A FULL EXPERIENCE OF GOD

Pastor Dennis Clanton

Woodland Church

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

(1 Peter 2:1–3, NLT) “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”

1. SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS ESSENTIAL FOR ME.

(1 Corinthians 3:1–3, NLT) “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?”

a.  The Holy Spirit leads.

(John 14:17, NLT) “He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. … he lives with you now and later will be in you.”

(Philippians 2:13, NLT) “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

b.  The Bible nourishes.

(John 6:63, NLT) “The very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

“When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight….” (Jeremiah 15:16, NLT)

(1 Timothy 4:6, NLT) “If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed.”

c.  The Church encourages.

(2 Corinthians 3:17–18, NLT) “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:11, NLT) “Encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

d.  Prayer connects.

(Hebrews 4:16, NLT) “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

(Matthew 6:9, NLT) “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”

(Romans 8:15–16, NLT) “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

2. HOW WE GROW SPIRITUALLY IS DIFFERENT FOR EACH OF US.

(Philippians 2:12, NLT) “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.”

a.  Experiment.

b.  Helpful thoughts and questions.

• Who did God create me to be?
• How did God SHAPE me?
• “Father, help me to understand my uniqueness?
• Don’t fear trial and error.
• What will growing in faith look like?
• What will experiencing the presence of God daily be like?
• What will the empowerment of the Holy Spirit feel like?

3. SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS NOT EASY BUT IT IS POSSIBLE.

(Philippians 1:6, NLT) “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

(Romans 7:24–25, Message) “I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.”

(Ephesians 6:10–12, Message) “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”