STOPPING STAGNANT SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Sermon Preached On Sunday 9th Jan, 2022.

HINDI TITLE: रुके हुए आत्मिक विकास को रोकना

SPIRITUAL MATURITY: Most importantly always, Always, ALWAYS continue to grow in the Lord. Always hunger and thirst for more. Never allow your self to stagnate in your walk with Christ. I have seen people that have been Christians for 20, 30, and 40 years who are still immature believers. They refused to grow and mature in their relationship with Christ.

• “The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “YOU HAVE STAYED LONG ENOUGH AT THIS MOUNTAIN. 7 BREAK CAMP AND ADVANCE into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.” ” Deuteronomy 1:6-8

In Other Words They Were Stagnant वे रुके हुए थे

Stagnant means sluggish, motionless and inactive. रुके हुए का अर्थ है सुस्त, गतिहीन और निष्क्रिय

This might be an accurate description of some people’s Christian walk.

• Some people are doing just that. They’re not living; they’re simply existing.
• They’re not engaging;
• They’re not bettering themselves or anyone else around them.
• They’re not doing anything with the new life that God gave them.

If that describes any of us here today we need to move beyond stagnation and into stimulation.

Stagnant water, stagnant spirituality, and the effects

Water stagnation occurs when water stops flowing and can actually become a major hazard. Stagnant water is not fit for drinking! It starts to get cloudy, discolored, stinky, grows bacteria, and makes a feeding and breeding ground for bugs and parasites. Yuck!

We can become stagnant spiritually too with some similar effects.

• Things can start to become cloudy and unclear when we become stagnant. We need constant clarification. Answers and direction don’t always come easy in this state.
• Things can also become somewhat discolored and appear abnormal when we become stagnant. We can sometimes get a sense that something just doesn’t look right or isn’t the same.
• Stagnancy also promotes bacteria growth which can be a spiritual parallel for things become infested and infected, almost as if we are spiritually sick. Stagnancy can lead to worsening, and parts of our spiritual growth and life can weaken and die.

When we are spiritually stagnant, it can also lead to a nasty stench to God’s nose.

• “…These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.” Isaiah 65:5b (NLT)

Additionally, just like stagnant water attracts bugs and parasites (and apparently snapping turtles!), a stagnant spirit will also invite in unwanted intruders. Spiritual stagnancy invites apathy, negative attitudes, un-Christlike and sinful actions, and even Satan (I guess he’s like the snapping turtle!).

God does NOT want us to become spiritually stagnant!

• “It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good or evil!’” Zephaniah 1:12 (NASB)
• “You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit.” Revelation 3:16 (MSG)

• Would you rather be a tumbleweed or an oak in your influence on others?
• क्या आप दूसरों पर अपने प्रभाव में एक जंगली घास या बरगद का पेड़ बनोगे ?

That’s the question posed by Galen Anderson, who wrote, “A man’s life is like either the tumbleweed or the oak tree.

Some people just grow like the weed.

• They are of no value in their youth, and as the years of life come they break loose and become a blemish on society.
• They have no useful purpose in life — just drifters.
• Their loved ones will mourn their loss, but society will not miss them.

Then there are those whose lives are like the oak.

• They have turned from the unimportant things and have invested in things that have genuine worth.
• Their influence for good will live on in the lives of others after they are gone.
• Their death is noticed because their lives were spent bettering the nation and the community. They will be missed.

Life has a dynamic need for growth. Living things must grow in order to thrive and mature. Where there is no growth there is nothing but drifting.

Think about all of the various things in nature that require growth

• Babies must grow to reach maturity. Can you even imagine a baby that would not be able to grow?
• Plants have to sprout from seeds and grow to produce flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables. Would there be any point in planting seeds if they never grew?

Jesus is looking out for good soil for growth of his seed.

• Matthew 13:1-9…1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.” 

Look closely at what Jesus says here. He is searching for good soil to place the seed of His word, the seed of His power and the seed of His provision.

The question remains is this: If the church is meant to grow, what is keeping us from growing?

The spiritual soil of the church has become polluted, making it difficult for growth.

• Rocks of hardened hearts, stubborn attitudes and unsurrendered lives
• Weeds of complaining and disobedience work their way up and into our lives
• Thorns of prayerlessness, negative attitudes and selfishness choke the life right out of us.

Six Thorns in our Spiritual Soil

1. IGNORING GOD[ I DON’T CARE TO LISTEN]

• Matthew 13:9..He who has ears, let him hear

Jesus was encountering a major road block to His ministry and message. The people were literally ignoring Him. Our church is experiencing the same problem today, people are ignoring Jesus.

What am I talking about?

• When you are prompted to come to the altar and you refuse to move from your seat – you are ignoring Him
• When God speaks to your heart telling you to give and you don’t – you are ignoring Him
• When God tells you to testify and you remain silent – you are ignoring Him

Ignoring God is a dangerous business because His direction is the only thing that you can count on in life. When you ignore him you lose that direction.

2. DISOBEDIENCE [I DON’T WANT TO DO IT]

• Luke 11:27-28..27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” 28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

When you make the choice to do the opposite of what God wants you to do it is disobedience. Obedience is a choice that you and I make on a daily basis. It part and parcel with our walking with God. You cannot walk with God if you walk in disobedience.

Most people are not radically disobedient with God overnight. It begins small and slowly grows until large portions of a person’s life are in rebellion.

3. COMPLAINING [I DON’T LIKE IT- मुझे यह पसंद नहीं है]

• Do everything without complaining or arguing, Philippians 2:14

Paul calls the church to do everything without complaining. Everything means just that everything..

There are some people who can find something to complain about everywhere they go, even church. Imagine that someone complaining in the church.

The word for complain means to have a persistently bad attitude. It is a continual grumbling about something.

• Complaining flows out of a lack of contentment.
• Complaining is simply not being satisfied with what God is doing.

The Israelites complained about God in the Wilderness and it got them all killed literally. Complaining does no one any good especially the person doing the complaining.

4. APATHY उदासीनता (I DON’T CARE- मुझे परवाह नहीं)

• 2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. 3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. 4 Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Psalm 86:2-5

Apathy is the result of an ongoing lack of care. उदासीनता निरंतर परवाह की कमी का परिणाम है There is no such thing as a perfect church just like there is no perfect pastor or perfect church member. Our problem is that we become frustrated with the things we want to see in the church that we forget that not everything in church is going to go our way. If you want to go to a better church start putting some effort into the one you’re in.

Many people look at other churches and see different programs and different things and maybe even envy not having those things in our church. Every single church that you look at has problems. They might different from the ones we are experiencing but they are there. Don’t fool yourself there is no such thing as a church without problems..

You need to stop looking around at other churches and make a decision to either be part of this church or not. Stop playing church games and make a commitment.

5. LACK OF INTEREST OR NO INVOLVEMENT रूचि की कमी या कोई भागीदारी नहीं [ I DON’T WANT TO- मुझे नहीं चाहिए]

• “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men. Mark 1:17

There are two things that Jesus says to the disciples here and we cannot miss them.

1.) Come and follow me

Remember that both of these are commands and that means that they are not optional. If you’re a Christian you have to follow Jesus. Trying to be a Christian without following Jesus is like being a person without oxygen – dead.

2.) I will make you fishers of men

Illustration: Newport has an amazing aquarium that has some many different kinds of fish in it that you have a hard time seeing them all. One of the amazing thing was just how much it takes to keep the place running. There are millions of gallons of water, thousands of pounds of food and hundreds of staff to make things happen. All of that just to maintain the aquarium.

Our problem is that we have become content with being keepers of the aquarium rather than being fishers of men. We have lost our interest in reaching the lost.

The purpose of believers is to follow Jesus and be fishers of men.

6. SELFISHNESS [I WILL DO WHAT I LIKE]

• An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1

We have made selfishness into it own art form. We have become so selfish that we don’t even recognize that we have become selfish. Selfishness is so rampant in the church that people throw fits over the color of paint, the time of service and a host of other things.

Selfishness is essentially this: placing what you think is right before what God says is right. We place the desire of what we want ahead of what God wants and desires for us and the church.

You don’t have to like everything that goes on in the church. You’re not going to be ministered to by every single thing that the church does.

• There will be some songs that aren’t your favorite.
• There might be some messages that you don’t think are the greatest.
• There might be some ministries that don’t work for you. The goal of the church is to reach the lost

Who are you serving? Are you serving yourself or are you serving God?

Conclusion: Today are you going to help clean up the spiritual soil of the church?

There can be no true growth without your involvement. You are the key because when your soil is fertile, then Jesus can use you to reach this lost world.

How To Stop Stagnant Spiritual Growth?

1. Admit that there is problem – The first step toward righteousness is to admit the fact that God is right and you are wrong. The truth is that we are all wrong at different times in life and we all know it. The problem is being big enough to face it, admit it.
2. Confess it – This morning if God is speaking to you about one or more of these issues you need to make things right with Him. Stop waiting for the perfect circumstances to deal with God because there won’t be any. Deal with God now. Confession is nothing more than coming before God and admitting that you are wrong. Confession is telling God that you are sorry for your mistakes and your wrongs.
3. The Way Forward: Dependent Discipline- How do we start moving again? We must realize that spiritual growth is not all our doing, nor is it all God’s doing. It involves submitting to God, cooperating with him, participating in his plan. We move forward in the journey of spiritual formation, not by handling everything ourselves, nor by handing everything over to God, but by displaying dependent discipline. As Paul puts it, we “work out,” and God “works within.”

First, “Set your minds on things that are above” where Christ is (Col 3:1-2). One way to flourish spiritually is keep your mind occupied with Christ, thinking about him, reading about him, praying to him, talking to your family about him.

Second, “put to death what is earthly in you” (Col 3:5). It begins with dependence on the Spirit as you zero in on your “beloved lusts,” or your particular sin problems, by memorizing Scripture to use as a sword when you are tempted.

Third, “let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col 3:16). Keep yourself acquainted, with your Bible. Be patient and simply let the word speak to you. Just listen to God.

Fourth, “sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Col 3:16) Make your home a place of praise. Fill it with a spirit of worship. It’ll be like a touch of heaven for you.

Fifth, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17) Wash away your tendency to grumble with a glad wave of gratefulness. Don’t look at anything except to find something of God’s goodness in it. Every task should be sanctified by worship as thanksgiving.

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