LESSON 2: SPIRITUAL GROWTH

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

LESSON 2

THE TURNING OF THE TIDE

Psalm 126

 

Have you ever had an experience so glorious that you had to pinch yourself to see if it was real? Sometimes, there is so much joy in our lives that it feels like a dream. This is the normal Christian life, the way God intends for us to live. Of course, this does not mean we will not face difficulties; yet, even then, we rejoice. This is wonderful, as it gives us the sense that we are moving forward in our spiritual lives. But this is not the final destination; rather, it is the beginning of our spiritual journey.

Glory is the continuous presence of God manifesting in our lives and in the church, the body of Christ. In the Old Testament, the glory dwelled in the temple. In the New Testament, the glory still dwells in a temple, because we are now the temple and dwelling place of God’s glory (1 Corinthians 3:16, 19). We no longer go in search of glory; instead, we carry the glory. We do not go to church simply because glory is present; rather, the glory remains within us, for we are the temple and dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

Confusion often arises, especially when God desires to do new things in our lives. Once we grasp this, it can bring an immense sense of relief and liberation. Emerging from confusion is a process through which God leads us out of inner turmoil, enabling us to understand His will and His purpose.

There comes a time in our lives when childhood must end, giving way to the school of the Spirit. We must understand what God is seeking to accomplish in our lives. To fully grasp this, we must be willing to embrace certain changes.

Many believers fail to distinguish between what is religious and what is spiritual. Today, there is so much religion in the world that it creates confusion. Religious activity is sterile, in fact, it can even be harmful. Religious activity can never be a substitute for spiritual maturity.

 

A SHIFT IN THE TIDE BRINGS ABOUT A CHANGE IN A PERSON’S LIFE:

A. Our mouths were filled with laughter: Deliverance

B. Our tongues, with songs: Praise and Worship

C. It was said among the nations: Evangelism

 

HOW DOES GOD CHANGE OUR LIVES? (John 7:37)

A. There comes a moment in our lives when God tells us to drink, to drink as much as we desire. Then, one day, rivers of living water will flow from within us (our spirit), this is evangelism.

B. God has provided drink for everyone; He pours out of Himself into us. But if there does not come a point in our lives when the tide changes direction and begins to flow toward others, we will remain in our infancy, in our immaturity.

C. The ocean tide reaches a point where it changes direction and turns back. Scientists can determine with precision the exact moment the tide will shift each day.

D. God knows each of us, and He knows that we all have different needs. Some of us need to drink more than others. But there comes a time when we have had enough to drink. Now is the moment to let some of those blessings flow through us to others.

 

SPIRITUAL MATURITY:

A. Spiritual maturity is when you begin to produce more than you consume. Most Christians are consumers; few experience the joy of being producers.

B. If the tide does not shift in your life, you will remain in a state of infancy. Everything God pours out stays in us and over time, it becomes stagnant.

C. Consider the difference between the Sea of ​​Galilee and the Dead Sea. Both are fed by the Jordan River, yet the Sea of ​​Galilee is teeming with life, while nothing can survive in the Dead Sea.

D. The difference is that the Sea of ​​Galilee has both an inlet and an outlet, whereas nothing flows out of the Dead Sea, it is a dead end.

 

GOD MUST SET THE CURRENT IN MOTION:

A. There must be a shift in the flow of your life: an inlet and an outlet.

B. This must also take place within the church. Some churches do nothing but drink in, and when there is no flow, no outlet, things become stagnant, and growth ceases. Spirituality is lost, replaced by a reliance on entertainment and emotionalism. Inevitably, problems will arise.

C. If God enables the current to flow in your life and in the church, there will be revival. If a point is reached in your life or in the church where the current stagnates, growth will cease and problems will arise.

D. Both you and the church must remain occupied; otherwise, problems will arise.

E. We must reach out to others.

The Lord praises and applauds the service we perform for Him. Many of the Lord’s parables were intended to inspire us to take action. He admires action, decisiveness, and determination.

The talents, abilities, and gifts that God has given us are lost if we do not exercise them. The capacity for enthusiasm, the appetite for spiritual things, the ability to see visions, the energy to work, and the spirit of sacrifice, all of these wither away and are lost when they are not used.