The Child Grew & Waxed Strong

Luke 2:40

What would we know of the Christmas story if the child had never grown into manhood and died on the cross?
It is also said of John that he grew and waxed strong in the spirit and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 1:80.

I: There is No Room for Arrested Growth if the Grace of God is to Be Upon Us.
1. The baby must advance beyond the bassinet beyond the baby bed & venture beyond the four walls of home.
2. He must learn more than cooling & crying.
3. His continued growth will lesson the burdon of those that care for him.
4. If he remains on baby food, talks baby talk, & depends upon others, he becomes a dwarf.
We all love new-born babies, but our hearts would be broken if told they would never grow up.

II: “The Child Grew and Waxed Strong.”
1. Christ grew mentally, physically, & spiritually.
2. He was tempted & tried at every stage of life, but not once did he stop growing.
3. The new born baby in Christ must grow or become an invalid.
4. Heb. 6:1-3 tells us the milk of the word is the foundation but that we are not to stop with the foundation.

III: Arrested Growth – Its Cause, Dangers, & Heartaches.
1. The cause of arrested growth:
a. Improper diet: Brought about by laziness in preparation (the baby that died in  Dr. Dotson’s hospital).
b. Lack of exercise: A lazy christian that refuses to exercise & share responsibility soon is stunted in growth.
c. Unconfessed & continual sin eats like a cancer.
d. No time to study & pray.
2. The dangers of arrested growth:
a. Lost influence and family & friends.
b. Depends upon someone else to chew their food.
c. Swayed by struggle winds of doctrines.
d. A danger to the cause of Christ in home, at work, and in the church.
e. The danger of letting others go to Hell while we prattle.
3. The heartaches of arrested growth:
a. What father would be proud of a 20 yr. old son playing stick horse while the fields went unplowed?
b. What mother would not weep over a 20 yr. old girl that played dolls while the house went unkempt?
c. The dwarfed Christian is a heartache to his family, his church, but most of all, to His Heavenly Father.
d. The heartache of a wasted life follow us into eternity.

Shall we grow through study, prayer, and service this year of 1955, or shall we continue to be content with warm bottles?

“Be the follower of me.”
Who will take down Christmas decorations?
Keep the unity of the faith.