INTRODUCTION<\/p>\n
A. Thus far in our study of spiritual growth I have sought to establish the following…<\/p>\n
1. Spiritual growth is a choice that we must make<\/p>\n
a. Commanded by God<\/p>\n
b. That requires diligent effort on our part<\/p>\n
c. Yet we are assisted by God in our effort<\/p>\n
d. We are blessed by God both in this life and the next<\/p>\n
2. Spiritual growth is too often hindered by low self-esteem<\/p>\n
a. Too many Christians sell themselves short, because they do not view themselves capable of attaining higher levels of spiritual growth<\/p>\n
b. Not believing in their God-given capability, they are prone to making excuses for not trying, and therefore not growing<\/p>\n
3. Yet because God commands us to grow, we need to have faith that we can grow<\/p>\n
B. But what should be our goals regarding spiritual growth?<\/p>\n
1. For what are we to strive, making diligent effort?<\/p>\n
2. By what measurement can we determine that spiritual growth is taking place?<\/p>\n
C. As with any venture, having goals and attaining them is essential to success…<\/p>\n
1. The athlete excels when he sets goals, and attains them<\/p>\n
2. The successful business man understands the importance of goals<\/p>\n
D. So it is with the Christian.<\/p>\n
1. We must have goals, and ways of attaining them.<\/p>\n
2. I want to offer some thoughts in this regards.<\/p>\n
DISCUSSION<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A. BEHAVIORAL GOALS<\/p>\n
1. Our Ultimate Goal Is To Be Like Christ<\/p>\n
a. Jesus intimated such in talking about discipleship<\/p>\n
1) A disciple is to become like his teacher… Luke 6:40<\/p>\n
2) Jesus wants us to become His disciples… Matthew 28:19-20<\/p>\n
b. Paul made it clear that this is the goal of our redemption<\/p>\n
1) God’s desire is that we be conformed to the image of His Son… Romans 8:29<\/p>\n
2) As we are being transformed, it is in the image of Christ… 2 Corinthians 3:18<\/p>\n
3) We are to be renewed according to the image of Christ… Colossians 3:10-11<\/p>\n
c. So an essential element of spiritual growth is to become more Christ-like, renewing our behavior to conform to the example of Jesus Christ<\/p>\n
2. This Involves Growing In The Knowledge Of Christ<\/p>\n
a. Which Peter commanded in 2 Peter 3:18<\/p>\n
b. Not just academic knowledge, but personal knowledge through character development… 2 Peter 1:5-8<\/p>\n
1) We must add spiritual graces to our faith, such as virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love<\/p>\n
2) It is with the development we are truly fruitful in the knowledge of Christ… 2 Peter 1:8<\/p>\n
c. These graces were best personified in Jesus Christ; the more we grow in them, the more we truly know and understand our Lord and Savior!<\/p>\n
3. The Challenge Of Reaching Our Behavioral Goals<\/p>\n
a. It requires diligent effort… 2 Peter 1:5, 10<\/p>\n
b. It requires sustained effort… Galatians 6:7-9<\/p>\n
c. As stressed before, such growth does not come naturally; if we are not careful, we may revert back to our former conduct and character… 2 Peter 2:20-22<\/p>\n
4. True spiritual growth demands a renewal of mind and character (cf. Rom 12:1-2), in which the goal is to become like our Teacher, Jesus Christ! There are also…<\/p>\n
B. FUNCTIONAL GOALS<\/p>\n
1. The Church Is A Body With Many Members<\/p>\n
a. In which every member is important… 1 Corinthians 12:12-22<\/p>\n
b. In which not every member has the same function… Romans 12:3-5<\/p>\n
c. Every member must do its part… Ephesians 4:16<\/p>\n
d. The Lord’s church grows only as each member does his part in the body of Christ<\/p>\n
2. As Members Of The Body, We Must Grow<\/p>\n
a. We must find and develop our unique function(s) in the body of Christ… Romans 12:6-8<\/p>\n
1) For some, it may be laboring in the Word (preaching, teaching)<\/p>\n
2) For others, it may involve ministering to others (visiting, serving)<\/p>\n
3) For many, it may involve a multitude of talents and abilities<\/p>\n
b. We must utilize our gifts (functions) in the service of God… 1 Peter 4:10-11<\/p>\n
1) Those who speak, doing so as the oracles of God<\/p>\n
2) Those who serve, with the strength God supplies<\/p>\n
c. Failing to grow brings reproach (e.g., Heb. 5:12-14), for we are guilty of wasting what God has given us<\/p>\n
3. The Challenge Of Reaching Our Functional Goals<\/p>\n
a. The challenge of determining our function(s) in the body of Christ<\/p>\n
1) Not all members have the same function; what is mine?<\/p>\n
2) Am I lacking in certain talents, or are they simply needing to be developed?<\/p>\n
3) Am I truly a one-talent individual, or using that possibility as an excuse not to develop what I am truly capable of?<\/p>\n
b. The challenge of developing our function(s) in the body of Christ<\/p>\n
1) While some skills may come naturally, others may take time and energy<\/p>\n
2) Is my lack of development the result of indifference or laziness?<\/p>\n
3) Am I selling myself short through negative self-talk?<\/p>\n
4) Am I allowing the allurements of the world to preoccupy my time and energy?<\/p>\n
c. We need to be honest with ourselves; indeed, the Day of Judgment will reveal whether or not we have been honest (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10; Mat. 25:14-30)<\/p>\n
4. Finally, a thought or two about…<\/p>\n
C. CONGREGATIONAL GOALS<\/p>\n
1. Individual Growth Is Intertwined With Church Growth<\/p>\n
a. A primary function of the church is the edification of the saints… Ephesians 4:11-16<\/p>\n
b. We are challenged to minister our gifts to one another… 1 Peter 4:11<\/p>\n
c. As we grow individually, so we grow as a church, and vice versa<\/p>\n
2. Church Goals Should Incorporate Individual Goals<\/p>\n
a. A congregation’s goals should allow for the fulfillment of individual goals<\/p>\n
1) Providing encouragement through its educational programs<\/p>\n
2) Providing opportunity for Christians to serve in their various roles<\/p>\n
b. A congregation’s goals will require the fulfillment of individual goals<\/p>\n
1) Does a church have a goal for growth? It requires teachers and others who minister to the flock<\/p>\n
2) Does a church have a goal for spreading the gospel? It requires preachers and those who will support them… Romans 10:14-15<\/p>\n
c. To grow individually, we benefit greatly with the help of congregational goals!<\/p>\n
3. The Challenge Of Reaching Our Congregation Goals<\/p>\n
a. It depends heavily upon the cooperation of all the members<\/p>\n
b. If we are not united in the need for spiritual growth, it is unlikely we will set congregational goals that will nourish such growth<\/p>\n
c. If we are not growing individually, any congregational goals will unlikely be met<\/p>\n
d. If we desire to grow as a congregation, we need to be growing as individuals, and set our goals for such!<\/p>\n
CONCLUSION<\/p>\n
A. Spiritual growth requires the setting and obtaining of goals…<\/p>\n
1. Individuals must have both behavioral and functional goals<\/p>\n
2. Both individuals and congregations must have similar goals<\/p>\n
B. As we obtain our goals as individuals and as congregations…<\/p>\n
1. Christ will be glorified!<\/p>\n
2. As disciples and as members of His body we will become what He desires us to be!<\/p>\n
C. If we desire to grow spiritually, then we need to set and strive for behavioral, functional, and congregational goals that will inspire us in the right direction!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sermon on Spiritual Growth INTRODUCTION A. Thus far in our study of spiritual growth I have sought to establish the following… 1. Spiritual growth is a choice that we must make a. Commanded by God b. That requires diligent effort on our part c. Yet we are assisted by God in our effort d. We … Continue reading “Sermon on Spiritual Growth – Goals for Spiritual Growth – Bible Outlines”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43785\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}