13th February 2011
Theme: The Growing Kingdom
Psalm 92
A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.
1It is good to praise the LORD
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2to proclaim your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
3to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
4For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;
I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
5How great are your works, O LORD,
how profound your thoughts!
6The senseless man does not know,
fools do not understand,
7that though the wicked spring up like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be forever destroyed.
12The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
15proclaiming, “The LORD is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”
3
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge
of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his
very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness,
knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection,
love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from
being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But
whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been
cleansed from their past sins.
10
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and
election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich
welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Matt13:31
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man
took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is
the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its
branches.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last week Julie introduced this parable of the mustard seed, demonstrating God's
universal grace,
 offering an open, non-judgmental welcome to all
 inviting everyone to experience the joy of fellowship and the love of God whoever we
are, whatever stage in our lives we are, whatever our strengths and weaknesses.
------------------------------------------------------------------------Every preacher nowadays has to find suitable illustrations to reinforce Scripture teaching.
Ideally, these illustrations should not distract the listeners from the overall message. There
is a real danger of a good story being remembered and not the point it illustrates.
Compare these usually one-dimensional illustrations with the depths of meaning of Jesus’
parables.
Not only that, these parables couched in words that were familiar to his listeners 2000
years ago, still bring relevance to us today.
And this is particularly true of this parable of the mustard seed; two verses; such simplicity;
yet as I hope you will appreciate a number of profound lessons for us all.
So I want today to move from the universal nature of the welcome that Julie was speaking
about last week; the many branches of the mustard tree providing protection and shelter
for the birds of the air to CONSIDER SPIRITUAL GROWTH- THE PROCESS FROM
PLANTING THROUGH GERMINATION TO MATURITY.
We talk freely about spiritual growth yet I wonder how much we have really thought about
its meaning. This is a vital subject for you and I personally but also for our fellowship, our
denomination and the whole church.
For in that meaning we find a vital element in the upside down kingdom of God on earth.
FOR
 We are God's people;
 we are his kingdom individually and together;
 we are his workers in the harvest fields of this earth.
Today I am going to concentrate on individual spiritual growth and then next time I lead
you on March 6, we will look at growth together as a fellowship and as the whole church of
Christ.
However at the outset we must understand that these all are interdependent in that if we
as individuals do not grow spiritually, this has an enormous effect on the spiritual growth of
the fellowship and indeed the effectiveness of Christ’ Church on earth.
This subject should give us a stimulus for self reflection, not just to beat ourselves over the
head for being lazy or uncommitted but as an encouragement to gain more of an insight
into God's kingdom.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Let's start then with the parable itself. Simple -- a tiny seed buried in the soil leads to
growth of the great tree with many branches that are big enough both to support and to
shade the birds of the air who come there to roost.
Julie introduced the most popular meaning of these birds roosting in the mustard tree.
However, a number of commentators have thought about what these birds represent.
Some feel that their presence indicates the many types of the birds of the air and therefore
expresses the inclusion of the non-Jews, the Gentiles in God's plans.
Others go even further and remind us that in the parable of the sower, the birds are indeed
the enemy that eaten destroy the seeds sown in thin ground.
SO THE TREE OF FAITH IS THERE FOR THE SAI NTS AND THE SINNERS, FOR
EVERYONE TO FIND THEIR REST IF THEY CHOOSE IT.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A seed is an embryo, containing both male and female elements bound together with
substances to give nourishment and an outer coat to protect the seed from the
environment.
Even Jesus’ choice of the mustard seed rather than the very tiniest of seeds in creation tells
us something important. The creator has the full palette of his creation from which to find
examples.
When the mustard seed of faith is being planted in our hearts by the grace of God he is
giving it just enough nourishment to allow each seed to germinate.
Compare that with the very tiniest of seeds in nature like the orchid when many millions of
seeds are present in the flower but that they carry very little in the way of energy reserves.
Only one or two of these orchid seeds germinate and the rest are all lost. These are the
statistics of nature where many are sacrificed to allow a few to survive.
But God does not depend on the statistics of survival in matters of faith but on the value of
each individual seed and person in whose heart he is planted.
Jesus has identified each one of us as individuals that he loves -- and he waits in on the
periphery our minds and hearts, patiently knocking to enter.
You see what I mean-God gives us enough in our seeds of faith for all of us to grow; just
enough spiritual nourishment at the outset. We don't need to struggle for God provides.
So when we approach a decision to come to faith, we can be assured that however difficult
the spiritual journey is, God will provide the necessary nourishment, not only for
germination but also as it pushes out into the outside world.
There is an inevitability about this process of growth---one seed, fertile soil, one plant.
Whilst we know from the parable of the sower, many external conditions may interfere
with the growth of the plant, this initial germination, hidden from sight beneath the soil is
an assured process.
So be comforted.
But those of you interested in botany will know that sometimes seeds lying in fertile soil will
be dormant and will only germinate after a very long period of time. As evidence of this, did
you know that in 2005 a Judaean date palms seed which had been dated by carbon dating
to about A.D. 10, and recovered from Herod the Great’s Palace at Masada successfully
germinated producing an entirely normal date palm
Again this is true of us sometimes. God places the seed of faith in our hearts in what is
apparently fertile soil but for whatever reason the germination process does not start
immediately. Maybe we are distracted or concentrating on more material things .
Jesus knows us and waits patiently knowing that once germination occurs a healthy and
fruitful tree will arise.
So never say never to faith!
Let me make another point. What happens if germination does not occur? Simply, the seed
will die.
The seed of faith must change in order to grow. There is no middle ground .
A decision for Christ has to be the starting point, whether we call it a rebirth or being born
again or just the realisation that God has spoken to us and we have answered .
But after that we cannot stand still on this spiritual journey; we go forward, we grow
spiritually or we die.
Kirsty and I were travelling down from Stornoway at the beginning of December and got
ourselves onto a steep hill where the snow had been conveniently removed by the
snowplough exposing 1 to 2 inches of solid ice. We were heading down the hill and would
dearly like to stand still!
4 L of brute force, a handbrake, powerful anti-lock braking system, traction control, every
bell and whistle Jaguar could provide could not stop us sliding inexorably down that hill. We
could not stand still.
Fortunately, we managed to gain control using the snow at the edge of the road to slow us
down but in our spiritual life, there is no such convenient escape route, no standing still for
the ABSENCE OF GROWTH LEADS TO A SHRIVELLING OF THE SEED OF FAITH.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Let's now move on and some very simple and straightforward questions and as far as we
can, use the Scriptures to find answers.
 What is Christian growth?
 Why is it important?
 How can we achieve growth?
 How do we know that we are growing?
 What are the results of growth?
WHAT IS CHRISTIAN GROWTH?
You and I grow spiritually as our character and behaviour increasingly aligns itself to the
character of God as revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 4:22) you were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old
self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your
mind; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
In John 14 Philip says, "Lord show us the father and that will be enough for us." Jesus
answered: "don't you know me Philip, even after I been among you such a long time?
Anyone who has seen me has seen the father. I tell you the truth anyone who has faith in
me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am
going to the father.
This is the spiritual process of travelling our life's journey trying to grow more and more like
our Saviour in our attitudes, in our behaviour, in our rejection of sin and temptation and in
the direction our lives take.
2 Peter 3:17 therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that
you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him the glory
both now and for ever Amen.
WHAT IS THE ENDPOINT OF CHRISTIAN GROWTH?
When we come to physical maturity we stop growing. But full spiritual maturity only comes
at the end of our earthly lives when we enter fully into God's presence; when we will
become changed for the rest of eternity. Our spiritual growth will then be complete and our
relationship with him will be as he had always planned it.
WHY IS GROWTH IMPORTANT?
Rather than the seed this time, let's use a human analogy.
What dominates the life of a
newborn baby? He or she needs food, needs warmth, needs its nappy changed and needs a
feeling of security..
And that is right and proper. But IF THE BABY WERE TO REMAIN like that, it would
remain self obsessed and isolated.
Even in the presence of many other babies, its interests still remain entirely selfish and
there is no interaction between the babies.
It is only as the child grows and notices those around him/her:
, begins to socialise, begins to share in play and eventually in team games, in hanging about
with its friends that true emotional and social growth
occurs.
This is such an important lesson about spiritual growth. If we remain spiritual babies,
selfish and socially isolated, sticking to the simple things of faith but never truly growing,
how can we have any impact on those around about us?
And that is going to reflect on the witness of our Fellowship.
If we remain as babies, however many of us are piled up in one place, we're not going to be
effective. Slide off .
Secondly, when spiritual growth is important because it MAKES US MORE ABLE TO HAVE
A WORSHIPFUL AND LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
If we continue to look inwards to our own needs and desires we are less able to have a
positive relationship of love with God.
Paul writes to the Ephesians to encourage them to be strengthened in their faith, for them
to grow and he prays in chapter 3-reading from the message "and I ask him (that is Christ)
that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the
extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its
length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”
We grow to experience that relationship with God
The third reason why growth is important is that it increases our own assurance. In these
troubled times, we need to have a grown-up Christian faith so that we can defend, explain
and encourage those outside the church about what we believe . And that is not a task just
preachers and teachers, it has to be a task for every child of God.
Again in our reading from 2 Peter, having been encouraged to add goodness to faith,
knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love, Peter says
"for if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being
ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
In God’s upside down kingdom, the last thing he needs is ineffective and unproductive
workers.
And that leads us in to the fact that we need to grow because God needs us to be robust to
work in his kingdom. Eph 4: 14 "then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by
the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by cunning and
craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in
all things grow up into him who is the head, that is Christ."
Next, we need to grow to benefit others. As our faith grows, we understand more the
needs of those round about us and we can care for them most appropriately, always
thinking of serving them as we would serve our Lord. "Then the king will answer, 'I tell you
the truth. Anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.'" (ERV) Full Text
Finally, by growing spiritually we glorify God. The more we grow the more our father is
honoured and surely that is our primary aim, -as the catechism states this is the chief end of
our existence-to glorify God and enjoy him for ever
SO SPIRITUAL GROWTH DEEPENS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, OUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS AND BY DOING SO WE GLORIFY GOD.
 Let me say something encouraging to each one of us who might feel disheartened by
the challenge to grow
 if you and I feel that we fail so often,
 if you and I do not apparently achieve what we think God wants us to achieve.
 when we cannot see any growth in grace
SPIRITUAL GROWTH, IF WE ARE COMMITTED TO IT, LIKE HUMAN GROWTH OFTEN
OCCURS WITHOUT US BEING AWARE OF IT.
You know that as our bodies change with age, we tend not to be aware of it.
The changes are subtle and maybe we don't look in the mirror quite as much as we used to.
And this is true not only with ageing. When we decide to improve our diet and increase our
exercise we find it difficult to see any change over time.
But if others see you on rarer occasions they will be very aware of changes that are not
visible to ourselves.
So let's not be too downhearted; let's be encouraged that whilst we may not see progress
and spiritual growth, others may well be seeing it in us, and hopefully they will be
encouraging us by telling us what they see.
ACCEPTING THAT, THE NEXT QUESTION IS HOW CAN WE RECOGNISE THAT WE
ARE GROWING SPIRITUALLY?
I believe this recognition comes from within us as an awareness of a GREATER
SENSITIVITY TO GOD.
One of my most favourite parts of the Easter story is the narrative of two men on the road
to Emmaus.
You will be very familiar with the circumstances-there were walking home from Jerusalem
desolated, truly believing that this great experiment of spiritual awakening had ended with
the death in appalling circumstances of Jesus.
And our Lord came and walked with them on the road and they talked about the events
that had occurred in Jerusalem.
Do you remember how Jesus answered their questions by expounding the fulfilment of
prophecy and the coming of the new covenant that he brought by his death and
resurrection.
And it is the next phrase that I want to emphasise when one of the men said after Jesus had
disappeared "did not our hearts burn within us?".
This is the sensitivity to God's communication and call that comes as we grow as Christians.
I hope there are times in yours and my spiritual journey when our hearts indeed do burn
within us.
Maybe we have A feeling of closeness of God; a feeling that all is right; an up lifting
sensation that God's will is being done in our lives. In this way we recognise that such
awareness of God's power brings with it an assurance that we are growing spiritually.
Another characteristic that helps us recognise our spiritual growth is a recognition of all the
fruits of the spirit in our lives .
1.
Love
2.
Joy
3.
Peace
4.
Longsuffering
5.
Kindness
6.
Goodness
7.
Faithfulness
8.
Gentleness
9.
Self-control
think of the sort of person that all these characteristics would describe. Is there anyone
you know who is like that? If there is, then I think we can be sure that they are in a right
relationship with God.
And not only will we be recognising them, but we will see them growing in a balanced
way.
Returning to our analogy of a baby, if it is healthy we see that it has all its organs and its
limbs in the right places and as it grows, at the right rate towards adulthood. This is
balanced growth.
Just as the DNA of the seed controls the growth of the plant into an outdoor tree, so our
human DNA controls the growth of each part and organ in an orderly way towards
adulthood.
Thomas Watson wrote "to grow in knowledge, but not meekness, brotherly love, or good
works is not the right growth. The right manner of growth is uniform, growing in one grace
as well as another. As a beauty of the body consists in a proportion of parts in which not
only the head grows but the arms and breast --so spiritual growth is most beautiful when
there is symmetry in proportion and every grace thrives."
We recognise spiritual growth as we find strength to resist temptation. As our mustard seed
grows, it puts down roots that bring both nourishment and strengths to the tree. The
deeper the roots, the higher the branches can go. If we put work into deepening our roots
by growing spiritually, then we can expect a better tree when we grow to maturity.
"humility is the root and holiness the fruit".
Maybe by now you are desperately wanting to shout out -you have talked about many good
reasons why we should grow, and how we should recognise it --- BUT HOW DO WE
ACTUALLY ACHIEVE IT?
The first thing is to expose ourselves as much as possible to the person of Christ, because
you will remember that our overall aim in spiritual growth is to become more and more like
him.
There would be no point for a trainee in my profession saying I really admire such and such
a physician or surgeon and I want to practice like him or her in the future ----- and then do
nothing about it.
The student or trainee has to read everything their hero writes; they have to meet and
speak with him; they have to watch them operating and try to understand the skills ; absorb
the experience; try to do it themselves with their mentor watching. Only then will they
begin to achieve their goal.
So it is with us spiritually. How are we going to learn more about Christ? We have no other
source but Scripture. We have to come to terms with the Word of God.
 We achieve spiritual growth in the greater exposure and love for Scripture. And I do
not just mean knowledge of Scripture verses in parrot fashion but a true
understanding of what God was and is trying to tell us through his Word.
If you are like me and find it difficult to remember the exact location of Bible verses, don't
let that get you down! Use a concordance!!.
The importance is in understanding the content and putting it into action in our lives.
And we can only do this by reading his word, listening to the preaching of the word and
talking about it within our fellowship.
Secondly
 we grow spiritually as our prayer relationship with God matures and becomes an
essential and frequent conversation.
 we feel the constant necessity for prayer.
 we see God responding to our prayers;
 we cannot see a day pass when God is not part of our conversation
Thirdly we grow by recognising God's providence in our lives and in others. and our
relationship with him deepens and our soul grows as we recognise his hand at work in our
world.
Finally, I believe we grow through our interaction with other believers.
We finally accept that cannot be isolated spiritual babies.
Jesus did not call one disciple, he called 12.
They were all different in their education and background yet it was through their
interaction that the world received the Gospel and many many millions have accepted
Christ as a result.
We are all different; we have had different lives, education and experiences yet the gospel
is for all of us equally. We can learn from each other. Regular worship; church groups and
meetings; a chat over a cup of coffee; talking with other parents as we wait for our children
to come out of school.
And so through Scripture, through prayer, through our relationship with Christ and our
relationships with other believers we will grow into strong, many branched trees providing
an effective part of God's kingdom on earth.
In The parable of the mustard seed lies the very DNA of our spiritual growth and maturity as
Christians
I think we should end with an individual example of spiritual maturity in the face of terrible
human tragedy. You will all be familiar with the story of Andrew Newton, the slave trader
who penned "amazing Grace" when he realised the error of his ways.
But there is another hymn written by Horatio Spafford who faced terrible and traumatic
life experiences which would challenge the spiritual maturity of many of us.
Spafford's only son died at the age of four and then his business was ruined by the great
Chicago Fire. Penniless, the planned to travel to Europe with his family to start again but
sent the family ahead. The ship was in a collision and whilst his wife survived his four
daughters were drowned.
He followed the same course on another ship and is said to have penned the words of this
song as he passed the location where his daughters had died.
Listen, watch and meditate.
It is well with my soul Click to play
Amen
Dr Andrew Weir
Wednesday, February 16, 2011