Called to More Growth

Called to More

Introduction:

When I brought my boys home from the hospital after they were born

But also, when I brought my father home from the hospital after major surgery

In good times and hard times, I’ve asked the question…

What now?

It was also the question I kept asking, being trapped at home during the ice storm this past week.

Do you ask yourself that question?

I think it’s a great question to ask.

It’s good for us to ask that as individuals and as a congregation

Individuals

After what you’ve seen, experienced, learned (good or bad)

Now is a good time to ask, “What now?” / “What should I do NOW?”

As a congregation

We celebrated our 25th anniversary last year

We continue to grow

God keeps sending new people and new families our way

This is a question

the ministers and elders have been asking and praying about

it’s a question we want to invite you to be asking

we believe the answer is that we are called TO MORE…

VIDEO

Called to More

This is our answer to, “what now?”

but after the death and resurrection of Jesus, it was a question the apostles were asking, “What now?”

Acts 1:3 ESV

3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

This is not a new subject for Jesus and the apostles

this is what his entire ministry was about

this was the good news he preached everywhere

there was more to say about it

It wasn’t even a new subject even when Jesus was born

the prophets had been talking about the kingdom

they had been making promises about it for centuries

The “kingdom” ISN’T HEAVEN or the merely “THE CHURCH”

it is the “uncontested rule and reign of God”

the kingdom God promised to establish

Isaiah 2:3–4 ESV

3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

This is the kingdom of God Jesus was talking to his apostles about

Everyone who receives it becomes a child of God and a child of PEACE

which is why Jesus said to STAY in JERUSALEM

Acts 1:4–5 ESV

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Holy Spirit was always part of the kingdom picture

God would remake the world

Under his Kingship

Pouring out His Spirit on all flesh

Zechariah 14:8–9 ESV

8 On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. 9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

The Holy Spirit would be like living water

Poured out from heaven

Baptizing the followers of Jesus

And flowing out from Jerusalem to the whole world

All nations will worship YHWH and pay homage to him

these are the promises of the prophets that are about to START coming true in SURPRISING ways

Acts 1:6–7 ESV

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

This is NOT a crazy question

It’s a perfectly reasonable question

Given what the prophets said

Given what they were talking about

However, they didn’t understand that

Israel was about to be redefined

Jerusalem was about to be relocated

They were about to receive new roles

Restoration would be a season, not a moment

then Jesus said this

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

They asked, “ARE YOU [Jesus] going to RESTORE the KINGDOM.”

He replied with, “But you…”

the streams of living water are going to flow out of YOU

YOUu will be the temple of God

YOU will be the new Israel

YOU will be the people of the new Jerusalem

YOU will be given the power to bring the world under God’s rule and reign

This is what the book of Acts is about, the work of the Holy Spirit

in these men

in the Jerusalem church

in the churches of Judea

in the churches of Samaria

in the churches to end of the earth

Unfortunately, both in the BOOK of ACTS and TODAY…

Sometimes, Christians get STUCK and STAGNATE…

In Acts…

They got stuck in Jerusalem

They got stuck only sharing the Gospel with Jews

Individuals, hey got stuck in their traditions and customs

This happens to us, doesn’t it?

We get stuck PERSONALLY and INDIVIDUALLY

We forget the POWER of the Spirt that dwells in us

We have also drank from the ONE SPIRIT

HE lives in us

It can also happen as a congregation

We could easily get stuck where we are

Forget that our neighborhood

is just as important as Judea

is just as important as Samaria

this is the end of the earth

and we are called to be the witnesses of Christ HERE in this place

when Christians get stuck and stagnate, the Spirit is still active and moving

…but until everything is under the reign of Christ, the Spirit will NEVER STOP calling us to more growth.

We get stuck and stagnate, but until everything is under the reign of Christ…

Individually - WHAT NOW? KEEP GROWING

every corner of our lives

there are still aspects of your life that are not under Christ’s rule

you are still ruling over aspects of your life

you have gotten stuck ruling that area

Collectively - WHAT NOW? KEEP GROWING

as followers of Jesus

as witnesses of Jesus

millions and millions of people

who have not given their allegiance to Christ

who have never even heard that Jesus is King

have never seen what Spirit-filled lives look like

until then, the Spirit will NEVER STOP calling us to more growth

more growth individually

more growth congregationally

more growth missionally

You may be stuck, but the Spirit will not stop calling

Maybe you haven’t even begun the journey yet, he’s calling you to start

Maybe you have begun but your spiritual life is stagnate, he’s calling you to grow

Imagine what could happen if WE ALL ANSWER the SPIRIT’S CALL to MORE