Healthy Church - Grow in Faith

Last week we talked through serving. This week, let’s talk through growing in our faith. I am by no means a farmer or a gardener, but I am going to use the analogy of a plant growing to help illustrate what it looks like when we grow. There are three main things needed for a plant to grow: Light, Water/nutrients and roots in good soil.

Let’s talk about the roots and soil first. Turn to Mark 4

Mark 4:1–20 NIV

1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” 10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, “ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

It is so much better when Jesus preaches. Not only do we have the parable, but we also get an explanation. Good soil = ( Hearing + Applying ) God’s word.

Colossians 2:6–7 NIV

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

The foundation of faith…the soil…is the hearing, accepting and application of God’s Word. When we have this wonderful soil as a foundation, we can dig our roots in deep and wide. When our roots are deep and wide the winds, rain and hail of troubles, persecution, worldly temptations have little impact on our faith.

Growing in our faith requires that we have strong roots in good soil. Again, good soil is hearing the word, accepting the word and applying the word to our lives

A growing plant also needs water. Turn to John 7:37-39

All growing things need water. Water does more than just hydrate…it also brings nutrients to the roots that the plant soaks up into the leaves and the fruit.

I used to have a plant at home that was quick to droop when it needs water. Another plant I had was less quick to show it needed water, but when it did, it was too late - the leaves would turn brown and brittle.

You may identify with one or the other of these plants, you may quickly show signs of needing water, or you can go a while, but you realize, you pass out like me. So what does it mean to make sure we are well watered?

John 7:37–39 NIV

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit in the passage we just read as the source of living water. The Spirit of God is in each believer, if you are a believer in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit in you. You have the source of living water in you, but as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.

You have to want to drink from the water that the Holy Spirit has flowing in you. The main way to drink of the water of the Holy Spirit is to be in prayer and worship. Spending time with the Holy Spirit - talking to Him, loving on Him, Giving permission to speak to areas of your life - that is how you drink from the living water Jesus offers us.

How is this going for you? Do you set aside time to spend time with the Holy Spirit in you? The best way I have found is to be quiet, and with no distractions talk to Him. Tell Him how much you love Him. That’s a little sip of living water. Tell Him that you want his guidance...another little sip. Ask your friends to pray with you...another sip.

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t always been good about drinking water. I now have this yeti bottle that I carry everywhere that reminds me to drink water. If I haven’t emptied this twice in a day, I know I’m not drinking enough. Something else this bottle reminds me of are some struggles that I have gone through, struggles that He helped me persevere through. As I drink, I feel these stickers and remember what God has done, and then I turn to Him and by acknowledging Him, by thanking Him and by asking Him to continue to work in and through me, I take a sip of living water.

What can you do to remind yourself to drink of the living water? To come to Him as Jesus said to come and drink. By having a refreshing source of water, you will be able to grow.

To grow we need strong roots in good soil, we need regular watering and we need light. Turn to 1 John 1:5-10

1 John 1:5–10 NIV

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

I had a jade plant at home that Bob Forrend gave me that sat in the kitchen window. Every couple of weeks I have to turn it because it leaned toward the window and the light. There is no mistaking that this plant longed for and was attracted to the light.

Light in the Bible is generally symbolic for truth in that light reveals the true nature of things. It makes things known.

As we see in this passage of 1 John, we see that the light allows us to see our sin and no longer walk in darkness - darkness that often conceals sin. By identifying our sins, we can confess them and God is faithful to forgive us.

Are you attracted to the the light, to truth, or do you try to hide from it? Let me just say to you as someone who has tried to hide from truth...it will find you out and it will shine on every shadow you think is hiding your sin.

Let me encourage you...this is a very forgiving church. Your sin will not surprise us. Your sin will not surprise our pastors or the elders. We’ve heard it all. There are people in this church who have found freedom from their addictive sin and are now drawn to truth, drawn to the light. And that light bring them nutrients that helps them to grow. If you are hiding our from something...stop it. Find someone you can trust and share with them your struggle, your secret sin. Expose it to the light. Walk in a way that will cause you to grow.

***SERMON TITLE SLIDE***

I hope that the illustration of plants growing helps to understand what it means for us as a church as we grow in our faith in Jesus. Let’s recap:

Plants need roots and soil - Soil is God’s word and as we dig our roots into His word, we must strive to hear, accept and apply the teachings. Practically, how will we do this? Small groups, Bible Studies, Sunday morning service, and one on one discipleship. Our pastors, elders and other leaders here desire to see you grow in your faith. Allow them to walk along side you.

Plants need water - water is the Spirit of God in us. We cultivate the living water flowing through us by spending time in prayer and worship. This happens at Crossroads on Sunday morning, in our small groups and Simply worship nights.

Plants need light - Light is the truth revealed in our lives - both the truth of who God is and the truth of who we are. We must shine the light of God’s Word on our lives and on what we believe. This often requires some tough conversations. This happens on a small level on Sunday mornings...so how do we get the required dose of light/truth? First, we must commit to doing this ourselves - read God’s word with an eye toward being challenged in what you believe and what you are doing. Second we must find others in our life that we can trust to speak the truth in love to us. Light exposes darkness and lies. Sometimes we like the darkness and we have found comfort in the lies, but God sent Jesus to both expose and set us free.

As I look around, I see so many of you who I have had the privilege of watching grow. I got to be part of seeing the seed of your faith grow and you are now a strong and healthy plant. Allow the pastors and elders here continue to water, shine light and prune you from time to time.

Even more of you I have seen grow from a seedling to a fruit bearing tree. Every once in a while there’s still a rotten apple that comes forth, but for the most part, you are bearing good fruit. Keep growing, keep shining light and allowing the water of the Holy Spirit to nourish you.

There are a small handful of you that I would call mature, strong, healthy trees. I want to thank you for the shade of your love, for the fruit you have shared with me and my family. Thank you for all of the little trees that you have nurtured along. This church will need your continued love and support.

I truly believe that the best growth for you and this church is yet to come. I am trusting that God will not allow you to be without good soil, He will pour out His Holy Spirit on you to water you with his guidance, love and strength. And perhaps best of all, He will shine the light of His word on you, that you would grow and grow and grow in your faith.