Shoots, We Grow - Introduction

There are many many great Christians who have served God faithfully for many years who have grown to a certain “level” and then stayed there.

Biological Definition of Life:

A distinctive characteristic of a living organism from dead organism or non-living thing, as specifically distinguished by the capacity to grow, metabolize, respond (to stimuli), adapt, and reproduce.

Today I want to help you to grow if you don’t know how or to grow again if you’ve stopped

This will be the start of a series on How to Grow as a Christian

Think About Plants:

The Bible speaks about Jesus, God’s people and His church like plants & vines

Isaiah 61:3 NKJV

3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

John 15:5 NKJV

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Environment:

Of course, we all know that:

If you put a plant in the wrong environment it will not flourish!

In a study performed by the Royal Horticultural Society, researchers discovered that talking to your plants really can help them grow faster.

A pretty unscientific study by the furniture company Ikea showed a marked difference between plants that were spoken nicely to and those that were bullied.

Proverbs 18:21 NKJV

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Ephesians 4:29 NKJV

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Word - Light (Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:130)

Spirit - Water (Ephesians 5:26)

Soil Quality - Good Ground (Matthew 13:8)

Dung - Fertilizer (Luke 13:8)

Rootless Plants:

Isaiah 37:31 NKJV

31 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward.

God wants us to send roots downward.

Be connected:

Rooted connections allow us to receive the maximum benefit from our environment

Connection makes us stronger , more resilient, and more immovable in life

Transplanting is a shock and difficult on the ultimate productivity of a plant

***(disclaimer about this season of online vs. in person: You have many teachers, but not many fathers)***

Tumbleweed: a plant found especially in the North American desert that breaks away from its roots and is blown across the ground by the wind

Cancel the “Cancel Culture” with Rootedness!

That means we will have to fight past the offenses that will come & commit to rootedness

Luke 17:1 NKJV

1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!

God planted you. So unless He moves you, stay put - Fight to stay rooted!

If He planted you, do you think He knew the adversity you would face when He planted you there?

God knows the soil He is planting you in.

Jesus IS the rock of offense

1 Peter 2:7–8 NKJV

7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

Offenses can come through the truth & through the ministers of God

“If we continue to teach about tolerance and intolerance instead of good and evil, we will end up with tolerance of evil.” -Dennis Prager

Ephesians 4:11–15 NKJV

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

In this church, we will preach the truth (sometimes the ones people shy away from:

Sin

Heaven & Hell

Obedience and Disobedience

Proper Submission to authority

Tithes & offerings

Fasting & prayer

If we can stay planted and not get offended at the truth, we will grow!

Seedless Fruit:

One of the strangest modern phenomena is Seedless Fruit

Seedless fruit happens by unnatural, selective breeding to have less and less seeds over the years

John 15:16 NKJV

16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Churches have been selectively propagating Christians that don’t bear fruit for generations now:

Many Christians have never led someone to Jesus

Fewer have discipled those that have come to Jesus through their invitation

Many Christians have not reproduced themself & have remained dependents in the house - Good for a pastors ego (that you NEED them), but it’s not good for the Kingdom of God

Let’s not be seedless fruit! - Let’s be fruitful & multiply.

Just One Thing:

You’re in GREAT ground at The Ark!

Make a determination that you are going to grow this year like never before.

Discussion Questions:

What’s the worst hairstyle you’ve ever had? (Oh....PLEASE share pics if you have them)

What stood out most to you from this week’s sermon & what was impactful about it for you?

Please Read Isaiah 37:31 and share what this verse means to you in practical application. Then, please share what kind of fruit you think Jesus is looking for in your life specifically.

What is one thing you will adjust in your life, based on this sermon, that you feel is going to really help you to start to grow?