Growing Up (5 of 14)
Series: 1 John
Robert Dawson
1 John 2:12-14
An old farmer was known to frequently describe his Christian experience by saying, 'Well, I'm not making much progress, but I'm established.' One spring he was hauling some logs and his wagon wheels sank down the axles in mud. Try as he would, he couldn't get the wagon out. Defeated, he sat atop the logs, viewing the dismal situation. Soon a neighbor who had always felt uncomfortable with the farmer's worn out testimony came along and greeted him, 'Well, brother Jones, I see you're not making much progress, but you must be content because you're well established.'
That attitude is one that is prevalent in the lives of believers today. We are grateful that we are established and that we belong to Christ but if truth be told we are not making much progress.
John, in verses 12-14, according to some breaks the flow of his letter at this point but I believe these verses arise as he thinks about the people to whom he was writing.
He writes to encourage them and affirm them in their faith. John also writes to challenge them in their faith because he wants them to be well established in it but he also wants them to be making progress as well.
As John writes he recognizes that his audience is made up of different groups of people. Each group is at different stages of their Christian development. He recognizes and affirms that all of them are children of God but he also recognizes they are all at different levels of spiritual maturity.
1. Whenever we stand to preach and teach we have to recognize that we are speaking to several different groups --- trying to speak to all of them at once can be difficult in preparation and delivery. In any given service, especially Sunday, there are those present who are lost. There are those who are new Christians and very immature in their faith. There are those who are maturing and growing and fighting the good fight and then there are those who, while ...
Series: 1 John
Robert Dawson
1 John 2:12-14
An old farmer was known to frequently describe his Christian experience by saying, 'Well, I'm not making much progress, but I'm established.' One spring he was hauling some logs and his wagon wheels sank down the axles in mud. Try as he would, he couldn't get the wagon out. Defeated, he sat atop the logs, viewing the dismal situation. Soon a neighbor who had always felt uncomfortable with the farmer's worn out testimony came along and greeted him, 'Well, brother Jones, I see you're not making much progress, but you must be content because you're well established.'
That attitude is one that is prevalent in the lives of believers today. We are grateful that we are established and that we belong to Christ but if truth be told we are not making much progress.
John, in verses 12-14, according to some breaks the flow of his letter at this point but I believe these verses arise as he thinks about the people to whom he was writing.
He writes to encourage them and affirm them in their faith. John also writes to challenge them in their faith because he wants them to be well established in it but he also wants them to be making progress as well.
As John writes he recognizes that his audience is made up of different groups of people. Each group is at different stages of their Christian development. He recognizes and affirms that all of them are children of God but he also recognizes they are all at different levels of spiritual maturity.
1. Whenever we stand to preach and teach we have to recognize that we are speaking to several different groups --- trying to speak to all of them at once can be difficult in preparation and delivery. In any given service, especially Sunday, there are those present who are lost. There are those who are new Christians and very immature in their faith. There are those who are maturing and growing and fighting the good fight and then there are those who, while ...
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