MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(REVISED - 2019)
(Powerpoints used with this sermon are available for free. Just email me at mnewland@sstelco.com and request #132.)
TEXT: Ephesians 4:11-16
A. Last week we started looking at the purpose of the church, & I asked these questions, "Why does the church exist? What is our purpose?" We concluded that the first & most important part of our purpose as a church is to seek to win the lost.
And I'm convinced that as long as we recognize that our ultimate purpose, the reason we exist, is to reach the lost, then as a congregation we will continue to grow.
In the 2nd chapter of Acts, the church in Jerusalem began on the Day of Pentecost with 3,000 members, & by the 4th chapter it had grown to 5,000 men, not counting women & children.
Acts 2:47 tells us that “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." It was a growing church, & they had a concern. "How do we take care of all these new Christians?"
ILL. One of the most exciting times in life is when a baby is born. The parents rejoice, & we all "ooh" & "ah" over it. Then they take the baby home, & reality sets in. They're changing diapers, losing sleep & trying to figure out what's wrong with the crying child. The joy of new birth is followed by the responsibility of caring for that child.
It's the same way in the church. People come to the Lord & we rejoice. But then comes the responsibility of bringing these baby Christians up in the Lord. Who is going to nurture them? Who is going to teach them & pray with them? Who is going to counsel them? Who is going to encourage them?
The early church evidently did a fairly good job of that, because we read in Acts 2:42, that these early Christians "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching & to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread & to prayer."
You see, there is a second part to our purpose, & that is to nurture, to build up Christians, to help them be all that they can be in this life.
B. With that in mind, listen to the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16. "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 & forth by the waves, & blown here & there by every wind of teaching & by the cunning & 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. From Him the whole body, joined & held together by every supporting ligament, grows & builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
That is an important passage, & I hope you noticed some key words & phrases like "service," "unity," "mature," "no longer infants," & "builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
PROP. Let's talk about that, about "building each other up" & growing as Christians. Here are some reasons why it is vitally important that we grow.
I. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GROW AS CHRISTIANS
A. It is vitally important that we grow as Christians, because growing Christians are full of joy. If you're grumbling & complaining, if you're not joyful in the Lord, it is probably a strong indication that you're not growing in the Lord.
On the other hand, growing Christians are excited about what the Lord is doing. You know that He is coming again, & you're excited about what He is going to do in His church between now & the time that He comes.
And you're excited about what He is going to do in your life & in your home, because growing Christians are joyful Christians.
B. Again, it is vitally important that we grow as Christians because growing Christians are willing Christians.
One of the dangers in a church is that people sometimes think that they're not needed. They think, "There is so much talent here. If I could sing or teach like so & so can, that would be great. But I can't." Or, "There are others, they don't need me."
But that's not true. In fact, there are many opportunities to exercise the abilities & talents God has given each of us. "Sure, I'll help set up chairs & tables. I'll help clean the kitchen. I'll be glad to do my best in whatever needs to be done."
And whenever the offering plate comes, they contribute, not because their arms have been twisted, or because there is a deficit. They give because they love God, & they're growing in their faith. They give because they're part of the most important work on the face of the earth.
C. Finally, it is vitally important that we grow as Christians because growing Christians are less vulnerable to temptation. Just as Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness following His baptism, when you give your heart & soul to Jesus, Satan will attack you, too.
Often we are most vulnerable to temptation in our times of crises. So it is important that we grow as Christians because growing Christians will have a faith that doesn’t collapse in such times.
In the parable of the Sower, Jesus said that some seed fell in shallow soil. At first, the seed gave every sign of life. But then worries & troubles came, & since it had no roots it withered & died.
Yes, there are people who just flirt with Christianity. They have a shallow faith, & whenever something tragic happens, their faith withers & dies.
Maybe the doctor has said that you have a terminal illness. Or maybe the one you love most in life has died. Or maybe there is trouble in your family, & you're not sure what the future holds. Is your faith deep enough to see you through all that?
SUM. You see, if we have a deep & growing faith, nothing that happens in this life will be able to uproot us. So it is vitally important that we grow as Christians. And here are 2 ways that can help us grow as Christians.
II. TWO WAYS THAT WE CAN GROW AS CHRISTIANS
A. #1, we can grow by studying God's Word together. If you've been a Christian for 5 or 10 years, & all you know about the Bible is John 3:16, then you're still a spiritual baby, drinking milk, & it's time for you to grow up.
That is why we offer opportunities to study the Word of God. We have Sunday morning Bible classes, Wednesday evening Bible studies, & some of our families are part of various Home Bible study groups.
B. Secondly, we can grow through close fellowship with other Christians.
The Word of God tells us many things to do for one another. We are to "love one another." We are to "pray for one another." We are to "bear one another's burdens." We are to "extend hospitality to one another." We are to "forgive one another." And the list goes on & on.
Fellowship is tremendously important in developing a feeling of “family”, & there are many opportunities for fellowship here. Now I realize that you can come to church & sit in the pew & get casually acquainted with a few people, & that may be helpful. But we ought to mean more to each other than just that.
Real fellowship grows deeper & stronger as we share together in the activities & services of the church.
III. SOME OF THE EVIDENCES OF GROWTH
Finally, how can you know whether or not you're a growing Christian? What are some of the evidences of growth?
A. #1, you know you’re growing if your real commitment is to God & His Word, & not to some person or church organization.
ILL. Dr. Robert Burns preached at Peachtree Christian Church in Atlanta, GA. for many years. He was a great speaker & people loved to hear him preach. The church grew & hundreds were present every Sunday in their services.
But when the Associate Minister was scheduled to preach, a lot of people stayed home. So the elders decided not to announce when Dr. Burns wasn't preaching. As a result, people would come, & then after communion was served & the Associate stood up to preach, a number of people would actually get up & leave.
It was an embarrassment to the Associate & to almost everybody else in a leadership capacity. Then one Sunday morning the Associate stood up to preach, & before anyone had a chance to leave he said, "Now for those of you who have come to worship Dr. Burns, you may leave. But for those who have come to worship the Lord, please open your Bibles & let us read & study together."
They said that people opened their Bibles all over the place, & you could hear the pages turning. You see, we don't come here to worship any man. We come to worship God, & that is an important lesson to learn.
We're mature when we can worship the Lord, regardless of who the preachers or leaders are, or even other members are, because we're not building our faith on them. We're building our faith on Jesus Christ, & He is the one we worship!
B. #2, you know you're growing if you're regular in your attendance at worship. Now I know that is very elementary. But I think the attitude of many toward worship is far too casual.
For such people attending worship services is something they do if it is convenient, if the weather is cooperative, if there aren't any other conflicts - then they will be in God's house. But it is not a priority. It's only something they do if it doesn't inconvenience them.
I think we've become too casual. We've failed to grasp the importance of this place & the One who meets us here, & what's going to happen when we come in His name. This is God's Sanctuary, & when you gather here with others you're sitting in the company of the King of Kings & Lord of Lords.
So as a growing Christian, it means that I'm going to be here because I have an appointment with Him. I'm going to be here because this is a priority in my life.
C. #3, you know you're growing if you're regularly reading God's Word & spending some time in prayer.
And if you need a little help in starting a daily prayer time I suggest that you begin by using “Our Daily Bread.” It is a little booklet printed every 3 months containing one-page devotional thoughts & scripture for each day. We have them available in the vestibule. Why not take one & see how much help it can be to you?
You see, it's one thing to study with other people in a Sunday School or Bible study, & another to have a personal time every day where you get together with God & open His Word & talk with Him & allow Him to talk to you. That's critical for your growth.
D. Finally, you will have an effective Christian witness if you're growing in your faith.
God needs mature Christians, ministers, ambassadors who aren't ashamed of their faith & who are willing to share that faith at work, play, school, church - wherever they are.
ILL. The story is told about a king who longed for a son. Years passed, & finally God answered his prayers & a boy was born. The whole kingdom rejoiced.
He was such a perfect child & everybody was so happy. Then when he was six years old the little boy fell off a horse & was injured to the point of being partially paralyzed. The king & all the kingdom mourned.
Then the king did a strange thing. He instructed the royal sculptor to make a statue of a man standing strong & straight. And every day they wheeled the boy out to the courtyard where the statue had been erected, & the little boy looked at the statue of that man.
The story says that gradually, as the boy sought to follow his prescribed exercises, that his spine started to straighten. Strength came back to his muscles & bones. Finally the day arrived when that boy stood up in the shadow of that statue. And as the kingdom looked, lo & behold, they saw that the boy bore the likeness of the statue. He had become what he had been looking at every day.
CONCL. You know, God places before us His only Son. He says, "Look at Him. Become like Him, & the more you look at Him, the more you read His Word, the more you'll grow to be like Him."
The church's purpose is to win the lost & build up the saved. We don't want anybody lost. We want to make sure that everybody is involved in the Word & prayer & growing every day.
Maybe you have a decision that you need to make. Maybe there is something that you will allow God to do in your life to help get you back on course again, to make sure that you're growing in your faith.
If you're here & you're not in Christ, if you don't know Him as your Lord & Savior, then we extend His invitation & pray that you'll respond as we stand & as we sing.
