SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS OUR " SPIRITUAL SAFETY ZONE." THAT IS WE WILL
FOLLOW JESUS ON A LIMITED BASIS. AND THIS IS THE FOCUS OF MY
MESSAGE: HOW OUR OWN "SPIRITUAL SAFETY ZONE" HINDERS US FROM
FOLLOWING JESUS ALL THE WAY. AS BELIEVERS, JESUS WANTS US TO GO
ALL THE WAY WITH HIM LEAVING OUR "SPIRITUAL SAFETY ZONE" BEHIND.
HE SAID, "IF ANY MAN WOULD COME AFTER ME LET HIM TAKE UP HIS CROSS
AND FOLLOW ME." DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE AT AN ADVANTAGE WHEN
YOU FOLLOW JESUS ALL THE WAY? JESUS TAUGHT US, " IF YOU ABIDE IN ME
AND I IN YOU WHAT EVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME IT SHALL BE DONE." TO
FOLLOW JESUS WHEREEVER AND WHENEVER MEANS WE MUST STEP OUTSIDE OF
OUR OWN SPIRITUAL SAFTETY ZONE AND WALK WITH JESUS HAND IN HAND.
WHAT ARE SOME SYMPTOMS OF NOT FOLLOWING JESUS WHERE EVER HE LEADS
US? WELL, WE'LL GO TO CHURCH BUT FAIL TO ATTEND PRAYER MEETING OR
SUNDAY SCHOOL; WE'LL TELL YOU HOW GOOD GOD IS BUT FAIL TO INTRODUCE
SOMEBODY ELSE TO HIM; WE TALK TO ONE ANOTHER OR OTHERS ON THE
SURFACE ABOUT THE LORD IS GOOD; BUT FAIL TO SHARE OUR PERSONAL
TESTIMONY TO SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS THE SAME KIND OF RELATIONSHIP YOU
HAVE; WE'LL SING WITH THE GROUP BUT FAIL TO USE THE GIFT OF
PRAISE GOD GAVE US TO MINISTER TO SOMEBODY'S HEART AND SPIRIT ON A
SOLO-BASIS; I WILL GO WITH YOU TO CHURCH BUT DON'T ASK ME TO GET
IN VOLVED. OFTEN YOU HEAR US SAY, "I WILL DO THIS BUT WON'T DO
THAT." "THAT'S FOR SOMEBODY ELSE—NOT ME." "I WILL GO WITH YOU TO
CHURCH BUT DON'T ASK ME TO JOIN."
THERE ARE BLESSING AND REWARDS IN FOLLOWING JESUS ALL THE WAY. THE
BIBLE SAYS IN HEBREWS 11:6 "HE THAT COMES TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT
HE "IS" AND THAT HE "IS" A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO HUMBLY SEEK HIM."
THIS MEANS, BELIEVE SOMETHING REWARDING, BENEVOLENT, AND GOOD IS
COMING YOUR WAY IN RETURN FOR FOLLOWING JESUS ALL THE WAY.
