CHURCH, IT’S TIME TO GROW UP!
(January 2008 – Beausejour Church)
INTRODUCTION: The title of my message for today is “Church, it’s time to grow up!”
- Israel in wilderness – 40 years to make an 11 day journey to Promised Land: God said: “You have stayed at this mount long enough. It is time to break camp and move on.” (Deut. 1:6-7).
- Picture a hamster running on a wheel – going in circles, not getting anywhere? Can you relate to that? Are you in the same place spiritually you were a year ago? Do you want to change?
KEY TEXT: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:2-3).
“But Jesus answered and said, "It is written, ’Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
ILLUSTRATION: BREAKING IN BABY BY DAVE BERRY:
• There is a parallel between physical growth and the spiritual growth of a Christian.
We have a son who began as a baby and has successfully reached the age of three without becoming an axe murderer, as far as we know. Thus we are eminently qualified to tell you how to bring up your baby. Here’s my advice.
Taking Your New Baby Home. There’s nothing quite like the moment a young couple leaves the hospital, walking with that characteristic new-parent walk that indicates an obsessive fear of dropping the baby on its head. Finally, it’s just the three of you on your own!
The Basic Baby Mood Cycle. All babies settle into this once they get over being born. Mood Number 1 – Just About To Cry, Mood Number 2, Crying, Mood Number 3; Just Finished Crying. Your job is to keep your baby in Mood 3 as much as possible. Here is the traditional way to do this. When the baby starts to cry, you and your spouse just pass it back and forth repeatedly and recite these words in unison, “Do you suppose he’s hungry?” “He can’t be hungry, he just ate.” “Maybe he needs to be burped.” “No, that’s not it.” “Maybe his diaper needs to be changed.” “No, it’s dry.” “Do you think maybe he’s hungry?” And so on, and so on, until the baby can’t stand it anymore and decides to go to sleep.
Baby’s First Solid Food. We’re using the term “food” loosely here. What we’re talking about are those little jars on store shelves with the smiling baby on the label and names like Prunes With Mixed Vegetables. Babies hate this stuff! Who wouldn’t? The way babies eat food is by absorbing it directly into their bloodstream through their faces. So, the most efficient way to feed a baby is to smear the food on its chin. Unfortunately, many inexperienced parents insist on putting the food into the baby’s mouth. They put in spoonful after spoonful of say, beets, sincerely believing they are doing something constructive when, in fact, the beets are merely going around the baby-food-return loop, which all humans are equipped with until the age of 18 months. After the parents finish feeding the baby, they remove the bib and clean up the area. That’s when baby starts to spew beets from his mouth, like a little beet volcano until his face is covered with beets which he can then absorb.
THE BIG IDEA: God has given us an amazing gift in the Bible. God’s desire is that we would feed upon His Word, grow spiritually, and become more like His Son, Jesus.
“11 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, 13 until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:11-16).
• When we grow up, we become healthy and full of love – just like Jesus.
STATS: George Barna wrote The State of the Church in 2002. Barna conducted a survey of Christians and here’s what he discovered about their knowledge of the Bible.
• 48% could not name the four Gospels.
• 60% can’t name 5 of the 10 Commandments.
“When I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to mature Christians. I had to talk as though… you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn’t handle anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other… You are acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord.” (1 Cor. 3:1-3).
• How do you know if you’re still in the child stage? Jealousy, strife and divisions.
ILLUSTRATION: Our family in Tampa, Florida. As far as the eye could see, orange trees were loaded with fruit. When we stopped for breakfast, I ordered orange juice with my eggs. "I’m sorry," the waitress said. "I can’t bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken." At first I was dumbfounded. We were surrounded by millions of oranges, and I knew they had oranges in the kitchen. What was the problem? No juice? Hardly. We were surrounded by thousands of gallons of juice. The problem was they had become dependent on a machine to get it. (Leroy Eims).
1. WHY STUDY THE BIBLE?
FIRST – WHY PEOPLE DON’T STUDY THE BIBLE:
1. The Problem of RELEVANCE - “It’s archaic, out of date!”
The Answer: God’s revelation is as ALIVE today as when first delivered – changes people’s lives!
2. The Problem of TRAINING - “I don’t know how!”
The Answer: We simply need to recover the skills of READING. You don’t need professional training!
3. The Problem of TIME - “I just don’t have the time!”
The Answer: The problem is not time, it is really PRIORITIES (we all have same 24 hours in a day)
4. The Problem of RELIABILITY - “I have my doubts.”
The Answer: The Bible is completely RELIABLE, CONSISTENT, and REASONABLE.
5. The Problem of ENJOYABILITY - “It’s so boring!”
The Answer: There is a JOY that comes when you feed on the Word.
Another reason people don’t study the Bible is they don’t realize how much it’ll benefit them!
10 BENEFITS TO READING THE BIBLE:
1. MAIN REASON – HELPS US GROW SPIRITUALLY (1 Peter 2:2)
2. MAKES YOU PROSPEROUS & GIVE YOU GOOD SUCCESS (Joshua 1:8)
3. HELPS YOU TO WALK IN PURITY (Psalm 119:9)
4. GUARDS YOUR HEART AGAINST SIN (Psalm 119:11)
5. REVIVES YOU (Psalm 119:25)
6. STRENGTHENS YOU (Psalm 119:28)
7. GIVES YOU WISDOM (Psalm 119:99)
8. GIVES YOU LIGHT – DIRECTION FOR YOUR LIFE (Psalm 119:105)
9. GIVES YOU JOY (John 15:11)
10. GIVES YOU PEACE (John 16:33a)
2. WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
• The Bible consists of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. The Bible is the living, inspired, authoritative, inerrant Word of God.
• The Bible was written by 40 different men over a period of 1600 years. Most of these writers were not alive at the same time, and could not work together in any way. However, the Bible has one continuing story flowing through it with NO contradictions.
QUOTE: “If God has spoken, listen! If God has recorded his words in a Book, search its pages with a believing heart. If you do not accept it as God’s inspired word, I cannot invite you to pay any particular attention to it; but if you regard it as the Book of God, I charge you, as I shall meet you at the judgement seat of Christ, study the Bible daily. Treat not the Eternal God with disrespect, but delight in His Word.” (Charles Spurgeon).
3. HOW DO WE STUDY THE BIBLE?
FOUR QUESTIONS TO ASK:
WHAT DOES THIS SCRIPTURE TEACH ME ABOUT:
1. WHO GOD IS?
What do I learn about the nature of God?
2. WHO AM I?
What do I learn about the nature of man?
3. GOD‘S PROMISES?
Is there a promise to claim?
4. GOD‘S COMMANDMENTS?
Is there a commandment to obey?
JOURNALING – THE SOAP METHOD::
S - Scripture:
Write out the Scripture you are studying
O - Observation:
Write out your observations on that Scripture
A - Application:
Write out a practical point of application
P - Prayer:
Write out a prayer to pray to the Lord
CLOSING: THE FIVE MINUTE CHALLENGE.
• Five minutes a day to read through the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs.
- see our church’s website for this Bible Schedule!
For more sermon outlines or audio sermons, visit:
www.beausejourchurch.ca
