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January 4, 2019 5:00 am
You feel like right you know, same job, same people, same ministry, day in day out.
Same old stuff. The nagging feeling that things are never to change or get better and so you really just quit trying to stagnate. Would you like to learn how to overcome those feelings of stagnation.
Would you like to rekindle the flame of motivation in your life and relationships stay with talk this Friday edition of living all be good with Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching on this daily discipleship program. Victor continues his series breaking through life figures. After the supporting broadcast suggest that you download the chip and remap your Living on the Edge when everyone else torture for his message overcome stagnation. Is your life honestly feel more like venture does your life feel more like a right see life as dynamic life is dynamic. It is not static. You are either rolling or dying. It's true physically is true intellectually is true relationally. It's true spiritually. All living things are either growing and increasing toward maturity, or they are deteriorating toward decay and death. There is no middle ground. The medicine life is that we think there is when we think the status quo is where we are. We are just sliding backwards without known growth is exciting. Remember when your kids is a must that are married when you can start chronic reimagining we measure me right coming till gosh dad. I grew another 3 inches. When you grow intellectually and for some of this when you get on the computer you actually punch the right buttons and something comes up.
What happens is neat when you're involved in a relationship and you sense it growing and intimacy coming in you work through issues when you're excited. When you begin to come into a relationship with Christ like 20 to 25 people did last weekend alone and when they learn who he is and what's going on. Excited, we need to remember though the growth only comes from God. We can get in the right environment and we can apply ourselves, but growth especially spiritual growth and supernatural. You can't make it happen.
You can just position yourself for God can do it is not automatic. My experiences, it is very difficult. It doesn't just happen there are no magic pills and the other thing I realized is that growth can be stymied forwarded, stagnated and retarded. You can take a plan out of the sunshine and put in closet. What happens you can take an arm that is growing well and have an injured put in a cast.
What happens atrophy some common reasons that I found the growth is stymied is sometimes we just don't get motivated.
Other times, is that initial inertia we can't get through it for others.
There's no sense of progress. We get discouraged sometimes it just no inspiration. It just seems like for others. We get stopped and we need guidance for others when there's a time of change and we don't get through that period of change. I don't know what it is but this is what I know, I know that everyone in this room finds herself at some point in time in some area morally spiritually, relationally, intellectually or emotionally.
Were you get stuck where you get stagnated and when you do and when I do, then that area of your life begins to shrink, but God wants you to grow. So here's my question. How are you growing today. Are you growing.
Are you growing in your relationship with God. Are you growing in your relationship with people.
How are you growing in your family life and here's the question.
Would you like to learn how to break through those barriers of personal stagnation, especially in your relationship with God and people give you seven principles from Scripture. There may be 20 maybe hundred but as I examine Scripture and live life in watch people who grow it's obvious that people who grow have at least these seven things in common.
People who grow number one live daily with the end in view people who are really growing are motivated.
In fact, this principle is the key to motivation for the great problems of believers is some believers think that their goal in life is to get to heaven people. That's not your goal in life at your destination. Your goal in life is to become like Christ. Romans 828 says that God takes every situation, every relationship, every hardship, every single thing that comes into your life and he works it together for good to those who are called to those that he loves why verse 29. Not nearly as often quoted because he is preordained to conform you to conform me to the image of his son, God's game plan is to make you like Jesus.
That's the goal fact.
Notice Jesus words on the sermon about Matthew 548 be perfect.
Therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect might circle that WordPerfect other translations it says mature. It means fully grown, it means right by the Greek word is telling us and only tell you that because you get the idea. But telescope for those in philosophy you are familiar with the teleological argument.
It's the idea of something arriving and coming to its full development. God is saying, Jesus is saying being a perfect come, and become all that God designed you to become the apostle Paul will say that's why the church is designed for Ephesians 413.
He is to say that these relationships in the body are all designed to help you and help me become full-grown or mature look at it with me this until we all reach unity in the faith and the knowledge of the son of God and become.
Here's our word again same word mature circle that attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ is God's goal and when you live with the end in view.
That's what you want to become the question in life and you get up every morning is not one of my going to do today. The question life every day when you get up is cool and I can become more like today when you put that out there that target on the wall when you live with that end in view you. You be motivated. I'm extremely motivated because you ever reach the apostle Paul says what I attain. I strive not already there. You spend the rest of your life until Jesus comes back for you. Go meet him going after the price of becoming more like Christ.
Second characteristic of people who grow is they make a personal commitment to grow this is the key to overcoming inertia. A lot of us don't grow because we feel stuck, Newton was right, I think most spiritually and in the laws of physics, a body at rest tends to stay at rest until there's an action upon and often what we need and growth is not something we just need to get moving and break that inertia.
I believe the Scripture teaches and that as I observe people they make a personal commitment to grow. Notice that Jesus called for that. Luke 923. He didn't just teach he call for specific commitment to grow to follow him. Verse 23 of Luke nine. Then he Jesus said to them all if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me to hear that. That means you sign up. I want to grow Jesus.
I will follow you. Take up your cross means you die to your agenda. Your goals what you think is best. And you say I'm signing up and I want to be on your game plan. Notice the reason being is because he loves you not want to keep something good from you.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save notices rationale. What good is it for man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self. See what God knows is this is that you're being bombarded day in and day out in a fallen world and we all grew up with his baggage and these agendas. We think we can make a list of the 25 things would work out my life and we be happy seeking our life to be this summer to be that would be the sum of that and that you finally have this and what he saying is you need to lose that let go because of God in the next 50 years gave you everything on your list, you would end up with everything you ever dreamed of, and be absolutely an empty shell and realize your ladders against the wrong wall but he said, by contrast, the paradox of life is if you choose to sign up for what's on his list and there may be ones in a very similar you sign up for what's on his list and you let go.
You will find you will become all and beyond what you ever dreamed of becoming because what would it gain for you or for me to have the whole world and yet forfeit not just your soul spiritually. But notice this translation.
It's a good one. It's your self notice.
It's a specific point in time.
The apostle Paul right. First Timothy 478 have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales rather, train yourself to be godly. There's a decision involved, train yourself, follow me. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise both the present life and the life to come. Let me ask you is there ever been a point in time. For all of you since you become a Christian, where you have driven a stake in the ground and said I'm going to grow may come hell or high water.
Come, good relationships, bad relationships come good circumstances bad circumstances. I am going to follow Christ is like what Joshua said. As for me and my house. The whole world can go a different direction.
All my friends to go a different direction. But for me and my house we will serve the Lord, you have not know what you think is what I've I've I said it for years. I'm not ready for. I'm not ready for that you want them. This belief is the miss belief is that we grow toward commitment. That's not true. The way you grow is you build on commitment. Now some of you many in this room are married so you said I do before group of people right and you said I'm to stick with this person come thick or thin and you know what the thinking thing is when you signed up for techno you didn't know that some of you if you want to know. But the fact of the matter is you build on that commitment. You don't build toward the other for 49 years and say now I I think this will work you build on commitment. How many of us when you had your first child felt like we are ready for this we got this wired you. It's like.
And secondly, you, you don't have what you need, but you're committed is apparent to making it funny ask you have ever done that. See that right through that initial inertia. You make the commitment and say I'm to go for broke on and follow Christ anything but what about what about what about showing what to do. But that's there's people that spent the whole Christian life waiting for winter more mature when they're really ready. You wait till Jesus comes in numerous life third. People who grow not only live daily with the end in view and so it's a key motivation. Not only do they make a personal commitment which is the key to overcoming inertia. Third, they value process more money that and that's the key to progress see what happens as we think. Growth happens in these huge spurts. We think that there's a magic pill there's a seminar there's a book there's a secret teaching. There is a second experience. There's something somewhere, somehow there's an area of the country. If you go visit that every the country you get holy and you get powerful and everything to change you.
During that's not the way life works to people who really grow understand it's that every day nickel and dime tiny little decisions you make. It's the process that produces real growth. Notice the writing to the Hebrews written to a group of people that had stopped growing. They started to grow.
They were Jewish Christians, and then the heat turned up in persecution and they were moving back into legalism into the wall in the book of Hebrews is written to the script say Christ is superior to the law.
Christ is superior to the priesthood.
Christ is superior to angels, Christ is superior to Moses cease and get with the program.
It's great baby there's a new covenant, any rights to this group of people. Verse 11 in the sort of reproach will review he says in chapter 5 in verse 11 we have much to say about this talk about spiritual growth, but it's hard to explain because you are slow to learn and grow. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again because honestly you need milk like babies, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness get the next verse. Notice how growth occurs and look for the concept of the process, but solid food is for the mature circlet that's our word again telling us solid foods. Spiritual food is for the mature, and I get this, who by constant use have trained themselves as out process to distinguish good from evil, who by constant use. Not a big event a little here a little constant use have trained them selves. The secret to your future is hidden in your daily routines. Luke 1610 says he that is faithful in a very little thing will be faithful also in much. He was unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also much you people tell me I really want to walk with God doesn't care about how I drive and care about what our talk is where do that God doesn't care about those little decisions. God doesn't care about this and I got news. God cares about, because if you're not faithful in little things about not think the little things why we can trust you with more God wants you to know it's the very little things. The tiny attitudes of people. The tiny disciplines with him. The little things a decision here, integrity here, relationship here and you build on one Russian philosopher said a man spends the first half of his life building habits in the second half of his life will be determined by the habits he or she builds the first. I'll tell you the most profound beyond words impact in my life. In terms of whatever usefulness God has for my life now in the future was not a big event. It was not the schools that I've been to is not any great spiritual awakening. You have the greatest impact. When I look back a summons and what's the one thing that is shaped your life chip more than anything else other than people. I would say it was a bricklayer with a high school education. Shortly after I became a Christian who came to my dorm room and taught me how to have a daily white and I couldn't get up for the first year so and in the next year. I spent 5 to 7 maybe 10 minutes with God every morning before I went off to school, but the discipline of on a daily basis not big deal, not mastering the Bible not memorizing at all but on a daily basis reading systematically through the Bible, meeting with God before me, you, you are what you eat and it's true physically true psychologically and true spiritual I miss a day of course, here and there, but it's kind of in the. I miss a meal now and then to the nomadic Associates become a part of my life you what I've learned is over the years. I just get up. I read the word I asked God sometimes it's emotional sometimes I don't feel much but I say God I want you to speak to me and I will learn who you are in control close to you and I know that you're more important than the whole world.
The only way I can demonstrate that stop and be with you first. And I pray through my day. I sit quietly and ask him to search my heart sometimes jot down some things he acts aware of.
I would feel overwhelmed.
You know what I know I'm get up tomorrow to meet with God is to show me what to do next. I am not include their situations is apparently we had financial struggles we had marital struggles we had not share most of you you you and the constant has been the writer of my life God shows up every morning when I do and you know, inch by inch. Over the years little by little that has been the primary shaper of my heart, my life, my values, my relationship didn't happen overnight. God takes to we can read about it not our heads in agreement, but it takes living in the trenches with him at our side really understand and experience it.
Chip will be right back. But if you're just joining us, you're listening to living on the roads with Chip Ingram this message is part of chip series called breaking through life's biggest barriers in the series chip tackle some of the most common obstacles to personal growth.
You learn how to overcome the feelings of loneliness and isolation will discover how to conquer personal stagnation and you'll find out how to defeat the thoughts of inferiority and a low self-image is a series little bring hope and give you the tools you need to build a better future. Based on the truth of God's unfailing love. This series is available for a limited time at a special on-air discount price to order chip series breaking through life's biggest barriers. Just dial 1-888-333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org trip as we talk about the Bible being God's word and that he wants to speak to us. The truth is that even when people try to go sleep you don't hear anything special or discouraged to make just one quick we know that's what happens food you talk a little about the new online video course. You just finished sure I would be glad to.
In fact I am super excited about this. It's how to hear God's voice in Scripture. What we know from the research is the average believer in Jesus Christ is not in God's word on a regular basis and so what I wanted to do was I wanted to help ordinary people, people that just want to know, but just don't have the tools of getting into God's word but not like I need to read so many chapters are gotta love me more if I read more, but in a very practical way. It's how I learned to read the Bible in a way to hear God's voice to connect with God. I it's a very simple format. It's it's short that's only five-part the teaching time is only about seven minutes and there's another 10 or 12 minutes to actually practice what I teach. So I think it's really really good to help people and I cannot wait for those who want to learn to get it and those who discipling others to have a tool in their hands that they can share and to help the people that they love really hear God's voice as they get into God's word breaks trip will this online video course how to hear God's voice in Scripture really is a great new resource from Living on the Edge, no matter where you are in reading the Bible what your peers will take your ability to discern God's voice to a whole new level. You can do these five video sessions on your own time at your own pace is your relationship with God deepens your confidence will increase. You'll actually begin to look forward to spending time with them. Just go online to LivingontheEdge.org and take your next step toward hearing God speak to you through his word without her strip with some final application you know if I ask you over a couple coffee today. Would you like to stay stagnant.
I mean, you don't want to grow don't want your marriage to grow, don't your relationship to Christ to grow don't want to give your kids to grow you sort arrived at a place in your work, you thinking I'd like to be here the rest of my life.
What would you say will you laugh at me when you see of course I want to grow while let's talk very candidly about what growth is gonna look like in your life. It has to begin with getting the end in view. If you live week to week, day to day you will get in a rut. It's human nature. You must get the and in view the key to motivation is getting that target who you want to become who you long to be the kind of dad, the kind of mom. The kinda worker the kind of Christian, a picture of the future. It starts with the end in view and then second, you know what it doesn't happen automatically.
You don't sorta slide into personal growth. You don't wake up one day and say, gosh, I'm a lot more holy than I was yesterday. It demands of personal commitment.
Now I'm not trying to get you to rub up your emotions and say okay I'm going to try really hard really really hard and then to through four days from now or a week from now. You're right back where you were. Let me share a concept that I alluded to growing isn't so much about what you're going to do today growing his thinking differently.
It's who am I going to become today. I recently did something with our staff and what I told them was too many people live with a to do list and they get up. I mean, efficient, godly focus motivated people and they start with the to do list and I challenged our staff don't start with the to do list start with the two growth list and and what I I told them I've actually done this over the years as I start every week with a two growth list.
Where do I want to grow.
I think okay if I'm to grow my relationship with God that I plug that he and keep these mornings to study the Bible what I'm gonna pray this afternoon I'm gonna spend that time with my wife. I wanted to grow in my marriage I'm to grow intellectually and so I've got a list of books that I'm going to read note. None of these things are going accomplish any of this week's objectives.
What it accomplishes is making me more and more the man I believe God wants me to be. Now I plug all that in first and here's the deal.
I've got to get my to do list on it so you but when I plug in the to grow list and then build my to do's around that you know what happens next month. I'm little bit different person next year. I'm even more different person. I want to challenge you, what would it look like to make a two growth list what one area. Do you know God wants you to grow is your spiritual life is your marriage. Is it in the purity of life. Is it being a different kind of work or is it getting involved in ministry. I don't know what is. But I encourage you to say God show me where and how you want me to grow come up with a plan not to accomplish but to grow in your gonna see some exciting things happen. Do you wish you could hear Living on the Edge when it fits into your schedule. You can were those of you who want to listen to Living on the Edge whenever and wherever you want. Download the free shipping remap you'll find the chipping remap at Google play or the app store today will be with us again on Monday when Chip continues our current series. November's really saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge