9 Vital Signs
Author:
July 18, 2024
We’ve been in a great series, Seven Letters, where we are working through the letters written to the seven churches in Asia Minor. It has been a time of refocusing our attention on our first love, and seeking truer intimacy with our creator. Last weekend, Pastor Matt talked about the nine vital signs of a church, or a believer, and left us with a challenge to really examine where we are at with each of these. I want to break these down more, in an effort to really help us understand where we may be out of step on these.
To refresh, here are the vital signs:
1. Confession that Jesus is Lord.
2. Recognizing God is Father.
3. Fruit of the Spirit.
4. Unity.
5. Compassion.
6. Growth.
7. Passion.
8. Hunger for holiness.
9. The willingness to die.
Let’s dig in.
1: Confession that Jesus is Lord. This is everything! This is the foundation of our salvation. Confessing with our mouth, and believing in our heart that God sent His only son to die for our sins is the first and foremost in walking with Christ.
2: Recognizing God is Father. We must understand, believe, and fully embrace God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit as one. A triune God with three parts. We must know God as our Father, Jesus as our Savior, and Spirit as our gift. Seeking to know each part intimately is the greatest work we can do in our life! Matthew 28:18–20 says, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”’ This is our hope and our mission on this side of eternity!
3: Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” After we’ve confessed that Jesus is Lord, and have decided to follow God, He gives us a beautiful marker of the fruit we’re producing (or not producing) in our lives. If our actions, words, relationships, and choices don’t reflect this baseline of Godly living, we must re-evaluate. I want to challenge you with this: what things, good or bad, in your life aren’t producing fruit? Where is God calling you to prune the excess or sin from your life to allow a harvest of good?
4: Unity. Psalms 133:1-3: “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.” I don’t know about you, but I want to walk in the blessings of the Lord, no matter what. God calls us clearly and specifically to unity, and harmony with others and Him over and over throughout scripture. Where in your life are you avoiding unity? How can changing that open you up to the blessing of God?
5. Compassion. This one is tough. Compassion is not always an easy feat, because sometimes you simply don’t want to. Compassion fatigue is a real thing, and sometimes the Lord puts people in your life that take more effort than others. But when you reframe your perspective, and start treating people with the compassion that the Lord shows you each moment of each day, it changes you. Don’t get me wrong, you can be compassionate without enabling others poor behavior, but remember the higher calling God has given you.
6. Growth. I truly don’t believe God calls us to something just to keep us there. If that were the case, the Israelites would never have left Egypt or the Promised Land. The disciples would have stopped after the death of Jesus. David would’ve given up when he wasn’t presented as an option to the king. God calls us to continual growth. Growth in our walk with Him, growth in what He’s entrusted us with, and growth in our minds and hearts. Search your heart and ask the Lord for areas you may be stagnant in. He’s always faithful to reveal them.
7. Passion. When we think of passion, we typically think of a strong or powerful emotion. But some translations suggest that a truer definition of the word passion means “to suffer.” When Jesus is asking us to run this race with passion, He’s reminding us that we will face troubles, and we may have to suffer for His truth. But it is always worth it. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:9-13
8. Hunger for holiness. Holiness is the idea of being set apart. As Jesus was set apart, we are to be as well. When the world sees a believer, there should be a difference. In action, love, word, and spirit. We should desire earnestly the things of Heaven, and a life of holiness. The word tells us we are to be in the world, but not of it. Rather, seeking higher things. Where are you allowing the world to shape you?
9. The willingness to die. Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Paul is writing this from a prison, not knowing what his future holds, but willing and grateful to do anything it takes to further the Gospel. Obviously, our world, lives, and circumstances differ quite a bit from Paul, but the truth remains the same. As followers of Christ, we must live with this same urgency and abandon as Paul, and be willing to do whatever God calls us to do.
I hope you feel as challenged as I do to take inventory into your life, and really allow the Lord to show you where these vital signs are lacking. My prayer for us all is that we end this series with a renewed sense of hope, fervor, and excitement to seek the Lord.
BACK