What does it mean for something to be alive or living? 

-         breathing

-         love

-         heartbeat

-         digestion

-         GROWING

We can tell if something is living by the fact that it must grow.  For example, children are living things because they grow.  There are living stages or steps in which people/living things grow.  At the 100 days after a child is born, they start turning over.  At their first birthday, they start walking.  During successive years, they start running. 

We are spiritually dead people.  We died when Adam and Eve committed original sin.  God said that people will die when they eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  But through Jesus Christ we have been revived.  Now that we have become alive Christians, we must grow.  In order to grow, we must take steps. 

We see in Ezekiel, he took 4 steps in order to grow. 

There is water flowing from a source for 1000 cubits.  Ezekiel was told to measure the water and it came to his ankles.  They told him to measure the water another 1000 cubits later.  It then came to his knees.  After another 1000 cubits, the water rose to his hips.  After another 1000 cubits, the water over took him.

Ankle-deep = people who come and go to church (These people know how to pray too, but they pray only on behalf of their own interests.)

Knees-deep = people who know how to pray (hence the knee-deep). These people pray for others and are intercessory prayer warriors.

Waist-deep = There are two meanings – 1. power (our power comes from our waist)  2.  middle (our focus is on God)

Overwhelmed = people who are filled with the Holy Spirit.  These people do everything God desires.  They can do only that. 

Think of your own faith.  Where does the water come up to?  God desires us to be overwhelmed with His Holy Spirit.  He wants us to follow where the Spirit leads us. 

Everyone lives in different stages.  How can we reconcile the differences?

Those who are in the higher stages must understand and help those who are in the lower stages.  People are ignorant to (look down to) those lower than them but they forget that they were in that stage before.  So those who are in the higher stages must understand and help those who are in the lower stages. 

How should the people in the lower stages behave?  They must acknowledge that they are in the lower stages and they must learn from their experiences and others.  They must strive to go to those higher stages.  If they don’t strive, it means their faith is either dead or sick. 

When new employees come into a company, there is much training from those who were there previously.  Your superior would know how to train you because this person would have had experience in the work you are receiving training in.  This is called a mentor.  We must have spiritual mentors so that when we face difficult situations, we can to go this spiritual mentor to ask for help and advice in experiences they’ve had.  We can find spiritual mentors even through authors of Christian books.  There are so many Christian books out there with authors who have experienced so many different things. 

4 stages of faith

ankle, knee, waist, full

Waist and full must understand and help.

Ankle and knee must acknowledge and learn. 

Ezekiel 47:9

So where the river flows, everything will live. 
This water revives.  This is the output/response God will give us if we follow these steps.  We must step into the light.  When we do this, we can change ourselves, our families, our communities, our churches, our cities, America and the world. 

Announcements

1. Please don't forget to give in your dues to your small group leaders.  $5 for students and $10 for working peoples.
2. We will be meeting at 3PM AT CHURCH to start filming our music video for our Easter presentation.  If you need a ride, please contact Helen or Liz.
3. We are meeting on Saturday, April 15, we will be meeting at church at 12:30 to head over to Phil's house to color eggs.  If you were assigned to boil eggs, please don't forget to bring them. 
4. We will also be attending Hong Eun Young's graduation ceremony in the city right after egg coloring.
5. If you want to come bowling THIS FRIDAY (March 24) we will be going to suppor Cris and his band.  Please give Liz a call if you want/need a ride.