#5 - Spiritual Growth Is Habitual

We grow by developing good habits.

How can I become a disciple? By developing disciple habits.

"You have put off the old self with its habits and have put on the new self which God is continually renewing in his own image to bring you to a full knowledge of himself."
Colossians 3:9-10

Notice it says God is able to make us in His image when we choose to put off old habits and when we choose to put on new habits. That's the way God changes us. Remember, God's number one goal is to make us like Christ -- that's maturity, to become like Christ. He says here that it's by putting off the old habits and putting on new habits is how we become like Christ.

DEFINITIONS OF HABIT - "It is a continual, often unconscious inclination to do a certain activity, acquired through frequent repetition."

What this is saying is that character is simply the habitual way of doing things. If you want to have Christlike character, then you just develop the habits that Christ had. Character is simply the habitual way of doing something. For instance, if I've got the character of kindness, it's because I'm habitually kind. If I have the character of saying "I have discipline", it's because I've developed the habit of being disciplined.

The dictionary also defines habit as "A customary practice" -- something you do over and over."

The fact is that all of us are simply a bundle of habits. If you were to look at your life most of the things you do in life you do by habit -- You get up, you brush your teeth by habit, you shave (if you're a man) by habit. I'll bet, men, when you shave you probably start on the same side ninety percent of the time. When you wash yourself in the shower I bet you habitually start with either your left arm or something like that. We are creatures of habit.

It's easier to form good habits than it is to get rid of bad habits? It is. The way you get rid of bad habits is by replacing them.

What bad habits do you need to replace with some good habits that will help you grow in Christ likeness?

#4 - Spiritual Growth Is Personal

There is no
cookie cutter approach to spiritual growth; the reality is we grow according to how God shaped us.  II Corinthians 5:13 .

Some learn by hearing, some by reading, some by talking (discussing), and some by just doing it. There are about 8 or 9 learning styles. Most people don't grow by hearing, we learn in different ways, but we go through the same stages of growth though. The church has usually offered only two styles – take it or leave it.

Are you examining yourself against God's word?

#3 - Spiritual Growth Is Incremental

We grow step by step, we need a process, a trail to follow, a sense of accomplishment.

Growth happens in steps, not overnight.  I Corinthians 3:18!  A baby has to learn to breathe, to eat, to walk, to talk…what is true physically is true spiritually.

You've got to know Christ before you can love Him.  You've got to love Him before you can serve Him.  You have to serve Him before you can share Him…

Jesus is our model, how did he build disciples?

Come and see; low commitment level. But, he didn't leave them there. He kept turning up the heat –

• you're my disciple if you love other believers,
  
• you're my diciple if your in my word,
  
• you're my disciple if you feed my sheep,
  
• you're my disciple if you deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow me;
  

He said that about three years into the ministry.

We live in the microwave society, we want it quick, but it's a long way from "come and see" to "come and die" – at least a three year process for Jesus and His disciples.

It would be pretty arrogant to think it could happen sooner for us, right?

Then, He says you're gonna hate your father and mother if you follow me and then, right before the cross he says "if you want to follow me you have to eat my flesh and drink my blood."

Many people followed him no more, it was too hard.

It's called a process, taking people from "come and see" to "eat my flesh and drink my blood", it doesn't happen overnight. It starts by getting to know him, falling in love with Him, and then your trust in Him will deepen.

What's your next step?

#2 - Spiritual Growth Is Intentional

You have to choose to grow!  You are as close to God as you choose to be.

If you don't feel close to God, who moved?

It is a choice.

We grow by making commitments.

Once people make the commitment then they grow through it, not from it; you grow through
commitments, not to commitments.

Jesus first asked people to follow Him…that's it!  It was three years later He asked people to take up their cross.  The level of commitment deepened with time.

Everyone will NOT BE at the same level of commitment.

To the non believer Jesus said "come and see," to the believer Jesus said "go and tell!"

We need to be a balanced church that challenges people to both "come and see" and "come and die!"  This is a process, it is gradual and systematic. We must have an intentional strategy to do this.

So, if we grow by making commitments, then commitment MUST be asked for!!!  The heat must constantly be turned up!

If you attend FOTH or Revolution we will ask you weekly to commit to something, usually by saying "here's what we want you to do" or "here's the next step", sound familiar?

What is it you need to commit to?

Growing up

What causes relational conflict? Immaturity. It's easy to measure financial and evangelical growth…but how do you measure spiritual growth?

Most churches are full of people who talk and relate to others in childish ways.

Maturity is relational–not intellectual. Jesus said love God and love others are the two MOST IMPORTANT commands.

A person can attend church all of their life and never mature…they are cranky, rude, irritable…how can some people attend all of their life and not love people?

So, how did Jesus do it?

How did He move people from "come and see" to "come and die"?

We must have a strategy, framework, process to move the believer to act, to do, to be, to think, like Christ.

How do you know when a church/person is mature?  Simple–when something is mature it bears fruit!  Matthew 7:17-20!  John 15:8

Over the next few days I'll post the 8 laws of spiritual growth that Rick Warren covered last week. The first law is…

#1 - Spiritual Growth in Incarnational

Spiritual growth is Christ in you…being a Christian is not trying to be like Christ…it is Christ living through you!  (Galatians 2:20)

The Word must become flesh in you, you cannot transform yourself.

Spiritual growth is both mystical and practical.  I Corinthians 3:6…in spiritual growth we have a part and God has a part!  Philippians 2:12-13

We are to work out our salvation while God works in our salvation!

I work out to strengthen the muscles God has already given me, not to get them.

How is your work out routine going?

Memory Verse for the Week

"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard,

so that we do not drift away." Hebrews 2:1

Keep your head up!

Convictions this a.m.

I need to be quiet and listen to God more.

I can learn a lot by not talking.

I need to pray this more "He must increase and I must decrease." John 3:30

It's not about me – it's about God and others.

I must tain the next generation.

I must focus on building people to spiritual maturity, not building the church.

I've got to be growing spiritually myself.

If I am then, I should be more loving - I Corinthians 13:11, and my life should be bearing fruit - Matthew 7:17-20!  John 15:8!