Barriers to Spiritual Growth 2 Peter 3:17-18 "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."

Love God Love Others Serve the World (Matthew 22:37 ) (Matthew 22:39) (Matthew 28:18-20 Acts 1:8) Worship Small Groups (Bible Study Classes) (House Churches) (Personal Disciple-making) Ministry/Missions (Local, Global) Our Goal: To reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Strategy: To build disciples who reproduce spiritually and to minister to our “neighbors.” Our Process: To move people along a clearly understood path toward spiritual maturity m

Our Goal in Ministry Everything we do should ultimately lead to spiritual transformation. – From death to life – Eph. 2:1-4 – From spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity – 2 Peter 3:17-18; 1 Cor. 14:20; Eph. 4:11-13; Heb. 6:1ff; Most Americans (77.6%) identify themselves as “Christian”  – Of course, most mean they don’t consider themselves something else! – Even those who identify themselves as true followers of Jesus Christ (28.9% Evangelicals*) struggle with at least four aspects of the maturing process  Operation World * Barna Research data

Who you Are => How you Live 2 Peter 3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness… – We have been taught God’s Truth – The enemy wants to Forget what we’ve been taught, or Ignore it as irrelevant for you or for today – …be on your guard – be alert! Never let your guard down – …carried away – swept away with the rest – cf. slaves carried to market – …unprincipled men – those not grounded in Truth

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. – …grow - we must not become stagnant in our spiritual life – …in grace and knowledge… - in our capacity to receive and apply His grace Enjoy an increasingly intimate and joy-filled relationship with Him, knowing and doing His will, pleasing Him in all our ways

Obstacle 1: Commitment 81% say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today 78% strongly agreed that spirituality is very important to them. However: – 18% claim to be totally committed to investing in their own spiritual development – 22% claim to be “completely dependent upon God”

Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Matt. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Obstacle 2: Repentance 64% say they have confessed their sins to God and asked for His forgiveness. 12% admitted that recognizing and grasping the significance of their sins had been so personally devastating that it caused them emotional distress – cf. Isaiah 6:1-5; Daniel 9 Only about 3% of all self-identified Christians in America have come to the final stops on the transformational journey: – where they have surrendered control of their life to God – submitted to His will for their life – devoted themselves to loving and serving God and other people

Job 42:5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; 6 therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." Psalm 7:12 If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. Luke 13:3 "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Rev. 2:5 'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.

Obstacle 3: Activity Christians have confused religious activity with spiritual significance and depth – 39% have participated in a combination of three “normal” religious activities in the past week (i.e., attending church services, praying, reading the Bible) <10% have: – talked about their faith with a non-Christian – 1 Pet. 3:15 – fasted for religious purposes – Matt. 6:16-17; Acts 13:2; 14:23 – had an extended time of spiritual reflection during the past week – Phil. 4:8-9; Psalm 77:12, Psalm 145:5 Luke 10:38-42

Obstacle 4: Spiritual Community Most self-identified Christians note that they feel comfortable and connected within their church. Many do not take their faith community seriously as a place to which they should be open and held to biblical principles – Heb. 13:17 – Only 21% believe that spiritual maturity requires a vital connection to a community of faith – Heb. 10:25 – Only 35% claim to have confessed their sins verbally to another believer at some point during the past quarter – James 5:16, Galatians 6:1-2

Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

In the Last Days… 2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self- control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these.

We cannot be lulled into the stupor of “cultural Christianity” – We cannot be satisfied with comfort or nominal growth: perpetual “sameness” – The “work of the Church” is the work of each and every one of us – We are to equip each member for service and encourage each other to serve the Lord and expand His Kingdom on earth – Phil. 4:11-13 We are the Body of Christ!

"This cup is the new covenant in My blood…” in My blood…”