Grow
About this series:
The title of our teaching series throughout 2023 is The Kingdom Of God. The essential goal is to help people understand the Bible’s teaching on the kingdom of God and raise confidence in God’s plans for his kingdom’s expansion / multiplication.
Teaching about The Kingdom Of God is a great way to address life as a church community - this is how life together under God’s reign should look like. And to address our lives in the world - demonstrating to those in our sphere of influence the reality of God and what life looks like when God is your king.
The six topics we will cover in Kingdom People are characteristics we believe to be foundational to life as a follower of Jesus. They are therefore qualities of people living in the kingdom of God - people who trust God, grow in Christlikeness, relate to others in godly ways, give freely because they have freely received, share their lives and faith with others, and seek the multiplication of God’s kingdom wherever they go.
About this talk:
Scripture: Colossians 1:9-14
Every Christian knows that God’s design for them is to grow and bear fruit. Dane Ortlund begins his book Deeper with this simple question: ‘How do Christians grow?’ After some introductory comments, he sets out his premise: ‘The basic point of this book is that change is a matter of going deeper.’ On the inside cover he explains, ‘sanctification does not happen by doing more or becoming better, but by going deeper into the wondrous gospel truths.’
Paul recorded some of his prayers for the churches in his letters to them: for example, Ephesians 1:15-21; 3:14-19; Philippians 1:3-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; 3:9-13; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. And it’s clear from his prayers that he regularly asked God to work in his readers such that they would grow and be fruitful by going deeper. This prayer in his letter to the church in Colossae could be summarised as a prayer for growth, expressed in these terms:
v 9: being filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.
v 10: living a life worthy of the Lord and pleasing him in every way.
v 10: bearing fruit in every good work.
v 10: growing in the knowledge of God.
v 11: being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might.
v 11: having great endurance and patience.
The stimulus for growth in the Christian life is not only knowledge of God (though we do need to grow in our understanding) nor only in our efforts to live for him (though we must certainly apply ourselves). The stimulus for growth is the life of God within us. Jesus’ famous teaching in John 15 makes it clear that we are designed for growth, that growth comes from being intimately connected to him, the vine, that the goal of the Father’s pruning is growth and that growth is directly connected to God’s word and God’s love.
So life under God’s reign is a life of growth. Whether that looks like expansion into new opportunities or a quieter advance in godliness, both are part of God’s plan for us to become more like his Son as we walk with him.
When have you found yourself growing most / least?
What are some barriers to growth?
How does Paul’s prayer for growth inform our own expectations, prayer and action?
Audio only
