates, and God was literally begging the Israelites saying, when I take you to a land that's flowing with milk and honey, please remember this.

Deuteronomy 30 and 19, I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursings. Therefore, choose life that both you and your descendants may live.

Choose life.

Growth takes choice. Choice.

God won't force it, but God will encourage it and will bless it.

Unfortunately, Israel was like all humans, and they chose a model that was driven by our human nature, and that is our natural default unless we're led by God's Spirit. So growth is this opportunity each of us need to take and need to take hold of.

Well, why don't we do it?

Why is spiritual growth challenging? Because we know it's not automatic. Why is it challenging? I would argue two things come to mind immediately. One is we face this clash between our carnal minds and what God is building.

We know our carnal nature.

The second magnifies this dramatically. And the second reason is because the human mind won't stay stagnant.

The human mind won't stay stagnant.

The point is we tend to grow in what we focus most on. So if we aren't actively focused on growing closer to God, we're allowing our primary focus to lead us toward growth, because our mind won't stay stagnant, but it's growth in a different direction.

It takes intentionality. Satan understands that, and that's why he throws evil influences at us all the time, right?

Whether it's distractions, whether it's looking for physical success, whether it's all sorts of things, that's one of the key reasons those are thrown.

Things to consume us, to consume our minds.

Meanwhile, God is working with us from the inside out, and I'll talk more about that in a little bit, but he's working from the inside out, transforming our hearts, transforming our minds. And along the way, with that tension of opposites happening, we realize that we need the Holy Spirit to help our growth.

So God's way is that he will approach us, he will tell us the options, he'll point us to the right path to choose, and then use his spirit to edify our maturity when we choose to follow him.

But he won't force us. It's not automatic.

Think about the parable of the talents. Matthew 25. We're not going to read through it, but you know the story. The Master gave talents according to each person's ability to apply what they were given. The expectation was to have the talents value grow.

So the Master had an expectation of a return of reward, and he also promised rewards to follow. The people were then given the option. And what happened? The people who grew their talents were described as what? Profitable.

That shows that growth was this clear expectation of God as our Master.

But it isn't a compulsion.

The unprofitable servant was the one who didn't do anything to grow what he was given. So bearing what we've been given, bearing what we've been given is clearly an option that you and I can choose. And we see from that that if so, punishment is going to follow.

When spiritual growth actually happens, it's important also that we realize that it happens at different speeds. We'll talk a little bit later about that briefly, but I mean, I think it's going to happen. If you look at physical plants, you see something zoom up, and then they take a little time before the next part of the growth process.

That happens with us, too. We have these points in our life where we're growing fast, and then there's a stagnant period.

Again, there's lessons to be learned from that.

And we're here at church. Even the church has a role in fostering the growth of the body. There's this partnership between the church and us individually. And it really goes down to at the core, God gives us the conditions and the environment for growth within the church. And it's not only about us. Are we helping others grow?

Selfish to think the church is there for us taking. It's a giving thing, too.

And God gives us the right resources. He even uses us as the resources for others at the right time, but then the next part relies on us.

Question is probably worth throwing out there just for addressing it. Is all growth good?

No. Turn to James 1 in verse 15. James 1 in verse 15. Not all things that grow are good.

Classic example. Everyone here, I'm sure, has done it. At one point or another, think about a time. You leave something on a plate, and you forget to put it away, and you come back, and there's a little science experiment that's growing there.

Not all things that grow are good. And the same can be true of what grows inside of us. James 1 in verse 15.

Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.

So James is describing this progression of growth in the wrong direction.

That happens to us from time to time. And we know that the end result of sinful actions that are unrepented of is death.

Turn now to Galatians 5 and verse 16 through 24. Galatians 5, 16 through 24.

So clearly not everything that grows is good, but at all times something is going to grow in your mind.

That goes back to that the mind won't stay stagnant.

At all times something is going to grow into the mind. So we have to tend to the growth we want. What are you striving to grow in your life?

Galatians 5 and verse 16.

I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works, the growth of the flesh, are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanliness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in times past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

So these are the wrong things that we can see growing in our human minds.

Again, remember, the human mind will not stay stagnant.

Recognizing our inner struggle, our inability with this, to do what God says is right, is why we get baptized, why we realize our need for Christ and the Holy Spirit, right?

We need God's forgiveness. We need that help. Now we read what we should be developing.

Verse 22, but the fruit, the growth of the Spirit, is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law, and those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. So again, what are you currently growing in? Is it in line with God's Word and His Spirit? And the challenge is, or are you just settling for the default mode of living life? That's what it's so easy to fall back to, and it's important to realize that when we live this apathetic attitude of just waiting, our carnality is going to win. We're going to grow in evil. That's why we have to be intentional to choose. So many of you might have remembered seeing the movie called Up. It was a Disney movie from a few years back. The whole movie was this metaphor for getting rid of the unneeded baggage in our lives, learning how to love someone else. So the storyline was that there was this 78-year-old balloon salesman named Carl, and he decided to chase this lifetime dream of seeing the wilds of South America after his wife died. And the way he was going to do that was he attached a bunch of balloons, thousands of balloons, to his house and decided he'd fly there. Well, along the way, the plot twists a little bit and gets more challenging because this eight-year-old inadvertently became a stowaway on the trip. Well, one of the great scenes from the movie had Russell, who was the stowaway, the young kid, in trouble, and he needed immediate help. And Carl couldn't help him because the balloons didn't have the ability to lift the house anymore. Well, Carl made this painful decision to frantically throw out the prized and treasured relics in the house to lighten its weight. He could only help someone else when he lost some of the baggage that he was carrying in that house. It's true for us, isn't it? I mean, that's kind of the way it works.

The way we increase our spiritual effectiveness is losing the baggage we sometimes want to hang on to.

When I shared this in Illinois, one of my friends came up and said the verse that came to mind there was Hebrews 12.1, where it says, "'Let us lay aside every weight and sin that ensnares us and run with endurance.'" I said, it's a great verse. It fits very much and makes you watch the movie differently probably next time you see the movie. God wants our spiritual growth patterns to develop, so we take on some of these deeper, some of these more powerful elements of his nature, which he wants to share with us. But we don't always make that easy, right? We make that challenging at times. There is this growth process that takes place in people. We know, sometimes I think we kind of say in arrogance, that we know God doesn't call the mighty. We know he calls the weak, and that's true.

But God also doesn't want us to stay just as we are. We are expected to grow. We have the potential to be immortal children of God. If you'll turn to 1 Peter 2 and we'll read verse 2 through 5. This was one of the verses I read at the beginning as an example. Let's expand it out. God expects ongoing growth. And in order to achieve this, our minds have to allow this opening for God to help us grow.

Even if you think about Christ, he was working with the disciples and spent all this time even after his death, training and shaping the minds of his disciples so they could go out and to be an example to others. He helped transform them from the inside out, which is what God's doing with us. First Peter 2 starting in verse 2. As newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, which we all can say yes, coming to him as to a living stone rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. So God, like this parent, is giving us what we need to grow. And through our growth, we're being built up to this greater calling. We're going through this spiritual transition, this transformation from being this new spiritual embryo to this potential being of a royal spiritual family, part of the God family. So what will it take for us to reach that ultimate outcome?

Turn to John 15 and verse 8. John 15 and verse 8. To make everybody remember John 15, because we're going to read more of it later, but John 15 is where Christ talked about that he is the true vine. He is the source of real strength in the lives of every person, trying to seek to be like God, this God-fearing individual, that Jesus and we are the branches. Then he clarifies what God the Father and Christ expect of us as branches. John 15 verse 8. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit. Remember what we just read? The fruit of the Spirit is?

That we bear much fruit, so you will be called my disciples. So there's this emphasis on this thing called fruit that is supposed to be growing inside of us, inside of every God-fearing person. And then if you turn to verse 15, he expands even more about how he views us. John 15 and verse 15 says, No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends. For all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give to you.

I would love that verse where Jesus said he calls his friends. That's this amazing view that he can have toward us. And he and the Father have shared what he wants us to know. And then he clarifies his expectation as a result of that knowledge being shared. The fruit of a converted mind is spiritual growth. That's the fruit that we're supposed to be working toward. Spiritual growth.

It's one that's dedicated to developing God's character.

Turn next to Romans 12, and we'll read verses 1 through 2. Romans 12 verses 1 through 2.

So we're to develop the virtue of Jesus Christ in our lives, and we have that goal of becoming sons and daughters of God the Father to bring to live in glory. So we're supposed to seek that glory and that honor, eternal life, by bearing fruit. Romans 12 and verse 1. I beseech you therefore, brethren. So there is this urgency being explained here. By the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. So we're supposed to live in such a way by the mercies of God that our bodies and our lives do what's told next. Are holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. So God has purposed a reasonable service, a spiritual service, for us to bear fruit.

And what does that look like? It tells us that in the next verse. So being conformed to the world brings the opposite effect of what God is wanting in our lives. Instead, he's wanting us to transform, to renew our mind, to become more like his. The spiritual transformation of the mind is what God expects in the lives of every man and woman who are called. And there must be nothing that disrupts this process. Now we let that happen, but again, it's remembering that lesson of everything has a pattern that God does and growth is an expectation. Are we growing? So just to start, just like a healthy human life is one of physical growth, spiritual healthy life is also this process of growth.

And it's important to reflect on that. But there are some elements that we need to keep in mind.

There are a lot of people who claim to be Christians but aren't growing spiritually.

God is working with us from the inside out. He's not working from the outside in.

Now why do I say that? That's actually a critical thing to realize when you put it in perspective.

If you look at what we tend to do, we often struggle. We often fight on a daily basis because we focus on what?

What we see and what we're experiencing. What we feel.

Well, sin starts from our evil desires, from our intentions, and we all fight this at times. I mean, even Paul, who is a great example in so many different areas, talked about wanting to focus on God's way, but at times finding this other law working in him that pulled him in a carnal way, right? We've all at different times struggled with that. And that's why he refers in Romans 6, 4 that after baptism we are supposed to rise and walk in this newness of life. We're supposed to have this different direction for the way we live and the way we approach things. And that shows our development when we are spiritually growing. So bearing fruit is how we prove we prioritize the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. If you want to look at that way. God says to do that we say, great how? And he says, are you bearing fruit? If you'll turn to Philippians 2 verse 12 through 14. Philippians 2, 12 through 14.

Again, contrast. It doesn't take any effort for us to grow up physically, but to grow up spiritually requires diligent effort. You and I are required to put diligent effort into this. You have to make yourself pray and study and every day go in the direction that God points us toward.

That takes choice. Philippians 2 and verse 12. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and troubling. Again, notice we're being involved. That takes diligent effort, knowing that Satan is trying to prevent this. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure.

So we can't take credit for ourselves. Anytime we say we have done this, we're being a little vain, right? We're being a little foolish. What we have to do is acknowledge where our strength comes from. It's God who is doing it in and through us, making that miraculous transformation, that growth take place. We continue. Verse 14. Do all things, everything you're involved in, without complaining and disputing. There's one for all of us to work a little bit on, right? That's one of those out-tverses. That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the days of Christ, that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. So spiritual growth means that we have to concentrate on consistently doing what matters most. And we don't all the time. There's areas to grow for all of us. And if we press on, then we can become partakers of God's divine nature. We all got the human nature thing perfectly well. We're pretty good at that part.

But God is creating this divine nature miraculously in each of us. And again, this goes back to, I said, things happen slowly sometimes. Growth can come in spurts. And that's a challenge, because our spiritual growth is gradual. And Satan's goal is to break our focus.

His goal is to have us distracted and make us feel like we're failing.

And that's why the Bible talks about the righteous person stumbles seven times and gets back up, because they know the way and there's only one way to go. And they're choosing to grow in that. And that's what we're being encouraged to do. God wants us to focus with this diligent effort on spiritual growth and to do our part to keep on going. But at the same time, don't get me wrong, it's never about our willpower that gets credit for the success. The Spirit of God is what's doing the work in and through us. But the point is, God has promised to assist us in this matter of developing spiritual growth. He's the one who gives us the ability and the will to do good. We have to choose to allow that to happen in us. We have to prioritize that, because He's not going to force it on us. If you turn to next to Philippians 1 and verse 6, Philippians 1 and verse 6, go back a chapter. And if we reflect on our lives, right, some days carnality starts winning. We don't do things God's way. Well, that's when the Spirit of God says, okay, Dan, it's time to repent. Because if we don't repent, the Bible refers to grieving or frustrating the Spirit of God. Christ has already given His life for us. He desires to finish something He started in us. We are not alone in our efforts, but we have to let Him work in us.

We have been shown unconditional love. And it's this beautiful thing. If you are shown unconditional love in your life, you don't throw it away and say, yeah, I'm struggling with my own carnality, with my own traumas living in this world. I don't want to take your love. No. That's Christ would say, I've given you every opportunity. He understands He wants to work in us as we go forward. Philippians 1 and verse 6, being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. So we should feel confident in the outlook of our calling and of our conversion, because Jesus wants to perform this good work in us, and He wants to perform it all the way to the day of His return. That's tremendously encouraging. And what's the good work that's being described? It's transforming our human carnal ways of thinking and having us grow into spiritual mindedness. And we have to be able to do that over the course of our life. He's being patient with us like you are with each other, right? Because we all understand our journeys. We have things we have to work our way through.

And through Christ, we've been given this great reversal. It's because we're not...

Well, let me put it this way. If we're not choosing to grow, it's because we're not asking Christ to strengthen us. Because He wants to strengthen us, right? Are we resisting that, or are we choosing to have His help to become all we can be? I think a critical trap that Satan tries to pull the world in is not recognizing the sufficiency of Jesus Christ. And I'll put that in a phrase to make it a little easier to understand. People can say, Jesus is great, but what I need is Jesus and then you fill in whatever. It could be philosophy, it could be experience, it could be tradition, whatever. But none of those can heal or deliver or set you free.

Any time we think Jesus needs some other solution added to Him, it's this subtle attack on His deity.

What else do we do? Well, at other times, we get misled by wanting Jesus to give us something.

Jesus is great, but what I need is Jesus and my health, wealth, success, a partner, fill it in recognition.

We don't need Jesus to give us anything. We need to grow more in our walk with Him.

We read verses like, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. We know Jesus said, my grace is sufficient for you, but do we believe it? It's a struggle, right? We have our times where the yabbats start coming in. There is no such thing as an incomplete or deficient Christian. If we have Christ in us, we have everything we need. God's divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life. We don't need something to augment that, is basically what I'm pointing out. If you'll turn to Isaiah 41 in verse 10. Isaiah 41 in verse 10. All strength, all comfort, all peace, all purpose, all hope, all fulfillment in life, now and forever, is bound up in God alone. We read that. So, in other words, do not put handcuffs on God when it comes to seeking the help and the guidance we need. And then God and Christ will come to our aid in this very wonderful way. Isaiah 41 in verse 10. Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous hand. Turn now to Romans 6 verses 17 through 22. Romans 6, 17 through 22. Again, remember we started by discussing that spiritual growth does not happen in the same way physical growth does. It takes this deliberate effort, this choice. And the thing for us to reflect on today is, are you deciding to live with sin or righteousness? Am I? Romans 6 verse 17. But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. In all candor, people want to live in the middle of these two, right? People really don't want to be a slave to sin or righteousness. They just want freedom. But that's not how it works, because our unbridled nature draws us toward sin. Human freedom is slavery to sin. That's where our mental justification takes us down faulty paths. Because remember, God loves us enough to accept us just as we are when we started calling us, but He loves us too much to leave us that way. We are supposed to be growing.

We have to decide to follow Him. Let's continue in verse 20. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. Again, we're all bearing fruit at some point. But now, having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life. So we have to give up our freedom to become slaves to God. And that's what enables our growth and ability to achieve everlasting life.

We must be humble. We must be trustworthy. I read somewhere it says, you never grow too big to be a servant. And that's, in a sense, what's being described here. Because God loves us perfectly.

A really good servant gets to know their master's ways, are their ways, and they learn to think like their master. We need to do that with God.

Obeying God is not only a command, but it's also in our best interest. Because you can look at verses. There's two different ways, and I think those have been around long enough. No people have left the church because they started using this burden concept. Well, if you look at verses like, if you love me, keep my commandments. Yes, that is a command. But it doesn't say, if you love me, you'll obey me and prove how much you love me. That's not what Christ said. When we love Him, our obedience flows out of the relationship. It brings us this great joy because it flows out of a relationship of love. That's the perspective that He's wanting us to grow in. That's what gets to not just obedience, but you hear this word like radical obedience. Full obedience, knowing that God has our best interest in mind. Let's go back to John 15. We're going to read verses 1 through 8 this time, and let's read through the full verses where He talked about the vine. And again, reflect back on what we've learned as humans who enjoy learning from gardening and nature and things He set in place. A skilled gardener knows when and how to prune each type of plant. And in each one, you prune differently, and it makes them grow to have more fruit or flowers or whatever you're working with. That same thing happens to us spiritually. John 15 verse 1, I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you.

As the branch bears fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me, and my word abides in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this my father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciple. So we know God expects us to bear fruit. We can wrap our head around that one.

He warns us not bearing fruit can lead to us being cut off.

Then you get into the icha, this whole thing. Because God makes clear that with growth, there's also this expectation of pruning. And I was like, any of us feels saying, I look forward to my next pruning moment over here.

It's problematic since we try as humans to avoid things that are painful.

We come up with these elaborate ways to avoid facing difficulty, even being uncomfortable.

I'm just going to run away. That can make me uncomfortable. I'm just going to stop now.

That's not what the point is. The point is we have to nourish our faith and trust God to fully work through us in order for the growth he wants and desires to take place.

Even when we know what we need to do as humans, right, is going to involve pain, but we know in the end there's good. What do I do? We're naturally like, I don't know. Are you sure I want to go through that? That's our human nature. But the point is we can't.

Ultimately, our need to face reality is going to catch up to us.

I mean, physically, we know that a lot of times, right? Physically, we learn that when we are facing challenges or mistakes, we have to just face the ick. We have to go ahead and make these painful, hard choices and turn our lives. Same thing happens spiritually. The cost of avoiding spiritual growth catches up to us. We're slipping more and more away from God if we're not choosing to grow toward Him. Because remember, the human mind is always growing. It's growing in something.

God provides the ability and the ingredients to grow. Our responsibility is to rely on that so our growth happens. And there's a lot of perspective that takes place with pruning.

We've all faced difficulties, right? We've all faced painful experiences in our lives that we struggle with. Okay, I have nice ambient music. I could have worked with that one. We've all faced.

I think a perspective, an opportunity for guiding us as we face trials is recognize the trials and difficulties in our lives in the context of God working with us to grow. It doesn't mean you want to cause problems in your life. I'm not going there. But it helps us not get weary when God's Spirit is working with us, right? Because we suffer similarly to other people who don't have a Christian faith. But our challenges can have a spiritual purpose if we're learning from them. And that's it's a strengthening way to look at life and what happens. God uses the pruning to grow and bear fruit in us, not to torment us. And similar to the parable of the sower, right? Where seed went into a different ground. Maybe have a perspective sometimes when you're going through challenges that maybe in that moment God is replanting you into a better soil for you to grow. You're too much in a rocky place. We don't want to be pulled out of that rocky place. But God's saying, there's better soil. I got to move you. So this growing Christian is one who is willing to seek to produce fruit. And as we know, we learn with plants, not all things grow quickly, all things grow slowly. We need to lean on God's strength because those moments of patience is where we often grow the most. If you'll turn to Deuteronomy 5 and verse 29, growth implies change that may not always be pleasant, but is understood to be worthwhile after the lessons, after the meaning, or learned from it. If we don't learn the lessons and the meaning, well, then it was just painful. That's how God works with his people. God gives the conditions for growth and expects humans to then take the action needed to produce the growth.

We have a responsibility to grow in the Spirit. Deuteronomy 5 and verse 29, Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear me and always keep all my commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever.

So our growth comes from identifying the spiritual meaning God is teaching us, even through trials, even through loss. The past is there for us to learn from. Are we taking that opportunity? And when we do, our hearts become shaped to become more like God's. Turn to Colossians 3 verses 5 through 10. Let's go on to this next uncomfortable place that builds on this analogy.

If you... another thing we learn about when we look back at things we do humanly and we're growing, we have this concept of seeing when weeds are coming up and having to do weeding. That happens in our lives, too. We have to see where we're surrounded by carnality that needs to spiritually be weeded. Colossians 3 and verse 5. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passions, evil desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put on... put off the old man with his deeds, and having put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. So what is it you're struggling with? What are the weeds that might be crowding out God's way from working inside of you? There's a whole list of things there. We could probably find a few and we... we could find our ouches, right, in those verses we just read. But remember, things can't help but grow inside us as humans. So we have to be intentional about what we allow to grow in our thoughts, in our minds.

That's an important thing to reflect on this next week.

Turn to Matthew 5 and verse 27 through 30. Matthew 5, 27 through 30.

I think there's so much links that God gives. I think our natural enjoyment in farming or planting things, and you see people get so giddy and excited when their garden's flowering, and it's just... it's this wonderful feeling. But it's to teach us spiritual lessons. And there's so many things to be learned from that. So I want us to read this next and learn a little bit about the weeding process. We're going to step into the Sermon on the Mount, and let's take some lessons of what ways we can grow through weeding out what's preventing our optimal growth.

Matthew 5 and verse 27. You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you, for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell. Or the grave. So God is saying we should weed. We should pluck out the things in our lives that don't belong, that are contrary to his way of life. And again, please understand Jesus being symbolic. He is not encouraging you to literally pluck out your eyeballs. That will not cause you to sin unless it's about what's going on within your brain. But what we are supposed to do is we're supposed to cut out what is acting as a weed to limit our growth. Reflect on your life. What is it that's acting in that way? Alcoholics are taught not to even take the risk of having one drink socially, right? And the same lesson is taught with addiction of all kinds, whether it's smoking or internet, overspending, pornography, you go, oh, you're internet, overspending, pornography, you go on and on and on. We're told to spiritually weed out sinful triggers in our life. In conclusion, if you'll turn to Hebrews 6 verses 9 through 12. Hebrews 6, 9 through 12. So the lesson of this sermon is we must all grow in our walk with with Christ. And I ended up finding so many verses I went on this one. I ran out of time. I knew when I was putting this together. So my next message, if I'm blessed to give it here along the way, is going to be about ways we can grow and not get stuck only being able to digest spiritual milk. Hebrews 6 and verse 9. But beloved, we are confident a better thing is concerning you. Yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your works and labor of love, which you have shown toward him, and that you have ministered to the saints and do minister their fruits of growth. Right? And we desire that each one of you should show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. So the writer of Hebrews here is encouraging us as readers, and he's challenging us and warning us, basically, keep on growing. Actively live faith. He's encouraging us to hold on through that process. Verse 10 tells us that God will not forget our works and the love we demonstrate by serving others, by serving the saints. So we should be looking for opportunities to serve others. That's the way we show our fruits. Verse 11 reminds us to do this until the very end, not just for a short period of time. Verse 12 says that if we focus on that endeavor, we will not become lazy. We're called to be imitators of those who are going on to inherit the promises of God. We're in January, right? A new year.

How much have you grown in your walk with God this past year? If you were to have this spiritual snapshot of yourself taken a year ago and pull up a picture of you now, spiritually, would you see a difference?

Has there been growth along the way? My encouragement to all of us as we grow spiritually is never give up. Never give in. Love and serve the Lord until your last breath. Love and serve one another because it's worth it in the end and it's also fun along the way.