7 Factors for Spiritual Advancement

All around the world, men and women, people of all ages, have witnessed the awesome manifestation of God's presence, power and His love rendered in words, words beyond the written pages.
Why are we preaching like this?
Why do we travel all around the world, preaching the gospel?
Because Jesus is coming again.
and He left us with a message to tell the on-tones.
A message for the whole world.
This message of faith in God and His unfailing word has brought about change in the lives of millions around the world, an improvement that brings many more to such meetings with the Man of God, knowing that their lives will never be the same again.
Today, we bring you excerpts from a special meeting with our Man of God, Pastor Chris.
Pastor Chris, we're hearing.

And if you can make spiritual progress, progress in every other area of your life is absolutely assured.
It will produce the life that's needed in every other thing about you.
Seven factors for spiritual advancement.
Today, we'll look at seven factors for spiritual advancement.
seven factors for spiritual advancement.
Can I make spiritual advancements?
Can I make spiritual progress?
Absolutely, absolutely.
In fact, God expects us to do so.
God expects us to do so.
He expects us to grow.
He tells us to do so.
You should be able to measure your life continually, to see that you are making progress.
very, very important.
And if you can make spiritual progress, progress in every other area of your life is absolutely assured because the spiritual controls the physical.
Now, it doesn't matter how wonderful your physical life is, it doesn't matter how wonderful your material life is, it doesn't matter how wonderful your emotional life is, it doesn't matter how wonderful every other area of your life is.
If you've got problems spiritually, it wouldn't take too long before every other area is jeopardized.
every other area will get into trouble sooner or later.
It won't take too long because your spiritual life controls everything about you.
You are not a physical being.
You're not a body.
You're a spirit being.
See, that's your nature.
You're primarily a spirit person.
And so, if your spirit life
It's not together, you're gonna have problems in every other area sooner or later.
It won't take long.
You know, it's like you tell so much trouble is coming, says it's not here yet, but it's coming.
So always, you deal with the spiritual and put it in the right perspective, in the right position,
And once that is working out well, it will produce the life that's needed in every other thing about you.
Glory to God.
All right, so our theme portion of the Bible today is Philippians chapter one.
And you're going to read that for yourself later on, just about 28 or so verses, not many.
So you can study that for yourself.
But we're going to pick out a few things and get these wonderful seven factors from this beautiful portion of the Bible.
So we're going to read Philippians chapter 1 from verse 1.
Let's go.
Paul and Timotheus
the servant of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons.
Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you, for you all making requests with joy, and that wonderful making request with joy.
That's great.
For your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now, I'm going to break some of that for you a little while later.
Look at verse 6, so lovely, being confident of this very thing, that he which had begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Even as this means for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart in as much
As boats in my bones and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Lovely, lovely, lovely, wonderful.
For God is my record.
How greatly along after you all in the bars of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgments, that you may approve things that are excellence, that he may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ onto the glory and praise of God.
Oh boy.
Now, the first several factors that we're going to pick are right here in these first 11 verses.
And because of the seeming digression where he starts talking about some of his experiences and so on, there's a lot of Scripture.
Of course, you read it for yourself later on when you get home.
It's just one chapter, like I said.
We'll skip all of that and then go into when he continues
the part of the discussion from where we pick these seven beautiful factors.
All right, let's take them.
You ready?
I find number one.
Can you imagine?
We got to get to verse nine before we pick the first one.
Read verse nine.

See, the subject is seven factors for what?
For spiritual advancement.
What are the things that I should do so I can make advancements spiritually?
What are the things?
And I find seven of them here that I can do in algorithmic spiritual progress.
And they're good for everybody.
All right, so number one, all right, demonstrate your love, Christ's love, copiously in knowledge and discernment.
Do I say that again?
Demonstrate your love, and I put it in parentheses, Christ's love, copiously.
That means in large measures, in large qualities.
That means abundantly.
In knowledge, in discernment.
You say, how do you get that?
That's exactly what you're saying there.
That you love me abound yet more and more.
Abound to abound.
More and more in knowledge and in our judgment, the word judgment there, better he is talking about discernment, perception.
Okay, now let's read that verse from the Amplified Translation.
Read it for me, want to go.
And this, I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more, and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and arcane insight.
That your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive design.
Oh, wow.
Wow.
So that's what I got there.
Demonstrate your love.
copiously in knowledge and discernment.
That means that as you live a life of love, walk in love, it must be with the knowledge of God's word in discernment.
So you see, when we walk in love, we're not stupid.
All right.
Sometimes people think that when you walk in love, you are a naive, weak, but that's not true.
Love never makes you naive, never makes you weak.
But if you don't walk in love in the knowledge
of God's word in discernment, then, of course, you can be naive.
You can be weak.
And that would not be love, because God's love is with knowledge and discernment.
And he wants you to act that way more and more, more and more.
Think about your language.
How do you talk?
How do you relate to people?
What's your communication like?
Choose the right words.
Don't use words that beat down people.
Don't use words that hurt people.
See, choose your language.
Think.
What's the best way that I can communicate with this fellow without destroying his self-image?
without destroying his personality, without making him feel sorry for himself.
You know, sometimes they're those who think that if they talk to us and make us feel bad about ourselves, they got a point.
No.
No.
In Christianity, we build the other person correctly.
We build him.
We build his self-image.
We'll let him know he has value.
He's a person.
He's worth the blood of Christ.
We don't destroy that personality.
We build it.
So what if the fellow is this and that doesn't matter?
That's between him and God.
Some people have very terrible language.
Every time they open them out and talk to somebody, they think, if I talk to you, you'll never forget.
I like to talk to you in a way you'll never forget the good things I said.
See, I decided that many, many years ago, what kind of life I wanted to live, what kind of language, I can't produce bad language.
Can't come out of my system.
It's not possible.
No.
I can't produce such language.
Can't come out of me.
Why?
because I put my mind in the Word years ago and began to train my mind to think right.
You know, I would pray to God.
I would say, oh Lord, I want to communicate correctly the love of Christ, the grace of Christ.
Help me do it right.
Preaching the gospel is not just when you talk to a sinner.
You preach the gospel with your life every day.
Doesn't matter who you're talking to.
The gospel is Christ alive in you.
Christ has come, and Christ is in me now.
That's the message every day.
Continually, that's the message.
Hallelujah.
So train yourself to say the right thing, to use the right language.
The word says, be cautious, be pitiful.
That means be considerate.
Hallelujah.
All right, so lift your love abound more and more.
Glory to God.
Next one.
In verse 10, approve.
That's number two for you.
Number two, approve and prize excellence.
Approve and prize excellence.
Take your game upward.
Lift your standard.
Lift your standard.
At your people, we've got only two options.
Excellence are not good.
Those are two options.
It's either excellent or not good.
That's the only way.
I go, it's got to be excellent.
It's got to be top class, top.
Make it top.
See, top is not the same level for everybody.
Do you understand?
I mean, when you're in class one and you are top in class one,
It doesn't mean that you can be top in class five if you are taken there.
You got to study in class five to be top there.
So leave the guy in class five to be top in this class.
But while I'm in class one, I'm going to be top in class one.
Do you get it?
So at the level where you are, make it top.
Be the best of you.
Be excellent.
If you don't decide for it, it'll never happen.
Excellence doesn't come by itself.
You've got to work for it.
You've got to decide for it.
You've got to make your choice.
This is how it's going to be with me.
This is how it's going to... You can never blame anybody for your personal life.
Make up your mind.
You can't say, because of this person, that's why I failed.
Because of what someone so did to me, that's why things didn't work with me.
Because of this and that, that's why I'm like this.
No, that's not going to fly with God.
You decide, no matter what happens.
I can't say, oh, you know, because I'm in Nigeria, and that's why I'm, makes no difference why I am.
Makes no difference.
Doesn't matter which city.
Doesn't matter.
Doesn't matter where you work.
Make up your mind.
Excellence only.
If you decide for that, you'll be amazed how it works for you.
You say, what about if other people are working against you?
They don't have enough clues to keep you down.
They can't do it.
They don't have a good enough plan to keep you down.
Nobody has a good enough plan to keep you down.
So you never have to worry about that.
All right.
So where did we get it from?
Verse 10.
Read.
Look at it.
Verse 10.
Read it for yourself.
Mm-hmm.
That she may approve things that are excellent.
He wants you to approve things that are excellent.
All right.
That's number two.
Okay.
And number three is right there too.
That she may be what?
Sincien.
Okay.
Look at it.
I'll give it to you.
Number three.
Bissincien.
Untainted.
Unsolid.
untainted and unsolied.
Okay?
Then, number four, give no offense, nor cause anyone to stumble.
Give no offense.
Look at it.
And without offense to the day of Christ.
Give no offense.
See?
Give no offense.
Don't cost anyone to stumble.
All right, so let's read that verse 10 in the amplified version and see how all of this comes out.
So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, in a proof, in price, what is excellence, and of real value, recognizing the highest and the best.
That's wonderful.
and distinguishing the moral differences in that you may be ontain it and pure and on airing and blameless so that with hearts and fear and certain and on solid, you may approach the day of Christ, not stumbling nor causing others to stumble.
See how many points we got there?
We got how many points?
Three.
Three powerful points there.
Number, the first one we got there, approve and prize excellence.
The second one we got there, be sincere, untainted and unsolied.
And the third one we got there, give no offense, no cause anyone to stumble.
See, if you do these things, you will make spiritual progress.
You will make spiritual progress.
He told you what to do.
And so, we've gotten
Four of them, and now we'll go to number five.
Number five is right in verse 11.
Write it down.
Number five, be failed with the fruits of righteousness.
This is powerful.
Be failed, be failed with the fruits of righteousness.
Be failed.
See, if you are filled with something,
When the pressures of life come and you are squeezed under that pressure, what's going to come out?
What you're filled with?
That's what will come out.
What you're filled with?
It's what you have inside you that you can give.
You can give what you don't have.
What you have is what you can give.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
And amazing how we can be.
Look at you.
Look at how beautiful you are.
I want to think about this.
You're all looking so beautiful.
Look around you.
I'm serious.
Look around you.
Look around you.
And you see wonderful people all around us.
Look around your left and your right.
Everyone's so lovely.
You know, I tell people, I've never met someone that I didn't like.
Yeah, I haven't met, I haven't yet to find someone that I didn't like.
I don't know what else will ever happen.
I'm not sure it will ever happen.
I found there's a beauty in every human being.
For example, you know, when I'm at the healing school, I'm ministering to the sick.
But something that the Lord did with me several years ago, it started several years ago.
And I remember the very first time I was standing in front of a lady, and this lady had some deadly disease.
And I was about to pray for her.
And she was about maybe 65 years old, something like that.
And when I
What's just about to begin ministering to her, I saw her in a vision.
I saw her as a little girl, playing around.
Young girl, looking so beautiful.
She's about six to five.
She's so sick.
She looks terrible in the sickness.
But God shows me how beautiful she was.
But she had a terrible life.
That brought her to this condition.
She would have never looked like this, but for the things that she experienced in her life.
Then I thought, dear Lord Jesus, you are amazing.
You still see her like that beautiful girl that she always knew.
And now you want her well.
And I said, woman, Jesus Christ makes you well.
and fought with, she was healed instantly.
See?
Hallelujah.
Ian, it didn't leave my mind.
I kept thinking about it.
How does God look at us?
How does He look at us?
He doesn't look at you the way you see yourself in the mirror you don't like.
No, He likes you.
and loves you and sees you as the most beautiful you God doesn't have another person like you he's never had one like you he doesn't have one like you today and he will never have another one like you you're the only one that God has of you so make the best of it be the best for you because nobody can take your place
No one can take your place for God.
I said, Lord Jesus, I'm going to be the best of me.
I'm going to be the best of me.
What if I never get to the best place?
At least I tried.
You see, that's the most important part.
At least he's going to know I tried.
So I'm going to get closer and closer, closer and closer.
I'm going to press on, closer and close.
That's why I'm showing you how you can make spiritual progress.
Because I studied the word and these things helped me.
And I make spiritual advancement.
And I've helped others also to make spiritual advancement.
And I'm on my journey.
And it gets more glorious all the time.
Glory to God.
Hallelujah.
So be third with the fruits of righteousness.
Why is this so powerful?
Let's read it.
This is being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ onto the glory and praise of God.
Now, look at something very important.
Righteousness.
Fruits of righteousness.
Why?
Why does it say be filled with the fruits of righteousness?
Romans 5 verse 1.
Let's read that quickly.
Romans 5 verse 1.
Read it for me.
Want to go.
It's on the screen.

Alright, give it to us from the NIV.
I just want to
Great, why don't you go?

Alright, from the Amplify.
Good.

Hold on, what I want you to see is in parentheses over there.
Therefore, since we are justified, because a few people may not know what it is to be justified, to be justified millions to be declared not guilty.
That's amazing.
How could you be declared not guilty?
Not guilty?
What do you mean by that?
Acquited?
Acquited?
Are you acquitted?
That's amazing.
You know, people say, we are seen as saved by grace.
Do you ever hear somebody talk like that?
No, it's wrong.
The way they say these things, you think they're from the Bible.
You know, even preachers, they say that.
They preach it and say that.
We are seen as, we are just seen as saved by grace.
Seen as saved by grace?
That's terrible.
But why Jesus come?
If we're still seen as saved by grace.
We are seen as saved by grace.
Terrible.
That's not what the Bible says.
Yes, we were saved by grace.
But what are we now?
You were one day a fittest in your mother's womb.
You were just a fittest.
That's all you were in your mother's womb.
Are you still a fittest?
You are out now.

Declared, righteous, ha, dear Lord, and given a right standing with God.
Hallelujah.
That's what Christ came to give us.
You're acquitted.
Because you, why are you acquitted?
I'll tell you why.
Not because, somebody said, because Jesus died from.
No, no, no, not because Jesus died for you.
Or why do we say the things we say?
You've got to understand the, how do I put it?
When I was in primary school and secondary school, I was bad in mathematics.
I was so bad in mathematics.
The highest I ever remember was in the 40s.
That's the best score I had in maths.
But when I got to class four,
That should be what they call SS2 now, right?
Yeah.
When I got to... SS1?
Great.
So, when I got there, whatever it was, SS1, class 4, it was class 4 at that time, I said, Dear Lord, I've been feeling maths for so long.
Please help me understand maths.
I don't understand it.
Every teacher I had just, I don't know what they were saying.
I tried my best and I still failed it.
Always less than 50.
I was in the 40s, my best.
Help me understand maths.
Every day I would read maths.
Then I got the clue.
God showed me how to do it.
He said to me, read the theory.
Don't try to memorize the formula.
Read the theory.
I studied reading maths like I would read history or anything else.
I didn't know that's what I was supposed to do.
I studied reading the theory.
As I read the theory, I was amazed.
I now understood the formula I've been trying to memorize all my life.
All this formula, I used to wonder how do I remember them.
Now, by studying the theory, I derived the formula by the understanding of the theory.
I said, wow.
I started loving maths.
I was no longer reading it just because of the exam.
I just so loved it.
Because now I understood it.
The theory was the secret.
So I studied the theory and became so good.
It was wonderful.
For the first time in my life, I had 68%.
I couldn't believe it.
But that was the lowest I was going to have.
because I went on from the, that was the last, I had 68 for the first time in my life.
I was, oh God, thank you.
You know, I passed maths, wonderful.
From then on, I was so good in maths.
In my work, can you imagine that I did my maths 30 minutes ahead of time, I'm waiting for them.
30 minutes ahead of time, I'm done.
The only thing I didn't know in the whole question paper
was number seven B. I never forget it.
I never forget it.
I had no clue.
I just copied what they said and left it alone.
And of course, I knew I already had my A1 while I was in class there.
See, nights became my best subject.
Why did I say this?
The secret was the theory.
Now, the things I share with you, if you don't understand the theory, you'd wonder, where is it getting all these things from?
The theory behind it is the secret.
The theory.
How can I arrive at these seven factors I gave you?
Why do I reason like this?
How can I interpret it like this because of the theory?
That's what you need.
You know, a lot of people want quick fix.
They say, can you just pray for me?
I got this problem.
I got the other problem.
Just pray for me.
Why should I pray for you?
Don't you think that God will hear you as much as you hear me?
He would hear you.
And then you will be praying for other people too.
And you find your life just moving forward with speed.
Glory to God.
Number six.
Number six.
Oh.
Number six now is over in verse 27.
I told you we're going to leave many verses which you study for yourself.
So you were skipping from verse 11 to verse 27, which you didn't read earlier, but we'll read it now.
All right.
Give us that verse from the amplified right away.
So we'll just read it.
Good.
Only be sure a citizens.
I like this.
So to conduct your zers, that your manner of life will be worthy of the good news, the gospel of Christ.
So that whether I do come and see you or am absent, I may hear this of you, that you are standing firm in united spirit and purpose, striving side by side and containing with a single mind for the faith of the glad titans, the gospel.
Wow, wow.
Okay, so I say number six, stand firm and strive together in partnership for the success of the gospel.
That's number six, stand firm and strive together in partnership for the success of the gospel.
As a Christian, as a child of God, one of the ways that you make spiritual advancement, make up your mind and understand firm.
I'm going to be unshakable, no matter what happens.
I'll stand firm in our work with my other brothers and sisters in Christ, the church, together, striving together for the fate of the gospel, the success of the gospel of Christ around the world.
Be committed to it.
You can't just be on the sidelines.
No, this gospel must be preached to all nations.
That's what Jesus said.
And then, shall he income?
We've got to preach it everywhere.
It's our responsibility.
The angels are not going to do it.
We are the ones to do it.
It's our job.
So it's our responsibility.
Say it again, it's our responsibility.
Yeah, that's verse 27.
You would love the last one.
Number seven.
Never be frightened by your adversaries.
Never be frightened by your adversaries.
No matter who they are, never be frightened.
Where is that from?
It's from verse 28.
Let's read from the amplified version.
And do not for a moment
Do not for a moment be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries for such constancy and fearlessness will be a clear sign, proof and seal to them of their impending destruction but a short token and evidence of your deliverance and salvation and that from God and everybody said amen.
Glory to God.
Did you get the seven factors?
All right, let's go.
Number one is what?
Again.
One more time.

Good.
Number two.
Wow.
Number three.
Number four.
Number five.
Number six.

Number seven.

Glory to God.
We trust you are blessed by this message.
You can watch and listen to many inspiring messages by Pastor Chris at PastorChrisOnline.org.
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Thank you.
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