The Pattern of Spiritual Growth Defined

Larry Siegle
03/02/25 - Sun AM

Link to sermon video: The Pattern of Spiritual Growth Defined - L Siegle

EQUIPPED to ACCOMPLISH III

“The Pattern of Spiritual Growth Defined”

(II Peter 1:5-12)

Series:  EQUIPPED to ACCOMPLISH

Thesis:  God’s has a purpose for the Cortland congregation and how to be equipped to accomplish that purpose.

INTRODUCTION

1.     The title of this series is Equipped to Accomplish

2.     This is the third lesson in our study:  The Pattern of Spiritual Growth Defined

3.     This week as I was meditating on these words of the apostle Peter, I wanted to make sure that what we share here

        today does not come across that one of those “five easy steps to empower your life” self-help seminars.

        a.     For just $19.99 and four hours a day, you can have the life of your dreams!

        b.     Fortune, Fashion, and Finances call all be yours!

4.     All of us have, at one time or another, heard the “pitch” and fallen into the trap of looking for the “easy button”—

        whether in life, or love, or some other grandiose promise that offers the “impossible” and provides some “simple

        steps” to improve whatever our situation happens to be.

MOVEMENT AWAY FROM TRUSTING GOD

1.     There is a conscious effort in our world today to find ways to ‘move away’ from believing in God, trusting the Bible,

        seeing value in the work of the church.

        a.     Many today are seeking find substitutes for what God has said in His Word:

                1)    “Oh, I’m not religious, no I am spiritual” (somehow one sounds better than the other).

                2)    There is a suspicion now and every church that offers any sort of “guidance” or “principles” for living is now

                        labeled as a cult.

        b.     Every ‘new’ and ‘improved’ form of Atheism is supposedly setting people “free” from their former “bondage”

                1)    Atheism is the ‘gospel of nothingness’ because it offers humanity nothing except ‘if it feels good, do it!’

                2)    The final message of atheism (and views that lead to it) is, ‘for dust you are and to dust will return’—nothing

                        more, nothing less, nothing else (Psalm 14:1-3; Rom. 3:10-12).

                3)    There is a destination for those who ‘think’ they have all the answers (Prov. 14:12-14).

2.     God is calling all believers today to ‘fortify’ (guard) and (protect) our hearts, minds, will, and emotions (Phil. 4:6, 7).

3.     The ‘battle’ of the heart and the mind never takes place in a fleshly arena (II Cor. 10:3-5, 15).

THE “PATTERN” OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH DEFINED

1.     The Bible provides “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (II Pet. 1:3), with access to “every spiritual blessing”

        (Eph. 1:3).

2.     The principles give by the apostle Peter here provides for us a pattern of how, when, and why each of us needs to

         grow stronger in our relationship with the Lord.

        a.     There is a “pattern of sound (healthful) words (teaching) (II Tim. 1:8-13).

                1)    (hypotypōsis)—“ a sketch, delineation; a form, formula, presentment, sample, 2Ti 1:13; a pattern, a model

                        representation, 1Ti 1:16.” (Mounce).

                        a)     Victor in making this ‘model’ over here of what we believe God wants us to build, has actually provided

                                 us with a hypotyposis to ‘look at as a “pattern” of what the end result of the what the building project is

                                to become.

        b.     Christ has left believers with a “pattern” (hupogrammos)—"a writing copy, including all the letters of the

                alphabet, given to beginners as an aid in learning to draw them”—To “trace” the outline of the letters carefully.

3.     Last week we discussed the necessary foundation of FAITH (II Pet. 1:5; Heb. 11:6).

        a.     We need to learn to see the word faith not as simply a descriptive noun but as a verb—We need to be faithing in

                every area of our lives as the firm foundation upon which our relationship with God stands (Eph. 6:13, 14).

                1)    When Joshua was commissioned to be the leader of Israel, God gave Him some instructions (Deut. 34:9; Josh.

                        1:1-9)

                2)    Joshua was fully equipped to accomplish his mission for the Lord.  Likewise, we are fully equipped and ready

                        to accomplish what God wants us to do at this time, and in this hour.

UNDERSTANDING THE HEBREW MINDSET

1.     Every language is spoken and understood in the context of how the language is meant to communicate and those

        words used affect what is heard and what is understood by those who are listening.

2.     Those who speak in English must also think in English…same is true for every other language, if someone is speaking

        Spanish they are also thinking in the language in order to communicate.

3.     The Hebrew language is more ‘concrete’ in how it pictures and communicates… (Psalm 90:2)

        a.     God is “from everlasting to everlasting”—How would a Hebrew describe this concept?

        b.     “hands in the air, “from one horizon as far it is to the other horizon” (as far as could be seen)

4.     The Greek language is more ‘abstract’ and ‘reflective’ in how it pictures and communicates…

        a.     It is a Hellenistic ‘mindset’ that wants to dissect every concept, notion and idea…

        b.     Today, the world has inherited a more Hellenistic ‘mindset’…and we swim in that water because that is all we

                have come to know.

                1)    Growing up, how many of us older folks were ever asked or confused by the question:  “What is a woman?”

                2)    Hebrew ‘mindset’ has zero problems with this particular question… According to the basic ‘five senses’

                        describe what a woman is… (problem solved).

                3)    Greek ‘mindset’ says, ‘wait a minute’ and begins to take an inventory of a whole list of attributes, and other

                        ‘abstract’ concepts and ideas…and before you know it…nobody knows how to answer the question!!

THE HEBRAIC APPROACH TAKEN TO THE PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH

1.     Between now and next Sunday, read II Pet. 1:5-12 and from a Hebrew ‘mindset’ answer these questions:
        a.     What does faith look like? (How is faith seen and demonstrated)?

        b.     What does virtue look like and do? (Not an abstract quality but a concrete action)

        c.     What does knowledge actually do? (We do not know by just what we think we know by our corresponding

                actions.

        d.     What does self-control look like? (What are the real tangible effects of exercising restraint in our lives?)

        e.     What does steadfastness look like? (How is steadfastness demonstrated to be seen).

        f.      What does godliness look like in a practical sense? (How do we know when we are exercising godliness in our

                lives and relationships with others around us?).

        g.     What does brotherly affection look like and a tangible way? (How do we demonstrate this sort of love for

                others?)

        h.     What does genuine love look like in how we walk each day? (Everything we think, say, and do testifies to the

                degree that we are actually walking in the “pattern” that God has for us and knowing in a real way that we are

                growing into being the kind of people God wants us to be.

CONCLUSION

1.     God is calling out to each one of us today, to listen and to hear His voice and allow that to transform every area of our

        lives.

2.     If we have a need today to enter into covenant relationship with God, requesting prayers, or some other need…we are

        here to do that right here, right now…