By Pastor Stephen Hess –
I remember learning in elementary school that there are several things every plant needs to grow. Five of these things include: Sunlight, soil, water, air, and space. While having these things does not guarantee that a plant will survive (most plants also need proper maintenance and temperature control) it is certain that without these things a plant will not grow at all.
The Bible tells us that God’s will is for his people to grow and bear fruit. The Apostle Paul writes, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). The word “sanctification” refers to our growth in holiness. The Christian journey is a life-long process of putting to death the sinful works of the flesh and bearing the fruit of Spirit. As Jesus says in John 15:8: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Although the Bible makes clear that spiritual growth can only come from the Holy Spirit, it also makes clear that we have an important role to play. Just as a farmer must till the soil, plant the seeds, and water the fields if he wants to reap the harvest, there is also work that we must do if we want to see a spiritual harvest in our lives.
This brings up an important question: What are the disciplines we must practice to experience spiritual growth? It is precisely this question that we are going to explore in our new sermon series starting on September 11th called “Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow.” During this series we are going to examine five key disciplines that Scripture says are essential for our sanctification: 1) Bible Study; 2) Prayer; 3) Worship; 4) Service; and 5) Stewardship. To be clear, these aren’t the only things we need to grow spiritually, but they are some of the most important ones. Each week we will look at one of these disciplines and examine why it is important and how we can practice it.
In addition to the sermon series, this will also be a small group series. Each week during the series we will have several small groups working through a Bible study that parallels the sermons. These small groups will provide an opportunity to get connected in fellowship with other people at Highview and dig deeper into the topics we will be exploring on Sunday mornings. In the coming days there will be sign-up sheets available at church to join one of these groups, and I highly recommend that everyone take advantage of this opportunity.
This series will offer something for everyone. If you are a relatively new believer, this series will provide an opportunity to learn about the key things you need to practice in order to mature in your faith. If you have been a Christian for many years, this series will be an opportunity to do a “spiritual checkup” and reestablish some practices that you may have gotten out of the habit of doing. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, we all need to go “back to basics” periodically and remind ourselves what it looks like to follow Jesus.
One thing is certain: We cannot experience spiritual growth without discipline. Another analogy that the Bible uses is an athlete who must work to win the prize. Paul says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it” (1 Cor. 9:24). In the same way, we must work if we want to achieve the prize of maturity in Christ. As R.C. Sproul writes, “Being a Christian is not an acquired skill or discipline like diving or ice skating. It is a living, vital relationship with the God of the universe, a relationship that begins when a person becomes a new creation in Him and receives Jesus as Lord by faith. But like Olympic athletes, Christians are called upon to train, to make sacrifices, and to embrace certain disciplines in order to give God ‘our utmost for His highest.’ Just as Olympic athletes work hard to achieve their best performances, our diligence in attending these aspects of the Christian life will help determine our effectiveness in serving our Lord.”