Embracing Spiritual Growth Through God's Kindness
Summary
In today's gathering, we delved into the profound teachings of 1 Peter 2:1-3, exploring the essence of spiritual growth and maturity. We began by acknowledging the sacredness of opening the Scriptures, a moment where God speaks directly to us, offering both correction and encouragement. This passage from Peter, an apostle who intimately knew the kindness of the Lord, serves as a guide for us to grow spiritually and love one another fully.
We discussed the necessity of setting aside harmful behaviors and thoughts, such as malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. These are likened to distasteful foods that we should rid ourselves of, much like my personal aversion to raw onions. These negative traits often stem from cultural influences and personal backgrounds, but they hinder our ability to love others as God loves us.
Instead, we are called to crave spiritual nourishment, akin to a newborn's longing for milk. This nourishment comes from engaging with God's Word, participating in worship, and serving others. By immersing ourselves in these spiritual practices, we replace harmful thoughts and behaviors with a desire for growth and maturity in Christ.
The motivation for this transformation is rooted in the kindness of the Lord. Just as Peter experienced forgiveness and restoration after denying Christ, we too have tasted God's kindness through the forgiveness of our sins. This kindness not only motivates us but also empowers us through the Holy Spirit to change and grow.
Ultimately, the call is to live a life that reflects God's kindness, allowing His Spirit to transform our thoughts and words. By doing so, we can fully love one another and experience the abundant life God desires for us.
Key Takeaways:
- Spiritual growth requires us to set aside harmful behaviors like malice, deceit, and slander. These negative traits are often ingrained in us by cultural and personal influences, but they hinder our ability to love others fully. By recognizing and rejecting these behaviors, we open ourselves to God's transformative work. [43:57]
- Craving spiritual nourishment is essential for growth. Just as a newborn longs for milk, we should desire God's Word and spiritual practices that nourish our souls. This longing replaces harmful thoughts and behaviors, leading us to maturity in Christ. [01:03:09]
- The kindness of the Lord is both our motivation and empowerment for change. Peter's experience of forgiveness after denying Christ exemplifies the transformative power of God's kindness. This same kindness is available to us, enabling us to grow and love others fully. [01:08:08]
- The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in our transformation. We cannot change on our own; it is through the Spirit's work in us that we can set aside negative traits and embrace spiritual growth. This divine assistance is a testament to God's kindness and desire for our abundant life. [01:11:36]
- Engaging in spiritual practices like reading the Bible, worship, and service fosters growth and maturity. These practices nourish our souls and align us with God's will, allowing us to experience His kindness and share it with others. [01:03:09]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[35:30] - Opening the Scriptures
[43:57] - Setting Aside Harmful Behaviors
[47:29] - Understanding Deceit and Hypocrisy
[51:30] - The Danger of Envy and Slander
[55:35] - Cultural Influences on Speech
[58:40] - The Importance of Spiritual Nourishment
[01:03:09] - Craving Spiritual Growth
[01:08:08] - Experiencing God's Kindness
[01:11:36] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
[01:15:00] - Encouragement to Trust in Christ
[01:18:00] - Closing Prayer and Invitation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- 1 Peter 2:1-3
Observation Questions:
1. What specific behaviors does Peter instruct us to set aside in 1 Peter 2:1? How are these behaviors described in the sermon? [43:57]
2. How does the sermon describe the metaphor of craving spiritual nourishment, and what is it compared to? [58:40]
3. What role does the kindness of the Lord play in our spiritual growth according to the sermon? [01:08:08]
Interpretation Questions:
1. Why might Peter have chosen to use the metaphor of a newborn craving milk to describe our need for spiritual nourishment? How does this metaphor help us understand our spiritual growth?
2. How does the sermon suggest that cultural influences can impact our behaviors and thoughts, particularly those we are instructed to set aside? [55:35]
3. In what ways does the kindness of the Lord serve as both motivation and empowerment for change, as discussed in the sermon? [01:08:08]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled with one of the harmful behaviors mentioned in 1 Peter 2:1. How did you address it, and what steps can you take to set it aside in the future? [43:57]
2. The sermon compares craving spiritual nourishment to a newborn's longing for milk. What specific spiritual practices can you incorporate into your daily routine to satisfy this craving? [58:40]
3. Consider the cultural influences in your life that may contribute to negative behaviors or thoughts. How can you actively counteract these influences to align more closely with God's will? [55:35]
4. How have you experienced the kindness of the Lord in your life, and how does this motivate you to grow spiritually and love others more fully? [01:08:08]
5. The sermon emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in our transformation. What steps can you take to be more receptive to the Spirit's work in your life? [01:11:36]
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to experience spiritual growth. What practical steps can you take this week to pursue maturity in that area?
7. How can you share the kindness of the Lord with others in your community, and what impact do you hope this will have on your relationships?
Devotional
Day 1: Setting Aside Harmful Behaviors
To grow spiritually, we must consciously set aside harmful behaviors such as malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. These negative traits are often deeply ingrained in us due to cultural and personal influences, but they hinder our ability to love others as God loves us. By recognizing and rejecting these behaviors, we open ourselves to God's transformative work. This process requires intentionality and a willingness to let go of old habits that do not align with the teachings of Christ. [43:57]
Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV): "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
Reflection: Identify one harmful behavior you struggle with. How can you begin to set it aside today with God's help?
Day 2: Craving Spiritual Nourishment
Just as a newborn longs for milk, we should desire God's Word and spiritual practices that nourish our souls. This longing for spiritual nourishment is essential for growth and maturity in Christ. By engaging with God's Word, participating in worship, and serving others, we replace harmful thoughts and behaviors with a desire for growth. This craving for spiritual nourishment leads us to maturity in Christ and aligns us with His will. [01:03:09]
1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV): "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good."
Reflection: What spiritual practice can you incorporate into your daily routine to nourish your soul and foster growth in Christ?
Day 3: Experiencing God's Kindness
The kindness of the Lord is both our motivation and empowerment for change. Peter's experience of forgiveness after denying Christ exemplifies the transformative power of God's kindness. This same kindness is available to us, enabling us to grow and love others fully. Experiencing God's kindness through the forgiveness of our sins motivates us to change and empowers us through the Holy Spirit to grow spiritually. [01:08:08]
Titus 3:4-5 (ESV): "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced God's kindness. How can this experience motivate you to extend kindness to others today?
Day 4: The Role of the Holy Spirit
We cannot change on our own; it is through the Holy Spirit's work in us that we can set aside negative traits and embrace spiritual growth. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in our transformation, assisting us in aligning our thoughts and actions with God's will. This divine assistance is a testament to God's kindness and desire for our abundant life. By allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us, we can experience true transformation and growth in our spiritual journey. [01:11:36]
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to invite the Holy Spirit to bring about transformation and growth?
Day 5: Engaging in Spiritual Practices
Engaging in spiritual practices like reading the Bible, worship, and service fosters growth and maturity. These practices nourish our souls and align us with God's will, allowing us to experience His kindness and share it with others. By immersing ourselves in these practices, we open ourselves to God's transformative work and grow in our relationship with Him. This engagement is essential for spiritual growth and maturity in Christ. [01:03:09]
Colossians 3:16 (ESV): "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Reflection: What specific spiritual practice can you commit to this week to deepen your relationship with God and grow in maturity?
Quotes
What we are about to do is one of the very special moments in the life of a church. In fact, on a weekly basis, it might be the most important part of a church's life. We are going to be opening the scriptures and hearing what God has to say to us. [00:33:52]
And so we're going to hear Peter preaching and teaching us. We're going to hear what Peter has to say. But because we have trusted Christ as our Savior, because the Spirit of God is in us, we're not only going to hear what Peter is saying, but we're going to hear what God is saying. [00:34:54]
It's a moment when God will correct us, but also a very encouraging moment, where he'll encourage our hearts with his faithfulness and with his goodness to us. So it is the time for us to submit ourselves to God and be ready to hear what he is saying to us. [00:35:30]
So Lord Jesus we come and sit at your feet we anticipate that you are going to teach us oh God let us be ready to receive your correction but also God let us be ready to receive your encouragement all of this through our Lord Jesus amen it's something that we all do we grow up physically we don't have a choice it happens. [00:38:53]
But spiritually we need to grow up and last week Chris took us to a passage that talked about we need to be loving each other because we have been loved by God and we need to work at that we need to grow in that loving of each other because when we trusted Christ as Savior we were forgiven we were brought into God's family. [00:39:53]
Now there's another part of growing up that we do have a choice in and that's the area of maturity how do you know when you're really grown up there were different people have got some different views on it here's what some people have said you know you've grown up when you own your first home or maybe you own your home and a mortgage to it. [00:39:23]
Now, I'm not sure how it happened. I don't know maybe if I had some kind of traumatic experience when I was about three years old with onions or something like that. I don't know what happened. But for some reason, that fresh bite of a fresh onion, a raw onion, it just, I just can't handle it. I don't know what happens in my mind or my brain or whatever. [00:42:26]
Now, we in the South have a phrase that is very deceitful very often. We'll just bless their heart. We don't mean that at all. We mean that is so stupid. Well, that's deceitful. We need to truly say, Lord, please help that person. They really need it. No. Same thing. But it's that pretending something so you can get something. [00:47:47]
And envy. Envy is not just wanting something that someone else has, but it's wanting what someone else has and resenting them for it. Ah, I wanted that job and I'm mad at them because they got it. When I started teaching at the seminary a few years ago, Lord, thank you for this job. This is wonderful. [00:50:33]
And when we are tempted to say things about somebody else like that, no, that's wrong. Stop it, Calvin. Don't think that. So he's saying here in these words, set all this harmful speech aside. Be rid of it. Spew it out of your mouth kind of thing. It's distasteful to you. [00:55:24]
Like newborn babies, thank you for the illustration, newborn baby over there. Like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word. Now, we need to explain that long for the pure milk of the word. The longing for it, we kind of understand that. We understand a baby wanting to eat. We understand wanting nourishment, okay? [01:01:25]
Crave listening to the word. Crave coming to worship together where you can be nourished spiritually. Crave a small group where you can truly talk with each other and pray together and nourish each other spiritually. Crave serving the Lord through some kind of helping with the kids, helping with other Bible studies, helping set up chairs or whatever it may be. [01:02:34]
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