God's Word - Our Spiritual Food
To grow spiritually, we must trust and obey God's Word, and seek the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Zac Poonen emphasizes the importance of spiritual growth through faith, obedience, and a deep understanding of God's Word. He highlights the distinction between 'milk' - the elementary teachings about Christ, and 'solid food' - the word of righteousness, urging believers to progress from milk to solid food by obeying the light God gives. Poonen stresses the need for a pure heart, humility, and a willingness to do God's will in order to receive revelation and understanding of spiritual truths.
Text
A child needs milk to start with, but he needs solid food later on. The Bible contains both milk and solid food. The milk is called "the elementary teaching about the Christ" (Heb. 6:1); and the solid food is called "the word of righteousness" (Heb. 5:13).
How soon we move on to solid food, depends on how quickly we obey any light that God gives us.
Our spiritual growth is dependent on faith and obedience.
God has given us promises in His Word so that we can trust Him. He has also given us commands to obey. If we meditate on God's Word regularly and trust and obey Him we will find that we are deeply rooted in God, like an evergreen tree that never withers. God will then be able to bless us in such a way that we prosper in everything we do (Psa. 1:2,3).
We can't understand God's Word by intellectual study alone. We need the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that spiritual truths were hidden from the clever and the intelligent and revealed to babes (Mt. 11:25).
What do babes have, that clever, intelligent people don't have?
A pure heart!
God looks at the heart and not at the head. He gives revelation to those who are humble and who tremble at His Word (Isa. 66:2).
Jesus said that only those who were willing to do the will of God would understand God's Word (Jn.7:17).
Sermon Outline
- I. The Bible as Spiritual Food
- A. Milk and Solid Food
- B. The Importance of Obedience
- II. Our Spiritual Growth
- A. Faith and Obedience
- B. Trusting God's Promises
- III. Understanding God's Word
- A. The Role of the Holy Spirit
- B. The Importance of a Pure Heart
Key Quotes
“God looks at the heart and not at the head.” — Zac Poonen
“Only those who were willing to do the will of God would understand God's Word.” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- Meditate on God's Word regularly to deepen your understanding and trust in Him.
- Obey the light God gives you to show your willingness to do His will.
- Seek a pure heart and a humble spirit to receive the revelation of the Holy Spirit.