POTHOLES THAT HINDER SPIRITUAL GROWTH?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
(There is a part #1 STUPIDITY: TO GROW OR NOT TO GROW, THAT IS THE QUESTION?) Stupidity of sameness. #2 but grow in grace… This is part #3: POTHOLES THAT HINDER GROWTH.
We need to challenge every Christian worker to focus on SPIRITUAL GROWTH. We will face many hindrances and obstacles to spiritual growth. We must allow the Holy Spirit to help us discern the potholes that will knock our wheels out of alignment.
WHO OR WHAT IS HOLDING US FROM OUR SPIRITUAL POTENTIAL? COULD WE HAVE SOME BAD ATTITUDES THAT ARE DWARFING WHAT WE COULD BE DOING FOR THE CROSS…
THERE COULD BE SOME EXTERNAL AS WELL AS INTERNAL ISSUES THAT ARE HAMPERING SPIRITUAL GROWTH. WHAT IS HOLDING MANY SPIRITUAL LEADERS AND CHURCHES FROM PERSONAL GROWTH? I am not just discussing church attendance or budgets.
Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Galatians 5:7 (MSG) You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience?
WHAT DETERMINES OUR GROWTH? I AM TOLD IF YOU PUT A FISH IN A SMALL BOWL IT WILL STAY SMALL.
Take the same fish and put it in a medium aquarium the fish will grow larger. Take that same fish and release it in the ocean it can grow to weigh several hundred pound. The size of the environment can affect the growth ability. There is a sad tendency with a low priority on spiritual growth. We must correct this problem.
IGNORANCE AND STUPIDITY BECOME HINDRANCES TO GOD … (See part #1 Stupidity: To grow or not to grow?)
We learn ignorance is not knowing any better. Stupidity is to know better and not do it…
Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
Matthew 22:29 (MSG) Jesus answered, "You're off base on two counts: You don't know your Bibles, and you don't know how God works.
Matthew 22:29 (NLT2) Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.
Hosea 4:6 (MSG) My people are ruined because they don't know what's right or true. Because you've turned your back on knowledge, I've turned my back on you priests. Because you refuse to recognize the revelation of God, I'm no longer recognizing your children.
*GROW: DEVELOPMENT BY INCREASING, PROGRESS, MATURITY, CHANGE, GREATER, ADVANCEMENT, BETTER, SUCCESS, EXPAND, OPTIMISTIC, OPPORTUNITY, IMPROVE, LEARN, FLOURISH, ACCOMPLISH GOALS.
Am I asking myself AM I GROWING by faith? As we learn more and more about God we learn to trust His plan more and more. We learn as we trust by faith that we CAN LEAN ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS OF AN OMNIPRESENT GOD. The more we read, learn and believe God’s word GROWTH will become second nature. Good healthy growth takes a plan involving time and effort. Is my compassion and love growing? DO WE VALUE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OR ARE WE STAYING IN THE SAME PLACES? Spiritual growth will help us deal with our emotional and spiritual UPS and DOWNS.
WE HAVE AN ENEMY THAT WILL DO ANYTHING HE CAN TO HINDER HEALTHY SPIRITUAL GROWTH. FIRST LET US KNOW THERE IS A TERRIBLE ENEMY OF GROWTH AND THAT THE ENEMY OF YOUR SOUL, SATAN (52xs), THE DEVIL, BEELZEBUB, SATAN, ACCUSER, TEMPTER AND FATHER OF LIES..
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
HIDDEN AND UNCONFESSED SIN. LONG TERM UNCONFESSED SIN HINDERS GOD’S ABILITY TO USE YOU.
Psalm 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
ISOLATION AND FROZEN COMMUNICATION LINES… WILL ALWAYS HINDER GROWTH…
The enemy caught Eve away from Adam. The ISOLATION weakened --- TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER…
FORGET NOT TO COMMUNICATE. WHERE 2 OR 3 AGREE TOGETHER…
Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
BEING UNEQUALLY YOKED… HINDERS SPIRITUAL GROWTH. (WRONG FRIENDS)
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
ABRAHAM HAD TO SEPARATE FROM LOT… The disagreements got larger and larger until Abraham had to leave Lot behind..
JUDGMENTALISM: BIG MOUTH GOSSIPERS PLACE GARBAGE IN YOUR EARS THAT ATTACH TO YOUR SPIRIT… TO JUDGE OTHERS HAS A BOOMERANG EFFECT.
Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
LET US LOOK AT WHAT IS HINDERING GROWTH BECAUSE OF THE WRONG PRIORITIES AND DISTRACTIONS. THEN THAT WILL CAUSE US TO LOSE OUR FOCUS AND PRIORITIES…
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
ONE OF THE HINDERING GROWTH BAD HABITS IS UNTHANKFUL AND CONSTANT NEGATIVE ATTITUDES THAT BECOME A RUT TO DEATH. WHERE IS OUR JOY AND PEACE?
Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Proverbs 23:7 (a) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
BEING OFFENDED AND LIVING IN ANGER, BITTERNESS AND UNFORGIVENESS WILL KILL GROWTH DEADER THAN A DOOR NAIL.
Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
ABUSE OR NEGLECT BOTH CAN AFFECT GROWTH PATTERNS…
1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
LUST AND FLESHLY DESIRES WILL KILL ANY ATTEMPT TO GROW…
LUST CAN NOT WAIT, FEW KNOW THE DIFFERENCE IN LUST AND LOVE…
*Lust: eye candy, a feeling that alters behavior patterns, a desire for pleasure, a strong craving, strong uncontrolled sexual desire. Lust can be more than sexual desire, it can be coveting or envy.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:16 (MSG) Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.
GROWTH IS HINDERED BY LOVING DARKNESS AND HATING THE LIGHT…
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
GOOD GROWTH CAN BE KILLED BY THE SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE, THE DESIRE TO BE ACCEPTED AND THE DESIRE FOR POPULARITY…
Pharaoh agreed to let Moses go, just leave family? Just leave possessions? Just leave animals?
GROWTH CAN BE HINDERED BECAUSE THERE IS A GREAT FALLING AWAY….
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
GROWTH IS HINDERED BECAUSE THE CHURCH LOOKS AND ACTS LIKE THE WORLD… PEOPLE LOVE THE WORLD MORE THAN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE WORD OF GOD.
My friend, if your attitudes and reactions are like the world, if you look like the world, act like the world, talk like the world and smell like the world you probably are the world.
THERE CAN BE AN ISSUE OF PRIDE AND ELITISM… THAT WILL HINDER GROWTH… EGO ---pride goes before the fall
CONCLUSION: A QUITING ATTITUDE… BUSYNESS… I AM SO TIRED… WE HAVE A PERPETUAL OBSTACLE TO GROWTH BECAUSE SUBMISSION HAS BECOME A DIRTY WORD IN THE MODERN CHURCH… Seems we have many rooms in our hearts. We yield many of our attitudes and thoughts to God… But it is easy to hide some of the darker rooms in our heart from the Holy Spirit. For growth to occur we must unlock and open every door and shine the light of the Holy Spirit in the rooms.
BE LIKE A TREE THAT IS PLANTED BY THE WATER…
Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol..com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
