June 20, 2021 - How to Find CLARITY to any Question in Life

In case you're wondering, yes, we're back into the learn to discern. Series that I started about. I don't know. 6 7 weeks ago. and then we took a break because the province went really different and we had to decide what, you know, we needed to talk about how we cope with that. Good news, is everything. Looks on track for us to be wide open, July 1st, and that's awesome. You know, the, the two numbers are looking for our vaccination rates and we are really blowing that out of the water and then the other one was hospitalization and not is still down, which is great. So, We were really on the cusp of whatever normal is going to be. but I really, I hope, I hope that we get more

I don't want to return to normal. I want to return to where God wants us to be. and I know this thing that we need both today and going forward is to know how to discern

Because there are going to be good things that we need to discern from the best things. There are are things that are sound right? But just feel wrong and we need to know what to do about that. Are we I don't know about conversations. You've have a conversations. I have had shut tell me Christians. Do not know this book. Because they are saying things that are totally counter to this book without understanding that what the book says.

And they get offended and it's a date. They say it's me speech. If you tell him what's in the book,

If we're not. if if

even if we're not going to say, if we don't admit, we don't believe the Bible. Our actions don't line up with the what the Bible says. You know, when we have an opinion, that we want to prove, right? We're going to the book to get the proof text or something like that.

Listen, the most critical need in the Christian world today, is discernment. So, I want you to grow and discernment. I want you to learn how to discern. and,

We're going to go through what I sort of it. The highlight of six weeks ago or seven weeks ago, the the That acronym that that we started out with the clarity to learn to discern. You need Clarity, right? So you got to commit the spiritual maturity got to love. Always you need to abide in Christ. Need to reawaken your conscience. You need to imbibe the word of God. You need to test everything, hold of the good. And you look yourself with wise people.

You might get sick of the things I say over the next month because I don't know anything else. Except what the Bible tells me about how to grow in discernment, And that's what I'm going to give you because I know I need to grow and discernment. I don't have it all together. I know. I'm so thankful. Holy spirit, gives me those little Duchess that that I've learned to pay attention to

I'm a little slow sometimes. I was doing a video call with somebody that's just came to my mind and and she was She has a good heart. She wanted. She wants what and you know what she's concerned about my health. And, and yeah, I am too. So, okay. Let's talk about that and something that's helped her is to understand that she is complete in Christ, right? I'm 30% for that identity in Christ. Yeah, let's go there. It's something that helps help. Her is just say to herself but I am perfect. and I'm like,

I've never really been a goal and I'm like, it just didn't seem right and I just didn't understand that's why it wasn't right, but I just didn't. I knew it wasn't right. And and you know her reasoning was very much. Well, if God's accepted me, there's nothing that I need to do and I like I put yes yes, yes, yes, there's nothing I could do to make him love me more. There's nothing I could do to make him love me last. I know the greater, I fall, the more he shows his love to me. So guess what? I don't know where you want to go with that theologically, but

It was until after that call was done that that the first came back to mine. It when Paul says Not that I've obtained all this or been made perfect, but I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has told me heavenward in Christ. Jesus. You know, I I need to see myself as God sees me. but, I got the perfect. I'm not, and I'm okay with that. You know, we need discernment because it's even in the good sounding arguments, it's even in things that that's that can. oh,

you live in a world that needs to know this book better and know how to apply this better.

I got the wrong glasses on face. These are my glasses for this far and I can't see you guys at all. So I mean, I can see you, but I can see if you're smiling, but you got masks on so that I can see your eyes. If I don't have the glasses on.

What if you? Add the sermon to know that something was off even if it sounded good. Or if if something seems right but you just had that check in your spirit or where you knew the Bible. Well enough to know how to apply it so that it wasn't even an issue for you that that's our goal in this next four weeks. That's their goal. In this path. We were on is to Learn to discern.

I developed the pathway that they're one of the things that the first thing we need to do to learn to discern as we need to commit to spiritual maturity. I'll recognize this doesn't happen overnight. It's not something that happens in an instant, but it is a direction. We have to choose to go. So I developed this Pathway to spiritual maturity. And there's two Foundation Stones. We need to understand first of all on this pathway. Okay. The first is that spiritual maturity is us becoming more like Jesus, It's not, you becoming more and more like me, it's not me becoming more and more. Like my father, it's it's just, we all become more and more like Jesus. He is our goal. He is our desire. He is the one that Holy Spirit is, making us more, and more into the image of Second part is exactly that, it's the father has given us everything we need for life and causing me in this and he's Powers us to accomplish every good work prompted by Our Fate. It's him. It does, the work, it's not Us Falling following a list of rules, it's not us jumping through the Hoops. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm going to give you a list of things that we can do today but that's not about checking off that list and therefore I become more mature. Know it's about letting Holy Spirit. Do the work in us? It's about positioning ourselves, to let him finish the work. You started in us. It's about allowing him to have full Rule and reign in our lives. That's what we're talking about. Please don't mistake it for where I go next. Okay, because where I'm going next. The acronym is groats. And growth. Growth means God's word. That means real Revelation, real relationship. It means Overlook offense. It means worship and prayer. It needs treat hardship as discipline and it's having true humility. You can't do these things in your own strength. You can position yourself to do it, you can make the decision to do it. You need, holy spirit's help to do this in, you okay, everything we're talkin about understand, he's giving you everything you need for life and godliness. He will finish the work. He started in you. It's, it's, it's Oh, hey, I got this. People get this people. It's you get the partner with the creator of the universe.

The one who spoke the world into existence. See something in you that he calls me like them self and he wants to make that more and more like his son.

My goodness. Can I pray we got to pray before. Going to Holy Spirit. I think you that you are here to do a work in our lives. I think you got that. You are the one that teaches us all the things. I think you that you are the one that equips us with everything we need for life and godliness. I thank you. God, that you are the one who will courage us Empower us, strengthen us. Make the change happened in our store. Because it's not about information. It's all about transformation and Lord. We need the transforming work of Holy Spirit in our lives, in Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Hey man. Okay so The first part of that is God's word first, first part of growth is God's word and I got this from 2nd Timothy 3 16 to 17. It says all scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right, God uses to prepare and with these people to do every good work, I like that version.

It ended, its yes it is, the logos word of God, the written word of God. That is a book that we have here. It is so very important. What? It's the spoken word of God that is on these words. It's when we're reading it and God speaks to us. That's the words that have life Jesus as you search the scripture. And you don't see me. Is what he told the Pharisees, you can study this for your entire life and it not make a difference in your life, but when Holy Spirit, empowers it, it makes that difference in that single burst that single, or is it just? It's God, that does the word?

His spoken word will always line up with his written word. So, we need to know the written word it. It it's his written word is used for the teachers. What is true? And make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do, what is right. Listen, the way that I've described this to to myself, is that I don't read the word, the word has to read me. What does that mean? The simplest way, I can explain it to you, is that when I read the Bible, I need to ask questions about the about it.

Ask question, I'm sorry. I said that wrong. Ask questions about myself about it and I need to ask Holy Spirit questions about me in it. That's not what I want to say. But anyway, you know what I'm saying? I can feel myself sometimes. I can read this verse and say, all scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching and it's like yes I agree with that, have proof. I proved text this all the time. I have an opinion and I looked in here to find out if it's true. That's not the way it works. That's what we do. A lot of times if something that comes up in here that I don't agree with I ignore it or I just shove it aside and might make it like, am I letting it teach me all truth? In the moment I could I could be very full of myself and think. Yeah. Yeah, I am. but when I ask holy spirit is a God Am I using it to teach me what? It's true?

And then I give a pause to wait. You remind me of things.

that I've messed up on not messed up on ignored or haven't wrestled with or put aside

On one level, we all do it.

We all don't apply this verse to us, we will read the book and say that person needs to hear this.

That's not letting the word read us.

I'm going through the Psalms Bible study in the end boy. This technique it's like okay, the wicked are like this. And it's like, okay, God am I the waked?

What are the wicked? Well, I'm not. Do I obey your word? Do I just spend my time on useless things?

You got to let the word read you. It is not about checklist. It's not about seeing you read it through. It's not a boat. Finding the answer that you're looking for, because this is what you think in your brain. Or this is this is what my experience is there for. The Bible, has the line up with it.

You don't say that? Yeah. I don't know the conversations I have everyone does that?

There is no cancel.

When you start letting the word read you instead of reading it to check off a box or find a loophole, you're starting to mature.

You're starting to church. The question for us today is have you let have you been letting the word read you? Have you been letting the word reach you? Why are you in this book? Get in the book If you're not. 2.

Is it more than just checking that box off on the bible program to say you've read it that day? Have you let the word read you?

If you start. With the simple prayer to the Holy Spirit. Show me what you want me to show me.

It's amazing what he does. If you just open to that. He will stop you on verse 1 sometimes and just show you what is right and teach you what you need to do.

You open the his leading. When you get in this book, we need God's word. We need real relationship. We get this from a fusions chapter 4. Ephesians 4 starting at verse 11. It says, now these are the gifts I gave the church, the Apostle, the prophets, the Evangelist, the pastures of the teachers there are responsibilities do God's people to do his work in the build-up, the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all become such have all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's son, that we will be mature in the Lord measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ, then will no longer be immature. Like children, we won't be tossed. The blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies. So clever that it's, they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love. Growing in every way. More and more like Christ, who is the head of his body? The church you makes the whole body fit together perfectly as each. Part does its own special work, it helps the other parts to grow through the whole body is healthy and drawing and full of love. That's a good first right there. We need real relationships.

Immature. So that we can discern we need real relationships. It is appropriate that today is Father's day because a lot of times it's our fathers that show us what it is to become more and more like Jesus. Not everyone has had that experience in the enemy loves to to take that fact that my experience is my God and my father was nothing like God and therefore I can see God is my father. If that's you today, get over it. Start looking at God is your father, the perfect father and start forgiving your father for what he's done for you because guess what

Physical maturity is determined by age. Emotional maturity is determined by forgiveness. You need to forgive what happened. You need to forgive one another, that's what it means. Real relationship. When we get over this and we get back together, we get like it's it's it's really easy to annoy each other. When your proximity? When this whole thing started just before, this is whole lockdown thing. Started our daughter got married off, and she went off to live with her husband, and we took our son down to New Zealand, to go to school and we come back like the month. We come back. We're locked in and we're working from home. And, and it's a good thing, Karen and I like each other, cuz my goodness, you're really spending to all the time with that person and we didn't really prepare mentally to be empty. Nesters so quickly. Like we knew it was coming, we just didn't know what that meant. And it took us about three months, not to cook as much food as we need it for our son. And what do you do with it anyway?

We rub on each other. Like carbon red rubs on it each other and that carbon produces. Diamonds. When it's under stress.

The same thing is true for us. We need each other. We we need each other to hold up the mirror to each other. We need each other. In that happens in the comments. That happens in the handshake. That happens in the hugs. It happens in the prayer time. It's happened when we're together. and ends in the, Wear that with that.

That sounding board for each other. Where that thing that says, okay, is that really what God might be saying? We're that we are necessary for spiritual growth. Spiritual maturity, emotional maturity. We need each other.

and,

when you start, Learning to listen more than you speak and start thinking, more than you open your mouth. You're starting to mature.

The question for us is a question for you cuz I didn't put them in that framework. But anyways, for you is, do you have or do you have people of wisdom speaking into your life?

we need those people of wisdom to encourage us and to life and hope and blessing and kick our butts when we need it. And say really sometimes.

We need each other. In, or if we want to mature.

The old and gross stands for Overlook offense.

2nd Peter says II theater or am I? 2nd Peter 1 verse 5. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises supplement your face with a generous provision of moral excellence and moral Excellence with knowledge and with knowledge self-control and self-control patient endurance and with patient endurance with godliness with God and His brotherly affection with brotherly affection. Love for everyone. The more you grow like this the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who failed to develop in this way are short-sighted or blind. Forgetting. What? They have seen the forgetting that they have been cleansed from their own sin Wow.

We need to grow like this, to be more and more productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We?

All adjusted enough.

Knowledge is not enough.

Applied knowledge is wisdom, and that's a whole lot better.

We need to recognize that especially when we're together. especially where this world that were in in Offenses will come.

I just had someone contact me last week, this week I'm weak. Tell me that I offended him and I needed to apologize.

Hello. I don't see that in the Box. You're offended. It's your responsibility to forget. It's your responsibility to come and make it right. He was not interested in that. He wanted to prove his point. Which is even more ridiculous. The farther I went along.

Answers will come out tough. It is to be nice to someone who is totally offended at you before she do it happens.

Susan, a Fusion Sport, 331 2:30 to get rid of all, bitterness rage and anger harsh words and slander as well as all types of evil Behavior. Instead be kind to each other tenderhearted forgiving one another. Just as God through Christ has forgiven you

We need to overlook offense. It can be intentional or unintentional.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is just ignore it.

honestly, if you're not in real relationship with the person just ignore it, If you are a real relationship, sit down and work it out.

When you start, treating people how you'd like to be treated, not treating like the them, like they deserve, you're starting to mature.

Question for you today is have you been growing less and less offendable?

Ben's on the day. Most days, I think I am. Some days away.

I need to grow on that.

The W and growth is worship and prayer. We get this from Philippians 4.

Philippians 4:4 to 6.

We're going to go. 6274 is a good one too but I think I had six and seven in there. Okay so it says don't worry about anyting instead. Pray about everything tell God what you need and thank him for all he's done then you'll experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand in his peace will guard your hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus.

I think about worship and prayer is those are avenues for us to exchange our problems with God's peace.

If we pray and don't have God's peace, all we've done is complain.

If we worship. And don't have God's peace.

All we've done is performed.

Worship and prayer. Is that thing that exchanges our problems for his peace. We don't ignore our problems are problems, are real. Most of them are things, you don't you worry about never happen. So those aren't your problems but like real things concern us

And it's in those times of worship and prayer that we learned to trust God to give that to him. That right there is spiritual Pro. Spiritual maturity, when we've learned to do that.

Psalm 115 8 talks about people becoming like the wooden Idols that they create. Because the principal is we become like the one we worship.

When we worship God, we become more and more like Jesus. When we trust him with our problems and concerns. We can we do. We're doing what Jesus did. He went to the garden and prayed drops of blood. If you could take this from me, but if not your will be done.

You and I will have times when we need to do that. We need to get in that place alone and say, God whatever. I don't want this to happen, but whatever your will be done.

That's when we start the spiritually mature, that's when we start to grow and become more and more like Jesus cuz he that's exactly what he did.

You left us an example that we should follow in his steps.

When you start wanting peace and stop thinking, you always need to be busy. You're starting to mature.

Have you been exchanging your problems for God's peace? That's the question for us.

If you need to the invitation is there. Right? You don't need to wait till next week when we all gather together and then you can worship.

You can purpose in your heart that today is the day. You're going to exchange your problems for God's peace. You're going to have that time to be alone with him to say, God this is this is what it is, but I'm not leaving here until I have your peace.

Do that through worship, do that through prayer. Do it today.

The T in Gross. This was a good one, you got a treat hardship as discipline. It's good cuz I was stuck on G and I had no idea what it was and then I started talking to God, he's like yeah, this is important but yeah, that's important.

Hebrews, 12 7 through 11. As you have endured this Divine discipline. Remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who has never been disciplined by his father. If God doesn't discipline you, as he does all his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our Earthly fathers, who disciplined us? Shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of our father of our spirit and live forever. Earthly fathers disciplined esper for 2 years, doing what they doing the best. They knew how, but God discipline is always good for us so that we might share in his Holiness. No, discipline is enjoyable at the time while it's happening, but it's painful but afterwards, there will be a peaceful Harvest of right living for those who are trained this way.

There's three choices that I've determined to make. I think I've talked about this year sometime, but the first choice is I will not give God credit for the works, for the one who comes to steal kill and destroy, I won't do it. The second is, I will treat all hardship as discipline knowing that he's going to work it out for my good. Easy for me treating hardship. As discipline doesn't mean I can blame God for it. It means that I know he's going to work it out for my good, so whatever I have to go through. I'm just going to treat it. Like it's discipline and let it finish. Its work in me.

The third thing is I have talked about here, I'll remember that. The book I'm reading with my life is only the preface. These are light and momentary troubles that we have in this life.

Forever is real loving rate matters. The most life is short, forever is real love and loving Wright-Patterson. Most

We're going to have trouble in this life. We are going to have difficulties. God uses those things. Well, here's the thing. The enemy wants to use those things to kill you.

God wants to use those things. we could say to kill you, so you become more like Jesus, but he's going to use those things that make you more and more like Jesus.

Your role in that. Is the treat hardship as discipline. Fellow that he is going to work it out so that for his good and for his glory.

And I can trust him, it'll be for my best as well.

Physical maturity is bounded time. Emotional maturity is bound to forgiveness. Spiritual maturity is bound to obedience.

Are you willing to obey, regardless how difficult it is?

Are you willing to praise in the middle of the storm?

Are you willing to do the hard so that he can be glorified?

I want to say suck it up buttercup.

I just say that to my kids, but

my son told me. I said this to him when currently he's like allergic to grass clippings. Right. I kind of knew that but I he needed responsibility, he was a slacker at the time, you need to learn how to work. So I made him cut the grass and he I remember him to at telling me he was allergic and I just told him suck it up buttercup and so he never said anything but

The things. You forget your kids, don't.

So it is about God's lordship. In our life, is he Lord? Is You Lord of all, Have you surrendered to him? As Lord of your life?

Colossians 2.

Where the heck without me? Colossians, that's Philippians. Do I have that? And now just as you as you have accepted Christ Jesus as your lord, you must continue to follow him. That your roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth that you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Wow. Wow.

Would you look for God's leading more than you look for his approval? You're starting to mature.

Did you catch that?

When you look for his leading, more than you look for his approval, you're starting to mature.

See God show me the way. I'll do it regardless of what how difficult it is. Whatever you want me to do.

It used to be sell everything and move around the world today is like a your governments and it just I don't like that. If I do it as unto the Lord, I get you.

Have you been treating hardship as discipline?

It's not too late to start because God's not going to stop until you do.

He will finish the work. He started in you. That's a good thing.

The H in growth.

Is that true? 1/2? True humility.

Got a couple of verses for you here. John 15.

Bruce born five, it says, remaining me as I and I will remain in you for every Branch. Cannot produce fruit is separate. From the Mind, cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine. You are the branches, those who remain in me and I am them will produce much fruit for apart from me, you can do nothing. Humility is understanding. I can't do anything apart from. It's me and him. It's it's me in him and him in him. That accomplishes what he wants to do with me. second verse, I want you to understand is Philippians 2 Bruce. This is a good one, 3 to 11, it says don't be selfish, don't try to impress others be humble thinking of others, better than yourselves.

Don't look out for your own interest, but take an interest in others, to you must have the same attitude. Is Bryce jisa. Sad, though. He was God, who did not think equality with God? Something to cling to do. Instead, he gave up his Divine privileges, he took a humble position of a slave and was born as a human being, and it appeared in human form. He humbled himself obedient to God and died. A criminal's death across their forgot to leave it. Elevated him to the highest place of honor. You gave him a name above. Every other name, that has the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on Earth, and subdue the Earth. And every tongue shall declare. That Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father

We need ability to serve others in love.

It's serving others in love. Following the example of Christ.

Under yet. This Jesus on the night, I should have had that first to, it's awesome. It's in John. It's knowing he came from God and knowing he would soon return to God. He took off his robe. And wash their feet.

He washed the feet of the one who would betray him. He washed the feet of the ones who would deny him. He washed the feet of the ones that ran away.

You wash the feet of the one who got 30 pieces of silver.

That's how you and I sir. Like Jesus. We can't do that unless we Overlook offense. We can't do that without the help of Holy Spirit. I can't.

We need to serve each other in those in our community in love.

we need to do it without

Thinking we need a reward or even need a thanks.

We do it because that's what Jesus did for us and we're going to do it to those people around us.

As you do it.

You mature.

As you mature. You learn to discern.

You won't have discernment apart from spiritual than maturity. You can't.

Discernment is a gift that God gives. It's a responsibility as well and we are responsible to discern. Just as we are responsible to grow more and more into the image of Christ.

How do you find Clarity Danny questions in life? It's grounded in the relationship. You have with a father. The more and more you become like Jesus, the more you become spiritually mature, the more answers you'll have and the more answers, the more peace, you'll have when the answers are withheld.

So as you become more spiritually mature, the more answers you'll have, but you'll also have the more peace when the answers are withheld.

It's a good deal.

What is Holy Spirit been prompting you about?

Is there are areas of this growth that you've been neglecting.

What are you going to commit to this week to put into practice?

Is it God's word? Is it real relationship? If it is it overlooking offense. It is it worship and prayer. Is it Street? Hardship is discipline. Is it to have true? Humility. I'm not saying all these things to overwhelm you. I miss telling you these things because you can go to Holy Spirit and say holy spirit. What do you want to work on this week with me?

Because he will make you more and more into the image of Christ. He will mature you.

You still working on me and it's been a long haul. I'd rather just agree with him and get it over sooner.

We all need the sermon Tim part of the responsibility for the sermon is to be made more and more into the image of Christ. I remember Paul, even Paul said, not that I've ever seen. All this Urban made perfect, but I press on towards the goal to win the prize that Christ is need ready for me. Can we pray?

Heavenly father, I want to thank you.

Thank you for what you brought us through. Thank you for what you're bringing us through. Thank you for what's in store for us.

Lord, I pray against any thought in here that says, I'm not good enough for, I'm not acceptable until I get to this x point. Because Lord all of us are loved by you and accepted by you and Lord, you are going to finish the work that you've started in US. I pray, holy spirit that you speak life and speak hope and speak Joy. Because that's your kingdom of God. It is righteousness, peace, and joy. I pray that over us here in this place in here, watching today or later on in the week. I pray. Lord God. That there'd be righteousness, peace and joy well up in all of us. as we become more and more into the image of Christ,

In Jesus name, we pray. Hey man. I forgot the one quote. I'm quoting myself here because I've said these things before. When you start being more concerned, about loving right than you are about being proven, right? You're starting to mature.

Go in the grace of God and Ricky are going to come up with some one else was here.

Thank you. Pastor ever for that Greek word.

Very few announcements year before we depart fathers.

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