This weeks message is from Kaitlin Neal who is the wife of Pastor Adam our Worship Pastor.
What have you worked hard for in your life? Think about this for a second with me. Think about the last 10 years of your life. What and where have you consistently grown for the past decade?
For me, I think about three main things. My walk with the Lord, my marriage and my health.
My walk with the Lord- I began a genuine journey with him a little over 10 years ago. I have since learned what it means to believe in Jesus, what it means to follow Jesus and what it means to make disciples of Jesus.
My marriage – We’ll be married 10 years in November. I’ve learned what it means to put someone else’s needs before my own, how to truly love unconditionally, how to be parents and how to love Jesus together.
My health – We started running when we got married, made our diets a priority, our mental health a priority and have been a part of several different fitness styles. Currently we’ve been apart of a crossfit gym. Explain that process.
Brook Wells competing at Mid-Atlantic Crossfit Challenge.
She’s 25, 6x Crossfit games competitor, one of the most elite athletes in the world. 2020 she ranked 2nd in the US and 11th worldwide at the Crossfit Open.
She’s said she’s really confident in her training. Been preparing every single day and it’s not anything she should be scared about. She’s focusing on what all she can accomplish and letting the rest play out.”
We all have things we strive for!
Our posture changes when we are prepared.
So how do we prepare to live a life of Godliness and spiritual growth?
1 Timothy 4:7 says Train yourselves to be Godly.
1 Timothy 4:9 – for this we labor and strive.
It’s no surprise that you find the word disciple within the word discipline.
If we’re going to be disciples of Christ…. (Define disciple) we must be disciplined (define disciplined).
Disciple- a student of the teacher, the student (disciple) is one who obey’s, repents and surrender’s their life to Jesus (the teacher).Replicate this process to create disciples. Matthew 28:19 says Go into the world and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey my commands.
Discipline- The practice of training people to obey a behavior, to train in self-control and obedience. Spiritual disciplines – practices we impose to make us spiritually fit/healthy.
So how are we to train, labor and strive to be Godly?
We become disciplined people.
Being disciplined is a choice.
The result of discipline is growth.
Growth is an action, something being transformed and in process. It’s not still or stagnant.
- Run your race with perseverance.
Hebrews 12:1 – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
We have to throw off the things that hinder us and push forward towards the things that help us.
So…evaluate your hinderances.
-Patterns, relationships, priorities, habits, how you spend your time and money, how you speak to others and about others, sin, etc. What holds you back?
And Persevere
-Continue on the course or action even in the case of difficulty. Keep making the hard choices.
2. Labor and strive.
1 Timothy 4:9 – For this we labor and strive.
Labor in greek means a “strenuous toil” and strive gives us the word “agonize” in English.
This is a no-pain, no-gain type of discipline. It takes effort, work and sacrifice. It’s not going to come easy.
Wake up earlier, engage in hard conversations, do the uncomfortable thing, create healthier habits, walk with difficult people… DAILY.
There is a repetitive and consistent nature to laboring and striving for something. You can’t just do something one time and expect long term results. That would make no sense.
- Remain in Him.
John 15:5 – I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.
Abide in the Father – rest in, know more of, speak to, love and seek Him.
Abiding requires intimacy with Him. This must be a priority and commitment of thought and of time.
Bearing fruit is a sign of growth. What is the fruit of your life?
Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Nothing that’s of worth, that is.
- Surrender.
Mark 8:34-35 – Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple muse deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the Gospel will save it.
So much of what I’ve seen God do in my own life is directly correlated to what I was willing to surrender.
Is he worth the sacrifice to you? Do you trust that He’s capable of meeting your needs?
What we are willing to surrender reveals our faith in the God who is the ultimate provider or our needs.
5. Operate in your calling
1 Corinthians 12:15-20 – Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
We all have special gifts that are unique to us and allow us to advance the kingdom in ways that others simply cannot.
Stay in your lane.
Release the comparison trap.
Focus on the mission.
Brooke said: Theres a lot of pressure to perform well because you have something to lose.
What do you have to lose? You have already won!
The good news is that we’re not mean’t to do this on our own.
Brooke said: It’s a completely different game when you have the crowd around you, other competitors cheering you on and encouraging you. It makes all of the days alone in they gym worth it.
We were created for community.
Practical Questions:
Who are you surrounding yourself with to help you grow in your walk with the Lord?
Who is in your corner cheering you on? These are very important people.
Who are you in the quiet places?
By asking the question what does you have to lose, you have to ask, what does it look like for us to win?
Brooke Wells didn’t win. She placed third.
We’re not looking for 1st place. We’ve already been given the greatest prize we could possess.
Notice I didn’t give you 5 steps to achieve spiritual growth. Read your bible, pray every day, listen to worship music, don’t get drunk, stay pure in your heart and mind.
Are all of those things good for us, yes! But we know that God isn’t after our good works. He’s after our heart.
Legalism is self-centered. Discipline is god-centered.
When we become disciplined in seeking his heart it will transform our heart.
Let me ask you again. What have you worked hard for in your life? What are you striving for? Are you seeking good works or are you seeking his heart?
This is His heart for us…
- Run your race with perseverance.
- Labor and strive.
- Remain in Him.
- Surrender.
- Operate in your calling.
The key to spiritual growth is chasing after the heart of the Father.