EmmDev 2022-07-21 [Spiritual Growth] Conclusion: We are not alone.

Conclusion: We are not alone.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians1:6)

Over the last couple of weeks we have examined the disciplines that will enable growth in us. We have noted:

1. The value of regular attentive Bible reading that can transform the way we live and understand God.
2. The necessity of prayer that "exposes" us to the loving, holy, empowering presence of God, just like a camera shutter "exposes" the film to the light.
3. The benefit of relationships and contact with other Christians who sharpen us like iron sharpens iron.
4. The tremendous growth we can experience when we take the promised guidance of the Holy Spirit seriously.
5. The amazing ownership of our faith we can experience when we begin share it with others.

Fortunately for us, God does not leave us to master the disciplines of Bible Reading, Prayer, Witnessing, Obeying the Holy Spirit, and Witnessing on our own. Paul promised the church in Philippi that God was actively at work in them so that they would eventually reach perfection.

Later in the same letter he says "For it is God who works within you to will and act according to His purpose."

God will help us put these disciplines into place.
All we need to do is allow Him to work in us!
"Here am I Lord - send me..."
----------------------------------------------
This brings us to the end of this series on Spiritual Growth.
I hope it has been meaningful.
I will take a short break and resume the EmmDevs on 2 Aug...

---

EmmDev 2022-07-20 [Spiritual Growth] Telling others #6: Actions speak louder than words.

Telling others #6: Actions speak louder than words.

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and eat well," but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? (James2:15-16)

Today's passage is part of a bigger section that talks about faith without works as being dead.

When we speak, but our lives do not match the things we are saying, then we are in serious danger of sabotaging the very things we are trying to say. If we do not make an attempt to practically live out the things we believe then our faith will simply become head-knowledge and we will be ineffectual in our attempts to reach out to others.

We need congruency in they way we talk about our faith and they way we live. We would be appalled if we saw someone behaving in the way that James describes in our passage. But are we not sometimes guilty of the same thing?

I know some people who really practice what they preach and they really make a big impact on the world. Mother Theresa (quoting St Francis of Assissi) said: "Preach the Gospel at all times - use words if necessary"
When we speak and act in a way that glorifies God then we will reach others.

---

EmmDev 2022-07-19 [Spiritual Growth] Telling others#5: Gracious Words

Telling others#5: Gracious Words

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone. (Colossians4:5-6)

When we deal with outsiders (those who are outside the church) we should always be wise and thoughtful. i.e. Make sure brain is engaged before putting mouth into gear!

Life is full of opportunities to share our faith and all we need to do is use them. So many evangelism courses concentrate on making opportunities (like knocking on doors) rather than using opportunities. (That does not mean that knocking on doors is wrong, but I believe that there are many more natural opportunities that we miss every day.)

The crux of the matter is that we need to speak graciously. The word "gracious" is derived from "grace" ("Charis" in Greek) and one could explain grace with the acronym: God's Riches At Christ's Expense. If grace is about God's generosity, then gracious speech is kind, loving, considerate, and generous. Ultimately gracious speech will reflect on God's grace. Is that what your friends and colleagues hear when you speak?

If we stopped at gracious speech, there is a danger that people would just admire us because we are such nice people and never say mean and nasty things. But our speech must also be salty. (And I don't mean like the proverbial sailor (the old salt) who uses cuss-words!)

Our words must be aimed at preservation, purity, flavour, and thirst producing. At the end of the day we must find ways to speak about Jesus and His love in an attractive and sensitive way.

I have met far too many people who have been put off Christianity by someone who "Bible bashed" them in an insensitive clumsy way whilst leading a lifestyle that didn't match their words. If we believe that God is a Missional God, then we also need to believe that He is going ahead of us, opening doors and creating opportunities for us to be great examples and to speak gracious words. It's just up to us to "make the most of the opportunities..."

---

EmmDev 2022-07-15 [Spiritual Growth] Telling others #4 Salty and Bright

Telling others #4 Salty and Bright

In New Testament times salt served three main purposes:
- It provided flavour
- It preserved
- It purified

We take light for granted. At night these days we have so much light that the astronomers are talking about light pollution! In New Testament times light was a luxury that was very much appreciated and valued.

Imagine the traveller for whom the journey from one town to the next took longer than planned: It is getting dark and there is still a way to go. The lights of the city in the distance would be a very welcome sight!

We are called to be salt and light. We need to preserve Christlike values and attitudes and we need to purify ourselves so that what people see in us is attractive and that they can honestly say that life is better (more flavour-full) when we are around.

Isn't it sad that Christians are often seen as the opposite of the "spice of life?" Instead of being people who appreciate and love and celebrate life, many Christians are characterised as dull party-poopers and wet-blankets. Our lives should bring hope and fullness to those around us. Their day should be better because of their contact with us. This is what bringing flavour to people's lives is about.

And if we are salty enough, people will become thirsty for Christ who is the Water of Life.

You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven. (Matthew5:13-16)

---

EmmDev 2022-07-14 [Spiritual Growth] Telling others #3: Being real

Telling others #3: Being real

But some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying, "I sternly warn you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." (Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) But the evil spirit replied to them, "I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. (Acts19:13-16)

If I have measles but I tell you I have mumps what will you get? Mumps??? Of course not! The seven sons of Sceva tried to use the name of Jesus as a magic charm. They had no personal relationship with Him - they knew about Him, but they did not know Him.

Before we can tell others to be saved by Jesus, let us be sure that we have experienced His salvation ourselves. Before we can tell others about His forgiveness and His love, let us be sure that we have experienced it too. Before we tell others to place Christ at the centre of their lives, let us make sure that He is at our centre.

Not only does our message lack power if Christ is not Lord in our lives, but we will not be taken seriously by people who can see the discrepancy between our words and our lives.

Somebody once said: "Who you are is shouting so loudly that I can't hear a word that you say."

---

EmmDev 2022-07-13 [Spiritual Growth] Telling others #2: The Starting point

Telling others #2: The Starting point

If we really have allowed Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, then witnessing will be much more of a response than a duty or requirement. What do I mean by this? Well, if we are really living with Christ at the center of our lives then people will be asking us about our faith and we will simply respond to their queries rather than having to find ways of starting evangelistic conversations.

Too many people think that faith-sharing must always be confrontational. While there are some examples of this in Scripture, it is more effective and important to get alongside people and have them come to us because they like what they see. (But we must not exclude the possibility that sometimes we need to start a conversation with a stranger or "get into someone's face", but this should only be at the express prompting of the Spirit with deep compassion and not because of guilt, arrogance or some kind of gospel "scalp-hunting" campaign.)

Peter calls on his readers to live such attractive lives that people will ask them about their faith. How is this done?

1. It starts with enthroning Jesus in our own hearts.
2. Then we live attractive lives that make others thirsty
3. We speak graciously and respectfully
4. We make sure our actions speak as loudly as our words do
   We'll explore these four ideas over the next few days...

In the meantime, we need to ask ourselves whether people around us see us as people of hope...
Do they see the love, faith, and hope of Christ shining in our hearts?

The children's song is true: Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.

But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you. (1Peter3:15-16)

---

EmmDev 2022-07-08 [Spiritual Growth] The Fifth Growth Principle: Telling Others #1

The Fifth Growth Principle: Telling Others #1

On the battlefield one has to stick to the last instructions of the commanding officer. Jesus' last instructions were that we should tell others. We call this witnessing, evangelism, mission, sharing our faith, and various other names.

We are not asked to win arguments or do mass-presentations. We not are asked to make converts, but we are asked to make disciples.
To make disciples: To speak and live the message of God's love in such a way that other people want what we've got, that other people are willing to follow the One we follow.

When we learn to live by this principle we are really growing in faith. When we are willing to speak up about something it is because we are convinced about what we are saying. Understanding God's love for us leads us to share it with others, and when this love makes an impact in other people's lives, it strengthens our faith.

Many are afraid to share their faith. They feel that they are not adequately prepared. They feel that they will not be able to win arguments or quote Bible verses. But there are only three real requirements for the successful transmission of faith:
-Love for God,
-love for people,
-and genuineness.

When these three are in place, then the rest will follow.

We best know our faith when we learn to give it away.
We best know our Saviour when we see Him at work in others.
We'll talk about practical faith-sharing next week!

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you even to the end of the age. (Matthew28:19)

---

EmmDev 2022-07-07 [Spiritual Growth] Obedience #3

Obedience #3

There is a famous novel based on our verse for today. It is the book "In His steps" by Charles M Sheldon and is about a town which is transformed when the minister asks church members not to do anything before they ask the question: "What Would Jesus Do?" (This is what inspired the WWJD armbands.)

If we really want to grow as Christians, then the imitation of Christ must be one of our serious goals. This means that in our day to day lives we begin to practice the principles of Christ-likeness at all costs:
- How would Jesus do business?
- How would Jesus talk about His colleagues?
- How would Jesus drive?
- How would Jesus fill out His tax return?

The growth comes in two parts: Firstly in our thinking. The more we think about the imitation of Jesus, the more we have to get to know Him. The more we want to imitate Jesus, the more we think about Him. The second aspect of our growth lies in the conscious changing of habits and behaviours. When we make these kinds of sacrifices we become better people and it brings us closer to God.

When theoretical belief becomes practical faith, there is nothing that can stop our growth!

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. (1Peter3:21)

---

EmmDev 2022-07-06 [Spiritual Growth] Obedience #2

Obedience #2

If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. (John14:15)

We obey for two reasons: Fear or Love. Fear is never a good motivator. It promotes double standards in the sense that we will "misbehave" when the "boss" isn't looking. Love on the other hand brings us to the point where we are consistent and constant in our obedience because supervision is not necessary.

Jesus asks us to love Him so much that we want to obey Him. We need to learn to be obedient in the little and the big things shows our love toward Him. When we choose to disobey on issues that we know He is talking to us about, we are showing a tragic disregard for His great love for us and a terrible underestimation of the sacrifice He made for us. It shows that we do not really take Him seriously.

The other aspect of obedience is that it is part of being filled with the Spirit. You will remember that we said that being filled with the Spirit is to be controlled by the Spirit. When we obey God we are showing a willingness to be led and guided by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a "body snatcher" - He does not make us do anything against our will. He wants us to relinquish and yield control to Him. Obedience is the way in which we do this.

There is an upward spiral here: The more we obey, the more the Holy Spirit can work in us, and then we are given the strength and the courage to obey even more, and the more we obey, the more the Holy Spirit can work in us, ....

That's an upward spiral I need in my life!!!

---

EmmDev 2022-07-01 [Spiritual Growth] Help from the Holy Spirit #5

Help from the Holy Spirit #5

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit" says the Lord. (Zechariah4:6)

The historical background to this Old Testament passage is that the Israelites had returned from exile in Babylon. They were a defeated and broken people and it fell upon the king Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua to rebuild the temple. This was a task that was deemed impossible:
- The people were demotivated,
- the city was in ruins,
- and the skilled artisans had remained in Babylon.

God gave Zechariah a vision and a promise that the task could be completed, but it required a change of mindset: they had to put their trust in the powerful working of the Spirit and not in human strength and effort.

There comes a time when we have to admit our inability to manage a task on our own. It is then that we must rely on God's help to accomplish the work He has given us to do. We must be clear here: God does not give us the power of His Spirit for us to accomplish tasks that we want to achieve. He gives us the energising power of His Spirit to help us achieve the things He has called us to.

Paul reminded the Ephesians that the power of the Holy Spirit working in them was the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. (The Greek word for "power" is "dunamis" which is where we get "dynamite," "dynamic," and "dynamo" from)

If we identify something God wants us to do and we choose not to put our faith in our own schemes and plans, then we can expect that God will do even more than we can ask or imagine.

The famous missionary Hudson Taylor said: "God's work, done God's way, will not lack God's supply."

---

EmmDev 2022-07-01 [Spiritual Growth] Help from the Holy Spirit #5

Help from the Holy Spirit #5

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit" says the Lord. (Zechariah4:6)

The historical background to this Old Testament passage is that the Israelites had returned from exile in Babylon. They were a defeated and broken people and it fell upon the king Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua to rebuild the temple. This was a task that was deemed impossible:
- The people were demotivated,
- the city was in ruins,
- and the skilled artisans had remained in Babylon.

God gave Zechariah a vision and a promise that the task could be completed, but it required a change of mindset: they had to put their trust in the powerful working of the Spirit and not in human strength and effort.

There comes a time when we have to admit our inability to manage a task on our own. It is then that we must rely on God's help to accomplish the work He has given us to do. We must be clear here: God does not give us the power of His Spirit for us to accomplish tasks that we want to achieve. He gives us the energising power of His Spirit to help us achieve the things He has called us to.

Paul reminded the Ephesians that the power of the Holy Spirit working in them was the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. (The Greek word for "power" is "dunamis" which is where we get "dynamite," "dynamic," and "dynamo" from)

If we identify something God wants us to do and we choose not to put our faith in our own schemes and plans, then we can expect that God will do even more than we can ask or imagine.

The famous missionary Hudson Taylor said: "God's work, done God's way, will not lack God's supply."

---