The Milk, The Meat, and The Pacifier (2)
Notes
Transcript
The Meat
The Meat
But solid food belongs to those who are mature, for those who through practice have powers of discernment that are trained to distinguish good from evil.
Are you mature in Christ?
Have you reached the place that you have the desire to sit down and read the Word of God and study it?
Looking at this scripture, we see that those who consume the solid food are those who practice the powers of discernment.
This is how we can combat against the powers of evil that try and disguise the difference between good and evil.
How do you know if you should or shouldn’t?
Discernment!
When we get to the place that we desire the meat of the Word, we are ready to work for our food now.
The taste of what God has done in our life has reached a place that we realize that it is worth the effort to prepare and eat!
There are still stages to the solid food of the Word!
Simple Foods
Simple Foods
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
These are the scriptures that we can easily understand with a little bit of reading.
We have to start somewhere.
When we read this verse, we see that we are loved by a God that sent His only son because He loved us.
This scripture explains why we can have salvation the way that we do.
God sent His son to die for us.
We can read some scriptures that just make since to us just because we can read, but there are others that require us to study a little and research.
We start with the book of John because it is the best book that gives us an overview of Jesus and who He was.
The life that He lived and how we should live our lives for Him.
When we make Jesus the Lord of our life, we give Him the reigns of our life.
This means that He is in control!
We must get up every morning and deliberately give Christ the reigns (control).
Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
Here is another one!
These are easily understood unless you just do not want to obey them, they can be understood and digested.
We learn how to treat others when we read the Word of God.
We learn from the master and how He lived on this earth.
Moderate Food
Moderate Food
This is food that is a little more involved when it comes to interpretation and application.
There are verses that need to be prayed over and applied to our lives carefully but thoroughly.
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
For those whom He foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.
This had been quoted many times in the wrong context.
When we say that “…all things work for the good...” we tend to get the interpretation that works for us.
When the interpretation is correct, “all things do work together for good to those who love God and are according to His purpose.”
Everything is all good as long as you are doing what God has called you to do.
God wants us to be able to hear and speak to Him, but we have to remove OUR desire if we are to complete His purpose!
What is your diet like?
Do you eat from the children’s table or do you eat from the mature table?
Please do not get me wrong, if you are in the category of:
Baby
Child
Teen
Young adult
Adult
Senior
If this is where you belong, be there and strive to move closer to Christ.
Grow up in Christ as much as you possibly can.
When you sit still, you are actually moving backwards.
God wants to see you get closer, but it requires that you put a little work into it!
Anytime you want something worth while, it will cost you time, effort, and thought.
What level of food are you trying to digest?
Complex Food
Complex Food
These are the foods that hang around awhile.
These are the foods that require effort to achieve.
These are the foods that may take a while for you to acquire.
Sometimes it takes work to get what you need.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
This scripture begs to ask a few questions.
How have I been crucified with Christ?
How does Christ live in me?
Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
When we get down into the verse and cross reference to other translations and interpretations we can get a better idea of what the verse means.
BUT!!!
The best way to get the translation of a verse is through the leading of the Holy Spirit!
We must stay in relationship with Him in order to really get the message that God wants us to get from His Word!
The more mature you are in Christ the closer you are to Him and can hear His voice.
Then I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?”
Then there are verses that require knowledge from God.
This only comes if He allows us to see what He sees!
We can go through chapter 5 of Revelation and see the imagery of what is to come and the holiness of Christ and the magnificent views of heaven and what it is going to be like as well as what is coming in the end!
But in order to understand what is being said, first we must hear from God and second we must be of maturity to be able to research it out in the scriptures.
How Do I Mature?
How Do I Mature?
Seek after the things of God and put all others behind you!
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.
Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof.
We grow in Christ by seeking after the kingdom of God!
If you want to draw closer to Him, seek after Him!
If you want to receive the blessings of Christ, seek after Him!
If you want to see Jesus, seek after Him!
The thing that we must do is seek after Christ and His kingdom!
When we seek after Him and put all other things away, we can focus on Christ and Christ alone.
If we see that Christ is the center of our lives, we have less worry, less stress, and more joy, contentment, and love for others!
Alter
Alter
What level of Maturity are you today?
I know this was not a normal thanksgiving message, but i know this is what we need to hear from God!
If we concern ourselves with our traditions, we will miss the reason for the doing what we do!
Are you stuck in a rut with God that has you spinning your wheels?
Have you lost your desire to seek after God?
Have you become satisfied with your relationship with Christ?
Are you where you want to be in your relationship with Christ today?
As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, and abounding with thanksgiving.
Live with a thankful heart…not just this time of year, but everyday that God has given you to breath, think, and your heart is beating!
Give God the glory for what He has done and continue in the way of Jesus!