R464 Gratitude for Spiritual Growth

Attitude of gratitude. My grandfather said it may be yours. It is well today. We understand that from a biblical perspective with Dr. Don Wilton welcome to The Encouraging Word, featuring the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton, and today his message of gratitude for spiritual growth is a perfect thing for us to embrace here in this time of Thanksgiving.

We just want you know that were so grateful for the opportunity to spend some time in God's word on a daily basis will head to first Peter chapter 2 verse two in just a moment as we do so, another available for you, even on a holiday you like to have someone pray with you and for you.

Our team is ready to take your call right now at 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 regretted her keyboard keyboard will meet you online@twonline.org tewonline.org.org. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time this Thanksgiving. I want to question if we were given an opportunity to say to our children. We want them to have one thing in life, to the exclusion of everything else that started strong in this life and Sarah's moms in bed is necessary in order to provide children. Since we were deciding to rock children.

Some one that is going to live this life it's going to enjoy life status times of life that one. I want you and I would say as I began to study first Peter chapter 2 God began to speak to my own heart and I want to share this with you today. I want you to lay with me to first Peter chapter 2. I'm probably going right away this morning because I'm going to read to you the short list passage versus phrase of Scripture that I think I've ever read in a worship service because this one phrase has spoken so much to my own heart this Thanksgiving time knobby flag turning their savings to you concerned about the physical well-being of all family members. I think we would agree we would say to sons and brothers, we want you to have good nutrition. The problem with that, we agree with. We want you to be healthy want you to go down to the noblest fitness center. We want you to take care of your body.

We want you to eat when I get the proper exercise that you need want you to be well physically about mental well-being. We would have no problem we would say Sunday after I want you to read good books. I want you to be educated want you to go to school. I want you to learn. I want you to travel and we could go on and on.

In fact, one of the things that we as a society have every right to be very sad and in fact angry about is when we read about criminal negligence. As far as children are concerned. There is nothing that is perhaps more serious than a parent to neglect his child and every now and again.

Sadly enough communities. We hear of an occasion when a child is being left abandoned role that I haven't received the proper poodle something is being done like that. And there are criminal charges that come because of the laws about land and we believe in that but you know something that the apostle Peter writing in the second chapter of his epistle in chapter and verse two he sees finger on something and today I want to speak to you this Thanksgiving on gratitude Thanksgiving gratitude but not for family, not concrete, but the wonderful things which are wonderful and very necessary, but I want us to have gratitude to buy for spiritual growth. That's strange that the strangest thing to focus all you see in in in in first chapter to listen to what happens and I'm going to just read this one phrase six of the second part of verse two you so that you may grow in your salvation you see that there down the King James version and the original text. This is what it says it says so that you might in respect of your salvation and anything even direct consolation and frames. This is very important to listen to this that truly means to reciting some lighting in to receive benefits celebration. That's what it means to be in respect of her salvation means to receive benefits of everything that God has done for you and that God is given to know that as a believer.

God makes the riches of his grace available to us. We have numerous lead gigantic eat all that we can tap into God's strength whereby God offers to nourish us as we move through the fabric about human existence. I'm going to say to you that I'm going to agree to die and give God thanks for spiritual growth.

I'm going to say that to you as a congregation is God says to my own walking as he speaks to all of us today that it is absolutely paramount that about things that we do that we focus our minds on growing spiritually strong folks watch me. I want to say this as lovingly as I possibly can. There are some W worshiping with us. You know the Lord Jesus Christ.

You've trusted him.

But you are not growing spiritually, you have made a decision and through your actions and activities all being the tribe of God has made available to you and you will not growing spiritually, Peter puts it like this.

He says like new born babies drama land-grant what he is saying is simply this, babies crying, spiritual mode, so that by you might engross all and be and will see that which God has made available to you throughout the fabric of human experience. You see when you grow strong spiritually you going to be able to handle the good times and the bad times you know that there are many, many believers divided God pours out his blessings upon them, but they don't know how to handle blessings you know why because I haven't grown spiritually show you businessman to the broadest blast businessmen, business ladies, God's grace doing business. And because God has blessed you and you had this outpouring of God's grace.

It is the most wonderful thing but you don't know how to handle it. Many times a business person was a believer whose blaster hasn't grown spiritually.

Once they are placed in business by type of foot and ankle and they begin to serve them so they become directly instead of God direct they become receivers instead of begin the game with strings attached. They begin to give all the blessings so that they would get glory rather than that God would get the glory. You see, they are not strong, spiritually. Likewise, people who suffer. People who are deprived people who have found themselves in the most predicaments have not grown spiritually. They have nothing upon which to stand. The many examples of this in the Scriptures. I say just been with you Dimas spelled DEM Dimas was someone who knew Jesus Christ by the firm and why fact in second Timothy chapter 4 verse 10. The Bible says this Dimas having loved this present world, has presented me and gone to Thessalonica policy.

There was a Carla and Priscilla does an example of all the cop who knew Jesus Christ and they represent slow but steady growth.

I love equivalent person came to know Christ but slow and steady growth in the Lord listen to acts chapter 18 verse 26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue when Priscilla and they took him aside and began to explain to him the word of God more accurately we have a group of people lack a clearly weaker limb.

Steady freebies. This is the people you can just been bombed by the salt of the earth by waterways that the Bible tells us that these two people.

Unlike Dimas and fellow why the folks.

If you believe that you called Fairlane lose your salvation but I'll tell you what you can. You can write and lose the benefit of your salvation.

You can be the riches of God's grace and Priscilla does it. Example these people just was standing. They began to grow. Examples drawn more John walking someone who drifted away from God, but came back. He returned and came back in his spirit. Acts chapter 12 verse 12 when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John was all by way.

That's why we call him John Ball, the Bible, closing bed and read. We read about that many many times. Acts chapter 15 listen to what happened in next chapter 15 verse 37 John wall actually drifted away and kept on insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted him in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work in second Timothy chapter 4 verse 11 was sudden close is only as with me, so wanted to go and pick up ball and bring him with you. He is useful to me. What about grandma John Locke was a man who may stop the drift to the right, but he came back he returned he was an elastic because he was going strong.

Please forgive the interruption you're listening to Dr. Don Wilton on The Encouraging Word and we want to remind you we are here for you love talk and pray with you anytime the 866-899-WORD number that's 866-899-6734. Let's connect online@twonline.org that's TW online.org the perfect place to connect with resources to help you grow back to the states message.

Another example would be an obvious one is a man who, from the Damascus Road experience immediately began to close. So what happened to pull because of me.

Spiritual growth plan was able to stay strong in difficult times.

Let me read to you about in Philippians chapter 4 verse 11 he said, I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

He said I know what it is to be me. I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation where the real hungry where the living and plenty early one I can do everything gives me strength inside me to buy pasta. What is one thing that I can insist upon for my children). Chapter 2 verse two where the apostle says listen I see this my friend is not a suggestion, this is not some kind of little advice that Peter is giving to us.

It's an imperative. It's an absolute Kaman pieces insist that claim spiritual mode in that you might grow spiritually. Folks watch me. Everybody watch me some of you to go on not growing spiritually. Some of you are not growing spiritually not going to switch gives you a little bit. I'm going to do something very practical. I hope you brought your brains out there on day to give you my top 10 list that may tell you that you not growing spiritually got off the top 10 signs that you not growing spiritually. Are you ready for this. All I number 10 number 10 you have to watch your language at church all around certain people. That's a sign that you're not growing your language is different when you're not at church when you come to church when you're around certain people. You gotta be very careful what you say, that's a sign that you not growing spiritually number nine, nine you have to hide certain items in your grocery cart in case someone might see the glossy some people looking nervous here this morning.

There it is, you have to hide certain items in your grocery cart just in case someone might see them. That's a sign that you not growing spiritually, you know, when you have to put the peanut butter in the ketchup everything on top of whatever it is when you go up to pay at the cashier your you're in the state of nervous tension because someone may see what's in your grocery cart that's assigned perhaps that you're not growing spiritually number eight number eight you have limited to anyone about the Lord Jesus Christ was so long ago, you cannot remember, that's a sign that you not growing spiritually on mixtures turn that around a little but when lost, did you talk to someone about the Lord Jesus Christ not be honest now folks about this.

It's a sign that you're not growing spiritually, not talking to believe is your folks you love the Lord you given your heart to Jesus Christ but you have not anyone about the level and if you do not think it was a long time ago. You cannot remember number seven number seven doesn't talk Lorna no one outside of your church even knows that you request, and if they do, it would embarrass now that's a sign that you not growing spiritually so I want you to go with me. I want you to move tomorrow tomorrow morning you would work your at your place of business, young people, you're at school, college students, you on the college campus. Wofford will converse. Nobody else knows that you're a Christian now you're in church this morning. That's right, you may be seated next to a friend who goes to church with you and they know but nobody else knows you Christian and find out it would embarrass now folks obviously I'm just trying when I was in the Army.

I nearly died one time when someone came up to me and say good ideas somewhere that your father's. I preacher Borat tell you what I wanted to climb under the sand.

I mean I was so embarrassed. Someone found out my father was a minister on me, let alone asking me if I was a good that's a sure sign you're not growing spiritually alive. Number six, number six, nine is a very tough one to listen to this you know about your favorite bird team than you do about the apostles in the Bible. Listen when it comes to Clemson. The gamecocks of the princes of the New Orleans Saints will Wofford will converse well, whatever you want your favorite bird team you know about them. You know who plays werewolf position you know when the coaches fired ghetto newspaper articles was being hired. You speculate you release the details about your favorite bird team you know about your ability than you do about the apostles that is assigned to not growing spiritually on number five number five you have not memorized any Scriptures since you were in vacation Bible school. That's a sure sign that you growing spiritually. All I think we touching a few nerves yields more.

Remember when you went vacation Bible school.

We love it here at first Baptist that will have 800 children melodically hearing what you remember those days when you student you studied and you memorize scripture stood to attention you quoted and you got straws in the winter along on my progress on you and that it was just wonderful.

But since that time autonomously before the Lord you've never learned another verse of Scripture are bound the soul, for you are absolutely convinced that the story of King Midas is in the Bible. Now this is a sign like this, but you not growing spiritually by the way, I had several I wanted to put in along that line but I thought I just talk with King Midas all I absolutely convinced that that that he is in the Bible. I mean I was even thinking of Santa Claus. Santa Claus in the Scripture okay you absolutely convinced number three, number three, the only time you give to God is on Sunday morning if it's convenient that my friends listen I'm preaching to the choir this morning.

You're all here and I'm so grateful that I want you to. I want you to think about this. If the only time you give to God is on Sunday morning, you probably on growing spiritually.

Some of you failing to that category. I'm going to say to you, it's impossible. You cannot be at church every time the doors of I'm not advocating that. But if you would put out your weekly schedule and the busyness of your life.

Things that you have to do the places you have to be the Dames the carrying children with the decisions the lunches and everything else in between, and you find in you discovering your weekly schedule with the only time you got from God is one hour from 1050 until 12 o'clock on Sunday mornings. The tranches all that you not growing spiritually, folks, I want you to watch me coming to church once on a Sunday is wonderful. It's wonderful. I pray that God by his grace could see the churches of this community packed out on Sunday morning but I promise you, you will not grow spiritually.

If that is the total sum of your spiritual commitment on number two number two getting down to the bottom here.

Sure sign that you not growing spiritually. If prayers sound just like within the basic that's a good grade play.

By the way, I could play one right now I'm sitting down to a good meal but if prayers sound just like this by the same old thing more or less awesome baseless food and everybody around this table, I mean in all your prayers. It's probably a sign that you're not growing spiritually in the number one number one you can't find your Bible I try to think about benefiting the number one spot. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some worship with us today that if the truth were known, you can't find your Bible anyway, the reason you don't come to church with the Bible is because you can't find not be honest before God. You love the Lord, you've given your talk to him you been forgiven of your sin generated Bible is maybe when you do find it best to maybe look up something in time of need and then it goes back on the shelf again to new signs that perhaps would indicate that you not growing spiritually listen to what Peter says penis is so that by what Bible cleaving off the spiritual food so that you may grow spiritually in respect of her celebration this Thanksgiving. I want us to think about gratitude for spiritual. It is very important it is for married couples and couples about to be married and college students and young people and moms and dads and those in Windows. So the question becomes, these are signs that I'm not growing spiritually, God is speaking to me about it. How can I grow spiritually to some of the things that I can do in order to be strong in order to stay strong in difficult times. Let me give you some suggestions. Number one get involved in Bible study course leading role in a Bible study because now folks are not going to ask you to put up a hand. This morning on but if I was to say to you this morning. How many of you went to Bible study this morning. I wonder how many of you could put up your I will never quit saying to you. You must get involved in Bible study, you must do that some of you going to say to me foster but I don't have the time. I can only get up by 10 o'clock on Saturday. Sunday mornings I kinds of reasons, God will bless you when you coming to a Sunday school, Bible study, is what happens you will fellowship with people you will receive instruction in the word of God, my wonderful teacher will find us in your time of need and when you suffer in certain ways. Those of the people who obeyed O'Reilly around you just amazes me every time I go to the hospital anytime there's a crisis. Sunday school and Bible study members. The you want to say pasta. What can I do to grow spiritually, you need to getting all one on one worth every week. Bible study class number two, number two, you need to develop a personal plan for studying the Bible and dividing the habit of having your own quiet time every day, folks. This is very difficult.

I'm going to stand let abound and tell you it is the single most difficult thing that I grapple with as a pastor and that my surprise Serrano preacher menu folks, there is a difference between me starting the word of God and preparing to feed God's sheep and studying the word of God. So the dog could feed the sheep. I have to discipline myself and it's difficult because I don't have time to do what I want you to know grow spiritually must develop a plan you don't have one, lost his odd love to help you to show number three number three you want to grow spiritually come to church more often been on Sunday mornings on the awful number for attempt to show your faith with someone. Don't talk to someone about the move. Number five-lost people and will help you to grow spiritually. Number six discovering what God would have you to do service. Also, Bob lived what he want me to do to serve you see folks the Christian life is so much more than just listening what we've listened and we've heard the truth of God's word are favored more than Dr. Wilton on the vets with his prayer is that you would hear. Instead, the word of God come to life.

Your loved and pursued before we get away closing thoughts from our pastor and chief encouragement Dr. Don Wilton are you ready to give you a heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now.

Dear God, I know that Arneson and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news.

Welcome to the family of God. Some of you I never prayed to receive Christ for the first time some re-dedicating your life. Either way, we have wonderful resources want to put in your hands just need to call and let us know what 866-899-WORD 86689673 or online@twonline.org every single day every 24 hour period somebody new says yes to Jesus Christ and we do that together with a group we call encouragers Dolores will you join her for an hour in January to read just line lot for you to become a monthly partner in The Encouraging Word 899 way you can help support Newegg and The Encouraging Word today 668-9993. The Encouraging Word is a newer listener supported ministry pain listening to my times gone for today which one is online between now and tomorrow's great broadcast you can be. Visit tewonline.org either TW online.org