Many of us Christians want to be matured spiritually but we don't pay attention to the ladder that can acclimatize us to the level of maturity.
Trying to attain a level without knowing what it takes to get there is absolutely mission impossible.
The bible said in Luke 14:28. Anyone who intended to build a tower should first sit and count the cost if he have sufficient to finish it.
So today we want to sit and look deeply into this powerful keys that can mature a believer.
Because without this keys, spiritual maturity is impossible.
Now, what is hunger?
Hunger in this context means undying passion, unbending desire, and unquenchable craving for God and his kingdom.
Pls take note of my choice of words. Is very important.
What is consistency?
Consistency is the quality of always behaving in the same way.
It means total commitment to a thing
Now this is the equation, hunger plus consistency equal spiritual maturity.
Matt 5:6 The bible said blessed is he that hunger and thirst after righteousness for dey shall be filled
Show me a man that is desperately hungry after God and I will show you a matured Christian who is unbeatable. No man can kw God without been hungry after God.
Hear me, the level of what you kw abt God today, is the level of your current hunger for God.
If we hunger more, we will know more. The more we hunger after him, the more we mature in him.
We can't be filled if we are not hungry. Hunger is the vehicle that takes us to the realm of God. Without hunger and consistency, we are only doing religious activities.
You can't be hungry and Jesus will not notice you. Your hunger is what Jesus is looking for. The woman of the issue of blood, it was not her hand that touched Jesus, it was her hunger.
Wherever there is genuine hunger, look very well you will find Jesus there. Paul said that I may know you.
Is a heart cry sir/ma, is not a grammar.
And if you look at Paul very well, he touched a dimension in God that the rest didn't get to.
Lack of hunger and consistency has kept us in a realm of babes for decades. We go to church every Sunday, but we are not growing.
We pray in tongues, but we don't know Jesus
Paul said to the Corinth church, he said by now you ought to be eating meat, but you're still drinking milk
At every point we ought to grow and mature in Christ
Hear me, hunger and consistency make power available. When we are deeply hungry, power would come. It is not the desire of God that we should remain babes.
There are more dimensions God want us to enter but lack of hunger is the limitation. Imagine giving food to someone who does not need it, it will be useless.
Galatians 4:1-3 pls
4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Look at what happens to anyone that refuses to mature in Christ
such person won't be different from a slave. Though you are lord of all, but you will still not have authority.
My goodness, may this not be our potion in Jesus name
That we will still have to take permission before we take what belongs to us. because we refuse to grow into maturity.
Because of time, let's look at how to hunger and be consistent.
1) ask God to put his love in your heart. When we love God, we will love everything about him. When we love God genuinely, we will be committed to his kingdom.
When we love God, naturally we will be passionate abt his kingdom. Love is a fuel, it push us to chase after God.
2) study the word of God. The word of God is the installer of hunger.
We can't know the word and not be hungry. Jeremiah said I deed eat your word and is like fire in my bones.
You can't eat the word and be cold
Lukewarmness does not exist where the word dwells
3) join a department in the church. When we join a department in church or a fellowship, it help fuel your fire more.
Bible says we should not forsake the fellowship of the brethren
Do you know why? Is because there is a strange anointing that comes when two or three are gathere. Join a department and serve faithfully, you will grow
4) prayerful look for someone who's hunger is contagious and make him/her your friend.
When you have a prayer partner who is more on 🔥, both of you will sharpen yourself.
But ensure you chose prayerfully..
Lastly
5) always make out time for personal retreat
Hmmm, you see this one, it has blessed me in no small way. Personal retreat is one thing that can shift our spiritual growth like never before
When we retreat, we are alone with God
That's where God will correct us
That's were He will chastise us
That's where He will teach you things that even your pastor can't teach you
Personal retreat is powerful because you will be left alone face to face with your Father
Always make out time for personal retreat
Before I conclude tonight, I like us to understand that we can't be hungry or consistent if we yet to accept Jesus into our life.
Secondly I want us to understand that spiritual maturity is not for believers that rise and fall.
The first step to maturity is to accept Jesus and surrender all to him.
In conclusion tonight, if you want to know how matured you are in Christ, watch your hunger level. Watch your passion for the things of God
No hunger and consistency, no spiritual maturity. But when we are hungry and continue to be hungry, we will be filled
110.713 SRY1
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