Spiritual Growth - How to Know God

[0:01] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to this Spirit-filled word by David Inshree. When you catch a word, you have caught God. May you catch a word today that will cause God to change your story.

[0:13] Be blessed. In our last session, we started seeking Peter. Chapter 1. I spoke about the righteousness of God, the righteousness of Christ.

[0:25] And I mentioned how God is a God of righteousness. And the righteousness of God in saving us, forgiving our sins because of the righteousness of Christ.

[0:43] God just cannot, doesn't have a choice but to be righteous in forgiving us. Because it's like you have to do the right thing.

[0:54] Christ has paid the price, has met all the requirements of the divine demands for righteousness. He's met all and as well paid the price for the forgiveness of those in Christ.

[1:08] So God doesn't have a choice. He will just be righteous. So the righteousness of Christ and the righteousness of God is what brings us, it says, 2 Peter chapter 1.

[1:18] It says, 2 Peter chapter 1. It says, 2 Peter chapter 1. It says, 3 Peter chapter 1. It says, 3 Peter chapter 1. It says, 3 Peter chapter 1. It says, 3 Peter chapter 1. It says, 3 Peter chapter 1. To them who have obtained or who have been allotted. You remember.

[1:30] Like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. So it is to those who have obtained like precious faith.

[1:46] Like precious faith to those who have obtained it with us. How did we obtain it? Through the righteousness of God. And I explained that.

[1:57] That like precious faith. It's what the New Testament, the salvation the Bible offers. The comprehensive salvation.

[2:08] Every aspect of the salvation the Bible offers is what has been captured here as the precious faith. The precious faith is what the gospel brings.

[2:19] The true gospel is the story or the announcement or the message or the proclamation. The true gospel is what the gospel brings.

[2:29] The declaration of what Jesus did or who he is and what he did is the gospel.

[2:47] The declaration of it. And not just that. And the appropriation of the benefits of what he did by faith in the believer's life.

[2:57] So that's why the teaching of the gospel is not only for those who are supposed to come in. But the gospel is every message of the Bible. So it teaches us how we come in.

[3:11] And then now how we can appropriate the benefits of the work of Christ. How can we appropriate it by faith? And it becomes so all that Jesus has attained and accomplished for God and for us becomes our human existential experience.

[3:34] You actually experience it in your living by the medium of appropriating faith. Or applying faith. Or living by faith. Now everything the gospel offers to us when we come into Christ.

[3:48] Before and after we are in Christ. And when we even die and we are out of here. Everything the gospel gives is what is called the light, the precious faith. Now the book of 1 Peter.

[4:02] As we took time to extensively understand or teach the book of 1 Peter. It was primarily to the suffering believers who have come under attack from outside.

[4:15] Because the emperor Nero was persecuting the church. Society was persecuting the church. They were being marginalized and maltreated as though they never had rights.

[4:28] When you become a Christian, you seem to lose some rights. Everyone else have their rights. Most...

[4:39] Most... It's always been like that in the past. So, in 1 Peter, Peter the apostle wrote to them to teach them how they should focus on the salvation that is yet to come.

[5:03] They have actually received an already granted salvation in Christ. But there was still salvation. It says that so they should persevere to the end of their faith.

[5:16] 1 Peter 1.9. With the salvation that is to come. So, he pointed them that in spite of what they are going through. The trying of their faith.

[5:26] Which is more precious than gold. Which is tried. That when your faith is tried, it brings forth praise and honor. So, he wrote to them. Teaching them and helping them to go through the challenges and the problems that are coming from outside.

[5:42] That's 1 Peter. That's 1 Peter. 2 Peter is teaching them and preparing them and helping them and actually giving them more than booster jab.

[5:54] They have received their first jab, second jab, third jab. And Peter said, every day you come to church, we have to give you some jab.

[6:06] Because the Christian work requires constant jabbing. It requires two is not enough.

[6:17] Booster is not enough. It must be an ongoing jabbing against satanic apostasy. Now, there was, what is apostasy?

[6:28] Apostasy is to move away. To abandon. Okay. To reject. To give up your allegiance for the things, the principles of faith you know.

[6:47] So, to give up your allegiance. To abandon it. To reject. I can't be bothered about all this again. That's what happened to many people during the lockdown. The lockdown generated a lot of apostate believers.

[7:02] A believer who doesn't believe in church attendance again. You are an apostate Christian. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. A believer who says that forgiving other people doesn't matter anymore.

[7:17] Keeping yourself for God doesn't matter anymore. Going to church doesn't matter anymore. Giving for the kingdom of God and serving God's interest doesn't matter anymore. It's just classic example of an apostate.

[7:32] Renegade. Renegade. You have become apostate. You have abandoned and you have rejected and you have shunned your allegiance to your faith or to the truth or to religion.

[7:49] And is it possible that there are people sitting here, you look holy, but in your heart you have become apostate. You have abandoned some things.

[8:01] Now, 2 Peter was written to deal with the problems inside. Not the problems outside. 1 Peter was the problem outside. 2 Peter was the problem inside.

[8:14] And the problem inside is apostasy. People have started losing their fervency for the things of God. So, Peter had to write this letter to give them a holy inoculation.

[8:27] Listen, if your pursuit and your passion and your desire for the things of God has waned, it's not normal. Now, don't feel comfortable and feel proud and think that I'm okay.

[8:38] You are not okay. I'm okay. You are not okay. No, I'm okay. No, you are not okay. I'm okay. I pray a lot. But you are not okay. You are not okay. You are reading your Bible, but you are just reading letters.

[8:50] You are reading texts. It's not going beyond the skin. It's not going deep. Because when you have an encounter with God, the first sign of divine encounter is submission.

[9:01] When you meet God, most of them, they fail to their face. They say, God, whatever. Anyone who has had an encounter with God or is getting closer to God is more submissive to God's purposes and God's desires at the expense of their feelings and their opinion.

[9:21] If your pursuit has reduced something warm, you are sitting online and you are staying at home sipping tea.

[9:39] Because the weather is bad. But when the weather is bad, you will still go to work. Work is worship for you.

[9:51] And worship has become a chore for you. It's a classic sign of the early stages of apostasy. You have started rejecting God.

[10:03] But you have convinced yourself that, you know, no, that's not my intention. Don't feel comfortable in an apostate state. Don't, don't, don't.

[10:15] I can't be a true servant of God and overlook your apostasy. It's risky. Satan has taken hold of you.

[10:26] It's more dangerous than coronavirus. More dangerous than any HIV. Than cancer. Because it's an invasion of your eternal reward.

[10:40] An eternal cause. If you suffer here, at least. That's why he wrote the first letter. He says that, he says, get up your mind. And I like that, chapter 1, verse 13.

[10:50] That text got me so much. It's so good. He said, get up the loins of your mind. Tie it, tie it. It's like you have tied it. Get up. You know, when women want to run and they are wearing high heels, what do they do?

[11:08] Take it off. And they begin to run. Usually after nightclub. Then they can't walk it. They have to remove the... And then they will sit in the trolley and people are pushing them.

[11:28] Leave me at the altar with my father. So... Get up the loins of your minds and hope.

[11:39] Oh, come on. Get up. Therefore, get up the loins of your mind. Be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought. There's grace coming.

[11:50] It will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, watch this. When you begin to backslide, you tend to have a lot of excuses. A lot of excuses.

[12:01] My children are really in need. Someone, some time ago, said, oh, I can't come to church because my mother, who... This is very interesting.

[12:11] My mother... I can't come to church because my mother states she's over 60. And because of coronavirus, I don't want to go anywhere to pick it. But they go at that place, everywhere.

[12:24] To pick it. And I said, has your mother done the vaccination? She said, no, no, no. I won't let her do it. See, you are the killer. It's not you. You won't let her take the vaccination.

[12:38] And yet, you are claiming you are protecting her. Because the vaccination is debilish.

[12:48] But it's not worship more spiritual. But worship is not just... You don't have to gather a place. That's an apostate talking. That's the language of an apostate. You don't play worship.

[13:01] You are an apostate. You will find anywhere in the scriptures, the New Testament lifestyle, which downplays worship. So, Peter wrote this letter to apostates.

[13:15] Now, this is very important. The cause of apostasy in their day was certain type of information. So, when the church becomes apostate, they begin to embrace killing knowledge.

[13:32] There's some knowledge that doesn't give life. It kills. That is what Adam and Eve did. So, you might think, or may have been listening to powerful preachers. But you can't see the impact in your life.

[13:45] How many souls have you started listening to powerful preachers? How many souls have you won? You have actually been gossiping more. You are home.

[13:56] Yes. Why don't you use the condition of your heart and the resource, the fruit of your hands, to judge the state of your spirituality? Instead of your intentions.

[14:10] Your intentions are not a reflection of your spirituality. Your actions. Your activities. And for that matter, your fruits.

[14:23] When people are making noise about their Christianity and they are fruitless, it's a concern. It's getting interesting, isn't it? This is the message we need for our generation. And I'm very happy you are listening to me.

[14:35] Hallelujah. So, in 2 Peter chapter 1, Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

[14:57] Let's all read verse 2 together. Let's go. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

[15:08] One more time. Let's go. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. This is very interesting. But because of the depth of some of the things we have to cover today, I think let's go to verse 3 and then we'll come back.

[15:24] Verse 3. Let's go. According as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who has called us to glory and virtue.

[15:39] I think let's start from verse 3. According as his divine power. Say divine power. Divine power. Has given unto us. How many things?

[15:49] All. But later on you'll find out that he said to your faith, add. If I have all things, why do I have to add some? Why do I have to add something to all things? According as his divine power has given unto us.

[16:03] The ask there is not talking about all human beings, please. He's talking about those in Christ. I'll come to that. As all things that pertain, all things that has to do with life and godliness.

[16:17] Okay. Life as opposed to death. Godliness as opposed to human philosophy. So, he says that his divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.

[16:37] How? Now, this is so important. Through the knowledge, the Greek word knowledge, epigonosko, of epigonosko.

[16:48] That is not just something that I know, I know. He's talking about deep knowledge. Experiential knowledge. You have a deep knowledge.

[17:00] You have an experiential knowledge. You have a thorough, thorough, comprehensive knowledge about something. So, it's not just a surface or just intellectual.

[17:13] It's experiential. It's deep. You have grasp on it. Through the knowledge of, he said, through the knowledge of him.

[17:25] I mean, how can we know God that well? Now, so you realize that God has given us certain things that make, watch this, certain things that make life and godliness possible.

[17:42] Yeah. Yeah. So, their godly life is not lived just by yourself. Their godly life can't generate from within you.

[17:54] That's unilaterally. Their godly life can only be accomplished through God. And he said, God has given us all things that pertain to life and everything that has got to do with godliness.

[18:10] God has given it to us. Giving us all things that pertain to life and godliness through. The word translated through. When you read other translation, it actually uses in. Or better still, it is within the sphere of.

[18:25] So, within the sphere of knowledge of God, certain things are being given to you. You cannot afford not to know. So, now it says that according as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him.

[18:44] And then look at verse 2. It says that grace and peace be multiplied to you. How? In the knowledge. In the sphere.

[18:58] Within the sphere of the knowledge. So, it's so important. Through knowledge, in knowledge. Now, I want you to understand that when the Bible mentions that something should happen to us or we should receive grace in the knowledge.

[19:14] It's talking about, you see, all the grace that is going to be multiplied to you. I think I have to go back and mention a bit more about grace. But all the grace that God has to multiply to you has got everything to do with knowledge.

[19:32] Because what is destroying the church at that time was also a certain type of knowledge. A certain type of ideology. Yeah. Ideology destroys Christian life more than any other thing.

[19:46] More than sin. You see, my independence is more damaging to my spiritual life than my sin.

[19:57] Wow. Can I say that again to you? Yes, yes. My independence. So, those of us who celebrate Independence Day. My independence of God.

[20:14] Christianity is based on dependence on God. It's your independence that costs you your work with God. Not your sin. Because if you are, let's say you are not even practicing sin.

[20:25] Your independence will make you even become the enemy of God. You will do more against God in independence than you can do just sinning. So, the problem with spirituality is independence.

[20:40] And there is certain knowledge, ideology, opinions that foster independence of God. So, it says grace. Someone say grace.

[20:51] Grace. When you read 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2, it says that the same, grace and peace be multiplied. The last bit, it said grace to you. I like it. Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

[21:04] This one, he says grace and peace be multiplied. Now, when you become born again, when you become born again, God gives you grace. That's how you become born. You start with a measure of grace.

[21:16] You start with a measure of peace. The peace of God. It said in Romans chapter 5, for we have peace with God through Christ. So, anyone who is born again has peace with God and the peace of God.

[21:29] Two things. Peace with God and the peace of God. When you are born again, you have grace. For by grace are ye saved. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith.

[21:41] Titus chapter 2 verse 11 says that the grace of God that brings salvation. So, if you have salvation, it stands to imply that you have contacted grace or you are operating under the auspices of grace, or else you can't be saved.

[21:54] Salvation is by grace. So, when you are saved, you have a measure of grace. Grace has been granted you and peace has been granted you. But it says that now that peace and grace, it can be multiplied.

[22:05] It can grow. It can grow. You can grow in grace. Grow in grace. So, it says that peace, grace and peace, the people who I am about to write to, let me establish that this thing, this Christian life is on the platform of grace and peace, which comes to us or which multiplies, watch this, which multiplies through the knowledge.

[22:32] Ah. Grace and peace, which multiplies through the definite article. The. The. Not all knowledge.

[22:43] The. Knowledge. Grace. Grace and peace multiply to you through knowledge. Now, that word knowledge also, the epigenosco, also means full knowledge.

[22:56] So, it's not partial knowledge. In fact, some translation, I think the New Living Translation says that you grow in knowledge. It talks about how we grow. It said, may God give you more and more grace and peace as you do what?

[23:10] Grow. So, growing in knowledge, the epigenosco is actually increasing in knowledge, growing in knowledge, getting thorough knowledge, getting more, getting deeper. It's just not just head knowledge beginning.

[23:22] It's an experiential knowledge and you're growing in it. Now, watch this. It says that, watch this. It said you can grow in your knowledge of God. In the first place, how can you say I can know God?

[23:34] Is God knowable? God is so far. That's why everybody begins to define their own knowledge of God. God is so far. And then they say, they tell you that, okay, this is your way of reaching to God.

[23:48] This is my own way. Somebody will say, me, I know there's something, but I choose not to call. I choose not to call him God. It's like you have, this is a tablet.

[24:00] But me, I choose not to call it tablets. Come on. Come on. Come on. It doesn't matter. It doesn't change anything. You're choosing to identify or call it tablets.

[24:13] It doesn't change anything. In our generation, we have been given such an exaggerated opinion of ourselves. Yes, yes, yes. And our way of thinking, thinking, okay, so long as I'm concerned, this is it.

[24:25] Listen, truth doesn't come from inside. No. This is an ex-military officer. Ex-military officer. How did I get to know?

[24:36] I didn't, my mother did it. I wasn't born. I wasn't born knowing that. That's why you go to school. You go to school because truth is not intrinsic. Truth comes from outside.

[24:48] So when someone says, so long as I'm concerned, who are you? Truth is outside of yourself. I'm saying something philosophical. So drop that arrogance and so long as I'm concerned.

[25:03] Do you know you can do research and come to a conclusion later and realize that you are awfully wrong? Yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes. Very good. Paul said, him you worship without knowing.

[25:18] There are people who are worshiping a God they don't know. So they have come up with prescriptions of how to please a God they don't know. God is knowable.

[25:32] But not from within us, by ourselves. God reveals himself through the teaching of his knowledge.

[25:49] How can someone teach God or teach you God? God cannot be taught. He is caught or he is revealed. God is a good. So no one can teach you God. But I mentioned something very important.

[26:00] They were living in days of apostasy. When a certain type of knowledge was hurting the church. A certain type of philosophy. Philosophy.

[26:11] God told Adam and Eve. In Genesis chapter 2. God created, planted a garden. And there was the tree of life in the garden. And there was also the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

[26:25] It was a certain type of tree. And the verse 16. God said that you are free to eat of every tree in the garden. Except the tree of the knowledge.

[26:39] Except that goo goo tree. Master, are you saying goo goo is no good or not? That's just a joke. Except that tree of knowledge.

[26:50] There is a... Why? Verse 17. For in the very day you eat this. What happens to you? You die. There is a certain knowledge that kills. And that kind of knowledge was becoming prevalent and pervasive within the church.

[27:08] In the time Peter wrote 2 Peter. So he had to send this letter to inoculate the believers. Through the knowledge of God. So the knowledge of God was his process or his means to inoculate the believers.

[27:22] Against the apostate, satanic apostasy. There was an apostasy, rejection of God that was being funded.

[27:32] That was being fueled by a certain type of knowledge. Philosophy was invading the church. Every church that goes down, goes down because they have embraced a certain type of philosophy that is not compatible with godliness.

[27:48] He said there is a certain knowledge that produces godliness. And there is a certain knowledge that increases more unto ungodliness. Second Timothy chapter 2 verse 16.

[27:59] It talks about a knowledge. The knowledge that increases more ungodliness. Yeah. But shan profane and idle babblings. For they will increase to more ungodliness.

[28:13] Did you see that? Yes. But he said according as he has given to us all that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of him. According as his divine power.

[28:27] The divine power has given to us. Divine power has given to us. Divine power. You are talking about divine means that the eternal life of God has given.

[28:38] There is this knowledge that produces godliness. See what he said. According as his divine power has given unto us. All that pertains to what? Pertains to what?

[28:50] Life. Now. How does that come? Through the knowledge. So there is a certain knowledge that doesn't give what pertains to life. It only gives what pertains to death. And that was what was invading the church.

[29:03] Scientists and philosophers were now calling the shots in the church. What the church is supposed to believe. Peter said I need to inoculate the church. Now. The problem of modern day Pentecostal.

[29:17] Potential problem of modern day church. Is when people have gathered in the name of God. And they live without a job. They live without a job. The life giving job.

[29:30] That can inoculate you against the death producing knowledge. Am I communicating something?

[29:40] Yes. You are. If you want to do well in your work with God. You have to first of all. Pursue the job.

[29:54] Go for the job. Roll up your sleeves. And this one is not NHS. It's GS. God's servant. Or GHS.

[30:11] God's holy servant. That's my job. So I was. I've been preparing all week.

[30:23] Because this job must be effective. It's effective. Because. There are some things.

[30:33] That when you are taught. Satan can prevail over you. Yes. Yes. Yes. And I'm not talking about just knowledge. I know.

[30:44] Because someone says okay. Me too. I'm hearing preachers. And I'm. I'm taking my own Bible. I'm. I'm studying my own Bible. I think this. This leads me to even try and. Tackle. Okay. I will talk about spiritual growth.

[30:55] And how do you know God? Spiritual growth. Charles Pergin said. There are 70 year old babies in church. Is that grow in knowledge?

[31:10] So spiritual growth. Is a requirement. Is a necessity. So. Five things I need you to know about spiritual growth. Number one. Spiritual growth.

[31:22] Is not corresponding to natural age. I'm seven. I'm. I'm. I'm. 56 years old. So what?

[31:33] It doesn't mean spiritually. You are. It can't even be that spiritually. You are just. Three weeks old. There's a difference between. Growing old.

[31:44] And growing up. Yeah. In our communities. We have a lot of people who are growing old. But they are not growing up. You have gotten married.

[31:56] And you are treating your wife like a girlfriend. You are not growing up. You think you can just walk over her. Treat her anyway. Remember. Last week. God will not defend her.

[32:08] The weak. The strong against the weak. It's important. You complain in church. Every time. There's something to complain about. You know the truth.

[32:20] You are not growing up. You are just growing old in church. Grow up. Grow up. Grow up. Grow up. Grow up. Anything the pastor says.

[32:32] Has the propensity to offend you easily. You are not growing up. You are just growing old. Hey. Hey. Hey. Spiritual growth is not automatic.

[32:43] Wow. You can be in church for 15 years. And yet you haven't grown past 15 days. Wow. Right. That is why it's so dangerous.

[32:55] That you hear people say. I've been in church a long time. I've heard preaching. Preaching. Preaching. Even me. I used to preach. Used to preach. Yeah.

[33:07] Spiritual growth is not automatic. That means that it doesn't just happen. Someone must make it happen. It takes personal responsibility to make it happen. And do you know what is even interesting about it?

[33:19] When you stop, it stops. So some of you are growing. But you stop engaging what makes you grow. And now you stop growing.

[33:30] That's why you complain the way you do. So spiritual growth. Okay. Spiritual growth is not corresponding to your natural age.

[33:42] Number two, as I said, it's not automatic. So it requires personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is required for spiritual growth.

[33:52] Listen, I can be teaching like this. If I don't study my own Bible and pray, read my Bible and pray, I will, I will, I will, my spiritual growth will halt.

[34:06] And then once it halts, retrogression begins to set in. So you see me saying things that in the past I will never say. Doing things that in the past I will never do.

[34:19] So it's not just like my spiritual growth has halted. My information might be the same, but my closeness to God has depreciated. And so you, some of you know, some believers, you know, we all used to pray together.

[34:33] When is prayer? Now you say, oh, this prayer thing, I don't have time. Yeah. You know believers who spiritual life has changed to your surprise.

[34:45] And that was the biggest donation the lockdown gave to Christians. Certain type of Christians. The lockdown made a lot of people get locked out from the altar.

[35:01] They don't sing, they don't sing. Leave me at the altar. They say, take me from the altar from my father. Take me from the altar from my father.

[35:17] I don't like those church people. Take me from the altar from my father. I don't like the pastor's preaching. Take me from the altar from my father.

[35:30] I just don't want to stop fornicating. So take me from the altar. The word is too hard for me.

[35:41] Take me from the... When your spiritual life is coming down, it must be a concern.

[35:56] But usually it doesn't become when you are off. Someone who has had an acute mental attack, they don't even know. They don't realize. Like some presidents, when they are speaking, they forget what they are saying.

[36:10] They don't even realize they are forgetting what they are saying. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. But you will do well.

[36:21] You are coming back on fire for the Lord. So it requires personal responsibility. Number three, spiritual growth is in direct proportion to the increase in your practiced knowledge of God's word.

[36:37] Church. So it's not just theology. You know, sometimes people who have been to Bible schools, they have been tasked with doing outreach and they will come and tell you, stop what you are doing, stop what you are doing.

[36:50] This is not how to do it. You are, for seven years, they have never even brought any one person to church. Some of us have contributed to many people leaving church.

[37:01] There are more people coming. When they told you, I don't like what's going on in church, I'm tired. How much did you push to help them stay?

[37:14] Stay. Because, you know, out there, you know, it stinks in the ark because of all kinds of animals inside. But there's flood out there. There's a flood.

[37:25] Don't leave the ark. Stay in the ark because Noah is there. I understand you. I understand you. Let me advise you, please.

[37:37] My Christian brother, if someone tells you, I've stopped attending a church, before they finish saying it, ask them, which one are you going?

[37:50] How now and how well are you being fed? Before you can feel comfortable about the nonsense they are telling you. If somebody's child comes, you say, I've left home.

[38:03] Yeah, you say, yeah, you leave. Your mother didn't try to leave. Ask an adult. Don't you have responsibility? But where will you go now? Where are you? Think about shelter before you begin to even investigate the legitimacy for their living.

[38:17] I think it's important. I'm challenging Christian brothers and sisters. People who are backslidden, these things, they don't care. If you don't care, me too, I don't care because I'm not looking for your club. I can't be bothered.

[38:28] Leave me at the altar with my father. Yeah. I want to appeal to my fellow Christians who are a living sacrifice for God.

[38:43] I want to appeal to you. Be careful what knowledge you are operating by because it might be producing death. But it says that God, according to us, by his divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.

[38:59] So, spiritual growth is in proportion to the increasing of your practiced word of God.

[39:10] Now, I had to put practiced or practicing word of God because if you are not doing it, it's not the experience. You don't know it. You have to do it to know it.

[39:21] You can be quoting it without knowing it. Epigynosco is not quoting quotations. Epigynosco is thorough knowledge by experience.

[39:33] Thorough knowledge by experience. Full knowledge. Increasing knowledge by experience. By practice. So, that means that you can even be, I've been in church a while, so you can have Bible study group.

[39:49] And yet, nobody's growing. You yourself are not growing. Even though you've been meeting. Because when you finish the Bible study, nothing has changed you. You continue the word, I won't forgive him. I won't forgive him.

[39:59] This is why it upsets me. This is why I don't. It doesn't matter how much you have read. That thing is not reading you. You are reading it. There are people who quote a lot.

[40:17] With deep revelations. There are, in our generation, people like deep revelations. Something that sounds very intellectually astute and high and strong and deep.

[40:31] It makes you feel, and a lot of people are gathering teachers based on intellectual powers. You are just, you are, you are a researcher. You are a research fellow.

[40:44] You are not a growing spiritual person. You are a research fellow. Accumulating carnal knowledge. Even though it's in the, in light of theology and in light of biblical knowledge.

[40:57] It's just because we are not seeing the effect on your life. We are not seeing the fruits. There must be fruits that show that you are growing. There must be fruits. Sunday morning after rain.

[41:11] This is good. Because it takes serious people to be listening to this kind of thing. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes. Because, you know, I came with a very big jabbing needle.

[41:26] And I want to put it here. So, please, allow me to do my job. Allow me to do my job. Allow me to do it. You will feel it. But I need it. I need it. I need it. I need it. I need it. Other than that, you will not be allowed to board the plane on.

[41:44] So, spiritual growth. You know, I'm a pastor. I've been teaching for a long time. Sometimes when you are teaching things like this, certain individuals, take it out.

[41:58] You want to tell me something? You say it. So, I didn't know you would be watching online.

[42:13] So, it's not you. But maybe God ordered your steps. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And now, why would I leave people who are listening and then just because of you?

[42:27] But you came to church now to hear God's word. Why must the word of God get to you? There was a time a pastor in Paris.

[42:38] I'm reaching there. He's sitting there. He doesn't even want to look at your face. He'll be typing. He wrote almost like manuscripts. But you see, it's not showing in your life. I used to be the kind of Christian who puts more emphasis on feelings than results.

[42:56] I used to put more of the feelings. Feeling-based intentions. Me. Me.

[43:08] I don't know what people do. You see, but Jesus said, if you don't believe me for what I say, believe me for what I do, what I do. Jesus said, you shall know them by their fruits, their works.

[43:19] Spiritual growth is nothing. If you can't show, we can't show growth in your works. Spiritual works. Your works. The works by virtue of obedience to God's word.

[43:30] Somebody has really stepped on your toe bad. And yet, because of God's word, you say, well, I'll just ignore it. Forgive. It doesn't feel nice, but I forgive.

[43:41] It doesn't feel nice, but I'll forgive. Yeah, now you are talking about that somebody's growing. Somebody's working with God. How come you are working with God and you are so merciless? You are so mean and brutal.

[43:52] You are so vengeful. Full of anger. You have arrogance and pride. It is not of God. When somebody's hungry for God, you can see something from the expression of their face.

[44:07] You can see that there's something. I'm not talking about emotions. Because it got so deep.

[44:18] It says that when you say, seek ye my faith. My heart said, I don't know what others are saying. But there's something in my heart which is saying, your first Lord will I seek. It's a heart issue.

[44:30] The matter, the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. I'm enjoying God's word. So, what's the point?

[44:46] First point. All right. So, it's not corresponding to natural age. Two.

[44:57] It takes personal responsibility. It's not automatic. Number three. In direct proportion to the increase of your practice knowledge of the word. Of God's word. Number four. You can speed up your spiritual growth.

[45:11] You can speed it up. So, maybe you are seven weeks old spiritually. Within one week, you can speed it up to about three years old.

[45:25] I hope you get what I'm talking about. Yeah. You can speed it up. You can slow it up. It's all based on how you are practicing. First of all, getting to know God's word in truth and practicing the word.

[45:37] And you receive that strength, that life, the life, the power, the divine power. So, you can fulfill all the requirements that pertain to life and godliness.

[45:51] And then number five. Let me add this. Number five. Spiritual growth is for participating in and enjoying of the divine life and nature.

[46:05] So, it's not like you are just growing. The purpose of spiritual growth, as you are growing, it is for participating in and enjoying of the divine life and nature.

[46:16] So, the more you are growing spiritually, the more you are actually enjoying the divine life and the divine nature. And you are participating in the divine nature. Does that make sense? You participate in it.

[46:27] You engage in it. You enjoy in it. So, spiritual growth is not just like to take your box, okay, it's a mark you have gotten here. You are going. No, it's the target. The purpose of spiritual growth is to enjoy and participate in the divine life and the divine nature.

[46:43] You are enjoying it. You are enjoying it. It's not just nice environment or nice music you are enjoying. But something about God makes you vulnerable.

[46:57] That shows you are growing. It shows you are growing. And you act on the word of God you have heard. You see that this is what the scripture is saying. And you get convicted in spite of your original state and position.

[47:11] You say, no. You know, God, you win. God, you win. God, you win. Then you can say, hear my cry, O Lord. I turn unto my prayer. From the ends of the earth will I cry unto you. When my heart is sober.

[47:22] But you can't be saying that when you have been first put first things first. And we have gathered, we have surrounded ourselves with very powerful men of God.

[47:35] Who will pray for you for things to happen. Yeah. In the name of Jesus. I command. Receive your breakthrough. Receive your miracle. You are receiving declarations.

[47:46] But you are not working with God. Amen. Leave me at the altar with my father.

[47:57] I think I've ended. I didn't get it. Leave me at the altar with my father. I'll continue by talking about, can you know God?

[48:08] So how do I know God? How do I know God? Because we realize that he rested the weight. Watch this. He rested the weight of the multiplying of grace and peace.

[48:22] He rested the multiplying of grace and peace on the weight of knowing God. Knowing God. That is the only way we can stay inoculated.

[48:34] Against the invasion of the killing knowledge. Through human logic and human philosophy. That has made many churches vulnerable. I mean from the time of Peter.

[48:45] Not our time. Through human knowing. That we can know God. Philippians 3. That I may know him. That I may know him.

[48:56] That I may know him. I may know him. That I may know him. That I may know him. That I may know him. That I may know him. it should be the desire of every believer that I want to know him that I want to know him in a John 17 3 he says that John 17 3 that's the prayer of Jesus Christ said and this is eternal life that they may know you we can know God and that is the measure of our spirituality of our spiritual growth thank you for listening to this message by David Entry when God speaks works show and the works will surely show in your life to hear more from David Entry follow him on Facebook Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and subscribe to Caris Church on YouTube don't forget to share and subscribe to our podcast so you're always up to date be blessed