An Attitude!
Spiritual growth and the disciple • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:13:48
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Let’s get started
Let’s get started
Spiritual growth and the disciple that is what our series has been and will continue to be about. This evening our aim is going to be to have the right attitude for spiritual growth.
A = Accept (2Pt3:18)
We are to grow in grace and knowledge or Jesus Christ as noted in (2Pt3:18)
B = Believe (Php4:13)
Know, believe, be resolved in the fact that we are capable of growing with God’s help and God’s strength (see Php4:13)
S = Set (2Pt1:5-8)
Set then goals, behavioral and functional goals as we had talked about and looked at in (2Pt1:5-8) growing in the graces given so we can share in the divine nature of the giver (2Pt1:3).
Then seeking to develop and deploy (Rom12:3-5) by creating good habits (Heb10:24-25; Rom12:6-8)
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
God has allotted each one a measure of faith know that we are all part of one body and that we are to function together when each person brings their parts to the body and deploys their gifts for the body, for the common good.
So, in our A.B.S. with then being deployed we need to be sure we are deploying the right thing, for the right reason with the right heart. We ensure this by developing good habits such as daily bible reading, prayer, coming the assembly (Heb10:24-25) and looking to encourage one another; and exercising the differing gifts the Lord through the Holy Spirit has given to us (Rom12:6-8)
Spiritual growth is accomplished and maintained when we keep the right attitude, a positive attitude.
Positive attitude attributes
Believing it will be worth it (1Cor15:58)
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Being encouraged by the examples of enduring found in the scripture for difficult times (2Cor4:8-9)
8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
Paul certainly had lots of reasons along with the other apostles to not have a positive attitude. But if we want to grow there is much we can learn about how attitude impacts our growth.
(Transition) so, having said all that, tonight we are looking at:
The importance of having the right attitude (a positive one)
Establishing and maintaining the right attitude (a positive one)
Importance of right attitude
Importance of right attitude
Have you ever needed an attitude adjustment? Tonight we are in attitude training so that we can grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.
First off may we look at
Danger of wrong attitude (a negative one)
Illustrated (Num13:31-14:4; Deut1:26-33; Num14:26-38)
Our illustration comes from the wilderness outside the promised land. Men had been sent in to check out the land the Lord God had given them.
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”
Back in (Num13:1) the Lord told Moses he was given them the land and to go check it out and to send men from each tribe to do it. And this is upon the return.
Now to go on with the passage
32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.
33 “There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
and going onto chapter 14
1 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
3 “Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”
4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
Eventhough God promised them the Land (Gen12:1-3) and Moses instructed them to view, spy out the land (Num13:1-2) here is where they are now
they did not believe they could take the land of Canaan
Their negative attitude discouraged the rest of Israel (minus Joshua and Caleb)
It led to complaining and rebelling against God
Because of the negative attitude the rebelled against the command of the Lord.(Deu1:26-33)
They grumbled thinking the Lord hated them even when Moses told them what the Lord said.
30 ‘The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’
(Insert Consequences slide here)
Question: Consider what kind of consequences can happen with a wrong or a negative attitude?
This prompted many not to believe in God and many died in the wilderness because of it (all except for Joshua and Caleb).
Consequences of negative attitude
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I mentioned death in the wilderness, both a spiritual and a physical death.
When we allow negative attitudes to develop we can see
A turning to unbelief in God and in ourselves
A ceasing of doing what the Lord wants us to do and instructs us through His Word
It is a discouragement to self and it rubs off on others.
We fail to reach the spiritual goals we had set personally and as a congregation.
( Transition) - - - So from the danger of a negative attitude, or the wrong attitude, now may we switch to the value, benefits of a positive attitude?
Value of the right (positive) attitude
Illustrated/exampled (Neh4:6, 1-3, 6:15)
Nehemiah heard a report coming from the brethren in Jerusalem that the temple work and rebuilding of the city was not going well. (Neh1); he gets permission to go check things out himself and to help rebuild the city (Neh2) the work began (Neh3) but many were still very discouraged. Word of the progress when they pulled together and worked together went out and it brought opposition (Neh4:1-3) but the workers united under Nehemiah and look what happens
6 So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
The people had a mind to work
Their mind and heart for God was more than the ridicule and it led to the rebuilding of the wall, in spite of the naysayers
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
So having and maintaining the right (positive) attitude impacts things too.
Consequences of the right (positive) attitude:
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We continue to believe God and our ability to serve Him.
To keep pressing on doing what God wants us to do
To encourage those who are around us by overcoming those who want to discourage or defeat us.
Reach the spiritual goals that God has placed before us, maturity to the fullness of Christ
(Transition): Spiritual growth is a choice, a decision that takes determination to reach the destination. It requires diligence to grow. We need to do it with the right attitude, a positive attitude. God commands us to grow and gives us everything we need to grow. So now how do establish and maintain the right attitude, the positive one?
Maintaining right attitude
Maintaining right attitude
Growing spiritually takes work, effort and maintaining the right (positive) attitude takes effort too. So here are some tools to help in accomplishing that.
Choose to have a positive attitude
We can control our attitudes and our moods.
We may not be able to control or even change circumstances we may face, but we can control how we deal with them.
We can chose to rejoice regardless of circumstances (Jm1:2-4; Rom5:3-4; Rom12:12)
See what James the Lord’s brother had to say, you may be familiar with it.
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Question: what is the attitude that James speaks of here? - attitude of joy even when facing various trials.
Now look what Paul had to say to the Romans
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
In some versions it uses words like Glory; Rejoice; Celebrate; Boast, Gladly suffer.
Question: When were the Romans told to do those things according to (v.3)?
So, James commanded a joyous attitude (Jm1:2); Paul understood and exulted the value of difficult times (Rom5:3-4)
How about adding in just a little more?
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
So, taking the rejoicing and persevering and adding in devotion to prayer!
Proper understanding helps maintaining a positive attitude regardless of external circumstances (2Cor4:16-5:1; Php2:17-18)
16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Question: like with the negative, wrong attitude, what type of consequences do you think of with the right, positive attitude?
How about some application?
(Insert block out negativity picture here)
Block out negativity (1Cor15:58, 15:33, Phm4-7; ref: 1Jn4:4; Php4:13, 2:12-13; Heb10:24; Act4:36)
Get a godly view not a self condemning view. Replace the “I can’t” or the “It’s too hard” with “Lord I am willing if it is Your will”
Know from the godly examples that God is greater (ref: 1Jn4:4) and that you can do, you can accomplish what God wants you to (ref: Php4:13, 2:12-13)
Know that your labor will not be in vain.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Be careful who you hang out with (1Cor15:33)
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Stay away from “toxic” people; you know those dwell in the negative. For their attitude can impact yours.
Rick Pitino once said “The fellowship of the miserable” and those are the dream killers, the spiritual growth killers and doubt raisers in the love, the ability of God.
Surround yourself with people who are positive (i.e. Heb10:24) which we read earlier. People with one heart, one mind, living in one accord.
People who help your spirit, refresh your spirit in a positive way (not with flattery of lips, but from the heart)
17 I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part. 18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.
So Stephanas refreshed Paul’s spirit and the Corinthians spirit too, may we learn to be like He, or like Barnabas (Ref: Act4:36)
Here is another one to look at
4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;
6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. 7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
(Transition) - with the right view of God, the right view of self (think back a few lessons); then the right self talk, right companions you hang out with, we can avoid being taken in by the negativity of this world or hardened by this world. and then we are able to
Live in the present with our eyes on the future
Live in the present not in the past (1Tim1:12-15)
Paul in looking back could have been very discontent, sorrowful, more than many
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;
14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
Yet he did not live in the past, he pressed on
Live in the present pressing on to the future (Php3:12-14)
12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Live in the present knowing the promise of the future glory (2Cor4:17-18 )
17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
With this kind of attitude that we can grow, will grow spiritually by keeping the right, positive attitude even in the midst of difficult times
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
(Transition) so in conclusion we we have looked at
Importance of a positive attitude
The warnings about a negative attitude
Some tools for maintaining a positive attitude so to spur along spiritual growth
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
so work out our salvation today and each day with An Attitude! the right one, making a choice like Joshua did and the bold proclamation
15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Serve the Lord do the right thing; for the right purpose with the right heart and the right attitude as we leave this place and do it repeatedly.
(Prayer) (Exit)