OPEN YOUR BIBLES TO Ephesians 4.11 & 2 TIM 2
1. Monthly, if not weekly, I get some pamphlet, some flier, some invitation to attend the latest CHURCH GROWTH SEMINAR.
a. If I will just attend, they promise my church will grow.
b. As soon as I apply their techniques, poof, instant growth.
c. Some programs even claim to ‘create’ revival in your church just like it has in 1000’s of churches elsewhere.
ALL YOU REALLY NEED TO DO IS BUY THEIR STUFF & APPLY THEM CAREFULLY AND YOU TOO WILL SEE INSTANT CHURCH GROWTH.
THEY OFFER THE METHODS & MATERIALS.
• THEY PROVIDE THE TRAINING & THE TEACHING.
• You need these kind of leaders, these steady programs!
• All of it, they say, will grow the church, grow YOUR church.
NOW: I don’t attend the seminars. I don’t read the books.
• Truly with what the Lord is doing here at Calvary Chapel, I don’t have time to go to a church growth seminar because I’m too busy ministering in this GROWING CHURCH!
And… I’m not opposed to church growth. It’s biblical!
• The Early Church in the book of Acts saw great & quick growth.
• We’ve seen our own church grow tremendously in the last 4 years and it’s continuing to grow as each week goes by.
• NO, It’s not that I’m against CHURCH GROWTH.
• I just disagree with the methodology, the madness of making church growth the only IMPORTANT MOTIVE
• It’s become THE PRIMARY focus of a movement sweeping through 1000’s of congregations a year!
There IS a flip side to the movement… disappointment & despair.
• Let me explain.
• Countless churches and pastors have ordered the materials, used them, applied them and… NOTHING! Nothing happened.
• No growth. No story. No nothing. Then what happens?
• Well you get frustrated & burned out pastors.
• Even more than they were before they tried it out.
• You get disappointed sheep that call that church their home.
• And then the church gets distracted & trained to receive any new wind of doctrine that floats through the church.
• Let’s look at Ephesians 4.11-16
What we’ve seen in the last 25 years is the church being turned into a business.
• There’s been a trend toward FILLING ROOMS rather than FOLLOWING THE LORD!
QUOTE Greg Laurie: At the very time mega churches have sprouted across the landscape, the proportion of Americans who claim to be ‘born again’ has remained a constant 32%. According to Researcher David Dunlap, growth isn’t coming from conversions but from transfers; they account for up to 80% of all growth taking place today. He goes on to quote C. Peter Wagner, one of the leading spokesmen for the movement, who admits, “I don’t’ think there is anything intrinsically wrong with the church growth principles we’ve developed… YET SOMEHOW THEY DON’T SEEM TO WORK. I would suggest that one reason they don’t work is that they tend to approach church as if it were a business. But a business-driven response may make things even worse. In the long run, if we train people to be consumers instead of communers, we’ll end up with customers instead of disciples. It might fill up an auditorium, but it’ll never turn the world upside down for Christ!”
SO WHAT ABOUT TRUE CHURCH GROWTH?
Matthew 16.18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
SO it’s Jesus who will BUILD HIS CHURCH… not man.
• Whew! What a load off our backs! We follow. He builds!
• And as He builds His church… it turns the world UPSIDE DOWN!
NOTE: I am a little CONCERNED that not too many Christians are not turning the world upside down very much any more.
• Instead we see the world flipping the church over on its head.
• With the world selling SELF as the highest PRIORITY, we have seen so many loose attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, divorce, and friendships shift the movement of the CHURCH.
• Some Churches have left the Word of God and have chased after depravity!
It’s been said that “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for the righteous to remain silent.”
I BELIEVE THE CALL TO HOLINESS & RECKLESS ABANDON TOWARD SPIRITUAL THINGS IS STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!
• And God is calling Calvary Chapel, us right here, to a higher commitment to Him, His Calling, & His Mission for this world!
NOTE: True Church Growth is more individual than it is corporate.
• It’s personal. And it’s powerful! It’s lasting and alive!
• We see that in our study this morning in CH2.
I. (1.1-2) PASS IT ON
1. (1) Be Strong in the Grace
a. Be strong my son Timothy… Hold fast to the truth of grace.
b. Timothy I know you are weak at times, sickly, but be strong.
c. Again, I appreciate this relationship between the mature Christian and his protégé… Paul raised up this young man.
d. And now, as he’s probably said before… BE STRONG!
NOTE: It reminds me of the day Joshua took over from Moses.
Deut. 31.7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.
Then there was David on his deathbed to his son Solomon.
1 Kings 2.1-2 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2 "I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.
Paul, himself, uses this phrase 3 times…
1 Cor. 16.13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
Eph. 6.10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
2 Timothy 2.1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And it’s IN GRACE that Paul wants Timothy to be strong!
• I probably would have said, “Timothy, be strong emotionally, get it together son.”
• Or something like, “Be strong and quit your bellyaching.”
• But Paul knows what Timothy needs… be strong in grace!
What is GRACE? Unmerited, Unearned, Undeserved favor.
“Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is the glue.”
Really, Paul was just passing on what he himself already learned.
• Remember when he was afflicted with that THORN in the flesh?
2 Cor. 12.9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
NOTE: You may find yourself wrestling with a weakness… measuring up your life and finding areas in need of improvement.
• God would say to you… be strong in grace. Just expect the Lord to bless you not BECAUSE OF YOU but IN SPITE OF you.
THE GRACE OF GOD, understanding it. Receiving it. Extending It.
• It’s foundational to a strong, healthy, growing church.
• And that’s Paul’s last message to Timothy.
• Be strong in grace… not in discipline, not in authority, not in leadership skills… but in grace.
• Grasp it Timothy. Hold on to it. And…
2. (2) Commit the Truth to faithful men.
a. The things you’ve learned, invest them in other young men.
b. The truths that you’ve been taught need to be passed on.
c. You’re not learning for learning’s sake… that’s education.
d. You’re learning for ministry’s sake… that’s multiplication.
THIS IS THE MODEL OF Jesus… What did He do?
• He called a group of men around Himself and taught them.
• They were an imperfect bunch, full of failures & faults.
• But oh there was so much potential in the hands of the Lord.
• And Jesus loved them and taught them and then sent them out.
THIS IS THE MODEL OF CALVARY CHAPEL… What happened?
• Pastor Chuck Smith began to teach the Word of God simply week after week to the hippy generation in the late 60’s & 70’s
• And week after week they would come and learn and leave.
• Then men went out & began to teach others… churches started.
• You read through “HARVEST” and you find that God can and will use anyone to do great and awesome things.
NOTE: Yes, we come in to learn. But we most go out to live and commit these things to faithful men who will do likewise.
AND SO WE PROVIDE these studies on CD and the on the web.
• So that you might study & pass it on.
• We have a lending library… study and pass it on.
• Smaller groups, classes, assignments… all sorts of tools.
• WE encourage those that get saved to tell someone what has happened… passing it on.
• We encourage you to bring your friends to church, to study the bible together, talk about the things of the Lord… passing it on.
NOTE: It’s awesome to watch it all happen… Powerful stuff!
• To see this truth lived out daily in your lives. So many of you have shared your stories how God has used you and how He’s working through you.
• You’re just teaching people what you know, so that they might turn around and do the same thing! PASS IT ON.
II. (1.3-10) PERSEVERE
1. (3-4) PREVAIL… AS A SOLDIER.
a. Well, if you haven’t heard it yet, you need to know that you’re in a battle, a spiritual war!
Paul’s going to talk about enduring hardship with 3 examples.
• Why? Investing your life in others involves a cost.
• So Paul uses the illustrations of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer.
NOTE: We begin with a soldier’s mentality.
• You’re in the army now: The earth is no longer a playground, it’s become a battleground for the souls of men & women.
NOW this is surprising to some because nobody told you.
• You thought it was all joy. Someone told you that if you gave your life to Jesus then you would be wealthy & healthy.
• Your marriage would be saved. Your habits quickly kicked!
• But they failed to tell you there’s a battle involved! A big one.
SO FIRST notice, SOLDIERS ENDURE. The ministry, the life of the Christian requires endurance… often of long term hardship.
Here’s the problem… the struggle… the wrestling.
• We like things fast, quick, and easy.
• Fast food. Fast coffee. Fast lines.
• Even fast, quick, and easy CHURCH GROWTH!
APP: And we bring that into our walk with the Lord.
• God, I want CHRISTIAN MATURITY now… quickly Lord.
• Lord, give me patience, please… RIGHT NOW!!!
• It doesn’t work that way gang.
• Our walk, our relationship with Jesus is made of up learning to endure, learning to persevere and be patient.
• One of Paul’s last words to Timothy is… ENDURE HARDSHIP!
• There is simply no other way around it!
Eph. 6.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
NEXT v4, SOLDIERS LIVE LIGHTLY. He’s totally committed to His Commanding Officer, the one who enlisted Him.
• In our case that would be Jesus Christ.
• Our devotion to Him must be unhindered, unswerving.
Matthew 6.24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
• Oh Lord, help me to make those decisions that will please you!
John 8.29 "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."
NOTE: Let’s go a little farther with this… If you desire to be used of the Lord to any degree… it’s vital, very important…
• THAT YOU BE UNDER AUTHORITY!
• Every brother & sister needs to be under authority.
• Now I’m not talking people lording it over you, telling you what you can’t and can’t do.
• But there needs to be those people in my life in the Lord that I look to for direction and help spiritually.
• Yes, we need our Timothy’s, those that we are raising up in the ministry and committing the word to…
• But there also needs to be those that we look to and that can hold us accountable and teach us.
• Someone who will point me to the Lord and not let me get away with excuses and alibis!
PREVAIL as a soldier…
2. (5) PARTICIPATE as an athlete.
a. Paul loved sports and often used the games as an example.
b. And here he reminds us there are rules to live by.
c. You can’t be crowned a winner if you break the rules.
d. And so where do we get the rules for this race of life?
e. THE ETERNAL WORD OF GOD!!!!
Psalm 119.105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
PREVAIL as a soldier… PARTICIPATE as an athlete…
3. (6) PERSEVERE as a farmer.
a. Oh yes, be that solider… that athlete… now that farmer.
b. Wait patiently and you will receive.
c. Timothy, it won’t happen over night…
d. A farmer plants the seed, waters the ground, and deal with the weeds that come up… and then nothing happens
e. IMMEDIATELY. But if you wait patiently.
f. If you work the ground & keep at it… the fruit will come.
NOTE: I’ve seen a few guys come and go in the ministry over the years, churches, church plants, young men & women wanting to serve in the ministry.
• They were right on the verge of something great. It was right there, just around the corner.
• But they quit. They gave up. It was too much.
• A lot of believers… give up too quickly.
• A lot of church planters… give up too quickly.
• A lot of wives give up on their husbands… too quickly.
• A lot of husbands give on their wives… too quickly.
• A lot of singles give up on waiting on the Lord… too quickly!
• Let’s turn to Matthew 13.19-22
NOTE: Don’t give up! Hang in there. Look at Paul’s testimony here as we close up this morning.
4. (7-10) It’s ALL ABOUT Jesus.
a. I can just see Paul in that prison cell, can’t you?
b. His heart just really desiring to Timothy to do well, to excel in the ministry and serve the Lord wholeheartedly.
c. Timothy be a soldier, be an athlete, be a farmer…
d. Stand strong in the grace of Jesus my son and consider what I say… think it through. Understand this.
NOTE: Above all, REMEMBER Jesus. Keep Jesus on your mind, son.
• That’s a powerful exhortation. REMEMBER Jesus.
• Don’t get so caught up in the struggles. Don’t let the ministry weigh you down. Don’t become so enamored in what the church is doing or isn’t doing… that you forget Jesus!
• That’s it guys. That’s the summary of Paul’s life and the summary of Paul’s instruction. REMEMBER Jesus.
• That’s why I suffer. That’s why I’m in prison.
• That’s why I endure. That’s why I unleash the Word!
• Because the Word is not chained!
Heb. 4.12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
TRUE CHURCH GROWTH REQUIRES TRUE BELIEVER GROWTH.
• It’s individual and indispensable. The Word in you, the Word coming out of you, the word of grace spreading through this place, this city, this state!
• 2 things are necessary… PASS IT ON & PERSEVERE and as you do you’ll notice day by day you’re growing and becoming stronger!
• Let’s close with 2 Corinthians 3.17-18
