From Frustration to Fulfilment 2

Hello Everyone,

If we’re to move from frustration to fullness … we must understand some things. —

First The Stride of the Spirit!

Galatians 5:25 — “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

“Keeping step with the Spirit” ... is a phrase of purpose and progress!

It’s a phrase that tells us that –

God has incredible goals for our lives!

And the Holy Spirit is committed to helping us realize and reach those fulfilling goals!

The Godly goals the Holy Spirit wants to lead us to are two-fold:

First of all The Holy Spirit wants to lead us to —maturity!

How many know that we can grow old without growing up?

Have you ever met someone who has never grown up physically they’ve aged but emotionally they never matured?

The flip side is there are people who are young in years but mature in their attitudes and actions!

There’s nothing wrong with spiritual infancy … it’s really a miraculous time …but prolonged spiritual infancy is tragic … because one of God’s greatest goals for us is to – grow!

The apostle Peter writes:

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” — 1 Peter 2:2-3

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” — 2 Peter 3:18

The apostle Paul Writes —

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” —

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” — Ephesians 4:12-15

As a kid I couldn’t wait to – grow up to get bigger!

When someone was measuring my height I would stretch to stand as tall as I could!

I didn’t only want to get bigger I wanted to get stronger I wanted muscles!

I was on to something as a kid –growth is markable … development is measurable!

What’s true in the natural … is true in the spiritual … that’s why at Freedom Center we use a paradigm or picture of growth in our Discipleship class … it’s a baseball diamond of development!

First Base – Membership!

Second Base – Maturity!

Third Base – Ministry!

Home plate – Mission!

Let me ask you –

Is there measurable growth in your spiritual life?

Healthy things grow so if there’s growth there’s health but if there’s little or limited growth things aren’t as they should be!

Secondly The Holy Spirit not only wants to lead us to maturity … the Holy Spirit Wants to Lead us to – ministry!

Don’t miss it —

The “fruit of the Spirit” has to do with our maturity!

The “gifts of the Spirit” has to do with our ministry!

Both are Godly goals … Godly priorities the Holy Spirit wants to lead us to!

Let me ask you a few ministry questions … that are essential to ask and answer if we want to move from frustration to fullness –

1. Do you believe that – God wants to use you? (Call to sonship/service … follow me/I’ll make you fishers of men)

2. Do you want to be – used by God? (Truthfully … some would rather not … Some prefer–hot tub religion … all soothing/no serving)

3. Are you moving forward in ministry? (Have you grown in your ministry involvement and effectiveness?)

Our growth in ministry … is as measurable as our growth in maturity – there’s a second visual aid we use in our Discipleship class here at Freedom Center to measure our growth in this area!

Community – unchurched occasional attenders!

Crowd – regular attenders!

Congregation – members!

Committed – maturing members!

Core – shepherding leaders and ministering members!

Which circle are you in?

Are you an orbiting Christian?

There are things to be feared more than death—A wasted life. A life unattached to God’s great endeavors a self-willed, self-absorbed existence, narrow and routine and ultimately unsatisfying.”

The most joy-filled people I’ve ever met … are people committed to being used by God … people growing and going in ministry!

If we’re to move from frustration to fulfillment we need to understand —

The stride of the Spirit – He leads us to maturity and ministry!

Greater things are still to come!

Pastor Phil