“Rhythm of Life” Series
CONNECT Sometime ago I was reading an article about a Chinese family who adopted a stray puppy. It was so cute and playful. But it had a voracious appetite and within several weeks was eating several pounds of fruit and noodles everyday. It grew so large that they had to build an enclosure in their yard to house the still friendly animal. They called the vet to check out this unusual dog and discovered their puppy was not a dog at all, but a rare Asiatic black bear! They wanted to keep it, but realized it would eventually threaten their lives.
TENSION Many of us are feeding a cute little animal in our heart that will one day become a raging beast that will control us and could destroy us!
SOLUTION We need to be feeding our spirits and not our flesh and souls. The question is, how do we feed our spirits?
TEXT Galatians 6:7-10 (NKJV) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
INSTRUCTION There is a Biblical law called ’sowing and reaping’.
Genesis 8:22 (NKJV) While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.
Psalms 126:5-6 (NKJV) Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
2 Corinthians 9:6 (NKJV) But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Galatians 6:8 (NKJV) For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
We feed our spirits with the Word of God!
1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV) as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
We feed our spirits through Holy Spirit led prayer!
Jude 1:20 (NKJV) But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
We feed our spirits by going into more in-depth understanding of the Word of God! We can’t live our entire life just on milk! In fact, a Christian nutritionist told me that the adult human body cannot digest milk after the age of 6.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (NKJV) And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;
So we need to move on to deeper things. What are they?
Hebrews 6:1-3 (NKJV) Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.
God gives us a series of growth steps that lays out a pretty good discipleship process.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV) Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
APPLICATION 2 Peter 1:5-7 (NKJV) But also for this very reason, giving all diligence (daily and consistently), add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
1. Faith. This is the beginning point. Until you are born again, your spirit is dead and cannot be fed. Ephesians 2 says we dead in trespasses and sins.
2. Virtue. This is the inward witness of the conscience we talked about last week. We can walk in the Spirit.
3. Knowledge. A general and deeper understanding of God and His ways. Israel knew God’s acts but Moses knew His ways. Hosea said God’s people are destroyed by a lack of knowledge. Tools: Bible, Concordance, Dictionaries, Commentaries, Cross references. Can all be done now on our phones.
4. Self-control. Paul told Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (discipline, self-control).
5. Perseverance. If we endure to the end we will be saved.
6. Godliness. Do people see God in me? We are being changed into His image from one degree of glory to another.
7. Brotherly kindness, brotherly love, philadelphia.
8. Love, agape, unconditional love.
INSPIRATION 2 Peter 1:8-11 (NKJV) For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
MINISTRY TIME
