Watch Part 2 here:
Tracking Your Progress
2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
Intro: During the Christmas season, I guarantee that many of you spent a lot of time checking on your packages and trying to find out where they were and when they would arrive.
Most purchases that are made online now provide a way to track your package.
How many of you use that option?
How many of you checked on packages during Christmas?
How many of you kept checking your front porch all day on the day it was supposed to be there?
How many of you spent that much time this year tracking your spiritual growth?
Imagine how much better off we would be if we tracked our spiritual growth and progress as much as we did our Amazon stuff?
This is the last Sunday of 2024. Let me ask you a question.
Are you further along spiritually today than you were a year ago?
A. The Biblical Emphasis on Growth
· 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Everything that is healthy, grows.
If you’re not progressing in your spiritual life, something is wrong.
Ephesians 4
· 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
· 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
· 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
· 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
B. The Biblical Enabling for Growth
· 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
There will be no growth apart from the Word of God.
Growth is not the result of studying the people of God; it comes from studying the precepts of God.
Imitating other Christians is not growth; it is actually a sign of great immaturity.
Growth is not just learning WHAT to do; growth is learning WHY to do and HOW to do.
Their faith had grown, and that only happens one way:
· Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
C. The Biblical Evaluation of Growth
Growth is measurable.
Growth is not a figment of your imagination.
It is real, it is noticeable, it is measurable, it is comparable, and it is obvious to others.
But it should be done in the light of God’s Word – not our own ideas or standards.
There are biblical standards for growth.
And they differ greatly from a lot of people’s idea of growth.
ILLUSTRATION: We see a lot of people today that are compromising under the guise of “growth.”
They’ve changed Bible versions because they’ve outgrown the King James.
They’ve started their own home cells because they’ve “outgrown” the local church.
They don’t need a pastor anymore because they’ve “grown.”
Their wife and daughter don’t dress modestly anymore because they’ve “grown.”
Pastors start drinking beer and getting tattoos after years of NOT doing it because they’ve suddenly “grown.”
There’s only one problem with that definition of growth. It is not found in the Bible.
· Growing does not make a person more worldly.
· Growing does not give a person liberty to sin.
· Growing does not give a person a license to do what is biblically forbidden.
· Growing does not mean you can turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.
The progress and growth found in the Bible makes you more different from the world; not fit in more.
In our text, we find several important aspects of tracking your spiritual growth.
I. The Praise for the Progress with God
· 2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly,
There are several things about this verse that is important to note.
A. Progress is Praiseworthy
Paul said – we are BOUND to thank God for you!
“…as it is meet…” – necessary, appropriate, worthy, befitting, BECAUSE…
There is nothing that brings more joy in a pastor than to see the faith of God’s people growing!
· 3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
That is why we preach, teach, pray, counsel – it is to see your faith grow.
Paul said it like this to the church of Colosse:
Colossians 2
· 5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
· 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
· 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
B. Progress is Perceptible
Paul didn’t get a letter from the church members of Thessalonica updating him on their growth.
They got a letter from Paul letting them know that he noticed their growth.
When you are gaining ground with God, people see it.
It is something that is noticeable and observable.
The transformation in people when their faith grows is a wonderful thing to see.
Watching new converts get ahold of the Christian life and start following Jesus is exciting for all of us.
· You can see progress.
· Your family can see it.
· Your pastor and church family can see it.
· You know who else can see it? Your unsaved family and coworkers.
You may not be tracking your progress, but they are!
C. Progress is Progressive
· “…because that your faith groweth exceedingly…”
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Growth is gradual; it is incremental, but it will happen if you stay faithful.
The transformation may take a while, but if you are truly saved, you will grow and God will work on you.
Don’t get discouraged when you are not growing as fast as you’d like.
Just keep yielding to the Lord, and over time, you’ll be able to see how far you’ve come.