"Grow Up"
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Opening Song: 229 - All hail the power of Jesus' Name
I love gardening.
One reason
for country living
proximity to nature.
The Seed
The Seed
Miracle of seed.
Stores for millenia
looks dead
can be eaten
planting comes to life
Spiritual Seed
And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.
For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
The symbol
The symbol
germinating seed =
Spiritual New Birth.
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Miracle of Germination
Miracle of Germination
Jesus said,
the sowers
“knows not how”
seed germinates.
Not Jesus
but us.
He sleeps.
poof
there it is!
Jesus does not sleep
He is not surprised
We Are.
The Miracle
combination
God
Man
Farmer
prepare the soil
increase fertility
water
put seed in
From There
God is in control
Creates life
from nothing...
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
We may preach
but beyond that
it is a miracle of God.
We cannot prophesy
which seed
will germinate.
We already discussed
the beginning of
Christian life.
Today we discuss
Growing in Christ.
The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
How do we
continue to grow.
Many people ask.
are you saved.
Or, are you
Born Again?
That questions
is important.
But it only asks
has your seed
germinated...
Just as,
there is more to farming
than germination...
So there is more
to the Christian life
than being Born Again.
That is, but,
the first step.
What next?
We must GROW!
I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily;
he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;
they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine;
their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Growth is not optional.
We must
GROW OR DIE...
We must grow
we must bud
we must blossom.
we must produce fruit...
But how???
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
What does this
verse teach us?
We cannot
force ourselve to grow.
As Matthew put it:
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
You cannot grow
by our own
works
thoughts
actions.
Growth is just
like germination
A MIRACLE!
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
Paul says,
just like
seed germinated
grow like that...
How did
the seed germinate?
A MIRACLE!
Yet, we learned
it is a miracles
that we participate in.
First,
it is a matter of faith:
but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
No faith,
no grow.
We talked about
genuine faith
last sermon.
Righteousness by Faith
requires faith…!!
Faith is just a choice
to allow Christ’s
miracle working power
to do its work.
But...
How does that work
practically speaking?
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
See the miracle?
What is our part?
TO ABIDE.
Again,
the end goal
is to produce fruit.
not to germinate...
But in order to
produce fruit
we must
stay connected.
Apart from Christ,
we have no life...
We can last...
No food
3 weeks
No water
3 days
No air
3 minutes
No Christ
not 3 seconds.
We must be
utterly convinced
of our dependance
on Him.
“Without Me ye can do nothing.”
“Without Me ye can do nothing.”
More practical.
Morning:
Surrender
prayer
study
“Take my whole heart...”
Lets go back
to a previous point.
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Growing is not
something to be
anxious over.
Abiding is meant to be
somewhat peaceful.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Abiding should be restful.
There is a peace
that we should
experience in Christ.
Can you see growth?
Can you see growth?
Yes and No.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
With the eye
no.
Time lapse.
yes
At every stage of development our life may be perfect; yet if God’s purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be continual advancement. - COL 65
The miracle
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
Rest and Work
Rest and Work
Interestingly,
God calls us to both
rest and work
simultaneously...
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
We are also
supposed to
take up Christ’s yoke.
This could be compared to
taking up our Cross.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Matt 16:
Following Christ
combination of
rest
action.
This rest is not found in inactivity; for in the Saviour’s invitation the promise of rest is united with the call to labor… The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him. - SC 71
Now we are
getting to the part
of producing fruit.
One seed goes into the groud
but many are produced
from the life
of one seed.
If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget yourself, and try to help others. - COL 67
We produce fruit
in 2 ways.
Reaching Others for Christ.
Growing Fruit of Sprit.
The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
Once we have
full grain
it is time for
the harvest.
But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Jesus is
all about the harvest.
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Nowadays,
Jesus in a combine.
Clearly,
the harvest is
the second coming.
Jesus gathers the saints.
Jesus is all about the harvest!
Yet you can’t harvest.
until the grain is ready...
Christ is seeking to reproduce Himself in the hearts of men; and He does this through those who believe in Him. The object of the Christian life is fruit bearing—the reproduction of Christ’s character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others. - COL 67
Harvest.
I’ve been told.
harvest is coming
late this year.
What about
Christ’s harvest.
Is it just me,
or does it seem
like it is late?
Parable of 10 Virgins.
For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.
People often ask,
Why hasn’t Jesus come…
In truth,
He is waiting.
waing for ripening grain
before He can harvest.
But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Who is waiting on who?
Are we waiting for Christ?
No
He is waiting for us!
Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. - COL 69
Who is waiting?
Christ.
If you have been
waiting for
someting to happen.
STOP waiting.
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
The word teaches
we don’t just wait.
2 things
wait
hasten
That means to “speed up...”
How can we bring on the harvet?
How can we bring on the harvet?
2 ways
Allow the harvest in my life.
Empower the harvest in others.
Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain. - COL 69
Call.
If you have not been
hastening.
waiting.
Your own Character.
Your witness.
Closing Song: 270 - O holy Dove of God descending
