Principles for Successful Ministry 2

JOHN 13:12-17

SUBJECT: SERVANTHOOD/ PRINCIPLES                                                

THEME: Following Bible Based Guidelines in Christian Ministry Is Successful Service and Not Merely the Numerical Results or Impressive Statistics.  How and Why You Serve Christ Is Just as Important as What You Do for Him.   

INTRODUCTION: 

God requires service from every believer.  Ministry is not an option or a suggestion to be considered, but a commandment to be obeyed. This is true of every genuine believer. God knows that service is one way we can increase blessing and fulfillment in our own lives while bring great glory to Him. Though difficulty is a part of ministry, God does not command us to serve so that we might suffer hardness. Beloved, God directs us into service opportunities to reward us and bring us blessings. 

A measure of God’s blessings come to us in the form of ministry success which is far more than impressive numerical results, rapid ministry expansion, and sensational statistical reports. Following God’s ministry guidelines is success–how you serve Christ is important!  Beloved, ministry can be used of the Spirit of God to stamp Jesus into our character. While God is glorified when we bear much fruit (Jn. 15:5,8), He still requires that we serve His way for His reasons and not merely to impress others or to meet human expectations (Jn. 15:1-8, 16).  We must be motivated to do God’s Work in God’s Way!  Servant-leadership principles are the key.  In fact Jesus said, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:17).

Serving God’s Way for Godly Reasons is Success. Once again success in Christian ministry is in finding and following Bible based guidelines faithfully and leaving the results and statistic with the Lord. So, what are some principles for successful service?

LESSON:

I.  PRINCIPLE #1: SERVE LIKE YOUR MASTER.

II. PRINCIPLE #2: BE A VOLUNTEER  SERVANT.

III. PRINCIPLE #3: SERVE WITHOUT COMPARISON.

  

IV. PRINCIPLE #4: SERVE WITHOUT EXCLUSIONS.

1 Cor. 12:6-7, And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. [7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

If a person volunteers to join you in your service to others, allow him or her the privilege of doing so.

A.  INVOLVE EVERY BELIEVER IN SERVICE. 

    1.  Nobody Is Ever Too Young or Too Old to Serve.

In fact, there's no retirement program for Christian service. Following the Lord's example, we each are to serve the Lord and to serve others every day of our lives.

    2.  Biblical Love is to Be Expressed by Every Believer.

Jesus called His disciples “little children” during the Last Supper and said to them, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. ” (John 13:34-35). Love knows no age limitations. Even a young child is capable of expressing love and care to others.  We don’t have many senior citizens in our church but they are potentially the most effect servants in a ministry!

B.  INCLUDE EVERYONE WHEN EXTENDING SERVICE.

Just as you exclude no person from an opportunity to serve, you must not exclude anyone from receiving service.

   1.  Consider Christ Helping Others.

Consider all whom the Lord Jesus touched with His hands. They included a leper, a child, and a blind man. He used His hands to wash the feet of His disciples. Consider the many different peoples he ministered to: the demon possessed, a Canaanite woman, Tax collectors, Zealots, Roman soldiers, Pharisees, the poor, the rich, the powerful, the outcasts, harlots, mourners, and even the dead.

   2.  Consider the Inclusive Nature of Calvary.

Eventually, He spread His hands out on a cross and died for the sins of all mankind.

      A.  Do Not Allow Ethnic Differences to Hinder You!

He certainly expects you to extend your hands to those in need regardless of their race, color, culture, nationality, or type of need (Acts 1:8; 2; 8:5, 26-27; 10:1-2, 33-48; 11:20-22; 13; 19:8-10). 

      B.  Do Not Allow Degradation to Hinder You!

Sometimes we avoid witnessing to people who are social outcasts and notorious rebels, but again this is not a legitimate reason to refuse to serve someone.  The only way some of these precious souls will ever be saved and know the Lord is if a real Christian begins to build bridges to them to win them to the Savior. This is exactly what Paul did among the Corinthians and what the other Apostles emphasized as well (1Cor. 6:9-11; Acts 19:17-20; 1Cor. 12:2; Eph. 2:1-3; Tit. 3:3-6; 1Pet. 4:2-4).  

      C.  Do Not Allow Sophistication to Hinder You!

Remember Cornelius of Acts 10:1-2 was a centurion — Roman Military Officer responsible for about 100 soldiers.  Consider the Epicureans, Stoicks, and Philosphers of Athen in Acts 17:16-34, no doubt these were great debaters and thinkers of their day.  In addition, Athens was the center of culture, education, and fine arts. What about the Grecian Honorable Women who were noted for their prominence in Thessalonica in Acts 17:11-12.   All of these are examples of the gospel reaching out to all people and any people without regard for race, social status, occupation, education, or culture!

Consider how inclusive God was in his plans for humanity and follow suit!  How does this effect whom you witness to and those you seek to disciple?

1 Tim. 2:5-6,  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; [6] Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

2 Cor. 5:14-16, For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: [15] And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. [16] Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.   

2 Cor. 5:19,  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Peter 3:9,  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

  

V. PRINCIPLE #5: SERVE WITH COMMITMENT.

Proverbs 16:3, Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.  

Psalm 37:5, Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.  

Regardless of the degree of commitment to service that you may have made in the past—or lack thereof—you can make a new start today.

A.  START FRESH WITH A NEW COMMITMENT.

  

    1.  Seek God’s Forgiveness.

Ask God to forgive you for wasted opportunities to serve. Make a commitment to yourself to discover your talents and abilities that might be used in service.

     2.  Act Upon Your New Commitment.

And then, make a commitment to get involved in the lives of others and to give, help, and provide as you are able. A real commitment is one that is acted upon, not merely one that is talked about.

The Lord Jesus fully expects us to act on our commitments to serve Him faithfully. He still requires total loyalty to Himself! Matthew 8:19-22,   And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. [20] And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. [21] And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [22] But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Our commitment to Christ must be complete. It is possible that this disciple was not asking permission to go to his father's funeral, but rather to put off following Jesus until his elderly father died. Perhaps he was the firstborn son and wanted to be sure to claim his inheritance. Perhaps he didn't want to face his father's wrath if he left the family business to follow an itinerant preacher. Whether his concern was financial security, family approval, or something else, he did not want to commit himself to Jesus just yet. Jesus, however, would not accept his excuse.  You too may need to start fresh with a new commitment!

Jesus was always direct with those who wanted to follow him. He made sure they counted the cost and set aside any conditions they might have for following him. As God's Son, Jesus did not hesitate to demand complete loyalty. Even family loyalty was not to take priority over the demands of obedience. His direct challenge forces us to ask ourselves about our own priorities in following him. The decision to follow Jesus should not be put off, even though other loyalties compete for our attention. Nothing should be placed above a total commitment to living for him.  Commit today!

B.  SERVE WITH ENDURANCE—IT TAKES COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE.

Commitment is required if you are to endure in your service through tough times and persecution.

    1.  Faithful Godly Service Will Be Rewarded by the Lord Jesus.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

1 Cor. 3:12-14,  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; [13] Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. [14] If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

Make certain that what you do with your time, energies, and talents is for the gospel, and your work will be counted as gold, silver, and precious stones. It is what you do for your own self-serving interests and self-gratification that will be revealed as wood, hay, and stubble.

    2.  Endurance Grows out of Commitment to Jesus Christ.

Matthew 10:22, And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Jesus predicted that his followers would be severely persecuted by those who hated what he stood for. In the midst of terrible persecutions, however, they could have hope, knowing that salvation was theirs. Times of trial serve to sift true Christians from false or fair-weather Christians. When you are pressured to give up and turn your back on Christ, don't do it. Remember the benefits of standing firm, and continue to live for Christ.

Standing firm and enduring to the end is not another way to be saved but the evidence that a person is really committed to Jesus. Persistence is not a means to earn salvation; it is the by-product of a truly devoted life.

Commit yourself to being consistent in your service to Christ and others throughout your life. Philip. 1:27, Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

VI. PRINCIPLE #6: LEAVE THE OUTCOMES WITH GOD.

Philip. 2:13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

You are not responsible fully for the outcomes related to your service. Your responsibility is to serve God and others to the best of your ability, with the full force of your love, energy, and talents. What happens as the result of your service is God's responsibility.

A.  IT’S WHAT GOD ACHIEVES THAT COUNTS.

John 14:10, Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.  

      1.  The Apostle Paul Suffered Greatly in Giving Service to the Early Church.

         A.  His Ministry Was Filled with Conflict, Struggles, and Troubles.

If you were to evaluate Paul's ministry on the basis of the number of times he was beaten, imprisoned, ridiculed and scorned, rejected, or assaulted, you would consider his ministry to be a total failure. The value of

         B.  Paul's Ministry, However, Was Not Measured by What He Went Through, but by What God Accomplished Through His consistent, persistent, and insistent preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

      2.  It Is God Who Saves Souls; We Merely Do the Witnessing.

      3.  It Is God Who Heals and Restores; We Merely Do the “Medicating,” the Praying, and the Exhorting.

      4.  It Is God Who Delivers; We Merely Proclaim the Power, the Blood, and the Promises Made Available to Us Through the Name of Jesus.

      5.  When We Serve, God Works. He uses everything that we do for His good purposes and eternal plan.

B.  CONCENTRATE ON BEING FAITHFUL.

Matthew 25:21, His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

God calls us to be faithful. Our “success” is up to Him. Ministry is not something we do for God but, rather, something that God does through us. He is the One who calls us to service, enables us to serve, and produces His desired result from our service. Trust Him to work faithfully in and through you.

1 Thes. 5:24, Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Adopting an attitude of faithfulness in service is a tall order. Faithful servants are committed believers. Faithful servants are loyal Christians. Faithful servants are responsible persons. Their word is a bond. A faithful servant will choose to forgo distractions for the prescribed goal. They are not dissuaded by “wind or weather,” by personalities, by fatigue, or other distractions. That is why God rewards faithfulness so highly—why He places such a premium on faithfulness in our pursuit and execution of His will.

Consider the following questions and use them to x-ray your own heart before the Lord Jesus:

Am I serving God’s way?

Am I serving for godly reasons?

Am I motivated to impress others?

Am I like my Master?

Am I a consistent volunteer?

Am I comparing myself with others?

Am I excluding some in my service?

Am I committed in my ministry?

Am I leaving the outcomes with God?

Am I faithful to God’s work?

The Effective Pastor's Impact

Ephesians 4:11-16

Pastors are given to churches as gifts to bring the members into spiritual maturity (Vs. 11).  A pastor, with his pastoral staff, who is effective as an overseer and shepherd will certainly make this passage a reality (Eph. 4:11-16). In addition, he must be vested with the Spiritual Gifts and Maturity to lead and serve the church as Pastor.  Success in churches is often measured by attendance, money, and facilities.  This is actually rank worldliness, unvarnished shallowness, and fleshly carnality.  There is nothing truly spiritual about these matters...they are simply manmade metrics to a large degree. Some will point to a few passages in the Bible to defend their use of these measures, but the truth is any company, organization, or religious group can brag about the same type of statistics. These measures do not include anything inherently supernatural or God-wrought! Well then...what does God actually require? How can a faithful pastor gauge whether or not he is having a God-honoring impact? Notice the marks of the effective pastor according to God’s view:

     1.  The Church Will Be Spiritually Prepared and Well Trained.   Vs 12,  For the perfecting of the saints . . . .

The gift-people/leaders are to prepare God’s people for works of service.  That is the equipment of all God's people in the church for ministry.   The idea is "to prepare" or "to put right."  The thought is applied to surgery in the setting of a broken bone, to the mending of nets (Matt 4:21) and the restoration of the back-slider (Gal 6:1).  Such preparation is the work and service of the pastor. The pastor literally trains the deacons, trustees, preacher boys, Sunday School teachers, ushers, treasurers, and Children’s church workers.  Leaders are not to do all the work of the ministry; leaders are to prepare the members to minister.

Remember the old TV show Six Million Dollar Man? Think about how he was basically rendered a paralytic as a result of a space shuttle crash upon return from space.  But the doctors used high tech equipment to rebuild and reconstruct him... to make him better than ever before. This is the idea behind the pastor’s ministry of taking people who have been paralyzed and broken by sin, leading them to Christ; then with the Word of God rebuilding them and making them productive for the Lord Jesus Christ.

     2.  The Church Will Be Serving and Working Effectively.     Vs 12,  for the work of the ministry

It is here that we have often missed the implications of the body of Christ portrait, and developed congregational patterns that deny rather than express what the church is. All too often leaders are hired by a congregation to do the “work of the ministry.” The pastor is expected to teach. To evangelize. To counsel. To visit the sick. To pray with the discouraged. If the church grows in size and new members are added, it is taken as an indication that their local congregation is healthy and the minister is doing his job. If the church fails to grow or the budget is not met, the one to blame is the minister. After all, he was hired by the church to minister.

How different is this modern view from the Bible’s portrait of a living body! In a living organism, every cell contributes. The body’s health depends on each member fulfilling its special function. No one person can carry out the functions of the living organism the Scripture describes. No one person or team of paid professionals was ever intended to. The role of leaders within the church has always been to help the members of the body grow in capacity to minister; to help each individual find and use his or her spiritual gifts. The role of leaders has always been to lead all believers into a fulfilling life of service.  This is the key to effective ministry and healthy church life—good food and plenty of exercise will keep a body healthy and strong.

When we miss this, and put the ministry of the church onto the professional, we have lost sight of who we are. The local congregation becomes weak, unable to respond as a healthy body to the directions of its Head.

     3.  The Church Will Be Built Up Spiritually and Numerically. Vs 12,  the edifying of the body of Christ:

The first ministry of believers is to other believers.  Spiritual growth in house supercedes numerical growth through reaching out.

A son of about five years old, wanted to mow the family lawn. They had a push mower then. The kind in which the blades moved only when the wheels moved, and the wheels were moved by people power. Well, little Paul pushed and strained—and finally found an answer. He leaned on the handle, lifted the wheels off the ground, and easily moved the mower on just the back roller! How busy he looked, chugging up and down across the lawn. And how little grass he cut!

After a while, the father would explain. “Soon, Paul, you’ll grow, and then you’ll be able to make those blades turn. Then you can help a lot.” (Wiersbe)

How often in the church we concentrate on organizing spiritual five-year-olds to push better lawn mowers, and wonder why so little of God’s grass gets cut! The church is called to first be “edified” and “grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ” (v. 15). Maturing within the body, growing more and more like Jesus, is the believer’s first calling. To equip the church for service, believers must minister to one another first and then to the world.

Do not misunderstand: this focus on building one another up is not “selfish.” It is essential. Only as we grow toward maturity together can we respond fully to Jesus as He directs us to serve in the world. Only a strong and healthy body can carry out the tasks assigned to it in evangelism and missions. Our effectiveness in communicating the Gospel and the love of God to the world around us depends on our growth toward maturity. This kind of growth takes place as we—members together of one body—build each other up in love, each part doing its own ministering work (vs. 16).

     4.  The Church Will Be United and Growing in Unity (Doctrine)   Vs 13,  the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God

The ultimate goal in view is the attainment of completeness in Christ.  Paul likewise insisted on the togetherness of Christians in the church in other passages (1Thess 4:15-17). In vs. 4:3 "the unity of the Spirit" is a blessing to be pursued and guarded.  Here "unity in the faith" is a goal to be pursued and reached.  Growing in unity in “the faith” deals with doctrine the true foundation of unity, not love.  You never sacrifice doctrine for some kind of false unity. Such a realization of unity will arise from an increasing knowledge of Christ as the Son of God in corporate as well as in personal experience.

     5.  The Church Will Be Focused on Spiritual Maturity and Strength.   Vs. 13,  unto a perfect man,

Vs. 15, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

It is vital that we “grow up into Him” if we are to be a valid expression of Jesus in this world. The whole body grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work and makes its valuable contribution (vs. 16).  This is sometimes hard to accept. We look at the world and are burdened by the need for evangelism. We look at the poor and are burdened by the need to help and bring relief. We look at the suffering and are impelled to comfort and to care. So sometimes we slip into the trap of organizing the local church to undertake one or more of these tasks. We program evangelistic efforts and buy more buses. We commit ourselves to an active church social life and great involvement.  All too often we lose sight of the fact that the first function of the body is to build itself spiritually.   Our goals must be to be a perfect mature strong man who can stand firm for Christ is a darkened world.  The first area of growth must be spiritual.

     6.  The Church Will Be Projecting a Combined Testimony to the Character of Christ as a Standard.    Vs 13,  unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

The local church as a whole is seen as "one new man" in Christ (Eph 2:15). Individualism is a mark of immaturity.  This perfection or completeness is proportionate to “the fullness of Christ” himself.  Another believer is not the standard, nor merely another church, but Christ himself is.

The “fullness of Christ” himself is the standard.  Just as Christians may be filled to the measure of “all the fullness of God" (Eph 3:19), so together we are to aspire to the full measure of perfection found in the character of Christ.  Everyone should seek moral and spiritual conformity to the image of Christ.  This is an appropriate body for a glorious Christ. (MacDonald)  

Let us project together a clear and accurate portrait of the stature and fullness of Christ’s Character.  Let us as a church assembly be conformed to His outstanding features spiritually and morally.  Just as He was Wise, Faithful, Holy, Committed, Submissive, Fervent, Compassionate, Loving, Unselfish, and Gracious so should His local churches corporately be.

     7.  The Church Will Be Stabilized by Sound Doctrine and Not Gullible.    Vs 14,  be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about                                                                                                                                         

The metaphor of maturity is carried over from vs. 13. Immaturity is avoided when we follow God’s pattern. There must be no hindrance in development among us as believers and church members.  We are to abandon childish and shallow attitudes and be our age (1 Cor. 13:11). Paul switches from one metaphor to another as he depicts the features of spiritual infants.  We cannot afford to be babes “tossed to and fro” and whirled around by every gust of fashionable false teaching. Blown here and there and feeling dizzy from the confusing effect of false doctrine. No, our goal must be to grow up!

Yes, we are to be stabilized and planted in sound doctrine which affords rock solid direction for life and practice. One of the main reasons Christians get out of sorts with the pastor is because they cannot appreciate mature wisdom and sound doctrine applied to everyday life.  Beloved, do not settle down as a mere spiritual babe– underdeveloped because of a lack of exercise in truth (Heb. 5:12). Make the choice to grow up and become a part of the stability of the church instead of being an unstable perpetual liability.

     8.  The Church Will Be Focused and Contributing in Every Subdivision.   Vs.16,  the whole body fitly joined together . . . according to the effectual working in the measure of every part . . . .

Every member involved, and making a meaningful contribution to the welfare of the church and positively impacting the community for Christ.  Each member focused on the same basic goals, priorities, and mandates.  Each member contributing according to his or her gifts and abilities effectively.  Not just busy, but accomplishing the very will of God.

     9.  The Church Will Be Growing, Increasing, and Ministering in Love to Each Other   Vs 16,   maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

There will be no compromise as to clear biblical teaching and the fundamentals of the faith.  Then there will be a right spirit of love supervising the ministry activity ensuring that there is no one-sided testimony.  Yes,  a remarkable balance between love and truth is wonderfully achieved.  Together we make a complete living organism mutually contributing and growing in harmony.  This process depends on the fact that the various parts of the body are interrelated. The whole is continually being integrated and kept firm by each separate ligament. (Walvoord)

Certainly these are the biblical marks of and effective pastor, pastoral staff and church!  Pastoral authority extends as far as is required to accomplish his great task.  Pastors must be gifted and spiritual to accomplish these great spiritual tasks.  Talent in good, but it will not get these objectives accomplished!  We are very success-oriented as Americans, and this has led to churches putting a premium on “results.” Success in the church is often measured by attendance, money, and facilities. The church with the greatest attendance, the most money, and the nicest facilities looks the most successful. Whenever a church finds a way to increase all three, that pastor is likely to be in high demand as a speaker and consultant, regardless of whether or not the church measures up to the scriptural criteria for success. (Wiersbe)

As a result, churches often put a premium on talent over godliness, ability over maturity. This has led to disastrous consequences. The Bible makes it clear that leadership in spiritual matters is not merely a matter of talent.  It is a matter of spiritual gifts and spiritual maturity (Eph. 4:11-16).  If we put those two issues first and talent second, we will find a higher level and quality of leadership being chosen for churches.

Our modern society is in desperate need of more Christ-like believers and churches. The only thing many people will ever know about God is what they see of His radiance reflected in our daily lives and collective testimony. Our ability to represent our Lord worthily is only possible through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in the church.

This hymn text by Thomas Chisholm is one of his more than 1,200 fine poems, many of which have been set to music and have become enduring hymns of the churches. This one, published in 1897, was his first hymn to be widely received.

                                                            O TO BE LIKE THEE!

O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer. This is my constant longing and prayer; gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

O to be like Thee! full of compassion, loving, forgiving, tender and kind; helping the helpless, cheering the fainting, seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.

O to be like Thee lowly in spirit, holy and harmless, patient and brave; meekly enduring cruel reproaches, willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading, pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love; make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling; fit me for life and heaven above.

Chorus: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art! Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

Reflect on this statement: “He who does not long to know more of Christ really knows nothing of Him yet!”  (101 Hymn Stories)

How To Avoid Shipwreck

2 Peter 1:5-11

Subject: Spiritual Growth 

Theme: diligently apply yourself to sustain spiritual growth.

Introduction:

In order to sustain growth, we must apply serious, concentrated, and laborious persistence (2Pet. 1:5-11). Verses 3 and 4 declare how God has given us all that is required for experiencing Christ’s divine life. Because He has, we must be diligent in cultivating it. God does not make us holy against our will or without our involvement. There must be desire, determination, and discipline on our part.

Peter referred back to the divine nature by beginning this new paragraph with the words “And besides this” or for this very reason. The words “giving all diligence” means to make every effort to apply zeal; it is bringing to bear our personal determination alongside the provisions and promises of God.  It takes every bit of diligence and effort a Christian can muster, along with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, to “escape the corruption that is in the world” caused by our evil desires (2 Peter 1:4) and to bring in alongside of our faith a complement of virtue. We must work hard at cultivating the seven qualities Peter listed in verses 5-7. As a Christian does so, we become more like Christ, participating more fully in God’s “divine nature.”

Where there is life, there must be growth. The new birth is not the end; it is the beginning. God gives His children all that we need to live Christ-like lives, but we, His children, must apply ourselves and be diligent to use the “means of grace” He has provided. Spiritual growth is not automatic. It requires cooperation with God and the application of spiritual diligence and discipline. “Work out your own salvation.... For it is God which worketh in you”(Phil. 2:12–13).

Lesson:

Make Every Effort to Grow and Experience The Benefits of Spiritual Growth (1:8-10).

There is either advance or decline in the pathway of discipleship—no standing still. There is strength and security in moving forward; danger and failure in retreat. Failure to persevere in the development of Christian character leads to barrenness, unfruitfulness, blindness, shortsightedness, and forgetfulness.  When this happens we know we are not 'growing up' in the Lord.  But how can we know we are advancing?  Peter gave three solid evidences of genuine spiritual growth.

There will be Spiritual Fruitfulness: Assurance of fruitfulness in the knowledge of Christ (1:8-9).

Notice the Benefits of Fruitfulness.

                                Christian growth (1:5-7) results in spiritual effectiveness and productivity. The words “be in you” means “possessing” and emphasizes that these spiritual qualities “belong to” Christians.

                                However, Christians are to do more than merely possess these virtues. Effective and productive spirituality comes as these qualities “abound”—more than adequate measure. There is to be a growth in grace. A believer who does not progress in these seven areas is ineffective and unproductive in his saving knowledge—“full personal knowledge”—of our Lord Jesus Christ.

     Notice the Consequences of Unfruitfulness.

                                Unfortunately many Christians know the Lord in salvation, but they lack the “fruit” of the Spirit and are not advancing spiritually. They remain “infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1), still in need of spiritual “milk” (Heb. 5:12-13).

                                But as Peter urged, believers should “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

     Thus avoiding barrenness (1:8).  Only the life lived in fellowship with God can be truly effective. The guidance of the Holy Spirit eliminates barren activity and insures maximum efficiency. Otherwise, we simply going through the motions, but we are not producing anything godly.

     Thus avoiding unfruitfulness (1:8).  It is possible to have considerable knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and yet be unfruitful in that knowledge. Failure to practice what we know leads inevitably to barrenness. Inflow without outgo killed the Dead Sea, and it kills productivity in the spiritual realm as well.

     There will be Spiritual Vision: Avoidance of blindness in the knowledge of Christ (1:9).

     We can avoid blindness and shortsightedness (1:9). In contrast with a growing Christian, a carnal believer is blind and nearsighted.

                                A believer with spiritual myopia is not magnifying the grace of Christ. Since his life is not evidencing the seven characteristics listed in verses 5-7, he seems to be just like a spiritually blind (or unsaved) person (2 Cor. 4:4; John 9:39). He is not aware of what is central in life. He lacks discernment of true spiritual values. He lives in a dark world of shadows. (MacDonald)

                                The phrase cannot see afar off means “shortsighted.” It is the picture of somebody closing or squinting his eyes, unable to see at a distance.

                                There are some Christians who see only their own church, or their own denomination, but who fail to see the greatness of God’s family around the world. Some believers see the needs at home but have no vision for a lost world. –W. W. Wiersbe

                                Shortsightedness encompasses the fact that there are various degrees of impaired vision which are spoken of as blindness (1:9). Shortsightedness here specifies the form of blindness in which man lives for the present rather than the future. He is so occupied with material things that he neglects the spiritual.

     We can avoid forgetfulness (1:9). Since they lack these seven virtues, they have forgotten that they have been cleansed from their pre-conversion sins. Such Christians are spiritually immature. Though they have been cleansed from their sins, they have not grown spiritually (Titus 3:5). The truth of his redemption has lost its grip on them. He or she is going back in the direction from which they were once rescued. They are toying with sins that caused the death of God’s Son.

    There will be Spiritual Security: Assurance of salvation and greater reward (1:10-11).

     This involves confirming our calling an election (1:10).

                                Peter exhorts his readers to confirm their calling and election (1:10). These are two facets of God’s plan of salvation. Election refers to His sovereign, eternal choice of individuals to belong to Himself. Calling refers to His action in time by which the choice is made evident. Our election took place before the world was made; our call takes place when we are converted. Chronologically, there is first election, then call. But in human experience we first become aware of His call, then we realize we were chosen in Christ from all eternity.

                                We cannot make our calling and election more sure than they already are; God’s eternal purposes can never be thwarted. But we can confirm them by growing in likeness to the Lord. By manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, we can provide unmistakable evidence that we truly belong to Him. A holy life proves the reality of our salvation.

                                Peter pointed out that “calling” and “election” go together. The same God who elects His people also ordains the means to call them. The two must go together, as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.... Whereunto He called you by our Gospel” (2 Thes. 2:13–14). We do not preach election to unsaved people; we preach the Gospel. But God uses that Gospel to call sinners to repentance, and then those sinners discover that they were chosen by God! (Wiersbe)

                                Peter also pointed out that election is no excuse for spiritual immaturity or for lack of effort in the Christian life. Some believers say, “What is going to be is going to be. There is nothing we can do.” But Peter admonishes us to “give diligence.” This means “make every effort.” (He used this same verb in 2 Peter 1:5.) While it is true that God must work in us before we can do His will (Phil. 2:12–13), it is also true that we must be willing for God to work, and we must cooperate with Him. Divine election must never be an excuse for human laziness. –Wiersbe: The Bible Exposition Commentary

     This involves preventing a fall into sin, disgrace, and disuse (1:10).

                                Living a holy life will keep us from stumbling. It is not a question of falling into eternal perdition; the work of Christ delivers us from that. Rather, it refers to falling into sin, disgrace, or disuse. If we fail to progress in divine things, we are in danger of wrecking our lives. But if we walk in the Spirit, we will be spared from being disqualified for His service. God guards the Christian who moves forward for Him. The peril lies in spiritual idleness and blindness. –MacDonald: Believer's Bible Commentary

                                If you walk around with your eyes closed, you will stumble! But the growing Christian walks with confidence because he knows he is secure in Christ. It is not our profession of faith that guarantees that we are saved; it is our progression in the faith that gives us that assurance. The person who claims to be a child of God but whose character and conduct give no evidence of spiritual growth is deceiving himself and heading for judgment.

                                   

     This involves securing a grand entrance into Christ’s everlasting kingdom (1:11).

                                Not only is there safety in constant spiritual progress, there is also the promise of a richly-provided entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter refers here not to the fact of our entry but to the manner of it. The only basis of admission to the heavenly kingdom is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But some will have a more abundant entrance than others. There will be degrees of reward. And the rewards are here said to depend on the degree of one’s conformity to the Savior. (Wiersbe)

                                In fact, the growing Christian can look forward to an abundant entrance into the eternal kingdom! The Greeks used this phrase to describe the welcome given Olympic winners when they returned home. Every believer will arrive in heaven, but some will have a more glorious welcome than others. Remember, some believers “shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Cor. 3:15).

                                The word ministered in 2 Peter 1:11 is the same as the word add in 2 Peter 1:5, and it means “to bear the expenses of a chorus.”

                                When the Greek theatrical groups presented their dramas, somebody had to underwrite the expenses, which were very great. The word came to mean “to make lavish provision.” If we make lavish provision to grow spiritually (2 Peter 1:5), then God will make lavish provision for us when we enter heaven! –The Bible Exposition Commentary

                                The ultimate reward of a growing, Christ-honoring life is the personal “welcome” by the Savior into His kingdom. Stephen experienced it (Acts 7:56); Paul knew when it was imminent for him (2 Tim. 4:7-8, 18); and every believer will experience such a welcome when he enters the Lord’s presence in heaven. …The entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be supplied with richness; it will be a wonderful “welcome home.” –Walvoord: The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Conclusion:

What spiritual disciplines have helped you the most in your Christian walk?

Clearly our Father knows our weaknesses. He knows we are prone to be undisciplined in spiritual matters. We need Him to come alongside us and help us. We all should ask for Him to guide us, and give us perseverance and discipline so that we can grow in our knowledge of Him. May we never be content with less than His best. The prayer on all of our lips should be, “Show us how much more you want to teach us. May we always hear your voice and obey.”

Remember God has given us all that is required for experiencing Christ’s divine life. Because He has, we must be diligent in cultivating it. God does not make us holy against our will or without our involvement. There must be desire, determination, and discipline on our part.

“Add to your faith”: Supplement it, flesh it out. Being a Christian doesn't mean believing and then just sitting around. Now that you have faith in God's part, make every effort—that's your part.

That's disciplines.

That's regular “holy habits.”

That's pacing yourself for the cross country run to your future.

Says Henri Nouwen, “A spiritual life without discipline is impossible.” Tighten your belt. Get tough on yourself. GO FOR IT.

A woman once said to the great Paderewski, “Sir, you are truly a genius.”

“Well,” he answered, “before I was a genius, I was a drudge!”

To get there, to win—your life needs discipline, order, and arrangement.

“If one examines the secret behind a championship football team, a magnificent orchestra, or a successful business, the principle ingredient is invariably discipline” (James Dobson, Discipline of the Home).

You will only discover excellence on the other side of hard work.

(From My Sacrifice, His Fire by Anne Ortlund)

Filled and Fruitful!

The Holy Spirit confronts our sin to reduce its dominance, and He creates positive developments nudging each Believer towards Christ-likeness. While convicting and cleansing are essential activities of the Spirit of Grace, they are incomplete without Him creating the character of the Lord Jesus within us. Spiritual transformation is not only concerned with those wrong patterns of thought and deed we must discard, but also those good traits and qualities that must be imparted to us as children of God.  Creating Christlike character in Believers is the specialty of the Holy Spirit; He is the key to fruit bearing in our lives.

A RENOVATION PROJECT

Spiritual formation is much like renovating a living room in a home.  There are some items that will be removed. Perhaps an old couch, the end tables, some lamps, and old pictures will be removed and discarded. The project may be as extensive as taking out a wall and the existing flooring.  But the work would be grossly incomplete if new flooring and furnishing were not installed. The wall that was removed gives way to an enlarged room and a more open floor plan. The old flooring tiles can be replaced with hardwood flooring. New furniture items and fresh wall paper would finish out the project nicely. In the renovation process there is both removing the old and installing the new. If there is only taking out without a putting in, the room would be uninhabitable and incomplete.  It would not serve its full purpose.  So it is with the renovation work of the Spirit.  He endeavors to remove sinful habits and install saintly habits.  He must root out godless character and install godly character. Anything less would be incomplete. The Spirit must rid believers of inconsistency, low integrity, hatred, anger, and worldliness.  He would love nothing more than to refurnish our soul with righteousness, all goodness, truth, love, joy, peace, virtue, godliness, brotherly kindness and many other graces typical of Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:9; Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Pet. 1:5-8).

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Regarding the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22), we believers must undergo something of an internal renovation. When the Spirit’s endeavor is well under way, it will display the most brilliant creativity in the entire universe. The Spirit of the Lord actually fashions Christlike outgrowth in each of us as we yield to His authority. This is nothing less than an absolutely astonishing reality for us Believers. In this function, the Spirit produces our new character—Christ’s image (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). This is a wondrous undertaking when one considers how glorious the Lord Jesus truly is and how much unlike Him we are! The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 5:22–23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith [faithfulness], ²³ Meekness, temperance [self-control]: against such there is no law.” He portrays this creative labor as “the fruit of the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit fashions within Christians this new distinctive character all the while evidencing supernatural life in us.

Supernatural Fruit

First, it is important to observe that this “fruit” is not produced by us believers ourselves, but by the Holy Spirit growing “fruit” within our souls. Fruitfulness is possible through our vital union with Christ (John 15:1-8). Without Him we, the people of God, can do nothing at all to produce personal holiness (Jn. 15:5). We are called upon to abide in Christ because through the Lord Jesus we can become absolutely everything He requires (Phil. 4:13). All the listed virtues, the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22, 23), describe the life of the truly spiritual child of God as we abide in a fruit bearing relationship to Christ. This fruit can only grow out of supernatural life.

Spirit Filling

Secondly, the way to become fruitful is to be filled with the Spirit of God (Eph. 5:18). It has been recognized (Murray 1984, p.7) that Spirit filling is the yielded believer being continually controlled, dominated, and governed by the Holy Spirit for daily living and service. We are not interested in running our own lives for our own agenda. Spirit filling is commanded, conditional, experiential, repeatable, and God’s will for every believer. Many of us good Christians will never know the fullness of God’s Spirit because we are so caught up in doing many good things and are involved in several worthy causes. We are so busy leading our own lives that there is no room for God to lead us. We have failed to realize that we are often filled with ourselves rather than the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, our actions are the expression of our own will, desires, values, and motives and not God’s plans at all. Consequently, our strength and power is merely human. We desperately need to rediscover the crucified life (Gal. 2:20) and the Spirit’s crucial empowerment.

Being filled with the Spirit is being controlled by the God (Eph. 5:18). God’s positive command is, “Be filled with the Spirit.” The verb “filled” has nothing to do with contents or quantity, as though believers are empty containers needing a required amount of spiritual fuel to keep going. In the Bible, filled means “controlled by.” “They... were filled with wrath” (Luke 4:28) means “they were controlled by wrath” and for that reason tried to kill the Lord Jesus. “The Jews were filled with envy” (Acts 13:45) means that the Jews were controlled by envy and opposed the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. To be “filled with the Spirit” means to be constantly controlled by the Spirit in one’s mind, emotions, and will.

And it should also be noted that the verb “filled” is passive. We Christians do not fill ourselves but we permit the Spirit to control us. Thus as Believers, rather than controlling ourselves, we are controlled by the Holy Spirit. It may be more accurate to say that the Holy Spirit is the “Agent” of the filling (Gal. 5:16) and Christ is the “Content” of this supernatural filling (Eph. 3:16-19). Thus in this relationship, as we are yielded to the Lord and controlled by Him, He increasingly manifests the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), which is the very character of Christ. Yes, this is how believers can evidence this spiritual fruit.

Being filled is to be repeated and continuous. It is not a once-for-all crisis experience in the life of a disciple; ‘filling’ is not an once-in-a-lifetime moment of spiritual exhilaration from which one will never have carnal moments again. Rather it is a continuous appropriation where the Christian regularly prays (Murray 1984, p. 9) “Fill me for this day, this decision, this meeting, this activity, this encounter, or this chore.” Then we depend upon God to control our thoughts, emotions, and actions. God desires for us to ‘keep on being continually filled with the Spirit.’ It may begin as a crisis experience, but it must continue thereafter as a moment-by-moment dependence upon the Spirit for fresh power/grace (MacDonald & Farstad). Today’s filling will not suffice for tomorrow. And certainly it is a spiritual blessing every believer should greatly desire. In fact, it is the ideal condition for us Believer here on earth. It means that the Holy Spirit is having His way fairly unhindered in our experience. As such believers, we are therefore fulfilling our role in the plan of God for that time (MacDonald & Farstad).

Just as wine can control a person, God desires to control the believer’s life by His Spirit. Such believers are not afraid to express themselves to the glory of God. We will experience the beautiful manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

A Singular Fruit

Thirdly, the word “fruit” is singular. This indicates these nine qualities constitute a unit, all of which should be found in us believers as we live under the control of the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).  These qualities will not all be manifested to the same degree or strength, but will still be evident in each believer’s character.  The more we mature in our reliance on the Spirit, the more pervasive Christ’s image will become in our character. As Christians we must consciously depend on the Spirit to produce fruit in and through us.

Christ’s Life

Fourthly, in an ultimate sense this “fruit” is plainly the life of Christ lived out in a submissive Christian. Character influences what we do—behavior. Character can generally be described as the peculiar and distinctive qualities of a person. The original and simple meaning of the word “character” is an engraving—something carved or inscribed in a person’s nature. It is the potential fact about the individual: “the inmost truth of them written upon their personality” according to Practical Bible Illustrations from Yesterday and Today (Steele, Jr. and Stoner, 1998). Thus life is an expression of one’s character.  Remember, the Holy Spirit endeavors to transform us into the image of Christ. Our Lord’s thoughts, desires, motives, ambitions, values, and qualities become a part of each Christian’s inner man greatly exerting influence upon our behavior. 

It has been wisely pointed out that every one of these qualities is foreign to the soil of the human heart. The method whereby Christ is formed in a believer is the handy work of the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 1:21). Max Anders (1995, Chapter 11) observed that the first three of these virtues of the Spirit are habits of mind which find their source in God. The second triad reaches out to others, fortified by love, joy, and peace. The final three graces guide the general conduct of us believers as we are led by the Spirit.

It was Dr. Tim LaHaye (1966, p. 45) who pointed out how this process works itself out in his book Spirit Controlled Temperament. He affords a rather comprehensive overview of a Spirit controlled and fruitful life. LaHaye observed, “Needless to say, any individual manifesting these characteristics is going to be a happy, well-adjusted, mature and a very fruitful human being.” These nine qualities reveal God’s desire for His children.  There is a healthy desire in every one of us believers to please our Lord by living a truly spiritual life.  Again spiritual fruitfulness is not the outcome of human effort (LaHaye 1966, 46), but the supernatural production of the Holy Spirit controlling all facets of our experience.  It would be helpful at this juncture to explore these traits individually as Paul presented them in Galatians chapter five.  Believers’ new disposition in the Spirit is marked by these nine qualities (Gal. 5:22-23). Allow Him to carve out the character of our wonderful Lord Jesus in your life daily.