Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Phil 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
The word perform indicates that a process is necessary.
Message: It Takes Time To Grow to Spiritual Maturity
and there are no shortcuts
It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of The Spirit. There are no shortcuts for the development of Christlike character cannot be rushed, it takes time.
1. To be like Christ is our eventual destiny but the journey will involve a lifetime. -And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
2. Achieving The Fullness of Christ is speaking of acquiring spiritual height or Spiritual Maturity which is growing in the Lord. Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Unity of the faith/knowledge of the Son of God-When we all become united in our beliefs through receiving an accurate knowledge of The Word of God which results are – a Mature or Seasoned Saint.
3. This journey involves Believing-through OBEDIENCE. Belonging-through FELLOWSHIP and Becoming-through DISCIPLINE.
James Faith without works is dead. Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Mat 16:24 -Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
4. Growth is G R A D U A L – No matter who we are or what we are doing. Ecc 9:11- The Race is not given to the SWIFT; Nor the to the Strong. Mat 24:13 – He that endureth to the end shall be saved. Endure-To experience pain, suffering or any type of hardship without giving in or giving up.
5. WHY SO LONG? The Lord could instantly transform us, but he has chosen to develop us slowly – little by little. He works in incremental steps in our lives, to keep us from being overwhelmed with the SUDDEN CHANGE.
Deuteronomy 7:22 - And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.
· We are afraid to face the truth about ourselves-SOMETIMES WE WALK IN denial. James – He beholdeth Himself but goeth HIS WAY.
· Growth is painful and scary—There is No growth without change- Mat - If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
· Godly Habits take time to develop – 11 Cor 3:18 18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
5. REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT CONCEPT
We have a to unlearn –Many people go to counselors with personal problems that took years to develop. They expect a quick solution to a long standing, deep rooted difficulty. It is unrealistic to expect them to go away instantly. There is no pill, prayer, or principle that will instantly undo the damage of many years. It requires the hard work of removal and replacement. The bible refers to it as taking off the old self and putting on the new self. We may be saved we still have old habits, patterns and practices that need to be removed and replaced.
Ephesians 4:22-25That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
6. Believe that God is working in your life even when you don’t feel it.
· Don’t try to Hurry God –Ecc 3:1 To everything there is a time and a season. Seasons- Spring/Summer- short, intense burst of growth followed by fall/winter-stabililzing and testing.
· Be patient with God and Yourself- God took 80 years to develop Moses When God wants to make a mushroom he does it overnight, but when he wants to make a Giant Oak, he takes a hundred years.
James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
· Don’t get discouraged-Delay does not mean denial from God. Hab 2:3 3For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
“Even a snail reaches its destination by persevering-it may move slow-but it consistantly presses forward despite distractions and tests until it reaches its destination”
No comments:
Post a Comment