How To Be Focused For Spiritual Growth

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>How To Be Focused For Spiritual Growth</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id259.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Setting the Record Straight on Marriage"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id323.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Right Way to View the Rules"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>How to Be Focused for Spiritual Growth, Berean Bible Church, March 10, 2002am 1 Corinthians 7:17-40</B></div> <bR> <div>      I was impressed by the Olympic Winter Biathon athletes, who combine cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. The level of focus that it must take to hit five targets with a rifle after racing on cross-country skis must be amazing. The competitors not only need to be fast on their skis, they need to be highly focused to have a chance to succeed. </div> <div>      Spiritual growth also demands personal focus. It is easy to be distracted about what the Christian life is all about. Your Christianity, relationship with Christ is not a side issue of your life, or compartmentalized alongside all other areas! Spiritual growth and service to Christ demand being focused as a follower of Christ. Keep Christ and your relationship with him at the center of your life, not just one part.</div> <div>      1 Corinthians 7 deals with decisions about marriage, sexuality, divorce and singleness. There was a group of legalists in the church who said that to be a really grown-up Christian, you needed to be celibate, avoiding sexual activity even if you were married. The single person was pressured to stay single so they could be more spiritually grown up than people who were not celibate. Paul dismantles this argument in chapter 7 by saying that while singleness has some advantages, it is not a necessity for spiritual growth.</div> <div> Here are 3 Requirements for Being Focused as a follower of Christ.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Be content with the circumstances God calls you to (vss. 17-24).</B></div> <div>      Stay in the place and circumstance God calls you to (vss. 17-24). Note the repetition of the word “called,” especially in vss. 17, 20, 24. Vss. 22-23 show that the believer now belongs to Christ and is thus to be under his control.</div> <div>      Be content with the circumstances God calls you to. Don't be distracted by earthly ambitions outside of the will of God for your life. This affects your attitude toward painful circumstances. Being saved does not mean you will be rich or have a pain- and trouble-free life! When you are considering changing your circumstances, the first question is not, what is easiest or most comfortable. The question is, what is God’s will? This can often be discerned through your gifts, passion, available opportunity, as well as its affect on other people.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Be clear on God’s priorities and values for your life (vss. 25-35).</B></div> <div>      In light of the times (tribulation and the passing away of the world system, vss. 26, 29, 31), Christians should live by God’s values, not earthly values. Vss. 32-35 deal with singleness and service to Christ. One who is single has the advantage of being able to focus on serving Christ, because they don’t have a family. Families appropriately demand time and attention – if you have a family, don’t use “service for Christ” as a reason why you are never home! Even if you have a family, though, lead your family in being focused as followers of Christ together (vs. 29).</div> <div>      Be clear on God’s priorities and values for your life. Don't be distracted by the values of the world-system around us. Being a follower of Christ affects your life at the fundamental level of values and priorities. Values are clarified in times of crisis (Sept 11, War on Terror). Some of God’s values for us are integrity, time with God, commitment to family, community with other believers, adherence to the truth, etc.</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. Stick to your convictions.</B></div> <div>      Vss. 36-40 deal with the choice to marry or stay single, for those who never married or have been widowed. Vs. 37 challenges them to have their minds made up by their own will or choice or conviction. They should not make this choice because they feel pressured by the legalists to stay single and celibate.</div> <div>      Don't be distracted by man-made spiritual rules. When you make a decision you believe to be God’s will, stick to your convictions. Do this without imposing them on others. Avoid being a victim of legalism or being a legalist. A legalist makes rules for everybody about things that are not clearly commanded in Scripture.</div> <bR> <div>      There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other. As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, “Henry, you’re holding the bat wrong. You’re supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark.” Aaron didn’t say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, “I didn’t come up here to read [the trademark, I came to hit the ball].” (<I>Nehemiah, Learning to Lead,</I> J. M. Boice, Revell, 1990, p. 38; “Distraction,” Bible.org). Know why you are here, as a follower of Christ. Keep Christ and your relationship with him front and center in your life.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2002, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>