For a CD of over 100 of sermons by Darrell Stetler II (most complete with handouts), please e-mail darrellstetler2@sbcglobal.net.
Mark 4:3 "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4 "And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the path; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.
5 "Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.
6 "But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.
7 "And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
8 "But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred."
9 And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.
14 "The sower sows the word.
15 "Some people are like seed along the path. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 "Some are like the seed sown on rocky places, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;
17 "Because they have no root, they last only a short time. Afterward, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
18 "Some people are like the seed sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
19 "and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20 "But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred."
How to Sustain Spiritual Momentum
A lady called American Airlines and asked the reservation clerk, "How long does it take to get from Dallas-Fort Worth to Frankfort, Germany?" The clerk had to wait a moment for the information to come up on her computer screen, so she said, "Just a minute." The caller responded, "Thanks very much," and hung up!
Too many people think that too grow as a Christian takes, “Just a minute.”
Three common mistakes New Christians make: momentum busters.
The team began to chant, “Kill ‘em, kill ‘em, kill ‘em kill ‘em, kill ‘em, kill ‘em, KILL ‘EM KILL ‘EM!!!!!” They leaped to their feet, and ran for the door, still shouting. But when they hit the door, it didn’t give. It had locked behind them, and they had to pound on the door, until someone came to unlock it.
Needless to say, the momentum of the moment was gone.
1. Forgetting what you heard.
"When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.”
Last week, God’s Spirit spoke to your heart. This week, don’t let Satan snatch that away from you. You’ve got to remember!
2. Failing to actively grow.
16 "These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 "and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.
They have no root = they have no system to ____________ themselves.
“We don’t grow automatically – we _________ automatically.” - John Maxwell
3. Getting too busy for God.
"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18-19)
“We are too busy making money, paying our bills, trying to scramble to the top of the heap, and facing life’s challenges in general… Our attention is fastened almost solely upon this world, and we give scarcely a thought to the next.”
What’s your priority? Is it your relationship with God, or is it making another dollar? If you’re too busy, and put other things in first place, it will hinder your progress, and will eventually kill your relationship with God.
Often, being BUSY is the enemy of being HOLY.
HOW TO SUSTAIN SPIRITUAL MOMENTUM
"But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred." (Mark 4:8)
Three solutions to these problems: Momentum boosters.
1. Publicly declare your faith.
Acts 2:41 “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized.”
Acts 8:36-37 “And he said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
Acts 10:48 “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”
I know that several of you turned in a paper last week saying that you had prayed to become a Christian. That’s very exciting. But there’s nothing like stating your faith publicly to boost you along as a Christian! Let me give you 3 ways to do that:
* Share your decision with your family members.
* Share your testimony at church.
I’m going to give you a chance to do that next Sunday during the service. It’s not mandatory, but I will give you a chance to tell us publicly what God’s done for you.
* Be baptized.
Baptism is two things: It’s a symbol of what has actually happened in your heart, and it’s your advertisement to the world that you are a different person.
If you want to build momentum, there’s nothing like declaring that the past is gone, and the new is here! It helps you to remember your commitment to God, when you’ve stated it publicly like that. Sometimes we need a little pressure like that to help us do right!
NEXT STEP: When you came in, you received a welcome card. Here’s what I want you to do. . . if you want to be baptized, please write your contact info on the front, and write BAPTISM somewhere on the back.
We’ll be having a baptism service next month. A number of you have talked to me about it, and I’m trying to work it out. . . we may have to baptize everyone in a swimming pool!
2. Learn the basics, and develop habits of growth.
“Like newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow.” 1 Peter 2:2
"That’s a lot of chicks," commented the proprietor. "I mean business," the man replied.
A week later the new farmer was back again. "I need another 100 chicks," he said. "Boy, you are serious about this chicken farming," the man told him.
"Yeah," the man replied. "If I can iron out a few problems." "Problems?" asked the proprietor. "Yeah," replied the man, "I think I planted that last batch too close together."
There’s a guy who didn’t know the basics that he needed to know. You need to learn the basics in order to grow. That’s why we have our Basic Christian Bible Study on Wednesday nights.
Spiritual growth is not a product of a secret “key”. . . if you learn one thing, you’ll grow.
Spiritual growth can happen in your life by choosing to grow through practical habits. Let me give you 5:
* Daily quiet time with God.
Included: Prayer and the Bible
* Church attendance.
As a rule, you attend more, you grow more.
* Obedience to God.
You can’t grow at all without this one.
* Fellowship with other believers.
You need other Christian people! That’s why I want to start a home-based Bible study in the coming months.
* Using your gifts for God.
When we serve, we grow.
You’ve got some chances to serve there on the sheet I passed out. If there’s something that rings your bell, mark it and turn it in. . . we’ll get you involved. If not, think of something that DOES ring your bell, and tell me about it. I’m sure we can start a ministry with it. I heard recently about one church that had several mechanics who started a ministry to fix single mom’s cars in the area. What a blessing. . .and what a way to grow, too!
3. Commit yourself to membership in a church family.
“You are. . . fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19)
Another translation puts that verse like this:
“You are a member of God’s very own family . . . and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian." Ephesians 2:19
Instead of getting too busy for God, this will help keep you on track. If you’re out there alone in the world, it’s easy to forget what’s most important.
We were never meant to go through the Christian life alone. You were formed for fellowship. If you want to be a part of a church family, what better time than right now?
___________________________
HANDOUT
___________________________
How to Sustain Spiritual Momentum
Learning to grow...Three common mistakes New Christians make: momentum busters.
1. Forgetting what you _____________.
"When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.” (Mark 4:15)
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1)
2. Failing to actively ___________.
"Some are like the seed sown on rocky places, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; Because they have no root, they last only a short time. Afterward, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” (Mark 4:17-18)
They have no root = they have no system to ____________ themselves.
“We don’t grow automatically – we _________ automatically.” - John Maxwell
3. Getting too ___________ for God.
"Some people are like the seed sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18-19)
Often, being ___________ is the enemy of being ____________.
HOW TO SUSTAIN SPIRITUAL MOMENTUM
"But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred." (Mark 4:8)
Three solutions to these problems: Momentum boosters.
1. Publicly declare your ______________.
Acts 2:41 “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized.”
Acts 8:36-37 “And he said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
Acts 10:48 “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”
There’s nothing like stating your faith publicly to boost you along as a Christian! Let me give you 3 ways to do that:
* Share your decision with your ___________ members.
* Share your testimony at ______________.
* Be __________________.
Baptism is two things:
a) It’s a symbol of what has actually happened in your ____________.
b) It’s your statement to the world that you are a __________ person.
2. Learn the ___________, and develop ___________ of growth.
“Like newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow.” 1 Peter 2:2
Spiritual growth can happen in your life by choosing to grow through practical habits. Let me give you 5:
* Daily ____________ time with God.
Included: Prayer and the Bible
* ____________ attendance.
As a rule, you attend more, you grow more.
* ________________ to God.
You can’t grow at all without this one.
* Fellowship with other _________________.
You need other Christian people!
* Using your ____________ for God.
When we serve, we grow.
3. Commit yourself to _________________ in a church family.
“You are. . . fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19)
Another translation puts that verse like this:
“You are a member of God’s very own family . . . and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian." Ephesians 2:19
