2019 The Goal: Personal Spiritual Growth

          2019  The Goal: Personal Spiritual Growth      1-6-19    Kelly Durant

“Where there is no vision, the people perish”

“Sin profecía el Pueblo se desenfrena” (Prov. 29:18)

2 Peter 3:18

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

2. This year 2019, the Goal of our Corps is: personal, and especially spiritual growth!

Each of us must grow in maturity to be more obedient the Lord and becoming more like Jesus! Each person becoming strong in faith means a strong mature church as well!

How many of you have been coming to the Bible studies? If you read, pray, do your own Bible study and obey and practice it you will grow in faith by the Holy Spirit! Put what you read into practice and it is  for sure you will grow in the Lord! You will then feel good about yourself!

I want you to put your emphasis on spiritual growth and for that, like with a diet, you need discipline, grace, and the knowledge of Jesus! Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; You must do it!

How do we acquire growth? By God’s Word!  NT:837 In the Greek grow means…

auzano (owx-an'-o); a prolonged form of a primary verb; to grow ("wax"), i.e. enlarge (literal or figurative, active or passive):

KJV - grow (up) mature, (give the) increase, or like a healthy plant, produce fruit.

3. Many people start the year with the goal they will get smaller in body size with diet and exercise, only to discover one year later they are actually larger! When I propose personal growth I am not talking about the waist size! Spiritual growth comes only with effort as does the physical!

John the Baptist stated in John 3:30

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

The situation is that as time goes on you are either growing in Jesus, or growing more in our own proud, self-righteous evil self (ego-centrismo o ser maligno)!

4. People’s lives are like a flower garden and they over time get overgrown with weeds! Maybe you did a few things for the Lord at one time, maybe you or someone here tried to go to church faithfully, but unless you are in the light of God’s word maintaining your study and prayer daily, you are condemned to allow grow your own offensive characteristics of the flesh to grow, and their fruit is, according to Jesus in Mark 7:21-23

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

We all observe people usually grow in God’s ways very slowly! The problem is we usually focus on others and not ourselves! It seems year after year each person is not dedicating enough time for the Lord each day in prayer and study of the Word! Sadly, some people remain proud and fruitless; and they are not learning fast enough how to respect Jesus Christ and His ways and love others serving in the community winning souls for Him! With the support of our Salvation Army church, much can get done!

5. Let’s compare something. If you want to be a professional soccer player the recruiters expect you have had 10,000 hours of training. Let’s compare that to our spiritual life. If you only come to church every Sunday that would mean you would get 2 hours of Bible per week and that is about 100 hours per year. So to have 10,000 you would need to come for 100 years!

Now if you study the Bible, at least 30min a day, then you are adding an extra 300 hours per year to your growth, or 400 hours per year. In other words, you could become very knowledgeable of Christ in 25 years! To become a spiritual professional spend 4 hours a day for 7 years and you would be very knowledgeable by then!

The reality is the disciples had fewer hours than that and they matured and obeyed to the point they lived and preached the gospel and even died as martyrs! You must obey what you know to be able to advance.

6. In John chapter 15 it talks about Jesus being the one who causes you to mature, and if you don’t grow and mature the price you pay is a fruitless life destined to be dried up and burned. This explains why some people live depressed and sad because they are not doing what Jesus told them to do, to connect with Him, and heal yourself and others!

John 15:4-7

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

So what is clear is that if you grow in Jesus, you will bring good fruit, you will be closely connected to him! He wants you and me to be denying our self and our feelings, passions, and thoughts that focus on the faults of others so we will grow in Him and obtain the beautiful character and spirit of Christ serving others through us!

If you grow in holiness with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit what character will you gain?

Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

7. Those who are not working hard to study God’s word, those who are not recognizing their own faults and getting conviction from the Holy Spirit, those who think it doesn’t matter your worship and growth in church but that it is a social club where you take advantage of the institution and others, need to recognize this: you will grow to be like the opposite of Jesus despite your attendance.  We know the good fruit of the spirit, but the opposite of Gal. 5:22 would be this…

The fruit of your self is hate, sadness, distress, impatience, aggressiveness, maliciousness, doubt, pride, intolerance, and for this the law of God will condemn you.

In this life there will always be those who are condemning their selves, and producing bad fruit amongst the Christian family in the church because they are immature. Some people borrow money and do not repay it. Some say stupid comments that offend others and don’t ask forgiveness. Some people are unfriendly and indifferent to new people and visitors and that is not of God’s love! Some people are indifferent to someone in the church who is in pain and suffering. There are many people who come to church who offend God and true worshippers because they do not come to love God and to love their neighbor their self!

8. This church is a place where others should get a glimpse of heaven because here is where they experience the love of God through loving Christian brothers! Everyone who comes here must be treated with love and respect! We have a new year, a new start!

Each one of us must be desperate to do our part to love, encourage, and teach others, but this level of maturity only comes from a personal study of the Bible and books for spiritual growth and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!  It’s 2019!

If each person here, and I mean you, and you, does not mature and grow in God’s ways, then each one is condemned to self-destruct, dry up, and face the wrath of God!!

9. We are the Captains and pastors and we are responsible to God to teach you, giving you the books and tools you need in order to help you to grow and warn you that your maturity and love for God is a serious thing! Remember, you alone answer to God for your own actions! I want you accountable, so write down your goals. Be accountable!

In just 1 1/2 years here we have seen some people’s world’s be turned upside down and they have lost a lot due to living without God and His values! With God you do not sit still, you are either progressing or you backslide and dry up. If today, at the beginning of a New Year, and everyday you study and grow then just like a plant, you will have good fruit in a few months or years and God and everyone will be proud of you!

It is a New Year! Start it right with the goal to grow personally so you are a light and inspiration to others; to become more holy, to love God and others more, and to be more broken for the lost souls that need you to show Jesus love to them!