Become An Active Learner

LESSON 3: FLOURISHING – The Means of Spiritual Growth

INTRODUCTION

There are two types of people who full under the category of Babes:

1. Those converts who are newborn in their search for Christ, have repented from their sinful ways and want Christ to come into their heart
2. Those who profess to know Christ, but has failed to commit themselves to Christ and apply the word of God to their lives

NKJV: 1 Peter 2:2, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,”

1.  Flourishing – The Means How To Grow and How To Know the Will Of God.

All kinds of life have been created by God to FLOURISH. It is the nature of all life to grow, mature and reproduce. So it is with Spiritual life. God said to Adam, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28)

NKJV: Psalm 92: 12-14, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.¹³ Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God.¹⁴ They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,”

A. How to Grow

1. Feeding: Just as a sapling must extend its roots down into the earth to draw water in order to be rooted and embedded so that it will grow strong, flourish and later bear fruit, so must the newborn babe reach out to become rooted and grounded in the water of the Word of God

NKJV: 1 Peter 2:2, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow”

NKJV: Job 23:12, “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.”

NKJV: Mt 4:4, “But He answered and said, It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

1.a. Craving and ingestion Just as a newborn baby craves milk (food), in order to digest it so they can grow, so it is with a newborn follower of Christ. We need to feed on the Word of God.

There are two ways to feed on the Word of God:

(1) Publicly – You feed on the Word of God publicly as you gather with other believers to be instructed in God’s Word by a servant of the Lord.

NKJV: Jeremiah 3:15, “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

The reason the Lord Jesus Christ gave us pastors was for the instruction of believers in order for them to grow and to assist them to discover and develop their gifts.

Consideration should be given to joining a local church where Christ is honored and the Gospel is preached.

(2) Privately – You feed on the word of God privately as you read it everyday in private where you can be alone with God.

NKJV: Jeremiah 15:16, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.”

Before you begin reading God’s Word ask God to enlighten you. Ask Him to speak to your heart and enable you to understand what He means by His Word. Reading God’s word is also listening to God, while praying is talking to God.

b. Digestion (Obedience): Not only must you read the Word of God, to grow you must put it into practice. This means you are either Obedient or Disobedient to God’s Word. There is Biblical Obedience and Disobedience with three degrees in each category.

Disobedience:

(1) Willful Disobedience is doing what God has said NOT to do. When you deliberately go and do what you know the Lord has clearly indicated is against his will, you usurp the throne of your life and put yourself and others in great danger.

(2) Incomplete Obedience is not doing ALL that God has said to do, but only doing the part you want and ignoring the rest. As a result of incomplete obedience carnality prevails. Determine now that you will continually seek to do all that God has indicated in His Word.

(3) Delayed Obedience (procrastination) is not doing ALL that God has said to do, WHEN He has said to do it. In the mind of man delayed obedience is not considered to be as bad as willful disobedience or even as bad as incomplete disobedience. But with God it is disobedience.

Biblical Obedience is threefold:

(A) Immediate Obedience is prompt, undelayed, and expeditious obedience. You too will grow spiritually as you seek to immediately obey God’s Word without consulting or conferring with someone else when God makes His will clear.

(B) Implicit Obedience is precise, unquestioning, and exact obedience. Such obedience on your part will be richly rewarded by spiritual growth and many blessings and joy.

(C) Importunate Obedience is persistent, uninterrupted, and enduring. If we are continually faithful in obedience, we will surely flourish even into old age unless the lord has better plans for us.

NKJV: Job 36: 11-12, “If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. But if they do not obey, They shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.”