Study Notes

Foundation Statement: The inner man doesn’t grow by time, he grows by the Word of God.  No word no growth. Without exposure to the Word of God you will not grow spiritually.  If the inner man is not developing through expose to the Word of God then growth is not taking place, period. You eat the word, you do the word and that’s how you develop spiritually.  

 

I.      You grow by the Word-1 Peter 2:1-3 (Grow-Inward Christian growth)

A.    The inner man doesn’t grow by time, he grows by the word; Lack of growth is the result of a lack of exposure to the Word-1 Peter 2:2

1.      No word = No growth > Little word = Little growth > Much word = Much growth

2.      Your spiritual growth comes through the avenue of God’s Word (You don’t grow up b/c somebody stands up here and says grow up you big baby)

B.     This is how you go from stage to stage – You eat the Word you do the Word, you eat the Word you do the Word

1.      If the inner man is not developing through exposure to the Word of God and application of the Word of God then growth is not taking place; The inner man grows through hearing and doing the word of God; if you’re not doing much of that, then you’re not growing PERIOD

2.      Without exposure to Word you don’t grow spiritually (Without feeding on the Word and applying the Word you don’t grow); This is how people can be saved and serving in a church for 20 years and still be a baby

 

Foundation Statement: You have to eat the Word to grow spiritually. What you eat spiritually will affect how you develop and what you develop in. Words of faith and good teaching will feed you and cause you to grow. We can eat the word of God and we do that with our mind, our ears and our eyes. That word is a living thing and it is spirit and it is the power of God and when you start to put it in your eyes and in your ears it begins to go to work in your word and changes you from the inside out, it changes how you believe, how you think, how you talk and it begins to work to mold you into the image of your master.  A lack of desire for the Word will keep you from eating the word and in turn keep you from growing. Whatever you are willing to give your attention to you can create a desire for.  You might have to force yourself to give your attention to the Word of God to create a desire for the Word of God so that you don’t have to force yourself to give your attention to the Word, but rather you do it because you desire it.

 

II.     You have to eat the word – Spiritual growth requires the right diet

A.    1 Timothy 4:6-What you eat spiritually will affect how you develop and what you develop in – Exercise yourself unto godliness

1.      Eat this-Words of faith and good teaching will feed you and cause you to grow

a.    Nourished-To feed and cause to grow, nurture, to give suck, to fatten, to bring up

b.    Doctrine-Instructing, teaching

c.     Hebrews 5:13-Babe-Childish, untaught, unskilled, infant, little child – Immaturity is connected to a lack of exposure to good teaching

2.      Not that-Refuse (Shun, avoid) these kinds of words (Amp-Irreverent legends, godless fictions) – These words want feed you and cause you to grow

B.     We can eat the word of God

1.      1 Corinthians 3:1-3-We’re talking about him speaking the Word and feeding them with milk instead of meat; Jeremiah 15:16-You can eat the word of God; Matthew 4:4-The body lives by natural food, but the spirit lives by the Word of God; Job 34:3-We’re talking about chewing the word with your ears; Proverbs 4:20-24-This is how you eat the Word

2.      That word is a living thing (Hebrews 4:12) and it is spirit (John 6:63) and it is the power of God (Romans 1:16) and when you start to put it in your eyes and in your ears it begins to go to work in your word (Isaiah 55:11) and changes you from the inside out, it changes how you believe, how you think, how you talk and it begins to work to mold you into the image of your master

C.    Your growth through the Word of God is directly connected to your desire for the Word of God – No desire > No eating > No Growth

1.      Hebrews 5:11-They are dull of hearing and that means 1) They have no desire for the Word 2) They aren’t feeding on the Word

a.    Dull in hearing (AMPC-Slothful in achieving spiritual insight; AMP-Disinclined to listen; CEB-Lazy and haven’t been listening; GW-Too lazy to pay attention)

b.    Dull-Slow of understanding, slow to learn, comprehend; Sluggish-Inactive, lazy, idly; Indolent-Lack of exertion in a love for laziness, habitual love of ease, avoid exertion; Hearing-Understanding, learning, comprehending

c.     You sit there and don’t use your faith and aren’t expectant and don’t exert yourself at all in your hearing and you aren’t planning on doing what you hear-The word doesn’t mean much to you

2.      1 Peter 2:2-This scripture told you to desire the word of God so that you can grow by it – If you don’t desire it, you won’t eat it, and you won’t grow by it

a.    Psalm 119:14-I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies as much as in all riches; 16-I will delight myself in your statues; 18-Open my eyes, that I may behold the wondrous things out of they law; 24-Thy testimonies also are my delight; 26-Teach me your statutes; 30-Your judgments have I laid before me; 31-I have stuck unto your testimonies; 33,34-Teach me O Lord the way of your statutes and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding and I shall keep they law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart; 40-Behold, I have longed after your precepts; 45-I seek your precepts; 47-I will delight myself in they commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes; 69-I will keep your precepts with my whole heart; 70-I delight in thy law; 72-The law of your mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver; 73-Give me understanding that I may learn your commandments; 77-Thy law is my delight; 97-Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day; 103-How sweet are your words unto my taste! Yea they are sweeter than honey to my mouth; 111-Thy testimonies are the rejoicing of my heart; 113-Thy law do I love; 117-I will have respect unto your commandments continually; 119-Therefore I love your testimonies; 127-I love your commandments above gold; yea above fine gold; 129-Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore my soul does keep them; 131-I opened my mouth and panted: For I longed for your commandments; 140-Your word is very pure: therefore your servant loves it; 143-Your commandments are my delights; 162-I rejoice at your word as one who finds great spoil; 167-My soul has kept your testimonies; and I love them exceedingly; 172-My tongue speaks of your word

b.    Hebrews 5:11-12-Their lack of desire for the word is connected to their lack of growth; They are what they are in verse 12 because of verse 11

c.     A lack of desire for the Word is one of the most problematic things that can happen to a believer and if not dealt with the results can be disastrous

1)       Proverbs13:13-Who so despises the word shall be destroyed; but he that fears the commandment shall be rewarded

2)       Psalm119:92-Unless your law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction

3)       Psalm119:162-I rejoice at your word as one that finds great spoil. Great peace have they which love your law and nothing shall offend them.

D.    Whatever you give your mind and attention to you will begin to develop a desire for

1.      Romans 8:5-For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.

2.      They are doing something fleshing because they desire something fleshy and the desire something fleshy because they’ve set their minds on and something fleshy; They are doing something spiritual because they desire something spiritual and they desire something spiritual because they set their minds on something spiritual – It’s thoughts and attention that give birth to desires and desires that move you into action

a.    You wouldn’t pursue something you don’t desire and you won’t desire what you give no thought or attention to

b.    James 1:14-You were drawn away because you gave thought and attention to it and it produced a desire for it and the desire led to the action

3.      Whatever you are willing to give your attention to you can create a desire for

4.      You might have to force yourself to give your attention to the Word of God to create a desire for the Word of God so that you don’t have to force yourself to give your attention to the Word, but rather you do it because you desire it

E.     You will not give your attention to what you do not value – How much value of you attached to the Word of God

1.      Matthew 15:8-You can honor the word with your lips, but your heart be far from it

2.      The word should be everything to us (Look at the Psalmist attitude toward the word in Psalm 119)