Last week our Pastor teacher, Landis Fisher began a study on Spiritual Growth and is continuing on this theme this Lord’s Day with another installment of teaching on the same topic. This week he presents a message to prompt us to apply more completely some of the spiritual disciplines to produce more growth and internal peace, in a message he has titled: “Spiritual Discipline”
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Psalms 61:1 – 8 (KJV)
Psa 61:1 (A Psalm of David) Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
Psa 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psa 61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
Psa 61:4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
Psa 61:5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.
Psa 61:6 Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations.
Psa 61:7 He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
Psa 61:8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.
New Testament Scripture Reading: 1Thessalonians 2:7 – 18 (KJV)
1Th 2:7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
1Th 2:8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
1Th 2:9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
1Th 2:10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
1Th 2:11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
1Th 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
1Th 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) God has chosen to start a process in everyone whom He saves through the message known as the “Gospel”; which is good news about the Father’s love for mankind who by His grace made provision of His Son, Jesus Christ, to be crucified buried, and risen from the dead, which is proof that the penalty for sin which is death, has successfully been satisfied (/ defeated) by Christ Jesus and is applied by faith to each one hearing the message and responding to it by faith.
2) Knowing that Spiritual Confidence is the result of the engrafted word; the vehicle of Faith (that has come by hearing and hearing by the Word of God) given by God to form an internal, spiritual framework upon which to build our internal spiritual make up, it is imperative that through spiritual equipment, such as “Prayer, Meditation, Patience, Fellowship, Fasting, Confession, intercession, etc. that every Christian Discipline be not just known; but applied at the times of need.
3) The serious development of our personal prayer lives, must become the priority of our lives, in order for us to be able to routinely see: a) Increased spiritual confidence b) greater spiritual victories over fleshly desires, c) increased growth in the spiritual disciplines rather than the works of the flesh d) even higher spiritual confidence e) more desire to consume even more spiritual content f) Increased ability to comfort others in and outside the Church & even within our own families g) the length of this list will be as long as your time spent practicing these things.
