Spiritual Formation

Sermon by Pastor. Alex

The heart of the Father in these last days is for 2 things.

1. The lost
2. The Church to mature

1 Corinthians 3:1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you, I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ.

Paul is disciplining the Corinthian Church saying by now you ought to be mature, but you are babes. What has happened in the Church now is they are more focused on cosmetic behavior change; that is, they tell you don’t do this, change your behavior in this way etc., but they are not focusing on internal formation or spiritual formation.

As a result, you see a Church that is strong in other things like gifts and evangelism, but they are weak in spiritual formation.

What kind of Church is Christ coming back for?

A Mature Church.

If we turn our focus to

Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

The mature sons of God. So, the last days generation will be the mature Church and a mature company of people.

Maturity is not a suggestion.

Hebrews 6:1-3 So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.

Some versions say God willing we will move forward to maturity.

What is maturity?

• The definition of maturity is this – one whose character, words, actions emulate the character of Christ.

Romans 8:29 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. 

• One who is in complete control of his emotions

Proverbs 16:32 Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

• One who is able to discern between right and wrong

Hebrews 5:14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

• One who is transformed in how he communicates, reasons and perceives the world. As we mature, it will change

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

• One who is manifesting the fruits of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22, 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

• One who is not choked by worries, riches or pleasures of the world

Luke 8:14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.

• One who is growing in the grace and knowledge of our God

2 Peter 3:18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

• One who is completely surrendered and submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

How do we define spiritual formation?

Spiritual formation is the intentional process of nurturing a spiritual person into the likeness and image of Christ by the power of a spirit-filled life, to fulfil the will of God.

Key thing here is a spirit-filled life. Which is, Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

In that process of surrendering and submitting to the leading of Christ what is the Holy Spirit trying to do? To anchor us in the love of Christ. How does He do that? He deals with things in our lives daily. He uses the Word to convict us (which is more important). The moment we choose to obey the Word (because we love God, we obey the Word) we grow in His love. Remember, love is not a feeling it is a choice.

Ephesians 3:16-19 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

In order to talk about spiritual formation, we must understand the aspects of inner life.

Inner life means – our heart, soul and spirit man. Soul is mind, will and emotions

Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

The biblical understanding of the heart is, it is the control room of our spirit. It controls mind, soul, everything. Mind is controlled by analysis and logic but the heart dictates to our mind on what to focus. That is why the Bible focuses so much on the heart. The heart is the seat of our affections, motives and worship. The mind is stimulated by our heart. So whatever problem we have in our life stems from our heart.

Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.

We are trying to establish where all these are birthed. Everything stems from here.

Luke 6:45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

All our lives’ actions, choices, decisions spring from what is within our hearts. We can love God but in the case of 2 Timothy 3 other things like love for money, love for pleasures, love of self-indulgence, all these things can override our love and priority of God.

We also need to see the importance of dealing with our hearts because the Lord searches the hearts of the people.

Proverbs 21:2 People may be right in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their heart.

Whatever happens in our life the Lord weighs our motives and what takes place in our heart.

Proverbs 23:26 O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.

What is the demand He gives? Give Me your heart.

Of course, in the New Testament if we do comparative study

Matthew 23:27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.

As long as He rules supreme in our hearts all the other things mentioned cannot come in.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Matthew 5:8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

Whatever happens in our lives boils down to whatever is in our heart. The heart is the one that directs the mind. Even in 2 Timothy 4:3 we can see whatever was in their heart was what was causing them to run behind these things. Even though they were Christians, and they knew the Word and everything.

2 Timothy 4:3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

In our journey to maturity in Christ it is important we need to know how our heart operates, the decision-making mechanisms of our heart and how to harness our heart.

4 Decision making mechanisms in our heart

1. Inner impulse

What drives us to do things?

Inner impulse is a reaction to situation and words. It can arise out of our emotions, feelings and desires. It is always directed by some trigger points.

Example: King Saul’s jealousy and obsession of David. Saul’s jealousy of David became an obsession. The moment he heard David killed ten thousand, Saul only thousands, something happened in his heart. The decision he made was an impulsive desire to go after David. What was the trigger point? His fear and insecurity. It was triggered the moment the people declared he’s much better. So, fear of losing his throne, insecurity of losing his position all led to the impulsive choices he made. He knew David was God’s chosen because he went through the same process before. As a leader (a so-called leader), he could see God’s hand upon David’s life. The fear, jealousy and insecurity triggered him to do certain things. This is one of the reasons we need to learn to harness our hearts.

Other examples include, Samson’s behaviour throughout his life. He always made impulsive decisions. Cain’s impulsive murder of Abel in Genesis 4:1-8. He was driven by jealousy and anger because God favoured his offering. Then Esau selling his birthright.

Genesis 25:29-32 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”

He wanted immediate gratification.

The problem with our generation: Immediate gratification. If they can get anything immediate, they will compromise.

Herod’s promise is another example.

Mark 6:21-26 Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.” He even vowed, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!” She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother told her, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist!” So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!” Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her. 

When Herod was pleased with his daughter’s dancing, he impulsively promised something that resulted in John the Baptist getting beheaded. So, there is always a trigger point for impulsive decisions. Sometimes fear of future or fear of something that forces us to make decisions. So, we need to learn the art of harnessing our heart.

At the end of it all, it will come to only one thing – how to harness our minds. Who is completely ruling our heart?

There is a reason why God said love me with all your heart, mind and soul.

If He is ruling every aspect, then there is no chance that something else can come in and override your love for Him.

• Inner Convictions

This is the 2^nd mechanism that helps us take decisions in our heart. Convictions are different from beliefs.

A belief is what we hold on. Our convictions reflect our core values. Convictions can be shaped by good or bad experiences or Word of God.

The primary conviction that helped Paul face whatever he went through – “I consider everything rubbish compared to knowing Him.” His contentment was in Christ alone. All his convictions were rooted in this.

2 Corinthians 5:14, 15 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Paul gives us an insight into core values. Here it says control; other versions use compels us. Meaning, the moment they understood the work of Christ for their lives, that He died for my sins, He ensured my freedom, they decided they will not do something beyond what is pleasing to Him. That is why He says now whoever lives must live for Him, no longer themselves.

So, it became a core value in his life: Christ is everything. Then when he realized what Christ had done for him, his core value became: Everything I now do in this life, my priority must be Christ. When all these core values added up his decision-making process became easier and easier because his boundaries were well defined.

Romans 8:38, 39 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What is the core value here? Unconditional love of God. God will never leave you, nor forsake you. God will always love you.

2 Corinthians 1:6-10 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.  In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. 

Past tense – He did rescue us. Present tense – He will continue to rescue us and Future tense – He will rescue us again. Where did this confidence stem from? His core value, that the unconditional love for God will never forsake him.

For Paul all these sufferings, for us, the daily challenges, whatever happens in our lives, if the core value is there, that unconditional love will never forsake me, then we will not fear anything.

He understood it is the grace of God operating through him that enabled him to do what he did.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favour on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

1 Corinthians 3:10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.

If our core values are not clear then our ability to face challenges is diminished. We can easily be shaken by a lie if we are not sure. Core values must be clearly defined.

When we study the Word, it must become a boundary for us.

Core value means something we live by, something by which we make decisions. We need to define our core values, so we have boundaries to live by. That is why we need to have pre-determined course of action.

Since love is a choice if I want to love God more then, what are the other areas that I need to adjust. The Word of God will highlight and illuminate that you need to adjust in this area.

What action am I going to take for it to become a lifestyle in me?

Inner convictions rule our heart. That’s why to some Christians drinking is not wrong. To some Christians, drinking is wrong. They say why you need to subject yourself to something you don’t need. It all depends on convictions.

If our convictions are very loosely based on the Word of God, then we are living on half-truth. If we are living in half-truth then we are leaning on a foundation that is not strong. That gives the enemy an opportunity to exploit. We are giving him 50% space in our mind and in our heart. Then he has chance to exploit us, confuse us with, ‘did God really say’ because he operates on half-truths. That is why our convictions must be clear so that our heart is harnessed properly then it understands the boundaries.

• Conscience

This is the 3^rd mechanism of decision making. Conscience is our God given faculty to discern what is right or wrong.

Conscience is the God given moral compass within us.

1 Timothy 4:1,2 Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

1 Timothy 4 talks about seared conscience. What does a seared conscience mean? Conscience has become insensitive to the voice of God and the Word of God. A good conscience discerns between right or wrong and is free of guilt.

How does our conscience become seared?

Repeated applications of sin.

That is when we are in a continuous cycle of doing the same thing, we are also in a continuous cycle of resisting the voice of the Holy Spirit. When that happens gradually our sensitivity will deteriorate because we are rejecting Him over and over again. For eg,. A habitual liar. When you start lying once or twice you may feel guilty but after a while you don’t feel anything. Why? Because the sensitivity to God has gone already. So, if they remain there slowly, they will go into deception. Voice of the Holy Spirit is cut off already.

Ephesians 4:18, 19 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

Why does the heart become hardened? Because the moment they choose to continue in the cycle and they refuse to listen to the voice of God, first the light of God is cut off. So that is why there is no more strength coming in, no hope coming in, no more conviction there. Then the life of God is gone. There is no revelation, no understanding, no insight, that is why their minds become darkened. This happens when the sin becomes habitual. They get separated from the light of God and the life of God stops flowing. They lose all sensitivity and understanding and they feel no fear, guilt and shame. That is why we see these ministries fooling around with God’s money and other things. The reason they don’t feel guilty is they have walked clear already. They have lost all sensitivity.

In Jeremiah 8 we see they went outside and did Baal worship and everything and they came back to God’s house. God did not do anything. So, they assume since He is not doing anything He approves it and they continue in it. Later on, He tells them I will remove My Presence from you.

God punishes somethings immediately like Aaron’s sons but other places it happens gradually like Eli’s sons. God gives us chance to repent.

How the cycle comes is first we do careless mistakes, then we realize that we are wrong, then we get back. After that we start compromising because we had a foretaste. First time I did, God never did anything, so we compromise. After that we become complacent. This is what happened with Judas.

So, the process of deterioration begins with carelessness, compromise, complacency, finally they go back to carnality because life and light of God is no longer there.

And we will be thinking I am good, I am praying and sensing the presence of God. It won’t be an immediate down. It will be more of an up and down. So, you will get familiar with this feeling of going up and down. You accept that as a reality. Slowly, gradually you are actually away from God, but you are not realizing.

Everything is decreasing:  your consciousness of God, your fear of God, everything is decreasing until one day you find you have lost completely everything. There is no God, and your decision making is completely by your own desires even though you read the Word, and you have quiet time and all that you have lost God sensitivity. So, what happens you manufacture. Your brain is powerful enough to make you believe you are sensing the Presence of God.

Of course, the true way to measure if we love God is by our obedience

But the brain can make a fool of us also because we want that, but we are not walking in that order; we are not ready to pay the price. So, the mind can manufacture experiences. It is creative enough to do that. Sometimes, we cry, we think its God, but it could be other reasons also.

The enemy aims to make us familiar with the territory first. God sets a standard. Then Satan comes. He makes you careless, he makes you compromise and become complacent. Then we become familiar with that level of living and then slowly you come to complacency, you have let your guard down already.

2 Timothy 5 talks about a form of Godliness; external cosmetic behaviour but they have lost all connection with God. If conscience is lost then we have lost all sensitivity and then we are manufacturing our own experiences. That’s why it’s very important. That’s when all the fear of God goes off. When the thief steals money he thinks I am doing it to meet my needs but that doesn’t mean God approves of it.

When people are stealing from tithe money, they think God understands. I need this money to pay these bills. Is this core value according to biblical standards? No matter what you cannot touch God’s money. Do they feel guilty? No, because they reason that God understands. Complacency has already set in.

Conscience is tuned by consistently sitting in God’s presence. The light and life of God comes into our conscience every time we come into the presence of God.

Isaiah 6. He was a Prophet in the King’s court. He did not feel anything until he went into God’s presence. Then he said, “I am a man of unclean lips.” He realized all that he had been doing had not been right before God’s eyes. So, the light of God will shine and reveal everything that’s wrong.

• Composure

Composure basically means a steadiness, a calmness, a quietness in our soul when the storm is raising outside.

Composure is a place of rest, calm and peace inside us no matter what happens on the outside. And we respond rather than react. Respond is an informed decision. We have thought through before we respond. We have inner peace.

2 Corinthians 4:8,9 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair. We are hunted down but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.

In the midst of all that trouble, how did he have the clarity to understand God is trying to teach him something? It is not possible unless there is peace inside, composure inside. In the natural, you will try to get out of the situation, how to escape and all that. When we go through tough times our natural response is to stop moving and find a cave where we can hide.

That’s why when people go through problems they find a comfort zone. They don’t want to do anything more. They just want to sit there because comfort zone is familiar, and they don’t feel threatened or pressured in that environment.

So, how to define composure? Composure again comes from decisions we make. Did Daniel go screaming into the lion’s den? When Stephen was stoned, was he very composed? Paul’s life also we see many times through all trials he was very composed. What secret did they carry to be so composed in their hearts?

Some principles we can draw from Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Basically, it is teaching us how to subdue anxiety and worry. So, the first thing he says, submit everything to Christ. Second thing he says, subdue anxiety by giving thanks. By giving thanks, we are trying to reprogram our minds to positive thinking. We are dealing with the mind.

To submit means to let go off the need to control the situation. We worry because of two things – we are not in control of the process or situation, and we cannot control the outcome but submit is to let go off the need to control.

The root of anxiety is the need to control.

The moment we let go off the need to control we let go off anxiety.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Where is your focus on? If the focus is on letting-go and letting Him take control then this is our portion: Perfect Peace

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

This is a prayer, but it is also a promise. Paul is praying what God will do, what He is able to do. It is the nature of God. He is able to give us peace in all things, at all times.

If God on His part offers peace as a promise, then why are we not receiving it? We on our part we need to keep the focus, we need to let go of our need to control, so the peace of God can deal with the anxiety in our heart.

I mean there are times when God takes control of the situation and supernaturally His peace comes.  But most times we have to make decisions. That is why we have scriptures like

Psalms 37:7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

Psalms 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honoured by every nation. I will be honoured throughout the world.”

Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

In Ziklag when David’s own men wanted to stone him, David strengthened himself in the Lord. How did he find the peace and composure? He went into the presence of the Lord; he probably submitted and surrendered the whole situation to the Lord.

God is always willing to give us peace in all situations, at all times but we need to make the right response.

The situation is not going to go away but we need to fight that anxiety to make a decision. That’s how God trains us for battle. So, in the process of maturity and spiritual formation why is this important?

Our greatest enemy is our own will; our greatest contention is against our own will.

2 Timothy 4:3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. Their contention was with their own will because it is their heart that desired all these things, and their ears followed what was already in their hearts.

The contention is actually with their own will. That’s why we need to learn how to harness our heart.

And the only way, there is no other way, the only way to do that is to love our Lord with all our heart, mind and soul.

Revelations 2:2-4 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

Jeremiah 2:2 “Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the LORD says: “I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness.

In Verse 2, we see Israel followed Him like a new bride but by verse 5 they followed worthless idols because their contentment was not in the Lord.

Jeremiah 2:5 This is what the LORD says: “What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves.

If we look at Revelations 2:2

• they were hardworking
• they were enduring, which is a fruit of the Spirit
• they could not tolerate evil people, meaning they were very righteous,
• they knew how to discern between true and false people
• they endured and suffered because of His name
• They have suffered for the sake of Jesus and they have not grown weary
• and yet Jesus says you have lost your first love.

What happened? Along the way one of these things has taken priority over Him. They love Jesus but they do not love Him with all their heart, mind and soul.

So, the only way we can harness our hearts which also directs our minds is to make a decision, a predetermined course of action, like Daniel. Daniel decided: I will not defile my heart and then he took action: I will take only take water and vegetarian food. The next verse says God gave him grace and favor with the authorities.

What is God expecting from us?
You love Me with all heart, mind, soul and strength all other things will fall in place. That’s the simplest definition of our relationship with Christ.

So, we have to make that decision. Love Him means you won’t betray Jesus. You deeply love Him you won’t do the wrong things. If He is the lover of your heart you won’t go for another lover. As long as we are in the flesh, we still have a chance to change. God’s heart is open. So, even if we are on the decline only thing we need to do is go back and repent and we can start walking with Him. But the problem is we don’t know when what will happen to us. So, why wait for another day?

To build something into your life you have to desire, decide, determine and stay disciplined.

So, why not determine to love Him? Then all other areas will automatically fall in its place.

Like, Paul and David, our first priority is to love Him then our heart will be ruled by love for Him. Paul says my heart is compelled by the Love of Christ. His love will constrain me from doing all other things that will not please Him. His love will drive me to do what pleases Him. That is why the Holy Spirit establishes us in love and helps us understand the love of Christ.

Matthew 24 says the love of many will grow cold. 2 Timothy 3 says Watch out! Love for money will increase, love for self-indulgence increase, love for pleasure will increase. We need love for Christ.

When we stop in our love for Christ then other things will over ride. So, conscious decision needs to be taken on a daily basis. How do we know what to change? Holy Spirit through the Word will direct us to the areas in our lives we need to deal with.

We don’t become a mature person in one day. It’s a journey. We have to desire, decide, determine and stay consistently disciplined. We need to make decisions. God will not make decisions for us.

In this time, maybe God will accelerate certain things in our life as long as we remain connected because when we remain connected light and life of God comes in. Light gives us understanding. Life of God gives hope, strength and determination to go on.