Grace for Growth

Gods Provision for Your Growth

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What is Next
Topics Covered Next 4 Weeks How God Helps you Grow
o Typically called the means of grace

The Sacraments The Church The Last things

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Doctrine Matters
Each of the doctrines previously covered impacts how growth occurs and how we interact corporately as a church For Example God is Sovereign
o What role should mans choice play in growth and what church looks like?

Man must be submissive to Gods direction

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Gods Provision
Growth is both corporate and individual However, individual growth will not occur without corporate Without the blessing of the corporate body of the church
o Instability and doubt will dominate o Ephesians 4:11-16
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Ephesians 4:11-16
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
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Ephesians 4:11-16
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

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Gods Provision
Means of grace or help Worship Word Prayer Sacraments Lets revise this list to add one important and often overlooked component
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Gods Provision
Means of grace or help Church Membership
o Care & Discipline o Spiritual Protection

Worship Word Prayer Sacraments

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Church Membership
Will look at this in detail two weeks from now The other traditional means of grace all assume membership and submission to a local church Indeed, they would have little value apart from membership
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Worship
Worship of God must be consistent with who God is in Scripture Worship then is not primarily about meeting an individuals need to worship God Worship is the work of acknowledging the greatness of our covenant Lord. John Frame
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Worship
Worship is work Two groups of words in Hebrew & Greek that are translated worship: The first means the labor or service of worship The second means bowing or bending the knee paying homage
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Worship
Both word groups fit with role of Gods sovereign control in our life The first group worship is active and not passive
o For example Romans 12:1

The second group - worship is honoring someone superior to ourselves.

o John 4:21
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Worship is for God

Both word groups point to one direction If the question is to be asked how can worship be made better the first consideration is how can worship be made better for God and not how can it be made better for me. Worship is about God and for God
o If this is true you will be blessed but being blessed is not the most important goal of worship
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Worship is for God

Worship is both service and homage Worship is both formal and informal
o Example of Corporate Worship I Cor. 14; Hebrews 10:24-25 o Example of informal worship Rom. 12:1

Therefore, worship is to involve all of life - 24/7

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How to Worship
Worship is to be directed by God
o Since God is the one who calls us to worship, he is also the one who prescribes how we are to worship. We ought to worship him only as he has directed us in the word and not according to our own imaginations or desires. Morton Smith

This is the regulative principle of worship

o There are differing views as to the application of this principle. But the principle itself is nonnegotiable o This is RPC Adult SS 2011 consistent with the doctrine of God 15

The Blessing of the Word

The Word of God that addresses & is accessible to all creation is called General Revelation
o It speaks of the glory and wonder of God Psalm 19:1-6 o It is suppressed by those who do not know God Romans 1:18-20

General Revelation is enough to condemn, but is not sufficient for salvation Only Christians can accurately understand General Revelation
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o e.g. Sunsets

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The Blessing of the Word

The Word of God written in the Bible is referred to as Special Revelation Authored by the Holy Spirit who, Inspired and oversaw the individual human writers so that, The Bible, in its original manuscripts, is infallible and without error.
Psalm 19:7-14 II Timothy 3:16&17
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The Word is your life

The Word of God is your life
o Deuteronomy 8:3 o Deuteronomy 32:44-47

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Words for life

Deuteronomy 8:3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

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Words for life

Deuteronomy 32:45-47
45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. 47 They are not just idle words for youthey are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.
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The Word is your life

The Word of God is your life
o Deuteronomy 8:3 o Deuteronomy 32:44-47

The written word sustained Christ

o Matthew 4:1-11 o It is written

When you face temptation it is written should be your response

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The Word is your life

Thus, the written word should
o Be studied o Be Loved and remembered o Form the basis of all of your thinking & decisions o Be taught to your children o Should be trusted above all else

There is no more important human activity than coming to know the Bible
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Next Week
Prayer & the Sacraments

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