Growing Together

Theme:  We are called to be a growing church of growing people.

Text:  2 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 4:11-16, Acts 2:41; 4:4

Here’s a thought:  We would not be nearly as concerned about what people think of us if we realized how seldom they actually do.

Juan Carlos Ortiz writes on page 11 in “Living With Jesus Today” (https://crossingtheriver.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/livingwithjesustoday.pdf):

wWe have a phenomenon in the church today which I call the “eternal babyhood of the believer.”  We have members of our churches who, after years of hearing messages, are just the same.  They continually need a minister to keep after them - changing their diapers, putting talcum on them, and checking that their milk isn’t too hot.  The church seems more like a hospital than an army.  Sometimes we fool ourselves because we grow numerically.  We think that this is growth.  But to grow in numbers is not spiritual growth.  Cemeteries also grow numerically.  To have a hundred people without love, then two hundred without love, is just to get fat.

Do we want to grow?  We will make spiritual progress by:

Growing Up

The Apostle Peter exhorts you and me in 2 Peter 3:18:

       But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and forever!  Amen. NIV

John Gilmour, a godly Englishman who loved to witness for Christ, always carried gospel books to give to people as he had the opportunity.  One day, Gilmour was walking in a little village when he came across an old Irishman selling lids, kettles, and saucepans.  Gilmour greeted the man, “Good morning, how is business today?”

“Oh,” answered the Irishman, “I cannot complain.”

Then Gilmour blurted out, “What a grand thing it is to be saved!”  The old man looked intently at him and replied, “I know something better than that.”

“Better than being saved?  I would like to know what that is.”

With a warm smile, the man responded, “The companionship of the Man who saved me, sir.”

We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul explains how we grow in Ephesians 4:14‑16:

       14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. NIV

A little boy was asked by his mother why he fell out of bed.  “I guess, mamma, it’s ‘cause I stay too close to the gettin’‑in place.

We will soon lose our balance on a bicycle when we stop pedalling.  Similarly, we must move forward in our walk with Jesus to avoid falling.  What is the work that the Lord has for us?  Let’s be busy with this, and we will find less time for other, more trivial pursuits.

How do we grow up?

Step into opportunities where we will be stretched.  We are, by nature, dedicated to the preservation of our comfort.  Our growth will remain stunted if we follow this instinct.  Let’s commit ourselves to tasks that are bigger than us.  God can show us His power when we step out in faith.  When was the last time we stepped out of our comfort zone?

Let’s challenge ourselves and the people around us to reach out.  Whether through what we say or do, look for opportunities this week to share the love of Jesus.  Take a pie to a neighbour or write a note of encouragement to a co-worker or fellow student.  Others may not even notice our act of kindness.  Ask the Lord how He wants to use us to help others.

We please God more than people.  We would not be nearly as concerned about what people think of us if we realized how seldom they actually do.  When it comes down to it, it does not matter what human beings think of us.  We will stand before one judge at the end of time, not a panel of our peers.

Be accountable.  Canadians are fiercely independent and private.  We resist people asking us personal questions.  If someone gets too nosy, we want to push them away.  A key to our growth is to find someone who will ask us tough questions to help us stay on track.  Such a relationship is invited, not imposed.

Psychology tells us that it is bad to be an orphan, terrible to be an only child, damaging to be the youngest, crushing to be the middle, and taxing to be the oldest.  There’s no way out except to be born an adult.

We can count on one hand the priorities that the Lord would have us fulfill:

1.    God

2.    Family

3.    Church

4.    Work or School

5.    Community

We are not called to focus on one of these priorities at the exclusion of the others.  We cannot check them off like a grocery list.  We must pay attention to all five of them, balancing our time and money to maintain each relationship and responsibility.

As we faithfully pay attention to each area, we will eventually discover that we have grown up.

We will make spiritual progress by:

Growing Up

and

Growing Out

The early church experienced explosive growth in Acts 2:41:

         Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. NIV

It continued to grow in Acts 4:4:

         But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. NIV

God is interested in numbers.  We read in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”  A whole book in the Bible is dedicated to numbers.  Jesus fed 4,000 and 5,000 - someone must have counted.  The good shepherd who lost one of his 100 sheep must have counted his sheep to discover one missing.

3,000 and 5,000 were added to the early church in Jerusalem.  Someone recorded this number.  Why is God interested in numbers?  Because each number represents a human soul created by Him and for whom Christ died.

Many people have explained to me, “Pastor, I prefer a small church.”  A small or large church is no more spiritual than the other.  There are exceptions, but whether our church is small or large, it will grow up and grow out if it is healthy.  If we are looking for a small church and try to keep it this way, we resist the will of Jesus for His church.  If we look for a large church to sit back and enjoy the fruit of everyone else’s labour, we grow increasingly lazy and selfish.  Jesus promised to build His church (Matthew 16:18), but we have a part to play.

One little boy boasted, “I’ve got a brother with three feet.”

“What do you mean?” his friend inquired.

“Well,” the boy replied, “My mother got a letter from my brother, and he said, ‘You would hardly know me ‑ I’ve grown three feet.’”

I get the sense that the church in Jerusalem began to stagnate and overlook the Lord’s command to go to the nations with the Gospel.  They enjoyed their koinonia or fellowship so much that it became too much of a good thing, turning to “koinonitis.”  They had become ingrown and self-absorbed until we suddenly come to the first martyr, Stephen, and this young persecutor, Saul, in Acts 8:1-4:

1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.  On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. NIV

What will it take to shake us out of our self-absorption?  How will we grow out?

We will grow out as we go out.  Many people who say they are followers of Jesus look for churches where they can come and sit.  They end up being passengers and consumers rather than pioneers and co-labourers.  We are not called to come and sit.  We are called to come and go. 

Bring them in.  We regularly plan events and gatherings to which we can invite unchurched friends and family.  These bridge-building events help such people see a relationship with Jesus in ways they can easily understand.  Our efforts to invite others help determine the success of these events.

Enfold people into the life of the church.  In most churches, 20% of the people give 80% of the money and do 80% of the work.  Let’s defy that statistic here!  A strong church is measured not by how many people are in the pews or chairs on Sunday but by how many people are involved in serving others.

We offer a workshop that helps people discover their God-given gifts, abilities and personality types and provides them with opportunities to use all of these in service within and beyond the church.  Please talk to me if you want to go through it.  I dream of seeing every person serving in one area of the church and outside the church.

I dream about seeing everyone within the church involved in a group where the participants reach out beyond the group and develop close bonds within the group.

If you want to be distressed, look within.

If you want to be defeated, look back.

If you want to be distracted, look around.

If you want to be dismayed, look ahead.

If you want to be delivered, look up!

We take a step toward growth when we take our eyes off ourselves and focus them on Jesus Christ and others we can help.  I came across a website where people would post reviews and ratings of the churches they visited.  I was disturbed by how critical and nitpicky we can become when we look at the church as patrons rather than participants.  Our mission is to help people move beyond being great consumers to fulfilling The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).

Get involved in the community.  Let’s not live as islands unto ourselves.  Let’s volunteer our time or get involved in a community program to get connected with people who are not a part of our congregation.  I dream of seeing every teen and adult serving in one area outside the church.

Inscribed on one of the crypts or burial places below London’s Westminster Abbey is:

       When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world.  As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.  But it, too, seemed immovable.

       As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

       And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize:  If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.  From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.

Let’s start with us!  Let’s provide the right conditions for the Lord to grow and change us.  We will make spiritual progress by:

Growing Up

and

Growing Out

We are called to be a growing church of growing people.