Kakinada Meetings 2017 Dates : 20th, 21st and 22nd January 2017
Summary
The message emphasizes the need to grow into Christ, speaking the truth in love, as taught by Ephesians 4:15. The speaker uses the analogy of a child progressing through school grades to illustrate that the struggle with sin should not be repetitive; rather, believers must continually advance to conquer new, greater sins as they mature in faith. This continuous growth is presented as the burden the Holy Spirit places upon believers.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Growing up to ChristThe speaker introduces the main verse on spiritual growth and explains that God expects us to progress rather than struggling with the exact same sins year after year.Ephesians 4:15
Why does God allow Satan to tempt us?Addressing why God does not destroy Satan, the speaker explains that temptation acts as resistance which builds spiritual strength, much like exercise builds physical muscle.
Count it all joy when facing trialsThe speaker reads from James to show that trials and testing produce endurance, leading a believer toward spiritual maturity and completeness.
The attractive nature of temptationUsing the tree of knowledge of good and evil in Eden, the speaker notes that temptation must be attractive to test our faithfulness and cause us to choose God over worldly desires.
Persevering in temptation brings the crown of lifeThe speaker highlights the blessing promised to those who persevere through various temptations and prove their love for God by overcoming them.
How sin is conceived and bornComparing yielded desire to conception, the speaker explains how agreeing with wrong desires leads to sin and ultimately spiritual death.
Living according to the flesh leads to deathAddressing believers, the speaker warns that continuing to live according to the flesh results in spiritual death, while putting sins to death by the Spirit brings life.
Being filled with the Holy SpiritComparing the command not to be drunk with wine to the command to be filled with the Spirit, the speaker stresses that daily spiritual victory is impossible without the Holy Spirit's power.
The Holy Spirit as our helper in examsThe speaker illustrates the Christian life using the picture of a teacher sitting next to a student during an exam, showing how the Holy Spirit helps us pass every temptation test.
A call to silent prayerInviting the congregation to pray silently, the speaker encourages listeners to surrender their struggles, ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit, and commit to being overcomers.
