One to Grow On
Good morning church. You have made it to Thanksgiving weekend. Congratulations for you. There's a lot to be thankful for one of the things that I specifically because of your generosity. We were able to provide Thanksgiving meals for 20 families in our community wonderful thing. I was here when they were unloading groceries and help put the baskets together and it was just an amazing thing. I've even put some pictures out on on the Facebook. So if you want to go and look at them there you can but thank you so much for your generosity and your giving God has truly blessed us and I believe that he is using us as a body to bless this community. Add another cool thing that you see how God provides. Larisa actually got a call from somebody with the safety shelter and Pilgrim's Pride donates a lot of chicken one or twenty two boxes of like 50 or 60 lb of frozen chicken the feast that we were able to get to these families as well and it's not only your generosity in this is generosity and building Beth. I saw the video of the pictures this week at everybody who jumped out there to help that I mean, I don't know if you know, I'm involved with CPS and I tried to tell them about these beds that we were doing and it turns out that stuff was already way ahead of us because they knew about it, and I know that if anybody needs in this area They know who to call I know who to contact and that's all because of your generosity and you're giving as well. So thank you church, and I love being a part of this church family. If you have your Bibles, I encourage you to turn with me to the book of Ephesians chapter 4 verses 14 through 16. It's where we're going to be today Ephesians chapter 4 verses 14 through 16.
Have you ever stop to look back at your life and wonder how in the world did you get to where you are now? I did that some of this week. How in the world did I get to this place where I'm standing in front of you week after week delivering God's word because that was definitely not my intent when I started out. When I graduated from high school, I went to Nashville for school because I wanted to be a musician guitar player. I love music. but before I went I started dating a girl from here and she didn't like Nashville that much so when we got married guess where we ended up.
And it's summer 2007 we moved back from Nashville. We'd only been married a little less than a year. And we began to look for a church, and we visited lots of different churches in this area and every single church that we went to had a nice people every single church that we went to preach the word of God every single Church you I like things about it a couple of the churches even let me play instruments, which was cool because I thought you know, this is my gift. This is what I do what I want to share and God's Kingdom. but still even though we visited all of the church that I just never felt settled and I never felt at home. That was until my wife said one day.
I don't remember exactly what I said. But I can remember who I was then I was skeptical. But I'm a musician. Why in the world would I want to go to church where they won't let you play in? Why in the world would I want to come to place like this? But we came. And just like all of those other charges that were not people. They were family. There was a family atmosphere. There are no instruments. even though but I enjoy the singing. And I seem to remember I enjoyed the message and I enjoyed I can came back Sunday night and we came back Wednesday night classes in the fellowship and everything else. and after coming here for about a week
I just knew. This is where I'm supposed to be. Now wasn't the community was it that the closeness wasn't the family atmosphere running around, baby. or maybe it was a holy spirit telling me this is where you're supposed to be.
And back then nobody really knew me. Did you at work sounds I wasn't here. And I'm very quiet person. And so back then Casey was Casey already knew everybody cuz she had come here in high school. And so I was just
and nobody nobody least of all me would have thought that here. What is it about 11 years later? But this is where I'd be. And yet here I am. And part of the reason I am here. Is because of all of you?
Because of the impact that you have had on my life you have changed my life in ways that 11 years ago. I never would have thought possible when I came in here and we said over there as a visitor in this church and yet look what God has done.
I'm so thankful to be a part of the church, but I'm thankful. Also to be a part of this church family that meets here in Naples. And if you ever want to see a picture of how the church can change someone's life just look at mine. I want me to tell you. For the past three weeks. We've been in a series that has been. how to tell We've been talking about issues that take place not just in this church, but in all churches. We've been peeling back the cover and talking about problems that take place in churches. And whenever we do that. I want to be careful. You see I think it's important for us to talk about these things sometimes one because the Bible talks about it. I haven't said anything that's not in their butt to because a lot of people in our culture.
You probably invited someone to church before and heard them say I don't need to go to the church. The church is full of hypocrites. There's a very popular movement right now.
And the reason why we're looking at Paul's words in a few.
The reason why we need to look at the church is so important in a life, even though as we look around at one another and we look at ourselves.
The God has brought us together despite our differences. Despite our differences of background and opinion.
And he wants us to seek unity in the midst of some of these differences. because and if you're feeling in the blank, this is my only only thing to fill in.
The reason why he's brought us all together and one is because the church grows in maturity when we pursue unit. the church in each of its members grows in maturity when we pursue unity in chapter 4 verse 14 Paul says this Then and when he says then he's talking about when the church pursues Unity when people get into the church and get involved in the use their gifts and their perspective. We will no longer be Now, what is Paul saying that we are?
Where infants ride spiritual infants, then we will no longer be infants toss back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and learning in craftiness of people in their deceitful steaming. What stop there? Will get to the rest of it in a minute.
How does a church grow? That's the million-dollar question in most churches today. That's what's the formula for grams in classes. How is the church grow? Because we want more people to come now more people to come.
Because we want them to connect with Jesus and to hear the gospel and have their lives transformed as well. Apple says that there's more to church growth than just numbers. It can be easy for me and for other leaders in the church to look at the screen and see how that number is not as high as it was last year and think that everything is going on. Paul tells us at church growth is more than numbers that growth in the church is also a growth and maturity.
Because we look around and we see the imperfections in one another and we see things about us that don't exactly look like Jesus is the reason for that. We should actually expect that in the church. because Christians our spiritual infants
I think about this metaphor for a minute. when you were born physically
Did you take care of yourself?
When you were born you couldn't. You can feed yourself. You can walk you can speak. You couldn't you couldn't defend yourself. You didn't know the difference between what was good. And what was bad it's very easy for an infant to grab something that looks good and tasty and put it in your mouth. I can't tell you how many times I've had to keep.
That's not food, but an infant doesn't know that.
When you're an infant you need to rely on someone else to take care of you on someone else to feed you on someone else to teach you on someone else to help you survive.
Is that true when you were born physically? Then how true is it when you are born again born by the spirit of God when you are baptized into Jesus Christ and you become a Christian. You don't come out a fully form spiritual adult functioning and acting like Jesus knowing everything he knew and doing everything that you did.
your spiritual infant and you need to rely on one another you need to rely on the church to teach you. The show you the difference between good and bad to help you make those difficult decisions. To learn the ways to speak and the ways to act in the ways to walk in this Christian Life That's why God has put us together. Because on your own. It is hard to survive.
You see there are thing Church. the new Believers and even believers Who's been around for awhile? I think Paul is referring to every single one of us when he calls his spiritual.
But there are things that Christians can't do there are ways that we just can't be like Jesus yet. We can't. How many of you have ever gotten mad at a one month old because they couldn't walk in.
If that's the case, who's got the problem the one month old are you? That's why earlier in this chapter. Paul says that we need to be patient with one another bearing with one another why because growth takes time.
Spiritual immaturity can lead to chaos.
And if you don't believe me then just head right next door. Where all these kids are next door and there's a reason why we all turn it over there because it can be a bit hectic trying to take care of a lot of young kids.
but spiritual immaturity and also be seen as a good thing in the church.
It's one of the reasons why I'm so encouraged if I see spiritual infants in the church.
How many of you have ever gone through a situation where somebody, you know just announced that they were having a baby?
What was your reaction? Well, probably depends on who it was that was having the baby, right? But let's say that this is a good thing right and you smile in your happy and you say that's just wonderful news. Now, why are you saying that's wonderful news, is it because having a baby is easy?
There's going to be a sleepless night. So there's going to be an end to your social life for the next four years or more. paper says more
a baby a baby is a hassle. Why do we celebrate?
Because Babies worth the hassle. Ladies a good thing. A baby is a sign of New Life. And if we look around this church, and we don't see any spiritual.
We don't see any spiritual, baby. What does that say about the church?
You know, one of the things that visitors keep telling me when they come in here.
There are so many churches today who everyone is losing their hair in the church? And yet there are kids and their young people and there are college-age people and they're all.
And the same thing could be said of our spiritual. We can look around and we can see physical likes but I look around here and I see lots of different spiritual that we all need each other without the people who have been if we just have people have been walking with the Lord for our church would be dying because we're done. But the people who are just begin to sturdy you need to rely on the people who have been walking with the Lord. You need to ask them questions. You need to learn from them. You need to get their advice on these things because they have walked in your shoes. They have lived a show you we fry on each other. And once we do this Paul says then that's when we grow. That we're not up and down and here and there then it's not a cycle of chaos, but we respond to the immaturity and others. in a way that is mature DePaul tells us exactly how we grow in the next 2 versus verse 15 and 16. Instead of instead of being spiritual infants and staying spiritual and fencing instead of everybody doing their thing instead speaking the truth in love.
Speaking the truth in love. We will grow in every respect the mature body have him who is the head that is from him, but everyone of us join and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love each part. Does its work?
How do we respond when spiritual immaturity?
Lead someone to throw a fit in church. How do we respond when we see spiritual immaturity in another brother or sister? What's a caterpillar sister is talking about you behind your back and you find out about it? How do you respond? Let's make that you're in a Bible class and somebody has the courage to speak up and share what's on their heart, but what's on their heart is not necessarily completely in line with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What do we do in those situations?
It never ever helps it never helps to respond to immaturity with immaturity. Just think about to infants fighting think about two kids fighting think about two adults fighting because we were ever ever helps to respond with maturity. Maybe the Gospel of Jesus gives us a better way to respond when these things. And Paul says that if we are going to grow we need two things. We need the truth. of gods were and we need love.
We need the truth of God's word and love also speaking the truth in love. But the question then becomes how in the world do we balance have you ever struggled with that and ever found a situation where you weren't really sure how to respond if you needed to bring the Hammer Of Truth down or if you needed to respond and patience and gentleness and love.
We've got to balance these things because one without the other is not enough. I've attended several churches and I don't want to say bad things about
Where the preacher said things that were?
But you didn't say them in a way. That was very loving you ever sat through some of those. Never said they're those sermons where he says it. You don't believe in Jesus you're going to hell, but they act like they're enjoying the fact that you're going to hell and then I say and then I say Well, don't blame me. Don't point the finger me. I'm just
well It's true. You don't believe in Jesus you're going to hell. That's what the Bible says, right but.
People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Sometimes we forget. What time does wee wee think of the Bible is a spiritual store in the Bible?
But sometimes we use that spiritual sword against flesh and blood people and that's not how it's supposed to be. The Bible also presents itself as the bread of life the word of God.
Let me ask you something. Would you rather rather swallow a sword or dinner?
Yes, we need to speak the truth in the church. But we need to speak it in a way. That is loving caring Winston away that is gentle and patient and kind. because without that and the truth becomes a weapon that is used to divide into push people away rather than learn an invitation to grow an invitation to help one another. You say truth without love can harm, but you know what? The opposite is true love without truth and also If we're just going to be loving.
We're going to love people no matter what we're going to accept people no matter what. That's not love. The way that is biblically Define.
You see if I love my kids.
I'm going to love them. No matter what they do, and that's true.
But if I see them doing something that's going to harm themselves.
Why because I hate them?
Precisely because I love them I want what's good for you? And I want what's
I love what one preacher says he says this about balancing truth in life. He says that truth becomes hard if it's not stopping by love and love become saw if it's not strengthened by truth.
But that still doesn't answer our question. How do we know how do we know how much love and how much and how to balance and how to respond when these things happen? Call Ashley tells us the answer in that passes that we just ran and the answer is more simple than you might think. If you find yourself in a situation where you don't really know how to respond. Paul says look Jesus look Jesus was reading what he says again. Does Ephesians chapter 4 15-16 instead speaking the truth in love who is the head that is who Christ and look at what he says next he says from him from him. the whole body
If you were a member of this body you are connected to who? If you are not connected to him, are you growing are you functioning? No, just from him the whole body join and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love. Does it work?
Paul says that Christ relates to the way that your head relates to your body. If I have an itch. On my way. My head is going to know about. And my head is going to tell my hand to reach down there and scratch that itch. When the members of the body obey the head the body takes care of itself. If I am sick and like last night, I just had snot pouring out everywhere. This weather is wonderful, isn't it? When I am sick. My brain tells my legs to walk into the bathroom to my closet where I have medicine. My hand reaches in and opens up a package tosses in a pill to my mouth. I drink some water. My brain tells me to swallow it.
I feel better. None of that would have been possible without the function of what's going on right here. And the church is the same way. Each of us are members in the body of Christ. Some of us might be finger. Some of us might be legs. Some of us might be eyes and ears some of us. We all have different functions here and we're all here because I was in the store that I told you earlier to today. And he's done it for a reason and the role that you play. Even though it may not be as visible as mine is visible as somebody else's. Is just as vital and just as important to the work of the body as anyone else who is here. When we are all connected to Christ when we are taking our instructions from the head. That's when he is able to work and to heal hurt and taquil Division and to bring people together notice what he says here. The whole body is every supporting ligament when I pull my finger it doesn't come off. Because my hand is holding on to it.
In the same thing should be true of the church. We should be involved and keeping people together. Not and casting them aside.
So what does it mean in these situations? Like we said earlier? What if somebody's talking about you behind your back or what if somebody says? something wrong in the Bible class situation What do you do? How do you respond with truth in love? And I already know the answer cuz I've already looked it up, but I said something about that. Princess if somebody's talking about you behind your back. Jesus himself says this in Matthew chapter 18 verse 15. He says this if your brother or sister sins, what are you doing?
You go and you point out their fault just between the two of you.
That's not what we do. Normally is it? We go to our friend group and say can you believe what they're saying about me or we call him out in front of everybody? In Anger, we're more interested in winning the argument and proving that the wrong rather than reaching the person. Jesus says if you go just between the two of you and you work it out. He says if I listen to you, then you want them over. And it's a lot better than letting the sin in the dark. How many times have you been in a situation where you talking to somebody and your smile on her face?
You don't like them. You probably both talking about the other one behind their back. When you're right in front of them. How are you doing? Good to see you. And then anger bill. Until it blows because it's not dealt with when those things happen and you hear about it go to your brother and sister. This is what the head is telling the body to in order to work it now what if somebody says something in a class and it's wrong You say but everybody. I've got 70 Bible verses right here, and I'm going to read every single one of them.
Was it somebody new worth?
Are they ever ever going to speak up in class ever again in front of everyone? That's not loving. Until they might start coming they might stop and get in this conversation. What do you do next chapter 18? They're to Christians, they Priscilla and Aquila and they go to the synagogue to listen to him. He preaches about Jesus but it says that he doesn't have all the information. Exactly, correct. So what are Priscilla and attack him?
Start getting online and writing blog post.
I can't believe that he would say these things.
He's wrong.
I'm trying to say invite him to their home. Is what I say. When Priscilla and Aquila heard they invited him to their home and they explain to him the way of God more adequately. Instead of using this as an invitation.
They brought him close to them. They had a conversation. They worked it out and both of them grew. In fact after the Apostle Paul Apollo was one of the most well-known preachers in the New Testament. amazing because of the mature response and you might say this, but that's not my situation and I don't know what the Bible says about my situation. Guess what? I'm willing to bet that there's somebody in this River. You can ask you can talk to them. You can rely on the body. Sometimes you get your message from the head. the other parts of the body In the same thing can be said here. When we are all keeping our eyes on Jesus.
When we are interested in holding the body together rather than splitting it when we work together.
That will tell us the wheel his will for any situation. And we can rely on one another to build up one another and strengthen one another and love one another in the truth of Jesus Christ. I'm not preaching this series because I'm discouraged about that. I'm hopeful. Because I know the things that I see here and elsewhere.
God is working even through that. And God is using us. God is working through us just as I said before to bless the community. It's a wonderful thing that he's called us to be a part of here. I'm thankful.
And you have to admit that when we read her everything that was said.
The picture of the church is a beautiful woman.
And what makes it hurts beautiful. It's not the size of the style of its buildings. What makes a church beautiful is not the number of people who gathered each and every Sunday? What makes a church beautiful is not the quality of the sermons? Are the ability of the song leader to stay on Pitch? What makes a church beautiful is not any of these things that we typically think about? What makes a church beautiful is that we are loved by God despite our imperfections. And that we can love one another despite those same imperfections. That is what makes the church beautiful and I'll finish with this illustration. every Thursday and Friday I take my daughter's dance class.
And they do a great job.
But do you think I forgot in the dance class for just a couple months now? But there is good as our instructor. Every single way the instructor stands at The Head of the Class.
And does his move.
And I see and Charlie class specifically about six or seven little girls. Five six years old try to do the same moves as well. I don't get it, right.
how they do their best, they're keeping their eye on the instructor and they're trying to do exactly what I said, but the instructors been dancing for years the instructor knows how to do the moves perfectly there tight and their fluid
All the girls at their best are still pretty floppy.
And as I sit there and I am not able to see in the room that I've got a camera in the waiting room so I can see some of the dances that they're doing. I'm sitting there as a dad and I'm watching. These little girls do this and I'm watching my daughter.
Am I sitting there with a scallop my face? I paid a lot of money for these lessons. You're telling me that after all this money, she can't even dance any better than that. I'm sitting there with a biggest goofy. Grin on my face watching them bounce around that room.
And I'm proud. Of that bouncing because I know that the more that they do it. The more they're going to become like their instructor. This is a picture of the church.
You see every single one of us is trying to live and become more like Jesus there. That's a goal.
I like those kids in the dance class. We're watching right in front of us, and we're trying to mimic his movements. We're trying to do the things that he does can we do them just like he does absolutely not. In fact, we're so far off. It doesn't matter how long
it's like watching kids at a t-ball game who never played before and they run the third base instead of first. It's kind of like what we are.
But time and time again, we're we're doing our best. How does God look at the church. How does God look at the church when we have in perfect obedience. How does God look up in heaven saying I paid a lot for you you Church Christians? I paid a lot for you and you can't even be like Jesus any better than this.
Or is he sitting back? And is he looking at?
Because he looks down on us and he says you know what?
and their mind and I love them anyway.
That's the heart.
That's the heart of our God for the church.
And he wants us. To be one that's who we are.
As we finish the series and is we looked at other things? I just want to leave you. What this word?
Look around you and see who's here. Look around you. And see who God has dropped at this place.
Get to know them share your lives together. make friends connect gather support
Are your brothers and sisters in one thing?
We have one father. One Lord One Faith one baptism This is Our Hope Church. We Are One. And if we hold on to these truth, there is nothing. nothing
But the devil or anyone else can do. To take that away from us.
I love you.
Would you stay with me?
We're going to be dismissed here in a few minutes. Before we open up the front for anybody who needs prayer. If you need prayer and you come to the front, nobody will judge you we will love you. We will support you. We will build you up because that is what God has called us to do. It may not have anything to do with what I just said. It might be related to a struggle. A physical struggle a spiritual struggle anything else? Guess what? God looks around this room and he sees it every single one of us is struggling with something. And if you need God's help and you want the church to encourage you and support you I encourage you to come for As we sing the song?