SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN SELF REFLECTION

PRAY

THE AUTO INDUSTRY & OTHER INDUSTRIES & ORGANIZATIONS HAVE FOR YEARS SOUGHT TO BE BETTER & BETTER & SAFER & SAFER AS THEY GROW & CONTINUE TO EXIST.

THE 1ST PATENTED SEAT BELT CAME ABOUT IN 1885 BY EDWARD J CLAGHORN WHO DESIGNED IT TO GO IN TAXI’S IN NEW YORK TO PROTECT RIDERS. (2 WHEEL HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE)

THIS IDEA FOR SAFETY SLOWLY TOOK HOLD & SOON AUTOMOBILES WERE A THING & OWNERSHIP & USE STARTED GROWING AND AS MORE & MORE CARS STARTED BEING ON THE ROAD & GOING FASTER & FASTER WAS NORMALIZED & UNFORTUNATELY MORE & MORE FATALITIES HAPPENED WHICH LED OUR GOVERNMENT TO MANDATE THAT CARS SOLD IN THE USA COME EQUIPPED WITH SEAT BELTS & EVENTUALLY WERE MANDATED BY LAW TO BE WORN.

IN THE AIM TO PROTECT THE CONSUMERS OF AUTOMOBILES MUCH STUDY HAS BEEN DONE TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF & SERVIVABILITY IF YOU ARE IN AN ACCIDENT.

THEY KINDA STARTED OUT WITH JUST LAP BELTS , THEN WENT TO THE 3 POINT BELT TO HELP PROTECT THE UPPER BODY, THEN WITH MORE STUDY THEY ADDED AIR BAGS IN THE STEERING WHEEL & DASHBOARD , THEN SIDE AIRBAGS & ANTI LOCK BREAKS & TRACTION CONTROL & SENSORS TO CORRECT IF YOUR ABOUT TO CROSS OVER A LINE ON THE ROAD.....

THE POINT IS THAT WE ARE SAFER NOW THAN WE EVER HAVE BEEN IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT , AND WE HAVE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT BY LOOKING AT & EVALUATING CRASHES IN THE PAST & SEEING HOW WE CAN PROTECT PEOPLE BETTER & HOW TO AVOID CAR CRASHES...

WELL BROTHER DANIEL HOW DOES THIS FIT IN WITH CHURCH ?

I AM GLAD YOU ASKED.... HERE WE ARE AT THE START OF A NEW YEAR SO BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO IT WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK BACK AT OUR LAST YEAR , ALL THE CRASHES THAT WE HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW , THOSE MOMENTS WHEN PEOPLE TRIED OUR PATIENCE , PUSHED OUR BUTTONS, SAID MEAN THINGS THAT RUBBED US THE WRONG WAY, TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS , HARDSHIPS WE HAVE GONE THROUGH, HAVE WE KEPT UP OUR DEVOTIONAL LIFE , HAVE WE SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR OUR FAMILY & OTHERS IN OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE, HAVE WE DISCIPLED OUR CHILDREN & ENCOURAGED OUR SPOUSES?

IN SHORT, HAVE WE GROWN THIS PAST YEAR IN OUR CHRISTIAN JOURNEY? ARE WE BETTER THIS YEAR THAN LAST?

THE AUTO INDUSTRY HAS MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO SAFETY BY EXAMINING ALL ASPECT OF A CRASH, REMEMBER THE CRASH TEST DUMMIES ? YOU COULD LEARN A LOT FROM A DUMMY.....

IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY PERFECT WOULD BE NO FATALITIES FROM AUTO ACCIDENTS, THAT IS THE GOAL, THAT IS PERFECTION!

WHAT WOULD THE CHURCH LOOK LIKE IF WE REALLY DID THIS IN OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS ? WOULD WE BE CHANGING , WOULD WE BE IMPROVING ?

IN OUR CHRISTIAN JOURNEY , JESUS IS PERFECTION, WE AIM TO BE LIKE HIM !!!

New Living Translation (MATT 3:16-17)

16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

DO YOU WANT THE HEAVENS OPENED TO YOU ? & FOR THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO REST UPON YOU? & FOR THE ALMIGHTY FATHER TO BE WELL PLEASED WITH YOU?

WHEN YOU EXAMINE YOURSELF , COMPARE YOURSELF TO JESUS, WHO WAS PERFECT!! BECAUSE GOD DESIRES FOR US TO BE LIKE HIM !!!

IT IS GOD’S WILL THAT WE BE LIKE & ACT LIKE JESUS ! ROM 8:28, 29

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

AFTER WE REPENT OF OUR SINS AND ACCEPT THAT JESUS PAID FOR OUR SINS ON THE CROSS WE ARE SAVED & OUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN DOWN IN THE LAMBS BOOK OF LIFE, THEN WE START THE PROCESS OF BECOMING LIKE JESUS.

IT IS A LIFELONG PROCESS CALLED SANCTIFICATION, IT’S THE PROCESS OF BECOMING HOLY , BECOMING LIKE JESUS!

IN THIS PROCESS I KNOW SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE WE WILL NEVER GET THERE.

BUT IN THIS PROCESS I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO STOP & REVIEW HOW WE ARE GROWING TO BE LIKE JESUS, OR HOW WE HAVE FAILED TO BE LIKE JESUS SO WE CAN MAKE CHANGES TO IMPROVE - SIMILAR TO THE AUTO INDUSTRY!

I ASSURE YOU THAT NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU HAVE FOLLOWED JESUS , YOU CAN COMPARE YOURSELF TO JESUS AND FIND ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

I CAUTION YOU NOT TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER CHRISTIANS , I REMEMBER WHEN I USED TO WORK FOR A COMPANY WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR EVALUATIONS THAT I WOULD COMPARE MYSELF TO MY CO-WORKERS , BUT THAT DIDN’T HELP ME BE THE BEST I COULD BE , IT ONLY HELPED ME BE AS GOOD AS MY CO-WORKER.

COMPARING MY IMPERFECTIONS TO SOMEONE ELSE’S IMPERFECTIONS LIMITS ME TO THAT PERSONS IMPERFECTIONS , GOD HAS A HIGHER STANDARD THAN MY BROTHERS IMPERFECTIONS ! THE AIM IS CHRIST ! PERFECTION !

I PROMISE YOU BY THE WORD OF GOD THAT IF YOU WANT TO BE LIKE CHRIST & LAY YOURSELF OUT BARE BEFORE THE ALMIGHTY, HE WILL NOT ONLY SHOW US OUR IMPERFECTIONS BUT WILL HELP US MAKE IMPROVEMENTS & OVERCOME THOSE WEAKNESSES IN OURSELVES .

New Living Translation (Psalm 139:23,24)

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO FOLLOW IN THE EXAMPLE OF THE PSALMIST ! IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

New Living Translation (1JOHN 1:5-10)

5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

GOD PROMISES HE WILL HELP US IMPROVE ON OUR CHRISTIAN JOURNEY!

I THINK WE SHOULD PERSONALLY DO THIS OFTEN, BUT I LIKE TO REMIND US ALL AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH YEAR TO LOOK BACK & COMPARE OURSELVES WITH CHRIST TO SEE IF WE ARE GROWING & HOW WE CAN IMPROVE FOR THIS NEW YEAR.

A CAUTION IS GIVEN - (ROM 12:1-3) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

I WOULD SUGGEST STUDYING THE LIFE OF JESUS TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO HIM AS AN END GOAL. I KNOW THAT IT TAKES TIME TO DO THAT, SO I RECOMMEND AS A STARTING POINT , BECAUSE JESUS KEPT THE 10 COMMANDMENTS & WAS FULL OF THE SPIRIT, TO LOOK AT THE COMMANDMENTS & THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT WHEN YOU EVALUATE YOURSELF , AS A STARTING POINT....

MOST OF US KNOW THE 10 COMMANDMENTS FOUND IN EXODUS 20

GOD SAVED US , HAVE NO OTHER GOD’S BUT HIM, HE MUST TAKE 1ST PLACE IN OUR HEARTS.

DON'T MAKE OR SET UP ANY GRAVEN IMAGES TO WORSHIP THEM

DON'T TAKE GODS NAME IN VAIN, DON'T MISUSE HIS NAME.

REMEMBER THE SABBATH TO KEEP IT HOLY , REST & LET OTHERS REST.

HONOR YOU FATHER & MOTHER , ITS THE COMMANDMENT THAT CARRIES A PROMISE, THAT YOU MAY BE BLESSED WHO KEEP IT.

DON'T MURDER , EVEN IN YOU HEART DON'T HOLD ON TO ANGER.

DON'T COMMIT ADULTERY, OR FORNICATION. NO FOOLING AROUND BEFORE MARRIAGE, & ONLY WITH YOUR SPOUSE ONCE YOU ARE MARRIED. NO PORNOGRAPHY OR GOOOGLY EYES AT PEOPLE THAT AREN'T YOUR SPOUSE.

DON'T LIE, ABOUT ANYTHING OR ANYONE

DON'T COVET OTHER PEOPLES STUFF, BE CONTENT WITH HAVING GOD , NOT STUFF.

AND , New Living Translation (GALATIANS 5:19-26)

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

IF WE COULD JUST START HERE WITH COMPARING OUR CHRISTIAN LIVES WITH WHAT WE READ IN EXODUS 20 , AND GALATIANS 5 IT WOULD BE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO US.

HAVING AN HONEST EVALUATION OF OURSELVES BEFORE GOD IS ONE OF THE MOST HUMBLING THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN TO US , BUT IT IS ALSO 1 OF THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE THE MAJESTY OF OUR GOD !!!!

WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR PRAYER CLOSET OR WHEREVER YOU CAN HAVE ALONE TIME WITH GOD, & PUT YOURSELF BEFORE GOD & ASK HIM TO SHOW YOU WHERE YOUR FALLING SHORT OF HIS GLORIOUS STANDARD & HE GENTLY BREAKS YOU INTO PIECES AND STARTS THE RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS OF YOUR FAULTY HEART....

IT IS THERE THAT HIS GLORY IS REVELED ,,, WHEN HE SHOWS YOU ALL OF YOUR FAULTS ,,, AND HIS COMMITMENT TO HELP YOU IMPROVE , , , TO DRAW CLOSE TO YOU , THIS MISERABLE FAILURE, AND COMMIT HIMSELF TO GENTLY RESTORING IN YOU THE IMAGE OF HIS PERFECT SON ...

THERE IS NO OTHER GOD LIKE OUR GOD !

IN ALL OF RECORDED HISTORY , THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANOTHER GOD LIKE OUR GOD!!! NO OTHER GOD EVER TRADED THE DEATH OF HIS PERFECT SON FOR GROUP OF FALLEN CREATURES THAT HAVE A NATURE THAT IS AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT HE STANDS FOR.

NO OTHER GOD HAS EVER COMMITTED TO HELP THE VILE CREATURES THAT CAUSED THE DEATH OF HIS PERFECT SON TO BE PERFECT , LIKE HIS SON ; MUCH LESS WANT TO LIVE WITH THEM FOREVER ..... NEVER !!!

IF WE WILL TAKE AN HONEST LOOK AT OUR LIVES & COMPARE THEM TO JESUS I’M PRETTY SURE THAT WE WOULD ALL COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION ; THAT WE ALL HAVE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

AS WE BRING OUR SERVICE TO A CLOSE THE ONLY THING I CAN PROMISE IS THAT GOD IS WILLING , EAGER , & ABLE TO HELP US (IMPROVE) LOOK LIKE JESUS IF WE ARE WILLING LIKE THE PSALMIST TO SAY TO GOD -

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

TODAY , IF YOU CAN JOIN ME IN SAYING , THERE IS ROOM IN MY LIFE FOR IMPROVEMENT , WOULD YOU STAND WITH ME AS WE CLOSE WITH PRAYER.

PRAY

CLOSING SONG - 625 HIGHER GROUND

DISMISSAL PRAYER