Skip to content 5 Movements Towards Spiritual Maturity: Part 2 Sep 8 · 31 min ...more
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Rev. Paul Jeyachandran leads the Intentional Disciple Making Church (IDMC) Movement, which is all about calling churches back to its disciplemaking roots. Visit us at idmcmovement.com
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0:09 Hi, Church. What a privilege for us to study the word of God together again in our life groups. Today we are going to be talking about the 5 movements towards spiritual0:21 maturity. Now last time we studied together, we looked at part 1 and today will be part 2. I want to begin with a quote from Andrew Murray. Many0:32 believers think that when they receive Jesus, he saves them and then helps them in times of trouble. Then they all but deny him as their master.0:45 They think they have a right to have their own will and their own way in 1000 different things. They are their own masters and would never dream of saying, Jesus,0:57 I forsake all to follow you. How true this is. We began with a question last last time we studied. What is spiritual1:08 maturity? And we discovered that spiritual maturity is becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. It is to will the will of the1:20 Father. It is to be able to yield all our perceived rights and our personal ambitions and to surrender everything about our life, all of1:32 our life, back to God. See, you and I, we need to understand that we need to live life with a whole life, integrated life, isn't it?1:44 We don't want to live a compartmental divided life, fragmented life. We want to be whole. That is why we talk about the whole life discipleship. It is the whole1:56 of life for the whole of life. In other words, all of my life for the rest of my life, I want to surrender to Christ. So 1 of the core things that we established in2:07 our first study is this, that God is inviting us on a journey to surrender our lives to him. He is asking us to exchange our earthly marbles, our2:19 dirty earthly marbles, and to receive from him spiritual diamonds. That is what C. S. Lewis described it as. God is always inviting us to2:31 a greater realities, to walk with him in that absolute surrender. But we sometimes settle for just the mediocre level of life. We settle for commitment when God2:43 is asking us for surrender. We looked at this last time. Spiritual maturity isn't about how committed you are to God, but how surrendered you are to God. So2:55 let's look at the 5 movements again. The first 1, our deep search. There must be something more. And we discovered it is a search for God. Indeed, God is the3:07 only 1 who truly satisfies. Secondly, our desperate struggle, wanting it all. In other words, there is a conflict of 2 wills in our within ourselves. There is a3:19 conflict of 2 natures. But then the 1 that we yield to will ultimately triumph. The third 1 is the absolute surrender. So there is a search, there is a struggle, but then3:31 we come to the place where we say, I surrender it all. There is an absolute surrender. We yield it all to God. And this is where we will the will of the father. Now,3:43 as we begin this journey of transforming our inner world, as we begin this journey towards spiritual maturity, 1 thing you and I, we need to understand is that unless and until3:55 you surrender it all, you cannot cultivate your inner life. That's why this 1 question is so important. I want you to write this question down in your notes because this is fundamental when it comes to4:06 discipleship and when it comes to building, cultivating, and transforming your inner life. The question is this, who is truly the master of your life?4:19 Do you know as a pastor who journeys together with other church leaders and pastors, Many times when I go for church consultations, I look for the 1 thing4:31 among the pastoral staff. It doesn't matter what is the size of the church, whether it is a small church or a large church or a mega church. The 1 thing we look for in the pastoral stuff, especially in the4:43 key leadership team, the senior leadership team, is this word called restedness. And that restedness is a sign of a surrendered life. See, many times, there is4:55 a restlessness. We saw this in the past studies. There is a inner churning. There is a churning within. That inner restlessness is a sign that we are5:06 holding on to certain things from God. See, when I say restedness, I look for 3 things. Let me give this to you. It is not in my notes. I want you to take it down.5:19 When we see a person who is rested, their inner life is at it it's in the right place. It's cult the posture is right. They are right before God and right before people. Their inner life5:31 is well maintained and cultivated. You see that restedness. And it's seen in 3 things. 1, there is nothing to prove. In other words, there's a deep state of security. They're not5:43 threatened by anyone who is more talented than them. They're not threatened by who will try and snatch this position away from me because these are things that plagues the church world,5:54 politics, power mongering. Isn't it? But the key reality is when there is a deep state of inward security, you got nothing to prove. You can just do the6:06 will of the father. Hallelujah. Secondly, it's a nothing to hide. What is nothing to hide? Nothing to hide is a place of repentance. It's a place of total repentance. There is no skeleton in the6:18 closet. There is nothing to hide. That means you have confessed your sins and you're walking uprightly before God and before men. That's the key.6:30 And when we come to that place of walking, we're in a place of integrity and a deep security. Imagine how life would be. Nothing to prove, nothing to hide. The third 1 is6:42 nothing to lose. Now this is very critical for us. Why? Because the more you are journeying with the lord, the more areas of your life you have handed over the reins to him,6:54 you don't feel like there is anything to lose. You will be the most rested person in the world because everything is in the hands of the Lord. Nothing is in your hands. I always have7:06 this phrase for for people when they what you received by faith, you maintain by faith. But what you received through your works, you maintain by your works. I'd rather receive things by7:18 faith and maintain it by faith. In other words, I receive it from the lord. I didn't grab it. I didn't strive for it. I didn't go and get it. I didn't grab it. I didn't I didn't do it by my works. I received it from7:29 him. The moment I receive it from him, it's a gift. It's a grace. It's by faith. Then I maintain it by faith. In other words, I know I got nothing to lose. Why? Because it is in the hands of the Lord. Now, that is a true7:41 place of restedness. Now, this is 1 thing. It is the life of a person who is surrendered. So in our study, we have looked at 37:53 things, our deep search, our desperate struggle, and our absolute surrender. Today, we are gonna study the last 2 movements, the upward service and8:05 the inner significance. What is the upward service? Upward service is giving it all. In other words, you come to a realization that to will8:17 the will of the father is for my best interest. To really yield my perceived rights and my personal ambitions to the lord and to surrender it all, it's a8:28 beginning step of victory. See, you gotta realize that when you are called to serve God, you don't serve God on your terms. You serve God on his terms.8:41 I wanna read a quotation from Mark Pauli. Look at what it says. To be a follower of Christ is to be on a journey where heart and life and8:52 possessions all get pulled along in the direction of the kingdom. Can you see that? Just slow it down and read it again. Our heart, our life, our possessions all9:04 get pulled along in the direction of the kingdom. In other words, there is an alignment that everything is coming together and your life itself becomes a worship unto the lord. Every9:16 aspect of your life. That's why we keep saying in this house, there's no fragmentation. There's no departmentalization. There's no compartmentalization. Our whole of life for the whole of life. In other words,9:28 all of our life for the rest of our life, we are pulled in the direction of the kingdom. And what would come as a result? 2 things. 1, there will be a wise9:39 stewardship, and secondly, there will be a joyful service. What is a wise stewardship? You will recognize that your life doesn't belong to you. Your life belongs to the king.9:51 Hallelujah. You have been bought with a price. See, the Bible is very clear that we are slaves of Christ. That's how Paul writes about himself. Isn't it? Many of the apostles, when they10:02 wrote, they said, I'm a bond servant. I'm a bond slave. See, slave is someone who is owned by a master. A bond slave is someone who has10:14 freedom and yet chose to submit to the master and to serve him as a slave. You and I are set free. He who is in the son is set free, but we10:25 are bond servants. In other words, we want to do the will of the father. We want to fulfill the mandate, his mandate, his commandments. We wanna embrace his values10:37 and we acknowledge that our life is a stewardship. So when I say the word stewardship, you gotta recognize this. Your life doesn't belong to you. You are purely a manager. Jesus is the10:49 rightful owner of everything you have. Your time, your talents, your treasures. We always say the time, talent, treasures, but I include a few things. Territories,11:01 including your 4 territory. In other words, even the cars, the vehicles you buy, everything that you call possessions, they all belong to Jesus. Your homes belong to Jesus. Not11:13 only that, your ties, your relationships, your trials, your triumphs, everything belongs to Jesus. You and I, we need to learn to steward our life. So remember this, we are living a borrowed11:25 life. As a result of living a borrowed life, we steward it wisely. In other words, you ask this question, how am I investing my master's time, my11:37 master's talents, my master's treasures which he has entrusted to me? That's the language of a stewardship. The second 1 is that we have to be there's a joyful11:49 service. When you recognize that giving it all, I want to serve God on his terms, there is a joy ful service. See, many times we serve, but we serve like what Jonah did.12:00 Jonah chapter 1, God calls him, tells him to go to Nineveh and preach. He didn't wanna do it. But then, chapter 3, he reluctantly because he had no choice, he goes to preach. Chapter 4, he is still12:12 angry. There is no emotional investment. Why? Because he did not have the heart of God. Listen to me carefully. Many times we can serve, but we serve with no12:24 joy. Listen. You don't have to serve. You get to serve. Because you're a servant, you get to serve. And it's a privilege in the kingdom of God that the12:36 God of heaven would want to partner with you and me to build his kingdom together and he lives in us and works through us. Hallelujah. Now listen carefully. John chapter 1212:48 and verse 26, Jesus highlights 2 things that I wanna pay attention to. Number 1, he says, if anyone serves me, he must follow me. Pay attention to this. That's the first 1. The first 1 is13:00 our faithful devotion to Christ. What is the faithful devotion to Christ? Faithful devotion to Christ is this, that if anyone serves me,13:12 he must follow me. Look at the language that Jesus uses. If anyone, as though there is a choice. Even though you and I are a servant, he doesn't force13:24 us. He gives us the free will to choose to serve him, if anyone. That means serving Jesus is a choice. That's why there are some people who are saved and they are sitting13:35 there sour, turning sour. Isn't it? Because they don't do anything. But can I humbly say this? If you're watching this, I I wanna challenge you to rise up and do serve the king of kings and the lord of13:47 lords because there is no other greater joy on earth except serving him. And the bible says here serving Jesus is a choice. Secondly, if you choose to serve him, you must serve him on his terms.14:00 What is serving him on his terms means? It means this, that you don't serve when it's convenient for you. You don't serve where you you don't pick and choose where you serve and what14:12 you do because you learn to hear the master and obey the master. In other words, you yield the right to choose and you say, Lord, you send me. Like we are studying the book of Revelation at this14:23 moment, God sent John to Patmos. You know, Caesar would have thought that he is the 1 sending John to Patmos, But Jesus sends him there. I want you to pay attention. Why?14:35 Because anything and everything that happens in our lives is in Jesus, of Jesus, and for Jesus. That is why we got to learn that even in the trials, even in the situations that are14:47 tough times, we can still serve him and we are called to serve him with joy. And we are called to serve him on his terms. Secondly, our fruitful life in Christ.15:00 Look at the same verse, John 12 verse 26. The second portion says, if anyone serves me, my father will honor him. Wow. If anyone serves me, the father will15:12 honor him. How? The father will approve them of their life and ministry. That's why 1 of the core convictions that we carry in an IDMC is this, the approval15:23 of god is of utmost importance. We do not serve for the applause of men. We serve for the approval of God. Catch it. Why this is important? Because when you are serving15:35 God, you are serving God's people. You're serving the people of God. Either they are pre believers or believers within the church. And you and I know that when we are serving people, people are sometimes15:47 ungrateful. People sometimes will definitely turn their back on us and hurt us along the way. They will criticize us. There will be misunderstandings. So how you15:59 process criticisms and how you process when you're celebrated the compliments matters. That's why you and nun need to understand that we are not here for the applause of men, but for the approval of god. The moment you16:10 recognize that you're serving god on his terms, he sends you to wherever he wants you to go and you do his bidding. And when you're doing his bidding, it doesn't matter whether people receive it, whether people criticize16:22 it, whether people misunder stand it. As long as you're doing the will of the father, you are approved of God and that's enough. Why this is important? Because there16:33 are so many leaders that are wounded in the kingdom of God. They are wounded because they place so much importance on what people think of them. 1 of the core things that God has given me is a16:45 responsibility to tutor and walk with senior pastors. And in that privileged role, I've seen pastors who are wounded because shepherds always16:57 suffer sheep bites. If you're a shepherd, you're surely gonna get sheep bite. And some people take that sheep bite all too hot. It it it corrupts the way they see themselves. It17:09 corrupts their, it corrupts their soul. Can I humbly say this? You and I should not be concerned. Die to the opinion of men. Die to the reputation you carry. Die to17:20 yourself. Come back to God and to say, there's only 1 thing that matters. I serve God on his terms and I live for the approval of God. And no matter how difficult it is,17:32 you can still bear fruit in the kingdom of God, and your labor will not be in vain. See, part of the situation is that people who work in persecuted nations, or people who17:44 are working in other nations that have other faith, predominantly other faith. And in those areas, to bear fruit in the kingdom, that means you work for the gospel17:56 for many years and you may have only 1 soul, 1 fruit. But you know what? You may think, what's the point? I've given my youth here. I've given my years here, but I can't really see18:08 any fruit. See, you're looking at the natural with the natural eyes, but you know how God sees it? God says, no matter where he sends you, as long as you've been doing the will of the18:19 father, the father approves your life and your ministry is validated. Listen to me carefully. Corinthians first Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 58 says, therefore, my beloved brothers, be18:31 steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the lord, knowing that in the lord your labor is not in vain. Highlight that. Your labor is not in vain. Where? In the18:42 lord. You are in Jesus, you are of Jesus, and for Jesus. No matter what your situation is, he gets the glory. Hallelujah. That is why your labor18:54 is not in vain. I want to take a moment to address everyone in the life groups. If you have stepped up to be a life group leader,19:06 you are doing a tremendous work in the kingdom of God. I salute you for your sacrifice and for your servant heart and for stewarding the lives of people that God has entrusted to19:18 you through your leadership. Now listen to me carefully. You are an under shepherd and you have you are functioning from a delegated authority. The people don't belong to you. They19:30 belong to the lord. They don't belong to you. They belong to the senior pastor of the church who is accountable for all the flock. But you are playing a vital role. But in this vital role,19:42 there will be challenges, people who do who take you for granted, people who abuse you with their words or with their the way they withdraw their affection from you. You gotta grow19:54 immature, Riti, through this because you're serving the Lord. You're serving the Lord. And there is another group of ministry that I really love in the church. And I'm thankful to the Lord there are so many20:05 people who love to pray and intercede for the church in our church. You if you're an intercessor, I wanna speak to you because as an intercessor, you carry the church forward. You are actually waging the battle from the20:17 forefront. And I'm thankful to the lord that every time I come here to record a session, I know there are people praying for us. Now this is great important ministry, great20:29 ministry of great importance because the battle is not doing this. The battle is in the getting down on knees and crying before God. That is important. That's where you win your battle. I20:41 want to listen I want you to listen carefully. If you are interceding and praying for members in your group and members in the church and for especially for your pastors' families, I want to thank you from the bottom of20:53 my heart because you may never receive a thanks from the people whom you're praying for. But you know what? Great will be the reward in heaven for you. That's why don't be caught up in who is approving my21:05 ministry, who is recognizing my ministry, or they they love my ministry, they're receiving my ministry, or they're not receiving my ministry. Don't worry about the criticisms or the compliments because you serve the21:15 audience of 1. And if you do the will of the father, he approves you and he causes you to bear fruit. Hallelujah. Let's give Jesus a clap offering. Come on. Hallelujah. Thank you,21:27 Jesus. And if you're watching this in a group, I want you to appreciate your life group leaders. I want you to take time to send them notes of thanks and appreciation. I don't mind receiving it.21:40 But at the same time, I know there are so many who may not receive that on a weekly basis or a monthly basis. Please do send those appreciation notes so that they will21:52 feel blessed. Hallelujah. But come back to this. Fourth 1 is our upward service. It is a service of giving it all, serving on22:04 his terms, not ours. The fifth movement is our inner significance. Jesus is all. Listen to this. Jesus is everything. See, we always say Jesus22:15 is everything. And if we say Jesus is everything, is Jesus alone enough? This is where we get into trouble because we look for other things. We yes. I have22:27 Jesus, but I have other things. I want other things. But can I humbly say this? Having Jesus is more than enough. I've been in situations where I had no money in my pocket, and Jesus alone22:39 had been enough. I had been in situations where I've totally out of control. I had no way of controlling what the outcome will be. I was so helpless.22:52 And I looked to Jesus, and in that moment, Jesus had been everything and Jesus alone is enough. That's why the true search for us is a search for significance,23:04 search for satisfaction, a search for security, and it's all found in Christ. So the moment you come to that place to know that everything that you are seeking for is in Christ, then Christ23:15 alone is enough. That is where we get our inner significance. Look at how Jesus put this. In John chapter 14 and verse 3, Jesus says, and if I go23:27 and prepare a place for you, I'll come again and will take you to myself. Circle that. I will take you to myself and there I am that23:39 where I am, you may be also. In a NASP translation, it actually says like this. Jesus says, he has received us unto himself.23:51 Received us unto himself. See, many times when you read this passage, we always look for the mansions in heaven. I've heard many people say, you know, I'm waiting for my mansion in heaven. I don't think Jesus24:03 meant that you when you get there, you are getting a mansion. What Jesus said is, I'm going there to prepare so that you can come and be with me. I will take you to myself. I will receive24:15 you to myself. Your destination is Christ. Your destiny is Christ. That's why for a Christian believer, everything begins and ends with24:26 Christ. Here, the Bible says, you he will receive you unto self. In other words, everything about your life is in him. Your identity is in him. Your security is in him. Your destiny is in24:38 him. Let's look at it 1 by 1. Your identity is in him. The bible says, he will receive you unto himself. See, when when the24:50 world talks about identity, they always speak about who you are. Isn't it life coaches? They thrive on this. Your identity. Your identity is who you are.25:02 It usually is about what you do and who you are. But when it comes to Christianity, the New Testament theology of identity is not tied25:14 to who you are, but more rather it is tied to whose you are. In other words, identity is a relational word. My wife finds her identity by being25:25 married to me. She is a wife. And through that relationship comes another relationship, a mother of my children. Listen, identity is tied to not just who you are, but whose you25:37 are. And so that is key. Who's who am I? I'm his. Hallelujah. That's why 1 of the core things that you and I, we need to recognize is our life begins with the25:49 relationship in Christ. That's why the call of the kingdom the call of the kingdom is not so that you go and advance the king and advance the kingdom, but to abide in the king, to align your life26:01 to the king. That's why the bible doesn't place importance on all the important things you do. The bible places importance on what are you becoming. See, pastor Edmund said this quote, it is not26:13 the important things that we do that make our life a significant life, rather it is the significant life that makes whatever we do important. Listen. It is not because you do important things that your life is26:24 significant. Your life is already significant. Get this. You are already significant in Christ. Why? Because he loves you. He redeems you. He gives you his anointing. He gives you his mandate to go into the26:36 world and make disciples. He has already commissioned you. You are already secure in his love. That's your identity. I am a person who is called, who is chosen, who is anointed, who has26:48 been favored, and now I've been sent into the world as a missionary. Now, this is who you are. And because of who you are, whose you are, now whatever you do is important. Hallelujah. So,27:00 therefore, your life in in Christ is important. Begin with that. Secondly, our security in Christ. Our security in Christ is not about what we do for27:11 God, but rather what has been done by God. See, significance and it is most of the time, it's always defined by what we do, isn't it? The world celebrates that27:23 person is significant because he has achieved this or he has done that. His this is his accomplishments. But in the kingdom of god, it's who you it's not who you are, but whose you are. And it's not about what you do,27:34 but it's what's been done to you by god. That's why in this case, god is saying to you, rather than focusing on advancing the first call is to abide in the king. The more you abide in the king, you will end up27:46 advancing his kingdom. The more you align yourself to the king, the king will live in you and through you, and the work of the kingdom will be accomplished. That's why the Christian life always27:58 begins with Jesus. Tim Keller said this, Christ is not about trying harder. It's not about trying harder in your marriage, trying harder in your business, trying harder in28:10 your ministry. Christ is not about trying harder. It means transferring our trust away from ourselves and resting in him. Because in him, your identity, your28:21 security, your destiny, your satisfaction, your self worth, your security, everything is tied in him. That is the key. So you and I, we need to28:33 come back to this place of recognizing that our search is for God. So let's revise the 5 movements. Come on. Our deep search, there must be something more. There is a28:45 search that searches for God. It can only be satisfied by God. Our desperate struggle, wanting it all. There's a conflict of 2 wills. There's 2 natures. Which 1 will win? It is the28:57 absolute surrender, yielding it all to will the will of the father. Then fourth 1 is our upward service, giving it all, serving God on his terms. And29:09 finally, our inner significance, Jesus is all. In other words, Jesus is enough. In him, I have my self worth, I have my security, I have my29:21 significance, and I have my satisfaction. My prayer is, as a church, that we will continue to grow in spiritual maturity. Let me highlight the mission29:33 statement I gave you before. Let's read it together. 3, 2, 1. We are building an authentic spiritual community where obedience to truth is practiced together that results29:45 in spiritual maturity and spiritual multiplication. May the Lord bless you as you continue to pursue spiritual maturity. And may the Lord continue to29:56 transform your inner life so that you are searching for him and you find in him everything you're searching for, and30:08 he will satisfy you. Hallelujah. And that is a place of spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is becoming more and more like Christ. Spiritual maturity is yielding your perceived rights30:20 and your personal ambitions and surrendering it all to the father and to will the will of the father. Let's pray. Heavenly father, we thank you for this moment. Thank you for opening our eyes to see and giving us30:31 listening ears to listen. I pray that the holy spirit will help us apply this truth and continually transform us from the inside out, that our inner life will be transformed, that we will reach that place of absolute30:43 surrender and of total restedness in every area of our lives. We thank you, Lord. I pray for your people that they will continue to be satisfied in Jesus, find their significance and30:55 security and self worth in Jesus And that in Jesus alone, we trust and we rest. In Jesus name, and the people of God said, amen and amen. God bless you.
Paul Jeyachandran
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