The Table Part 2

This morning we were talking about the table and how it is referenced throughout scripture. It is something that we keep coming back to and therefore I believe that we need to dedicate our time together talking about the importance of the table.

The table is a central part of the home. So much happens here. I remember growing up when I visited my great grandma I never visited her anywhere else only at the kitchen table. That was the thing at one time you spent time together chatting around the kitchen tables. Newfoundlanders talk about kitchen parties.

But tonight I want to talk about the different things that draw significance at the table.

You see here this table is decorated so nice and it feels quite welcoming, quite inviting hey?

There are three chairs here at the table and we will chat about them individually.

Chair 1

Seeker

This chair is an important one. It is the chair that should take up 1/3 of our churches.

It is where people who don’t know the Lord sit. Those sit here who have no personal relationship with God. They only know enough about Jesus where it is dangerous. It is dangerous because they know about Him yet they haven’t received Him.

Anyone love the smell of fresh homeade bread? I know in my house when bread is baking everyone seems to go crazy for it. Oh my mom this smells soooooooo good. This is going to be amazing!

So here in the church I would like to say that these people are drawn to the table, drawn by the aroma of the bread of life.

These people are drawn to the table, d

John 6:44 NIV

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Most often you see persons sitting in that chair for different periods of time and then God reveals Himself to them. This chair is an important chair we want you to belong before you believe. It is a time where you can test the waters, ask the questions or just jump right in.

It is also a place where those who have faux faith sit because those with faux faith are comfortably comfortable with the way things are and don’t want to change. When they are asked to change they are not ok with that. You gotta change from this chair, in order for that to happen you have to get up and take steps to the altar to the place of belief. This is where you get comfortably uncomfortable and this gets ya moving and changing.

Then you move on to chair 2

Then you move on to chair 2

Chair 2

Born Again

This is where we should see 1/3 of our church. This is after you pray the prayer of faith to give your life to Jesus.

This is where you start your journey as a new babe in Christ. This is where you get your spiritual milk. This is where you learn the ropes and get started in your faith.

This is where you start to grow as a disciple, where you learn to walk.

This is where you learn how to pray, how to read scripture, begin and grow a devotional life.

This is where you need to grow and connect. Where you need to get plugged in to ensure that you are getting the nourishment needed to keep fueled in your spirirtual journey.

The best way I can explain this chair is to use the stages of growth in life. You don’t wake up one day and decide I’m mature! Do you? It takes time and when you are mature you live mature you don’t need to have that label because you live it.

Just like physical maturity takes time it does as well for a new believer - a new Christian. But the physical body naturally grows, it is programmed to grow automatically. We can’t stop ourselves from aging can we?

But spiritually we have to protect our walk and learn that this is something that we need to be strategic in.

It starts like this:

Born again - Baby Christian - feeding on milk, no solid food.

High Chair - but the sad thing is there a lot in our churches that stay or remain in the baby stage because maybe we like the attention, we like the milk, we don’t want to change or get uncomfortable.

Or maybe it’s because we like things being all about I,I,I or me, me, me.

Self centered not God centered.

I know you know what I am talk about it. We have heard these things said:

“I am not getting fed” ---- response should be you can’t feed yourself??

Hebrews 6:1 NIV

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

“I would go but”...

“I need more”...

“They don’t offer this, that or the other thing”...

“I don’t like it here there are too many rules, too many hoops” --- So they pick up and move or hop around where there is no one to keep you accoutable and help you grow.

This is an epidemic in our area. If you don’t like the pastor, board or you don’t like being challenged to grow - because growth and accoutability are uncomfortable and hard you leave and therefore you never move past chair 2 - stuck on chair 2

This is a stage you go through not stay in!

A lot of church PREY on baby believers and then what we get is not new growth but churches swamping people from one place to another.

The thing I don’t understand is why would you want to leave the house where you were born again - that birth church needs to share in the cycle of your development and reap the benefits of growth and leadership and then service.

Luke 14:28 NIV

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?

Loyalty gets thrown out the window because Offense becomes King.

The Word of God is offensive and abrasive. It is something we are to use to measure our lives by it is a standard that we need to keep.

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 6:1 NLT

So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.

Chair 3

Luke 14:28 NIV

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?

Mature Followers of Christ

This is where you are strong in your walk. Where you count the cost in relation to what it would cost in your relationship with Christ.

This relationship is so important to you. Therefore you develop a standard and parameters are in place to protec that relationship. There is accountability, strong sense of being able to feed oneself in their walk with God. You cannot go without first talking to God.

The standards I am talking about here are:

Biblical standards that are non negotiable:

For instance no sex outside of marriage. Why? Because the Bible says that it is to be only inside the confines of marriage covenant.

Things like this are deal breakers at this stage sadly because it means in order to serve God I have to change and I don’t like change.

So what happens back to Chair 2 or even Chair 1 or out altogether.

Church there is a standard that requires us to not let go of, no compromizing in it.

The next standard is the Time cost

There is time for everything but God. There are some that come to church 1 time every 6 weeks, would you say this is the life a Christian should live?

I don’t think so. You are shutting yourself off from the table, from the bread of life, from growth and service.

There is another standard the Financial one - stewardship

There is a financial cost and it is this the tithe - 10 percent minimum worship requirement to the house.

If you are not doing these things then you will never know what it means to be a mature believer.

The thing is my friends 20 percent pay the freight for everybody in churches in North America.

Can I share another illustration?

Another Restaurant Story:

I go to a restaruant with my whole family. It’s nice to get together to spend time catching up, time to socialize, time to enjoy relaxation, no dishes to do or cooking all cared for.

Then the time comes for that to end. Then what happens - the cheque comes - I get stuck with the cheque ---- $300 bill wow!

We look around the restaurant it’s packed.

I am not paying this cheque why?

They don’t need this, they have lots of others here.

I am not paying this cheque why?

I’m not paying

I’m sick of this restaurant they always talk about money, they always give me the bill I am not paying.

So I look at my family and we all stand and I say don’t even look around and we all walk out like all is well and drive off.

Now we don’t send you a bill here but too many walk away from the cheque and sit up and say yes I am a Christian band act like it is all well and all going well … who are you fooling - I am sorry to tell you the only one you are fooling is yourself.

I hate to see this and just because things happen or have happened in the church the one you rob by not paying you tithe and the one you are hurting is yourself.

Jesus says this:

Matthew 6:21 NIV

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Tithing is a heart issue and the purpose of it is for you to put God first in your life.

Remember, God is always after your heart and when you tithe it shows Father that you value and treasure him. God wants to know that you consider him your top priority and that you love and honor him above all else. When you tithe it shows your faithfulness and loyalty to the Lord and in return he blesses you for your faith in him.

Tithing also shows God that you recognize that all gifts come from him. All you have and own is all God’s and the only reason you have anything to begin with is because he is a generous Father. When you tithe, you are giving him back what belongs to him. Because he is so generous, you are able to keep 90%! Isn’t that a precious way to think about it?

Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the ability to produce wealth.

You can’t afford not to tithe!

Tithing shows Christian maturity and I am sorry if these things are present you will NEVER know maturity.

Also in Chair 3 Christian Maturity

You also serve and get out of your comfort zone.

So let’s refresh

Chair 1 - It’s about me

Chair 2 - Maybe it’s not about me

Chair 3 - It’s about others

This is when you learn a valuable lesson - you share, you serve, then you sow

John

John 4:34 NIV

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

John 4:34 NLT

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.

Conclusion: Musicians

How about you?

What are you doing?

Are you walking away from the cheque?

What about the table don’t you get?

Hebrews 5:14 NIV

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Robbing God - you will be held accoutable!

Let go of it! When you let go He gives you more! He releases His blessing on your life.

Not willing to change, to uphold the standard of His word? You will answer for this ad suffer the wrath of God. Allow His Holy Spirit to help you and show you the sin in your life and help you change.

We are not lacking vision we are lacking faith that God will provide!

We are lacking the willingness to give sacrificially

This table needs to be in your life. We need to show up.

The bread of life allows us to push away share, serve and sow!

So that we can reach this community for Christ.

Or

Would you rather stay in the shade feeding thae already fed getting spiritually obese?

Or

Are we wiling to walk out into the elements and give people the Bread of life?