A Journey of Growth

Sermon by Ps. Daniel Khong of Faith Community Baptist Church on 29 Mar 2025.

Scripture

John 15:1-8 Jesus talks about his being the vine, that the church are the branches. If the church remains in him, they will bear much fruit. There are 2 types of branches - one that bears fruit and one that does not. To be fruitful is have the result of work or activity, or spiritual growth.

What truths must we know to complete our spiritual growth?

1. Growth does not happen independently

Jesus says that no branch can bear fruit by itself, it needs to be connected to the main vine. Bearing fruit is not only just bringing people to church but also behavioral changes. As we continue our journey, we become more Christ-like. The result of the in-dwelling Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control. Spiritual growth will happen only if we depend on God.

2. Growth does not happen in isolation

It is a given that we need to remain in Christ but we also need to be in a community. The father gardener will also prune the branches that are bad. It is not just about one branch but the community as a whole.

We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship and formed for a family , and none of us can fulfill God's purpose by ourselves- Rick Warren

We grow not just be reading or memorizing Scripture - we have to apply this in ourselves in the community, i.e. to be kind, to be gentle, to practice self control, etc.

3. Growth does not happen instantly

We see strong Christians but we did not see their journey. Good examples are the apostles who "messed up" frequently during their walk with Jesus before finally becoming true apostles that are leaders and martyrs - these are not immediate and took time, esp. for Peter and Thomas. We have to understand that the difference between perfection and progress.

Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life - Rick Warren

To conclude, if we wish to grow spiritually, we must:

Be dependent on God
Be part of the community
Be patient with yourself

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