FLYING THE INSTRUMENTS

*tim ordination moment.

“So what’s next?”

“Get on with it”

“Go on”

1 Corinthians 13:10–12 ESV

but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Hebrews 5:13–14 ESV

for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Least week seemed like a big week in the life of our church. If you weren’t here you missed over 70 people being water baptized, and what stirred me p just as much - was that well over 300 people showed up to support and to celebrate and to commend and to enc

Pass the threshold of baptism.

Maturity lies ahead

The apostles would say “Go on” In fact they do. They say just that over and over again

I like to think about them.

What would they say?

Here are the words of PETER. Peter knew now what was required of these exiles, Jews, converted to the faith in JESUS Christ.

1 Peter 1:22–25 ESV

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

1 Peter 2:1–4 (ESV)

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Theres a sense in the Christian life of a being BORN, but also a GROWING UP.. or a GOING ON.

But here is the catch

“Comfort is the enemy of a healthy spiritual life”

If you get comfortable - you won’t grow

How do we get on?

We follow the sound pattern of centuries prescribed to us by the WORD and in the power of the HOLY SPIRIT we do what i like to call, we Fly the instruments. Of FAITH.

“Flying the instruments” is a term I’ve become familiar with recently as ive been reading a bit about pilots, studying how they learn and train and I know a few, and one that I know is a retired flight instructure: and there Is term thats used which is this: no matter what you DO. FLY THE INSTRUMENTS that are given you.

There are instruments that a pilot will use, ensure are reading correctly that means despite the proverbial weather, ups and downs, whatever circumstances present on the day - if they FLY the INSTRUMENTS - they can successfully COMPLETE the FLIIGHT

TO ME this… is like the CHRISTIAN LIFE

there are just some things some instruments that if we pay attention to them, make sure they are RIGHT, and are FLYING RIGHT - or rather I am flying WELL ACCORDING TO THEM - then I will get to where I need to be

I learned about one of them - the Attitude Meter: The attitude indicator (AI), formerly known as the gyro horizon or artificial horizon, is a flight instrument that informs the pilot of the aircraft orientation relative to Earth's horizon, and gives an immediate indication of the smallest orientation change. The miniature aircraft and horizon bar mimic the relationship of the aircraft relative to the actual horizon.[1][2] It is a primary instrument for flight in instrument meteorological conditions.[3][4

Flying the instruments of FAITH: There is a reason that this is a term broadly used because it conveys a very important message: YOU ARENT THAT GOOD ON YOUR OWN

and these instruments are worthy in the kingdom to get you to FLY WELL & arrive at the destination you were meant to get to.

But if you ignore these. What happens? Well you crash

Altitude meter:

Here are the INSTRUMENTS (for those that were baptized but now also those that could be a little comfortable, a little stuck. Pay attention to that ATTITUDE METER - your ORIENTATION to the GROUND and to HEAVEN… and maybe you will pick up some lift here:

Instrument number 1.

1.READING

The Bible is the food for our spiritual life.

Could you imagine, if in your house - you only ate once per week. And for the rest of the week, you didnt eat at all. How do you think you would do? I know how I would do. I would DIE. My whole body would shut down and cease to function, I would starve.

BIBLE INTAKE IS THE CARB LOADING FOR THE SPIRIT MAN.

Jesus once said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28). Merely listening to God-inspired words is not the point. The purpose of all methods of Bible intake is obedience to what God says and the development of Christlikeness. But the method Jesus encourages in this verse is hearing God’s Word.

Another passage emphasizing the importance of hearing is Romans 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

How will you get a chance to OBEY IT, if you HAVENT HEARD IT.

You NEED TO READ YOUR BIBLE. Allow it to GET IN.

It’s not showing up to church. Which is good.

But church is like the table

You come to the table and you eat the food

but that cant be enough just THERE

…

Then when you get home - you eat again.

Then when you go to bed; you eat before bed

Then when you wake up, you have breakfast.

You with me?

IM GOING TO SAY SOMETHING I PRAY NEVER LEAVES YOU.

READ.YOUR.BIBLE

please read it.

Im begging you. Because I know. Verse by verse. Little by Little. It will change you. From the INSIDE OUT. It Breathes, its LIVING, it Changes YOU.

“The center for Biblical engagement”The power of 4. Study.

3-4 days there was significant change.

4th day changes, massive drops in things that people struggle with addictionsc /

2.PRAYING

Again like reading, this is something you do. The instrument of PRAYER IS THIS: Diaogue, Talking , With GOD.

Hows your PRAYER LIFE?

Hows that METER reading right now?

How often do you pray?

how often should we pray? I think if we realized the power of prayer - we wouldn’t STOP praying.

Thats why the APOSTLE Paul - to the Thessalonians said

“Rejoice always, Pray without CEASING”

continuosly - without stopping. Just keep praying

Make an appointment: Show up, and TALK. Got things going on you’re struggling with. Sit down with DAD. Talk it out. Pray. Begin with thanksgivin, but make your supplications/requests known to GOD. He wants you to come to HIM with yoru struggles.

And what happens when you do?

Gods peace begins to rest on you, Begins to FILL you. Begins to GUIDE you. And you sense him working IN YOU. And your SITUATION WILL CHANGE.

How is the instrument of PRAYER right now?

3.LIVING

Colossians 1:9–10 (NLT)

9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

The way you live matters, and the apostles were sure to write this. It matters the way you live - as you have received from the Lord. Instruction through the word, guidance in prayer - LIVE in a way that honors him

paul says “we ask God it give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding… THEN THE WAY YOU WILL LIVE will always honor and PLEASE the Lord.

Colossians 2:6–7 NIV

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

The rubber has to hit the road, The boat has to leave the dock, The Plane has to fly in the air - Your life of faith, needs to be LIVED

Live it out.

What does that mean,

a few things

Attend - Show up - get positioned.

How committed are you to GETTING HERE. Just show up as often as you can, as much as you can make happen. No one around here will ever say “ive seen you too much”

Live in community with the body of believers (leave the others behind)

Bonus edition: Share your faith.

Do you still share your faith, your testimony, the GOSPEL?

This is part of what separates a mature believer. You realize its not just for you - but for others as well.

**this is where the new believer tends to run laps around the older believer. Why? Because they dont know any better. They hear about church being ON, so they show up

They hear your supposed to tithe so they do

They hear that Gods got a massive plan for their live so they believe it (point 4)

4.BELIEVING

Long before Journey wrote the song, the APOSTLES said it over and over: dont STOP BELIEVING

Faith is simpLe:

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

What are you convinced of?

Well lets go back to what peter said?

1 Peter 2:2–3 ESV

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

You believed

You got a glmpse

You got a taste

That The LORD… is GOOD. He is RIGHT. He is TRUE. and you are MEANT to be in HIS FAMILY and GROW UP

SO go on?

Faith is the currency of HEAVEN

Its what MOVED JESUS the MOST - The Bible says Many times in the accounts of JESUS that he was moved by FAITH, Marveled at it,