Sunday, May 1, 2016 am
SPIRITUAL INDICATORS
There are times in our lives where we need to step back and take a look
at where we are at right now.
Accountants encourage us to occasionally review our portfolio to
see if we are on track to reach our goals.
If we are concerned about our health, we will occasionally go to
the doctor for a physical to see if we are healthy.
WE may occasionally take our car to the mechanic for a tune-up
and to look it over to make sure it is running properly.
In each of these situations, the examiner has a set of criteria
he will look at to see if everything is ok.
The accountant will look at your assets and investments to see if
there are areas that need correcting or tweaking.
The doctor has a check list as he does blood work, checks your
eyes, ears, throat, blood pressure, heart rate, etc.
The results are measured by the standard of what is considered
healthy. If there are
problems, corrective measures will be given.
Similarly, the mechanic checks your engine, breaks, fluid levels,
suspension, etc. according to the specifications of your car to make
sure the car it is reliable or to see if corrective measures need to be
taken.
We
regularly engage in such examinations with our material possessions and
health. But what our
spiritual health? The Bible
tells us that our bodies are going to wear out (Eccl. 12:1-8, James
4:14, etc.). But our souls
are going to live on eternally, so it behooves us to take care of our
spiritual bodies as well.
In
2 Corinthians 13:5 we are called upon to examine ourselves.
A part of going on to perfection is occasionally auditing your
spiritual state. You
need to look at where you are and compare that with where you OUGHT TO
be. We are warned in
passages such as Hebrews 2:1, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have
heard, lest we drift away.” We
cannot accomplish that unless we take a look at the big picture of our
spiritual lives from time to time.
So with that in mind we want to notice some things to consider as
we are examining ourselves. We
might call this a spiritual inventory.
“Spiritual indicators.” An indicator is a device or standard that
tells you where you are in comparison to where you ought to to be.
A spiritual indicator is a standard (the Bible) that we use to
measure where we are as it relates to where we should be.
These are indicators that can help us determine whether or not we
are maturing as we ought to.
In this lesson we are going to briefly notice some spiritual indicators
we can use to help us examine our spiritual health.
We
are going to ask some questions for each of us to consider?
And as we ask these questions, we must be brutally honest with
ourselves!
a.
A priority is a thing
regarded as more important than another, that which is first.
In a recent lesson, it was explained that there can only be one TRUE
priority. There may be many
things of different levels of importance, but that which is your
priority is that which is first.
Understanding this, what is your priority?
b.
Matthew 6:33, “Seek
first the kingdom of God…”
We frequently quote this verse and others like it, but do we
genuinely put it into practice?
c.
Matthew 10:37-38, He who
loves father or mother more than me…
d.
Acts 5:29, Peter with
the other apostles stood before the council and said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
e.
This is easy for us to
say, but do we genuinely put it into practice?
When faced with a choice between serving God or something you
want to do, what typically wins out?
What if you were the rich, young ruler (Matthew 19), what would you do?
What if you were Peter standing before the council, what would you say?
What if you were in Joseph’s place before Potiphar’s wife?
As you read scripture, honestly ask yourself, “What if I were like…?”
a.
The Bible is more than
another book of philosophy.
It is the word of God!
It is imperative that we treat it as such.
The Bible is how God communicates with us today.
It is our only hope of knowing what pleases Him.
b.
1 Thessalonians 2:13,
they received it as the word of God in truth.
2 Tim. 3:16-17 tells us that with it we have all that we need.
c.
Matthew 28:19-20 – The
“great commission” of Jesus – Go and make disciples – baptizing and
teaching them to observe ALL things commanded.
We cannot fulfill this command without Bible study!
d.
2 Timothy 2:15 – be
diligent to present yourself approved unto God
e.
1 Peter 3:15 – be ready
to give a defense.
f.
Psalm 1:1-2, blessed is
the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord…
g.
How much do I know of
God’s word? Do I know
more now than when I first obeyed?
Do I know more than last year?
Do I have a plan to learn?
Am I able to share His word with others?
Am I sure that I know I am right?
Recall how Hebrews
5:12-14 rebuked them because they had not learned as they ought to. Do I
have a good grasp of what is being discussed in Bible classes?
The way you are growing in the grace and knowledge of God is a spiritual
indicator? (2 Peter 1:3)
a.
Effective communication
is a two-way street.
Just as the Bible is how God communicates with us, prayer is the way He
has provided for us to communicate with Him.
b.
It is a privilege that
Christians enjoy – 1 John 5:14-15, 1 John 1:9, Hebrews 4:16 – we come
boldly before the throne of grace…
c.
Continually the Bible
emphasizes our need to pray – Luke 18:5-10 – the parable of the friend
at midnight.
Ephesians 6:18, praying always with all prayer and supplication?
1 Thess. 5:17 – pray without ceasing.
d.
A study of the life of
Jesus shows the importance of prayer.
Luke 5:16 – He often withdrew in the wilderness and prayed!
WE find Jesus praying in the morning and at evening.
Because He prayed often, His disciples asked Him to teach them to
pray. He did!
THOUGHT: If Jesus,
the son of God, Immanuel, needed to pray as He did, what does that say
about us mere mortals?
e.
How often do I pray?
Do I begin my day with prayer?
Do I pray at night?
Do I pray before meals? What
about in public (not as a show), but because it is who you are?
What and who do I pray for?
Do I believe God answers prayers? (cf. James 1:5-6) When I am facing
problems do I turn to God in prayer?
f.
Year ago I learned,
“Seven days without prayer makes on weak!”
How important prayer is to you, is very much a spiritual indicator.
a.
The church is an
institution created by God.
Ephesians 3:10-11 describes the church as being a part of God’s eternal
purpose (before the foundations of the world).
Acts 20:28 tells us that church was purchased with the blood of
Jesus. Universally,
it is the body of the saved – Acts 2:47.
Locally, it is a body of the saved in a given location who have joined
together to do the work God has given her – worshipping God, promoting
the gospel, building up its saints and relieving one another as we have
opportunity.
b.
Our responsibility is to
keep her pure!
Ephesians 5:25-27 describes how Christ died to sanctify and
cleanse her and to present her to Himself a glorious church, not having
spot or wrinkle, that she should be holy and without blemish.
Paul rebuked the Corinthians for tainting the purity of that
congregation (1 Cor. 5:6-7). Churches
in Revelation 2 & 3 were rebuked for corrupting the teaching of God’s
word and their behavior.
c.
We NEED the church!
When we understand what she it that becomes obvious.
In fact, she ought to priority in our lives.
d.
So how important is she
to you? If Christ is our
priority, we ought to give His church prominence in our lives.
Am I willing to join a congregation of His people and to help
build her up? (Ephesians
4:16)
Will I be an asset to her or a hindrance by my conduct?
How is my attendance – Hebrews 10:25? Do I seek to be here as often as
possible, or do I seek excuses to not “have to go to church”?
Do I contribute to the work?
(1 Cor. 16:1-2, 2 Cor. 9:6-7) Does it reflect that she is a priority to
me? Do I give cheerfully and
as I have prospered?
Do I participate in the
worship wholeheartedly? Is
there grace in my heart when you sing (Col. 3:16)?
Do I listen attentively and search the scriptures with the
lessons? Do I participate
when something needs to be done?
Do I defend her before others?
Do I practice discipline to keep her pure?
e.
In summary, if everyone
were like me, what would happen to this church?
a.
Related to previous
point, but it goes further.
The Bible describes us as a family – with God as our Father and we as
brethren. We are also
described as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27) with every part
functioning properly and working together with the rest of the body.
This can only happen if our brethren are important to us.
b.
Much of the New
Testament is directed toward governing our conduct within the church;
even more so, our conduct toward each other at all times.
In fact, the expression “one another” is found more than 50 times
in the epistles (Romans – 3 John) dictating how are to treat each other
as brethren.
c.
So how important are my
brethren to me? Do I prefer
associating with them over my worldly friends?
Am I living in such a way as to build them up spiritually? Am I
willing to sacrifice to help my brethren in need?
Do I know my spiritual family well enough that I can tell when
something is wrong? Do I act
in such a way that my brothers and sisters in Christ want to be with me?
d.
We are living in
troubling times. Now more
than ever, we need each other!
For the one who says, “I’m fine by myself”, GREAT!
But if you are that strong spiritually, realize that you are
exactly what the rest of us need!
BE there for us!
a.
James 3:1-12 gives us a
description of the power of the tongue.
Though it is a small member, it can do great things, for good or
harm. That is why it
is important that we learn to control the tongue.
In fact, if you are struggling with self-control issues, a good place to
begin conquering your problems is with your conversations.
That is what James said in verse 2, “For
we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is
a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”
It is because of this that the tongue is a spiritual indicator.
The Bible has so much say about the tongue both good and bad!
Proverbs 10:19 tells us, “in
the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips
is wise.”
b.
We have heard it said,
“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me.”
While the idea is for us to determine we are not going to let
what others say to or about us hurt us, the truth is – words hurt!
Words do great damage!
And in this electronic age, there is hardly anything that we can
say that might not be heard by others!
c.
So how well do I manage
my tongue? Do I find myself
speaking before I think? Do
I struggle with anger and speak words in anger?
Does my language blaspheme the name of God?
Am I guilty of gossip?
ON the other hand, do I use my tongue for good?
Do I encourage my brethren and friends?
Do I defend my Lord and My God?
Do I warn those in danger, both physically and spiritually?
d.
Do I THINK before I
speak (Is it True, Is it Helpful, Is it Inspiring, Is it Necessary, Is
it Kind)?
a.
As you study the life a
Christian in your Bible, you will discover that it is NOT just about
you. The scriptures
have so much to say about how we are to react to each other.
In Bellflower, we are engaged in a yearlong study of how we
relate to others. It
is reflected in our attitudes as well as our example in every aspect of
our life. We are called upon
to serve others (Galatians 5:13).
Phil. 2:3-4, “Let nothing be done
through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for
his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
In Matthew 5:44-48 Jesus told us that we are even to love our
enemies!
Some 7 times in the New Testament we are told to “love your neighbor as
yourself.”
While we are be careful in considering what we do and where we go, we
cannot live in a commune and fulfill all the passages of scripture that
tell us to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation (Philippians 2:14-15).
As Jesus said, we are not OF the word, but we are IN the world
(cf. John 17:15-17).
b.
So, as our final point,
we notice that the way we care about others is also a spiritual
indicator.
Do I genuinely care
about my neighbor? When I
associate with my friends and loved ones, am I concerned about their
spiritual wellbeing?
Am I willing to help them, even to the point of sacrificing – whether it
be my money or my time? Am I
being a good example to those around me?
c.
The world we are living
in desperately needs godly examples.
If we are to turn our society around, it is not going to happen
with legislation. It is
going to happen by us letting our lights shine and by seeking to reach
others, one neighbor at a time.
These are some spiritual indicators with which we can gauge where we are
in relation to where we ought to be.
If our examination shows a need for change, then we need to
repent and get to work changing it.
A doctor can tell you what is wrong and give you the cure, but if
you don’t follow his instructions, you are not going to get better.
Through the word of God, the GREAT PHYSICIAN has examined us and
tells us what we need to change.
Are we willing to listen to Him and obey Him (Matthew 28:19-20)?
Our eternity depends on it!