You Must Keep Growing! Part 2

Turn if you would back to Philippians chapter three. Philippians chapter three. My sermon this morning only had two points. You'd think I would finish with just two points, wouldn't you? Alright.

We got through point one. We'll we'll call that sermon one. Now we'll look at point two. We'll call that sermon two. Alright?

So there are sub points to both of them. Philippians chapter three verses 12 through 14. Still growing? I hope so. If you're not, then you're in trouble.

We think of kids as the ones that grow and they get to a point and they they stop growing. Well, physically, yes, we we stop growing at least this direction. But we need to keep growing this direction and we need to keep growing that direction in love with the Lord and the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is paramount that we do not believe that somehow that we have arrived at a point to where it is not necessary for us to grow or does it not necessary for us to change in our relationship and our knowledge of the Lord. And in Philippians chapter three, Paul expresses his his passion for himself and for his need to continue to grow.

Philippians three verse 12, not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after. That I may apprehend that which for also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do. Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear God, thank you Lord this evening and this opportunity to worship you here tonight in this place. We pray Lord that the holy spirit would work mightily in our hearts. Lord, to help us to see the need that we have to change to be more like Christ and how is it is that you perform this wonderful work in our lives. Lord that we may yield ourselves to it.

That you may produce abundant fruit in our lives. Conform us to the image of your son that you may receive all the honor and glory for it. We pray in Jesus name, amen. As I mentioned, Philippians letter written by Paul to the church at Philippi and in it he wanted to encourage them to continue to grow. He used himself as an example.

Many people it would seem probably in that day and still in this day look up to Paul as quite an example of what it means to be a Christian. Look at look at his his great faith and and his great patience and endurance and long suffering. All he went through, his great passion for the Lord Jesus Christ. But yet Paul says, I haven't attained. I I'm not perfect.

I still have more to what? I still have more to learn. I still have areas that I need to change. And rather than looking into the past and resting on the accomplishments of the past or being drugged down by the trials of the past and the hurt of the past or the regret of the past Paul says, I'm looking what? I'm looking forward.

Because there's more yet to be done. There's more yet that God wants to change in my life. There's more growth yet to be had in Christ Jesus. So, Paul says, I'm looking forward to the day when I do stand before the presence of my Lord and then I will be perfect. But for now I'm looking forward.

I'm pushing on. I'm following after. And that is desire that everyone of us as Christians should passionately have. We need to recognize our need for growth. If you look in, second Peter or you can look up here on the screen, The last thing that Peter said in the letter that he wrote of second Peter, he, concludes the letter with this verse, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

To him be glory both now and forever. Amen. The last thing Peter wanted to leave with them as I mentioned this morning was this, you need to keep what? You need to keep growing. Don't stop growing in the grace of God by which you are saved and by which you are led and empowered to serve him.

To be more than you are in Christ Jesus. Don't stop growing in your knowledge of the Lord. You're not just your institutional, not just your book knowledge so to speak but in your personal relationship, in your knowledge of who he is. Not just because you read about it but also because you know him. You read it, you you read his letter, his word, you talk to him in prayer, you're serving him, keep growing in your knowledge of who he is.

And as we grow in our knowledge of who he is, we grow in our knowledge of what he has done and his will for us as we look to the future he will continue to change us. Change us as is his will. We are commanded to keep on growing and not to get complacent or satisfied either with our knowledge or in our relationship or service to Christ. We must not, cannot take our Lord and our fellowship with him for granted. Yet, as I see it, most Christians or majority are close to it today do.

They're just kind of spinning their wheels, kind of coasting through their Christian life. Many of them don't go to church all that often. Some make it on Sunday mornings and they did their duty. And their relationship with God is just kind of left to flounder because they're not focusing as Paul did here On the changes, growth, that need to be made. They take their fellowship with the Lord for granted and that's a dangerous thing in any relationship, is it not?

We talked about this morning. It's a dangerous thing in marriage. It's also a dangerous thing in our relationship with the Lord. To take him for granted. We need to continue to grow in him and get to know him better.

God saved you to change you into the image of Christ. It says here in Romans eight twenty nine, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed, to change into the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Why did Christ save us? He saved us to change us. Not just to take us to heaven but in order to take us to heaven, he has to do what?

Change us. And he wants to use us here. He doesn't want to wait to change us when we get there. He wants to start changing us where? Here.

So that we can bring glory to his name. That is his declared will for us and that is a lifelong process. That's a lifelong process. Salvation is a one time experience. Sanctification is a lifelong what?

A lifelong process. And we don't need to stop somewhere along the line. Okay, let's cut the process short. No, let's not do that. Let's stick with it.

Let's stick with our Lord and let him do his work. God saved us that we might bear fruit. We looked at that this morning as well. John fifteen sixteen, we're going to come back to that passage in John 15 a moment. Jesus said, you have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and what?

Bring forth fruit. Christ says, I called you unto myself and I've commissioned you in my service that you might go and bring forth fruit. Why did we mention this morning that is fruit is a reoccurring thing. You have fruit this season and then you have fruit what? Next season, you have your fruit again.

You grow, the tree continues to grow and the tree continues therefore to bring forth more what? More fruit. Fruit and that's what needs to be happening in our lives. It seems that some Christians go, well, I guess I've grown enough. I guess I brought forth enough fruit.

I can sit back and relax now and just not care. Well, you care or not, your savior cares. He cares for you and he cares for those around you and he cares for his testimony and his glory. But he cares for you and it's not good for you to become stagnant. He wants you to grow and he wants you to bear fruit.

We I was reminded as I study this of the tree in Psalm one. Says that the tree was planted by the rivers of water. It bringeth forth his fruit and his what? Season, his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever it doeth shall what? Shall prosper.

That's the tree that God wants you and me to be. He wants you and me to be the tree that is planted by the rivers of water, the word of God, and the holy spirit. We'll get to that in a minute That grows and produces fruit and then grows some more and produces fruit and grows again and produces fruit to the glory of to the glory of God. That requires change. Something that we resist in the flesh.

The flesh doesn't want to change. That's why as we study in Sunday school, we need to be walking in the what? We need to be walking in spirit. We need to be walking in spirit. For we need to change and we need to keep growing.

We need to be that tree. Now that brings us to, that was pretty quick review for me for part one of my message. Now we're in part two and that is this. Not only must we recognize that we need to change but secondly we must recognize the source of change or the source of growth in our life. What is the source of growth in the Christian?

Is it the flesh? Is it great determination? Is it intellect? Is it education? Now granted intellect and education are good.

Determining, being commended to something is good. But all those things are for naught apart from who? Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of our salvation. He is also the source of our what?

Sanctification. He is the source of our growth. Look if you would in John chapter 15. John chapter 15. John fifteen one through five.

I preached a message on this passage, by itself back a couple years ago. I had a pitiful couple pitiful pictures of a vine I put up on the screen. There is a wonderful truth here to be had though. When I was growing up we had a grapevine in the backyard. The vine that came out of the ground was about yea big around.

It went up and then it branched off and sent these vines, these runners all on these wires that we had set up. And after the year was over, you'd prune some of those runners back off and you would just have that big stalk coming up with a few things going out at the top. And next year, the season would come. They would start to grow again and it would send forth these branches and they'd wind themselves around and then they'd produce a what? They produce fruit.

Jesus said, I am the true vine. My father is the husband under the vine keeper dresser. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, same bringeth forth what? Much fruit.

For without me, you can do nothing. Without me, you can't do nothing. Not only do we need to change, not only do we need to grow, it is an imperative for the Christian that the source of that growth is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our source. He is the vine with which we are connected to.

That provides the nourishment in the water and the source of strength to produce growth in the lives of his children. It is vital that we remain abide, depend, cling to the what? The vine Jesus Christ. For without a living, growing, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, we will not what? We will not grow and we will not produce fruit.

That's what Jesus said, if without me, you can do what? You can't do nothing but if you remain in me, if you abide in me, if you fellowship, if you commune with me, you walk with me, you listen to me, you embrace me, pray to me, remain in me, depend on me, then you're going to grow. You're going to change. Not simply because you make some announcement or declaration or commitment. Not simply because you have an ability or intellect or you've you've been educated.

But because you are connected to the one who produces it within you. And as you learn to, there's a song leaning on Jesus or leaning another one leaning on the everlasting arm. We learn to lean on him. Not not as a crutch. But as everything.

As the source of our life the source of our strength, the source of our joy, the source of our peace, source of our love then we'll grow and we'll change. Songs like Draw Me Nearer and Nearer, Still Near emphasize the importance of drawing nearer and an ever increasing more personal dependent manner to our savior and Lord Jesus Christ. In James eight, it says, draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. The word nigh means near. Draw near to God.

God will draw near to you. Push God away and he will feel distant to you. And you will not feel the blessings, the power, in your life that you should. But draw near to him. He will not fail you.

Draw near to him when it's easy. Draw near to him when it's hard. Draw near to him when you're scared of even what he might ask you to do. Trust him. Draw near.

Philippians four thirteen says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. You see that little branch that shoots out from the vine? At first, that little branch is not very what? It's not very strong. But it gains its strength day by day from the vine.

And as it matures and grows, it gets what? It gets bigger, it gets stronger, and eventually, it is enabled to hold the fruit that will hang from it one day. As we abide in the vine, Jesus Christ, we grow stronger. Not in ourselves because if we're severed from the vine, what will happen? We'll we'll we'll die.

We'll grow weak. But as we're connected to the vine, we will grow strong and I can do. Paul says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. How does Christ perform this in our lives? Three things this evening.

How does Christ perform this in our lives? Well first of all by his spirit that he has given to us. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within every born again Christian. He provides us with the transforming power in our lives that enables us to continue our growth in the Lord. The same Holy Spirit that regenerated us, baptized us into the body of Christ, that sealed us to the day of redemption is the same Holy Spirit that lives within us every day and is with us to guide us, to strengthen us, and to empower us in the service of our Lord and Savior.

John 14, Jesus said to his disciples, I will pray the father and he shall give you another comforter. What what what does he mean by another comforter? Who's the first comforter? The first comforter is is Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am a comfort to you.

My presence is a comfort and a help to you. But I'm gonna go away to the father and he says it's expedient. It's good for you that I go away because when I go away I will send you what? Another comforter. Another comforter.

So that's why he uses the word another there. I will pray the father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you how long? Forever. See Jesus said I'm going back to heaven. When I go back to heaven, that's good for you.

I'll send you another comforter and he will be with you forever. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him. The world that rejects Jesus Christ, if you reject the son, you've rejected the what? You've rejected the father. The world has rejected Jesus.

Doesn't understand and cannot see. But you can. He says, but you know him. For he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. But the comforter which the Holy Ghost whom the fathers will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to remember whatsoever I have said unto you.

God has not left us without an assistant. God has not left us without a comforter. He has not left us alone. He has given us a a a divine gift from heaven. Himself living inside of our hearts.

Hard to comprehend, is it not? But he lives here. I am the temple of the what? The Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost that lives within me. And God has given me this precious gift to enable me to grow, to guide me in his service, to convict me when I fail.

He is there to fill me, use me, and to make me more like who? And to make me more like Christ. God uses his spirit. He himself works and lives inside of our heart to help us to grow, to change us into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Says in Acts one eight, Jesus said to his disciples, he said, I'm going to leave now and I want you to go back to Jerusalem and I want you to wait there for what?

The coming of the Holy Spirit. The promise of the father. And he says in verse eight, but you shall receive power after that what? Holy ghost. After that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you.

Then, you shall be witnesses unto me. In Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. The word power there is Dunamis. It's God's enabling power to fulfill the mission that God has called us to. You're not going to do that alone.

Praise God. You don't have to do that alone, Christian. God has given us his spirit if we'll yield to him. He will empower us. He will guide us.

He will help us. Even leaders in the Old Testament were filled with the Holy Spirit to fulfill the service God has called them to. In the Old Testament, it seems that only a few but a New Testament, every child of God receives the Holy Spirit and it's there to help us if we will yield ourselves to be led by him. So, we see God performs this through the power of the Holy Spirit that he has given to us. He performs it by the word of, help me out.

The word of God, okay? How is he going to change you? He's going to use his spirit. He's going to work inside your life to change you. What is it the spirit's going to use?

Well, the spirit's going to use the sword of the spirit and the sword of the spirit is what? Is the word of God. First Peter two two. As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may what? Grow thereby.

What is he talking about? He's talking about the bible. Are you going to grow if you don't feed on this? The answer is no. The answer is we are not gonna grow if we do not feed upon the word of God.

It is the sword the spirit uses to change us and to mold us into the image of Jesus Christ. It is a powerful tool yield wielded by the spirit in our lives to make us more like Christ. It says in Hebrews four twelve, for the word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit of joints and marrows a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Wow. Let that sink in for a minute.

That's a mouthful isn't it? What is the writer of Hebrews saying? He says, the word of God is powerful. It can change your life. But it can't change your life if you don't read it.

It can't change your life if you don't heed it. Be you doers of the word and what? Not hearers only. Read it. Heed it.

Meditate upon it. God will use it to change you. Renew your mind. And transform you from the inside out. Turn if you would to second Timothy chapter three.

Probably familiar passage as some of these are to some of you this evening. Second Timothy chapter three, I memorized verses sixteen and seventeen back in elementary school, I think. I don't know how many hundreds and hundreds of verses I memorized through the years, but I don't remember necessarily hundreds and hundreds of verses. I might remember 100 or 200 verses. I don't know.

I haven't counted lately but we don't tend to remember a verse the first time we memorize it. We need to do what? We need to memorize it again and again and again and again. Well, verse sixteen and seventeen, I must have memorized a 100 times because finally, it stuck. Finally, it stuck.

Verse fourteen and fifteen may not be quite as familiar to some of you as sixteen and seventeen but let's start back in verse 14 but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned. This is Paul talking to Timothy and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast known what? The holy scriptures. The holy scriptures which are able. Look at that word.

What's that? Abel? That's the same word as what? That's the same word as power. That's dunamis.

Able, same word. One Greek, I mean one verb, one noun form. Verse 15 again, and that from a child that has known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction, and righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished, prepared unto all or every what? Good work, okay?

So, God uses given us his spirit to change our life and the spirit uses what? The word of God to change our life. The inspired word of God. Well, what does that mean? That means that when you read the words of this book, it's as though God were standing in front of you telling you those words himself.

They are not merely the words of man, they are in truth the words of God. They're the words of God. And God has given us in his word everything necessary to thoroughly prepare and equip us unto every good work in Jesus Christ. And in order to do that, in order to do that, he has to what? He has to change us.

In order for that to happen, we have to what? We have to grow. And as we feed upon the word of God like we feed on real food we what? We're nourished and we grow. Says here that it's there, it's profitable or beneficial for doctrine, for what we believe, for reproof and correction.

Reproof and correction, rebuke, warning. What are those words mean? Those words mean this, change. That's what those word mean. They mean change.

It is useful to change you. Useful to change me. To change me and to make me. A righteous man complete in Christ and thoroughly equipped unto the work that God has called me to. What does Christ use to change us?

The Holy Spirit that lives in here. The word of God that we have here. They are powerful. They are able to change us. Education not enough.

Self will determination not enough. Simply going to church or going through the motions of serving Lord not enough. The holy spirit and the word of God are enough but I want to I want to finish close with this last point this evening. I have three things that God uses. The Holy Spirit, the word of God, and in this one I think is very pertinent because I think God expresses this very clearly in his word.

Third thing that Christ uses to change us and to help us to grow is the testing of our faith, particularly in difficult circumstances. The testing of our faith, particularly in difficult circumstances. This God uses to help us to continue to what? Continue to grow. We must continue to grow.

It is a lifelong process. So in the process of continuing to grow we can expect to continue to run into what? Into hardships that put us in a position to test our faith that it may grow in strength, that we may grow in dependence upon the Lord, that mean we grow in faith to become more like Jesus because apart from the hardships, apart from the trials, what will happen? Be honest. We will get weak and complacent.

Look at the church in The United States Of America. What is the biggest problem with the church in The United States Of America? We are like the church of Laodicea and that we have everything. We are comfortable. We are secure.

We think we have need of what? Nothing. And it has made us weak. It has made us complacent because we do not recognize how much we need Jesus. How much we need to change.

How much others need him and how much we need to produce fruit. So, order for that to happen, God brings testing into our lives. Look, book back I think I have it up here. Yeah, there we go. John fifteen two says, and we read this from John fifteen minute ago, every branch that beareth not fruit, he take it away.

Every branch that what? Bear it fruit. Oh, that's a good thing. If you're bearing fruit in the Lord, that's a wonderful thing and so, is God pleased? Of course, he is.

Is God excited? Yes, he is. Does God expect that? Yes, he does and so, what does he do? Well, what does it say here he does?

He purgeth it that it may bring forth what? More fruit. Now, in regards to a vine or a tree, what that means is he does, you do what? You prune it. You prune it.

You cut it back. You cut off the old growth so that new growth will come so that it will produce what? More fruit. God says you're bringing forth fruit. Praise the Lord.

You should be. But here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to bring trials. I'm going to allow difficulty into your life and say, well, that, you know, that doesn't. Lord, that just doesn't make sense.

That's not what I was expecting, you know? I I I'm growing in the Lord. By the power of the spirit and the word and producing fruit and I'm supposed to be blessed. Jesus says, you are blessed. The purging process is part of the what?

It's part of the blessing. But we don't see it that way often times, do we? We want things to go smoothly. We do not want to deal with hardship. Now, the Lord understands our frame.

He knows that's the way we are but he also knows that in order for us to grow, we have to deal with some of these trials. The God, God says in James, it says, God never tempts us to what? Sin. That's the devil. That's the flesh that entices us and tempts us to sin But God does allow testing and trials in our life in order not to tempt us to sin but to help us to what?

But to help us to grow. Look at Abraham. God, Abraham left the Ur Of The Chaldees. He left Haran. He followed the Lord to Canaan.

He had got to the land of Canaan. God said, look everywhere, everything you see, it'll be your inheritance. The inheritance of your seed, your descendants, this will be their land. But Abraham says, God, I don't have a son. How's this going to be their land when there is no there?

God says, no, I will give you a son. Abraham says, well, wait a second, Lord, my wife is getting up in age. She's past childbearing years. That's not going to happen. God says, believe in what?

Trust in me. Well, Abraham had some falters along the way and we end up with Ishmael. But he does stay with the Lord. The Lord is a merciful God and of course, God comes through. He blesses Abraham with a son, Isaac.

Isaac is now around 12 years old. The blessing of God to Abraham, the seed of promise, the fulfillment of God's great plan, and now God tells Abraham to go three days, three days journey and do what? And to sacrifice and kill his only son, his only son. Now, of course, that is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and when he got to the mountain and God provided a lamb, that's a picture again of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the lamb of God that was sacrificed for us. But what was God doing?

What says clearly in scripture, God was testing Abraham's what? Faith. Abraham needed to grow to the next level. In order to do that, God brought testing. Look at look at Job.

Look at Job. Now, I know we use Job as example quite often and but it's a good example, is it not? Here is Job. He's going along. Life's going well.

He is being what? Blessed by God and indeed he has and he sees that. He sees all that his family has, the the land that he has, everything's going well. He's a he's a man of of of wealth. He's a man who's honored and respected.

He has been immensely blessed of the Lord. And then what happens? And then, it's all what? It's all stripped. It's all stripped away.

Now, Satan did that in order to try to tempt Job to what? Sin. And deny the Lord. He thought he could destroy Job's what? Testimony, his faith.

But he couldn't destroy Job's faith because Job's faith was kept in by the Lord and the Lord sustained Job and the Lord allowed Job to go through that. Why? To help him to grow. Job at the beginning of Job, he's he's called a man of of great faith, a man who will shoot evil, a man who who honored God, a man who feared the Lord. These are all praises for Job and yet, rather than blessing Job as we think of it, God punished Job.

No, he didn't. God did what? He he helped him. He helped him to what? He helped him to grow.

For Job could have easily become what? Complacent and settled. In the blessings and the luxuries of life. God didn't want that. That wasn't beneficial for Job.

Job needed to grow and so God brought hardship into his life. James one two to four, my brethren, count all joy. When you when you fall into diverse temptations knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh what? Patience. Let patience have a perfect work that you may be perfect or complete and entire wanting or lacking nothing.

James says when you face trials, when you face persecution, when you face hardship in your life, whether it's financial hardship, whether it's physical hardship, whether it's hardship and and hurt in personal relationships, don't give up. Don't get angry. Don't get depressed. Don't become self absorbed. Don't waller in pity.

But trust in who? Trust in the Lord Understand this Christian that God wants you to grow and afford your for you to grow you have to face hardships and trials. Now, all of our hardships and trials are not the same. Some are greater than others. Some happen early in life.

Some later in life. Some seem more numerous than others may be. But God will not give us more than we can what? Bear. If we will trust in him.

He has a purpose. He has a purpose. He had a purpose in allowing Job to suffer. And he suffered the loss, the greatest thing he suffered was the loss of all 10 of his children. That is hard to imagine.

And it's hard to imagine how the loss of those 10 children were something that God used to help Job and to bring glory to himself. But God knows what he's doing and if you're a Christian, he'll never leave you nor forsake you which means that what he allows into your life must be there for a purpose and it says here that purpose is to strengthen and to try our faith that we may grow in our patience and in our trust in the Lord that we might lack nothing. Hardship is a tool. Wielded in the hands of God it is a good thing. I'm afraid that all too often we seek at all cost to remove ourselves from the hardship.

We pray God, take this thorn from me. And we cry and we cry and say, God, take this thorn from me and sometimes God says, what? No. I'm not going to take it away and you say, well, isn't he answering my prayers? Oh, yes.

But he knows that the thorn is there for your what? For your good and so he says as he says to Paul, my grace is what? Sufficient for my strength is made perfect in what? In weakness. That sounds very much like those other verses we read about our need to grow.

The hardships and the weakness that we feel drives us to Christ and strengthens our faith, faith in him. But we so often want out of it and God understands and I understand. I don't want in the middle of it either. But sometimes we have to go through it Sometimes, it's time for God to deliver us from it. But it's all there for our good.

I'm afraid that our extreme desire to avoid sometimes the difficulties of life or do us a disservice. Particularly, I see this in the lives of our children. We don't want them to have to face anything what? Hard in life. We want life to be easy for them.

And sometimes we go to extreme measures. It seems. To try to protect them from all hardship. But some of it is there for their good. Today, when you play sports and some leagues, everybody gets a what?

Everybody gets a trophy because everybody is a winner even though only one team actually won. We don't want anybody to feel what? To feel bad or to feel like a failure. Nobody loses. Nobody actually gets everything wrong or truly ever fails today.

The world is determined to take away all the what? All the consequences, all the difficulties and in doing so if we do that what happens? We stay what? We stay children. And so do they.

Indeed, the hardships are the bumps we climb on and the way we grow in Christ. Praise God for the hardships. Trust God through the valleys. God will be there to pick you up. But when God picks you up, he's gonna say what?

He's gonna say, okay, let's get up and do what? Let's try again. Let's move forward. Let's grow. Let's face the difficulty.

Let's not back up. Let's not hesitate. Let's not give up. That's what we do with our children when they are little. We pick them up and we say walk.

And they take two steps and splat. And so what do we do? Well we pick them up and we cuddle them and we say it's okay, it's okay, you can quit crying. And we say okay here we go, let's walk again. All right.

Why? Because they need to learn to what? They need to learn to walk. We send them to school and some of them find school a greater difficulty or hardship than others. We don't say, okay, I don't worry about it.

You don't have to go to school. No, we we get them up in the morning. When they don't wanna get up, we drag them out of bed. We get them ready and we send them off to what? We send them off to school.

Most parents do that because they love their child and they know their child wants to learn. I guess maybe some parents do that to get them out of the house. But school is there for their what? For their good. And it may not be easy, but we send them and we make them go and we make them do their homework because they needed to grow.

This past year, we sent David off to college. It was a new experience for all of us including David. And he got to college and everything was great except for his roommate. And he had kind of aggravating, inconsiderate roommate who constantly messed with his stuff, drank from his cups, used his detergent, kept him up all hours of the night, and so forth and so on. And as his dad, I wanted so bad to call the school and say, get my son out of that room.

He's an 18 year old freshman. He doesn't need to deal with it. No, at the time he was a 17 year old freshman and he doesn't need to deal with it. And that's what I wanted to do. But I didn't.

And the reason I didn't is because I know my son needs to what? He needs to grow. And there's some reason that God allowed him. And it wasn't an easy semester. And I think I'm finding out it was even harder than I thought it was.

He didn't get a whole lot of sleep. But you know something, he got through it and he grew. In a couple months, Emily's gonna join him, think, and she's gonna go away to school. And I don't know that her parents and her are all excited either, but it'll be good for her. When I left college, I went to find a job and here we are starting again as a youth pastor and then moved down here to be pastor.

It's a joy but it does come with somewhat. It does come with some trials and hardships. You know something? Being out of your comfort zone needs to happen from time to time. We need to grow.

Do not get depressed. Do not give up, do not give in. Recognize, God is wanting me to change. He needs me to grow. So, I am going to listen.

I'm going to work with him and not work against him. He uses his spirit. He uses his word and he uses the circumstances we face. We need to look forward to the next day and the hope that it holds and the challenges that it brings and say with Paul, brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do. Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth on those things which are before.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul says, I'm not bound by what's back there. Paul says, I'm looking forward to what's there and yes, there's going to be some bumps in the road. For Paul, there were a lot of bumps in the road. But Paul says, I still look forward and I'm reaching forward.

Because I still have room to grow and there's still more to be done and my God says that his grace is what? His grace is sufficient for me. Let's close in prayer. Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for your word.

Thank you for the reminder this evening of our need to grow. Help us, Lord. To not resist it. To not try to claw our way out of it. To not become complacent and ignore our need to change and grow.

Lord, help us to to trust in you. Help us to yield to your spirit, to heed your word, and to grow through the experiences of life growing ever close to you and more like our savior Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.