I. As most of you know, we went to San Antonio this past week, and no trip to San Antonio is complete without a trip to Sea World.
A. Being a minister I am always thinking in terms of ministry and I learned that the people that work with killer whales know something that a lot of Christians have not learned.
B. In one of the shows that we went to they were talking about the killer whale that was born at Sea World, and they were talking about the how they worked with the whale.
C. And the thing that caught my attention is that they said that they were developing a relationship with the whale.
D. They have been spending time and deliberately developing a relationship with the whale, because that is what will allow them to work together.
E. If more Christians would see that their lives are about developing a relationship with God so they can work with God, and have access to the power that, that relationship brings, this world would be a better place.
F. I want to read you something. Some of you have heard it and some of you have not, because you are new here. The purpose of Christway Baptist Church is to praise and worship God as a family that fellowships together. We will lead people into a relationship with Jesus and teach them to be disciples and ministers of God’s word.
G. That is the purpose statement of our church and it is what we say that we are here for. It is the reason that we are here, what we are to accomplish with our efforts, and there is a reason for it.
H. As much as it is a guide for what we are to accomplish it is also a guideline for what God wants to accomplish in us.
II. The New Testament is very clear that God’s goal or will for every believer is spiritual maturity. When we are saved, the bible says that we are born again.
A. That means that we are babies in Christ, but God does not want us to stay babies in Christ he wants us to grow up. He wants us to become spiritually mature.
(Eph 4:11 - 15 NIV) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
(1 Pet 2:2 NIV) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
B. It is God’s purpose, that we grow up, or mature in our faith. The goal of the Christian life and the only way to find the fulfillment in life that we down deep inside want, is to become more like Jesus.
C. We were created to be God’s children, and Jesus is our example of what that is, so the goal in life is to grow up to be like him.
D. Last week I talked about our role as parents being to train our children, and we are able to train our children, because we are supposed to have matured ourselves.
E. We are supposed to have "grown up" and we grow up through the experiences that we have had in life.
F. In the same way we are to grow up spiritually because of the experiences that we have had with God.
G. Churches are full of people that have attended church for years and have never grown up in their faith.
H. Now I want you to let me finish before you tar and feather me. One of the reasons that a lot of people never grow up in their faith is that they are taught and believe that the only thing you have to do to grow up in your faith is study the bible.
I. That is not true! There are a lot of churches that teach the content and doctrine of the bible as if that is all that is needed to grow spiritually.
J. I am not saying that bible study is not important because it is important and even vital, but studying the bible and learning doctrine by itself will not produce a mature Christian.
K. If we mature as adults by our experiences then how can we expect to mature as Christians without experiencing things in our relationship with God.
L. Spiritual growth occurs in the Christian life as we participate in the five purposes of the church that we have written down in our purpose statement.
III. I want to take a quick look at what those purposes that require experience.
A. The first is worship. The purpose of the Christway Baptist Church is to PRAISE and WORSHIP God.
1. Worship is something that we are to participate in. Worship is not a spectator’s sport, but it is something that we are to experience.
2. Worship is a part of experiencing God. Psalm 100 says that we come into the presence of God through our thanksgiving and praise.
3. Every Sunday we attempt to provide people the opportunity to experience God through worship because that is a part of the growth process.
4. If we come into His presence through worship then we should know Him more and grow in our relationship to him, but we have to come with the attitude that we are going to worship, and not just attend a church service for that to happen.
B. The second thing that we have to do to grow in our relationship with God is build relationships with other people who know God and we call that fellowship.
1. The purpose of the Christway Baptist Church is to PRAISE and WORSHIP GOD as a FAMILY that FELLOWSHIPS TOGETHER.
2. To properly mature as adults we have to build relationships with those who are adults, to learn from the experiences that they have had, and to mature as Christians we have to build relationships with others who have themselves matured.
3. That is where fellowship comes in. If all we ever do as a church is get together in a worship service setting and then leave and relationships are not built then we have not done our job as a church.
4. When we have times that we get togther, it is not just an excuse to eat. There is a reason that we do that. We have a committee that is in charge of creating fellowship opportunities and if you are on that committee I hope that you realize that what you are doing is a vital part of the life of this church, because Fellowship and building relationships with other Christians is crucial to Spiritual maturity.
C. The purpose of Christway Baptist Church is to PRAISE and WORSHIP GOD as a family that FELLOWSHIPS TOGETHER. We will lead people into a RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS
1. The next thing that we have to do to grow spiritually and mature spiritually is be involved in evangelism.
2. Evangelism is leading people to start relationships with God, which is done by accepting Jesus as their savior.
3. When I say that I am not saying that we have to go out and be obnoxious and intrusive, but that we have to make a lifestyle of telling people about Jesus and how to become a Christian in every setting that God makes available to us.
4. The experience of sharing our faith is a huge part of growing in our relationship with God.
5. The more that we share our faith with others the more we define it for ourselves, and the more we understand the love that God has for us.
D. The purpose of Christway Baptist Church is to PRAISE and WORSHIP GOD as a family that FELLOWSHIPS TOGETHER. We will lead people into a RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS and TEACH them to be DISCIPLES and MINISTERS.
1. The next thing that we have to do to grow in our relationships with God is to be involved in ministry.
2. If we are going to teach people to be disciples and ministers we have to be disciples and ministers.
3. Remember, we mature into adults through learning from our own experiences, and the experiences of others who have already matured.
4. So, we have to experience ministry. We have to use the talents and spiritual gifts that God has given us to serve others.
5. Ministry for our purpose means to serve others in the name of God. It means doing things for others, meeting the needs of others.
6. Ministry is showing the love of God to others as a representative of God in seeing to their spiritual, physical, and emotional needs, and in turn through our experiences teach them to minister to others.
E. And last but not least, The purpose of Christway Baptist Church is to PRAISE and WORSHIP GOD as a family that FELLOWSHIPS TOGETHER. We will lead people into a RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS and TEACH them to be DISCIPLES and MINISTERS of GOD’S WORD.
1. Yes we do have to teach people what the bible says. No one can follow God without knowing what he expects.
(John 8:31- 32 NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
2. We have to know the truth and the truth is found in God’s word.
3. We have to teach the truth, because those who are going to mature have to know God’s Word, because it teaches them who God is, what God expects, and what he has done for them out of his love, to see that they have everything that they need to be set free.
4. There is no substitute for knowing God’s word but there is more to maturing spiritually than bible study.
5. Many Christians fool themselves into believing that coming to church once a week and attending a bible study is all there is to Christianity, but there is much more to growing as a Christian than that.
6. We learn and grow by our experiences and if we are not involved in worship, fellowship, evangelism, ministry and bible study can never grow.
IV. James gives us a warning that most Christian today don’t understand much less heed.
(James 1:22 NIV) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
A. What James is saying is don’t just listen to His word PUT IT INTO PRACTICE!
B. Most people look at that verse and take it to mean that we have to learn the don’t do’s so we can be "good." But, there is much more to what he is saying than that.
C. What he is saying is grow up in you faith! Put into practice what you have learned.
D. Gene Getz says "Bible study by itself will not produce spirituality. In fact, it will produce carnality if it isn’t applied and practiced."
1. Bible knowledge without worship, fellowship, evangelism, and ministry experiences, will produce Christians with judgmental attitudes.
2. We grow to maturity in our faith and become more like Jesus through our experiences just like we grow to adulthood, and if we are not putting into practice the things that we have learned then we have no experiences to grow from.
3. Christianity is about a relationship with God that comes from interacting with God through worship, fellowship with other Christians, evangelism, and ministry.
(John 14:20 - 21 NIV) On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
E. Do you want to really know God, and be more like Jesus? Do you want to have the spiritual connection to God that will make you an over comer of the world?
F. Then put into practice the things that you know about God’s word!
(John 10:10 NIV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
G. Do you want life to the fullest and not just existence?
1. Jesus didn’t say that he had come so that we might study. He said that he had come so that we might have life to the full!
2. Life to the full comes through growing by experience, which means that we have to but into practice the things that we have already learned so that we will have so experience to grow from.
3. The words used more that any other to describe the Christian life are love, give and serve!
4. The thing that a lot of Christians need less than anything is another bible study, because they are not putting into practice what they already know.
5. What they need are ministry and evangelism experiences to put into practice what they already know, relationship experiences with other Christians where they can be held accountable for what they already know, and worship experiences where they can show appreciation for what they already know.
H. They Dead Sea is Dead because it has no outlet, water flows in but nothing goes out.
1. Where there is all intake and outlet it equals deadness, and there are a lot of dead Christians in the sense that they are spiritually dwarfed because they have all intake and no outlet and they wonder why their spiritual lives have no power and vitality.
I. If we don’t exercise our muscles they get soft and weak, and if we don’t exercise our spirituality, the same thing happens.
J. We have to put into to practice the things that we know about God to grow and get strong in our relationship with God.
K. We have to live up to our purpose as a church to see people grow in their relationship to God and this church have the impact on our community that it should.
L. I am going to be talking with the church council about making some changes to create more opportunities for these kinds of experiences, but if you will not participate in them it will mean nothing.
M. Without experiences that create opportunities to grow we will never mature, and we will never be what we were created to be, and if Shamu knows that then we should be able to figure it out and do something about it.
N. It is about a relationship, and a relationship does not happen without experiences.
O. And last but not least, The purpose of Christway Baptist Church is to PRAISE and WORSHIP GOD as a family that FELLOWSHIPS TOGETHER. We will lead people into a RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS and TEACH them to be DISCIPLES and MINISTERS of GOD’S WORD.
P. Are you going to be a part of the purpose? Will you commit yourself to growth so that you can have life to the fullest? Are you willing to put forth the effort to GROW UP in your faith?
Q. Only you can do it!
