Attitudes Of Spiritual Growth
1 Pet. 3:8
8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: .
Joke: Daddy, are you still growing ? the little girl asked ?
No honey, why do you ask ? was the reply
Because, Daddy, the top of your head is coming through your hair !
Do you remember as a child how that you would compare your height to that of your parents ? You would measure your physical growth to theirs ! Your desire was to grow, to reach the height of your parents.
How about your spiritual growth ? How do you measure up compared to when you first believed ? How’s your spiritual growth in the last year ? Tonight I want us to look at attitudes of Spiritual growth.
If I am growing, it will be shown not only in my knowledge, my actions, but also in my attitudes !
I. If I am growing, it will be seen in my attitude of harmony !
The words "one mind" refer to harmony ! The word "harmony" means "to agree".
If harmony means "to agree", then what does the lack of harmony mean. The lack of harmony would be "to disagree".
One of the tell/tell signs of a lack of spiritual maturity is "disharmony" or "disagreements".
Show me a person that is always in disagreement, and I’ll show you a person who is either unsaved or spiritually immature, and needs to grow up !
The church of Corinth was such a church ! They were spiritually immature, and the result was "disharmony and disagreements" !
Notice 1 Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men ?
The early church was one that abounded in spiritual harmony !
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication..............
The result........Acts 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
* The result of spiritual harmony...........Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which eh possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
How did they arrive at this point ? The secret to the attitude of harmony may be found in V31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
*Harmony is a definite attitude of spiritual growth, and maturity ! The key to such an attitude is praying together, and being filled with the Holy Spirit ! The result to such spiritual harmony will be growth in the church !
Could this mean that the growth of the church may depend upon the personal spiritual growth of the believers ?
Illustration
A man was visiting an insane asylum one day, and he noticed that all the insane people were on the field outside, but there was only one guard. He asked the guard, "Aren’t you afraid?" The guard said, "Absolutely not." He said, "Don’t you believe that since you are the only one here, these people could over-run you and break out of the asylum?" He said, "That’s impossible." The man asked, "Why is that impossible?" The guard replied, "Because lunatics don’t unite !
2. If I Am Growing, It Will Be Seen In My Attitude Of Compassion. V8
The word "compassion" means "to suffer along with another".
In Heb 4:15 the word is translated "to be touched with".....referring to Christ as the High Priest !
Illust.
Joni Erickson Tada is the president of JET ministries, a ministry which aims to serve the disabled. She is herself a quadriplegic. A few years ago she was a spectator at the Los Angeles Special Olympics. Her husband Ken was an official, coordinator for track and field events. Joni was among a large crowd watching the participants prepare for the 50 metres running race.
After some time lining up the starters gun fired and off the contestant raced. As they rushed toward the finish line one boy left the track and started running toward his friends standing in the infield. Ken blew his whistle, trying to get the boy to come back to the track, but all to no avail.
Then one of the other competitors noticed, a down syndrome girl with thick bottle glasses. She stopped just short of the finish line and called out to the boy, "Stop, come back, this is the way." Hearing the voice of her friend the boy stopped and looked. "Come back, this is the way" she called. The boy stood there, confused. His friend, realising he was confused, left the track and ran over to him. She linked arms with him and together they ran back to the track and finished the race. They were the last to cross the line, but were greeted by hugs from their fellow competitors and a standing ovation from the crowd.
The downs syndrome girl with the bottle glasses taught everyone present that day an important life lesson, that it’s important to take time out form our own goals in life to help others find their way. Reflecting on the episode afterwards Ken was reminded of some verses from.......... Romans 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. !
Illust. A man spoke with the Lord about Heaven and Hell. "I will show you Hell," said the Lord. And they went into a room which had a large pot of stew in the middle. The smell was delicious and around the pot sat people who were famished and desperate. All were holding spoons with very long handles which reached to the pot, but because the handles of the spoons were longer than their arms, it was impossible to get the stew into their mouths. Their suffering was terrible.
"Now I will show you Heaven," said the Lord, and they went into an identical room. There was a similar pot of stew and the people had the same identical spoons, but they were well nourished, talking and happy.
At first the man did not understand.
"It is simple," said the Lord. "You see, they have learned to feed each other."
Rom 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them tht weep !
1 Cor 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
3. If I Am Growing, It Will Be Seen In My Attitude Of Brotherly Love.
Though we shall not always see eye to eye on every issue, there needs to be love one another !
Illustration Poem Saying
To dwell above with saints we love, That will be grace and glory.
To live below with saints we know; That’s another story!
Illustration
During Vacation Bible School a teacher had an experience with her primary class that she says she will never forget. Her class was interrupted on Wednesday about an hour before dismissal when a new student was brought in. The little boy had one arm missing, and since the class was almost over, she had no opportunity to learn any of the details about the cause or his state of adjustment. She was very nervous and afraid that one of the other children would comment on his handicap and embarrass him. There was no opportunity to caution them, so she proceeded as carefully as possible. As the class time came to a close, she began to relax. She asked the class to join her in their usual closing ceremony. "Let’s make our churches," she said. "Here’s the church and here’s the steeple, open the doors and there’s..." The awful truth of her own actions struck her. The very thing she had feared that the children would do, she had done. As she stood there speechless, the little girl sitting next to the boy reached over with her left hand and placed it up to his right hand and said, "Davey, let’s make the church together." This story may be seen as a parable of our search for oneness in Christ: to put our inadequate, handicapped lives alongside the lives of others and to pray, "Let’s make the church together."
* Spiritual growth will be seen in our love for one another, and the result of this will be..........we will build a church together !!!!
4. If I Am Growing, It Will Be Seen In My Attitude Of Kindness. V8
The word "pitiful" means "tender hearted, kind"
The rudeness of the world we live in !
People now days want even be kind if they are paid too.........
Lack of customer service !
If we are unkind, rude, aloof, it is evidence of spiritual immaturity !
We will never be able to reach people, change the world for Christ with such a air or attitude !
Illust
There was a boy who once found a turtle. Every time he tried to pick it up or get close the turtle pulled in its head and closed its shell like a vice. Frustrated by this the boy picked up a stick to try to pry the shell open.
When the boy’s uncle saw this he said, "No, that’s not the way! you’ll never get the turtle to open up with a stick. All you’ll do is kill it." The uncle took the turtle into his house and put it down near the fireplace. A few minutes later the turtle grew warm, pushed out its head, stretched out its legs and began to crawl. "Turtles are like that," said the uncle, "and people, too. You can’t force them into anything. But if you first warm them up with some real kindness, more than likely, they will do what you want them to do."
I am convinced that kindness will go far in this world !!!
Many may only be looking for a smile, a kind word, a hand on the shoulder, a hug !!! Make a difference in the world by a simple gesture of kindness !
George Washington Carver once wrote...."How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these "
5. If I Am Growing, It Will Be Seen In My Attitude Of Humility !
The word "courteous" means in this V. Humility or Friendly of Mind
If you think you’re humble, you’re not !
Did you hear about the man who received an award for being humble ? But was required to give it back because he wore it !
What does humility mean ?
Noah Webster says....."In ethics, freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one’s own worth. In theology, humility consists of lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one’s own unworthiness in the sight of God, self abasmement, penitence for sin and submission to the divine will.
* I believe humility is to have the mind of Christ...........
Phil. 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross.
Illust
There’s a story told about a bitter, cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago. An old man sat by a river, waiting for a ride across. His beard was glazed by winter’s frost and the wait seemed endless. His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind.
He heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves galloping along the frozen path. Anxiously, he watched as several horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first one pass by without an effort to get his attention. Then another passed by, and another. Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a snow statue. As this one drew near, the old man caught the rider’s eye and said, "Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn’t appear to be a passageway by foot."
Reining his horse, the rider replied, "Sure thing. Hop aboard." Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman dismounted and helped the old man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man not just across the river, but to his destination, which was just a few miles away.
As they neared the tiny but cosy cottage, the horseman’s curiosity caused him to inquire, "Sir, I notice that you let several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a ride. Then I came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I’m curious why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you there?"
The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, "I’ve been around these here parts for some time. I reckon I know people pretty good." The old-timer continued, "I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw there was no concern for my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion were evident. I knew, then and there, that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need."
Those heartwarming comments touched the horseman deeply. "I’m most grateful for what you have said," he told the old man. "May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion."
With that, Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made his way back to the White House.
May the Lord help all of us to never get so busy that we fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness, compassion and humility !
In closing tonight, we return to where we began.
How are you progressing spiritually ? In what areas do you need to pray, and allow God to work in you ?
