AND THE CHILD GREW
Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. RSV
Intro:
The earnest expectation of every parents upon their children is all round growth, a stunted child is a child of reproach.
From our text above, the scripture referring to Jesus revealed that He was once a child, but He did not remain a child.
God refuse to send Jesus in form of a man (like Melchizedek Heb. 7:1-3) but as a child so that he will grow and also unveil the way to the Father and the desire of the Father.
God has all the required power to send Jesus as a grown up man, but if such should happen then the mission of Jesus would have remain a great and uncomprehended mystery.
If Christ Jesus came as a man, we would been seeing Christianity as a mere religion established only for the matured ones, but in other for Jesus to perfectly fulfil His mission then He proof beyond reasonable doubt that Christianity is not even a religion but a relationship for all set of human irrespective of your age and race.
In 1 Samuel 3:19 the scripture says "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground"
Likewise in Luke 1:80 the scripture also says of John The Baptist "And the child grew and became strong in spirit..."
The child grow and became STRONG, it's spiritual error for you to grow with negative achievement, as a child of God, God is expecting you to grow and become strong.
Some of us we are the same person we were right from the moment we gave our lives to Christ, there is no increase in faith nor grace.
Immediately a soul is converted into His kingdom, there is one thing that God is expecting from such convert and that is a fresh and closer fellowship with Him every moment.
God is somehow disappointed at some of His followers. How will you feel if you begat a child and for eight years (8yrs) there is no improvement? You felt disappointed right?
Jesus operated with His disciples but the faith of the disciples were stunted that in:4
- They were unable to heal heal the epileptics lad
So Jesus was actually saying, how long will it take you before you grow, when will you grow? when will you give up childish unbelieve?
- Unable to calm the ragging of the sea
Factors Responsible For Growth
Transformation of the mind: Rom 12:2
An O’ Level student that just left Secondary School can’t enter Higher Institution with the mentality of Secondary School, if by peradventures he/she does, that student must be left aside. So the only thing that will enable that student to cop is TRANSFORMATION, I can’t behave the same way I do behave in secondary school because “there are things to get adapted to and as well things to let go.”
For a child to grow, then the child must be ready to take these two steps:
"Adapt To" & "Let Go"
Examples of things to Adapt to:
1. 1. The Fruits of the Spirit
Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
We need to get adapted and addicted to the fruits of the Spirit because where the treasure is, that is where the heart (Mat. 6:21), what you set as your priority is what you will focus on.
So if you are willing to grow and please your heavenly Father, then you need to know how your heavenly Father operate. John 4:23-24 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
Your Father is a Spirit, and it takes spirit to relate with spirit. So as a flesh which we are, before we can relate with God (Spirit) we must possess the traits of the spirit.
2. 2. Feeding on the Word of God
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
As a new convert, you may not be able to discern the voice of God and the voice of the evil one, so at that state you really need the Word which your heavenly Father wrote long ago, preserved and finally delivered to you. (Matt 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.), (Jer. 23:29 Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer which breaks the rock in pieces?).
Meditating on the Word continuously take you deeper into the mind of God, because the more you meditate, the more you search the mind of God, and the more mysteries are been revealed.
3. 3. Having a Serious God Fearing Mentor (God Father)
Mentor: Is a wise and trusted guide and advisor. OR One that Serve as a teacher or trusted counsellor.
Don’t just choose a mentor but seek a mentor. There are mentors that will lead you to your desired destination and there are mentor that will lead you to your undesired destination.
Examples of things to let go:
1. 1. The Fruits of The Flesh
Gal 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
These are things in which you are born into, If you can’t let go of these things then growth is still far away from your dwelling.
2. 2. Ungodly Friends
Matt 8:21-23 Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
21:- This is actually a disciple (meaning he has been following before) but not willing to continue in fellowship. So Jesus left him and got into a boat
Some of us Christians, our identity and the friends around us are making Christianity disastrous to the upcoming generation. There is what a child will sees and swear if this is how Christianity operate then let me be there. Vice versa, that is the meaning of Mat 5:16. So the question is this “What type of light are your friends shining”.
Even Jesus who came to saved sinners (Mat. 9:13), respected His boundaries. (Luke 9:5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. KJV).
Mark 5:6-21 Jesus healed the demonic possessed man but yet the people around still chased him out from their town.
21:- the other side that Jesus crossed to, he was accepted, so being rejected in a place does not mean you are truly rejected. There are places where your useless talent will be celebrated.
Joseph had interpreted his dream to his brother and they sold him out. But when he interpreted a dream for pharaoh, he was elevated.
Yes Jesus associated with sinners but here this, not perpetual sinners. Check the sinners that were around Jesus they hear and repent.
Don’t expect your friend to meet you one on one and tell you to leave, there are some Judas that will not leave unless they betrays you. There are friends that will not leave unless they succeed in tarnishing your image.
How long do you want to stick to them before they repent, don’t be conscious of another soul and thereby lost your own soul? The most precious soul to any minister is not the soul of all his overflow though matter their population, the most precious soul is HIS Soul. the most precious soul to you is your own soul (
There is no profit for you to win all souls for Christ and still lose your own soul?
Whosoever is ready to move, move with them.
Whosoever is not ready to move, please let go, No Time To Waste.
Forget about background, forget the relationship that binds you together, ignore where the both of you are coming from.
Prayer: 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Ø My Precious Heavenly Father, give me the grace to grow in Your presence.
Ø My Precious Heavenly Father, give me the knowledge of our Lord Jesus to live for You alone.
Ø My Precious Heavenly Father, release Thy heavenly appetite that will empower for Your service.
Ø My Precious Heavenly Father, release Thy power of adaptation for me to adopt and adapt to Your will.
Ø The Author and the Finisher of my faith, empower me with Your Spirit for me to let go all that is against Your will.
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