Intro
As our oldest son is in his Junior year of High School....we have begun our first initiation into the process at looking at colleges. (Joke: I've set up a special offering bucket in the back.)
In that process I took a look at the growing mass of online educational programs. I discovered that they have their share of criticism. With a little thought I suppose we can imagine the limitations...why some can do well in such programs...and some not. What might be a limiting factor? (It requires an unusual amount of self initiative...and it tends to be more limited to learning the facts... without as much practical process and application.)
> There are similarities to our process of spiritual growth. We can do it online...but without some real community sharing in the process.... it's limited to our own moods...and tends to be more removed from the qualities of real relationship.
> That is why there is something so significant about gathering together weekly as we do.
As we focused on last week... God has designed us to be individuals always connected to others. We are individuals but never just individuals... we are always bound with others...never absolutely autonomous or self-existent.
We are connected by the common grace of God. We need each other's perspective and influence. We grow through an interdependence on each other's gifts and roles.
Together we share a new life. As we read last week...
1 Corinthians 12:27 (CEV)
"Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body."
We find life together. In fact... studies have found that those who gather most regularly in community worship ...are happier, healthier and live longer.
Recently, the New York Times had an article on "The Benefits of Church" that stated [1]
"ONE of the most striking scientific discoveries ... in recent years is that going to church weekly is good for you. Religious attendance boosts the immune system and decreases blood pressure. It may add as much as two to three years to your life."
Another report stated:
"Not only do Americans who attend a church... report having higher wellbeing in general, but they also get an extra boost to their emotional state on Sundays -- while the rest of Americans see a decline in their mood."
So last week we engaged the myth: 'I don't need church.' But today we're engaging another myth...
MYTH: All I Need Is Church
This might be expressed in similar ways such as:
Going to Church makes Me a Christian.
If I go to church I'll be a strong Christian.
If I go to church I should be growing in my spiritual maturity.
..or perhaps the more negative outworking of such assumption...
If I'm not growing I need to go find a new church.
What all these ideas have in common is the idea that church is something we go to...and that going to 'it' is the essence of what it means to be a Christian...or to grow spiritually.
The great disconnect we have been trying to face is our tendency to equate our gatherings as being the church. As we have been trying to realize, 'We don't go to church. We are the church.'
When we reduce church to a place or event... we divide our lives into pieces.
We divide Sunday from Monday... worship from work...spiritual life from secular life.
What is the church?
When Jesus spoke of what gets translated as "church" he used a Greek word "ekklesia" which is more often translated as "assembly." Naturally it has led to easily thinking of a Sunday gathering in a modern church building. However, it was most commonly used as a political term... as an assembly of those who represent a certain political body. He was not simply referring to any literal gathering but of those called out from the rule of this world to that of the reign of God. [2] So we can think of the church more in this light:
The church is the calling out of live from the reign and rule of this world to that God's Kingdom ruled by Christ. As such, the gatherings identified as reflections of such a “church” are centered in Christ's calling...but do not necessarily define where any individual is in that calling.
The gatherings associated with the “church” serve as a partner not a provider of spiritual life.
We can think of the qualities we gather around.
The church is a people who enter the life Jesus made possible, a life that includes,
• new liberating rule of Christ (over the powers that have ruled us)
• new grace (reconciliation with God through Christ),
• new identity ("born again" as "children of God".. with a "new self")
• new mission (to be those "sent" as "the light of the world" revealing the "kingdom of God"), and
• new power (through indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.)
These are some of the qualities that the church as a people spur and support each life with.
We gather around these qualities of new life...they are the center... BUT the local church community is only a context for our personal growth. No matter how life-giving we may be for one another... life will only grow to the degree we are engage in these qualities.
Growth in life with God comes not through passivity but synergy
Synergy... is the unique energy that is created when the energy from one source and the energy from another source are brought together in a dynamic way.
It's a synergy between the part and the whole... the individual and the community...the work of God in you and the work of God that is among us.
If we reduce our spiritual life to a Sunday gathering... we will always feel the limits.
It's like so many of us who say we love music...want to be a rock start... we take lessons but never actually practice much on our own...we show up to the next lesson in a similar state. What's going to happen? We're going to become discouraged.
The weekly gathering as a church community should be the culmination of a week of relating to God...and the sending off into another.
We have to hear God's call upon ourselves.
1 Timothy 4:7, 11-16 (NLT)
7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. ...11 Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. 12 Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. 15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching.
Paul is encouraging this young 'son' in the faith.
Here we find a glimpse into the relationship between the personal and public / communal aspects of spiritual formation.
Paul makes reference to the significance of lives gathering when he encourages Timothy to "focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them." (v. 13) Paul had been forming gatherings in various cities and knew they must gather in order to grow. But here he is engaging Timothy in the personal factors involved with growing.
Personal Factors for Spiritual Maturity:
1. We must choose the central purpose for our life.
Paul begins his challenge to Timothy... don't waste time arguing over godless ideas ...instead...train yourself.
"to be godly... an example in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." (vv. 7, 12)
This is no Sunday spirituality. This isn't a call to be a "church-goer"... or to develop a Christian "part" of life.
> This is a call to centralize one's life in Christ.
Godliness can sound a bit nebulous. The word godliness comes from the old English word Godlikeness; it means to have the character and attitude of God. Paul had previously related this to becoming like Christ.
“From the very beginning God decided that those who came to Him - and He knew who would - should become like His Son...” - Rom 8:29 (LB)
Now God’s plan has always bee nto make you like Jesus Christ. His plan from the very beginning has been to make human beings like Himself. Now, don’t get me wrong, let me be clear, He’s not saying you’re going to be a god. (We may act like we are god....but if married... I doubt that's going too well.)
God doesn’t want you to become a god; He wants you to become godly.
He wants you to develop His character, the way He thinks, the way He acts, the way He feels, His values, His moral character. God wants to make you like Himself, and that’s God’s plan for putting you on this planet, to make you like Jesus. (Drawn from Rick Warren)
Look at the next verse, Ephesians 4:15. Read it with me aloud:
“God wants us to grow up ... like Christ in everything.” - Eph. 4:15 (Msg)
Now what does it mean to grow up? It means to be like Christ. God’s will for you is that you grow up. You know, babies are cute...but what is precious is seeing a little life in all it will become. If someone said...I'm going to make sure they never grow up...we'd begin to sense something tragic. And if we just grew bigger...but in baby form... we'd consider that rather tragic as well.
So what are we suppose to "become?" What does grown up look like?
Our only true maturity is to become like Christ.
This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not like one day all of a sudden – ZAP – you’re just like Jesus. It’s a process, and this process is called “discipleship”, and it takes an entire lifetime. It’s going to take the rest of your life for God to build character in you, the character qualities of Jesus Christ.
BUT at some point it involves choosing that very purpose as the central purpose in life.
It involves all of life...'the way you live.'
The Christian life.... the life of Jesus is a central purpose.
It really doesn't work as an appendage...as a mistress to other loves.
It's being fully accepted by God out of which we desire to please God above all?
If not....you will always be in conflict...divided. Many of us know that right now.
Is your desire to succeed in various ways that serve you...and also to be a Christian?
Paul is calling Timothy and every life that follows to make serving Christ our centralizing purpose.
It's the most important juncture our lives will ever come to.
• Personal...find it can become blurred...grey again.
• It is not a shallow or simple decision made in a passing moment. The disciples found it a challenging process. Perhaps it's not even just a one time decision.
> Settles all other decisions.
Jesus.. pearl of great price... a treasure hidden in a field... so beyond anything one could hope to gain...they would sell everything to buy the field and have the treasure.
The first factor of spiritual maturity is choosing our central purpose.
No one else can decide that for you.
It must come from within your will.
2. We must embrace the primary responsibility for our spiritual growth.
Notice Paul says...
"train yourself" (v. 7) ...and he continues that tone with
"Be an example...in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." (vv. 7, 12)
We won't do anything if we don't believe we are the one to do it.
This can happen with spiritual formation or growth. We may think others bring it to us....or God does.
But God has created us as participants in any process.
The church as a collective community is responsible to form itself in such a way that it is a faithful context for growing in a knowledge of God's Word, a centering in worship, and a cultivating of good works.
> But the context is not responsible for our spiritual growth.
We've all heard about "outsourcing." Outsourcing means hiring an outside company to do something inside your company which is considered to be too expensive, too complicated or too time-consuming for your own business to do by itself.
> We cannot outsource our spiritual formation.
We cannot decide that teachers will take care of God's Word in us...or that prayer can be served best by the praying type...or worship to the worship type.
Godliness is not outsourceable! It's not something that is best left in the hands of professionals.
Listen to this: “In a recent survey of 1,000 church attenders, respondents were asked, ‘Why does the church exist?’ According to 89 percent, the church’s purpose was ‘to take care of my family’s and my spiritual needs.’ [3]
I think this represents a false understanding of the church... a separation between an institution and an individual. But also a false expectation of what the communal body is and isn't.
Just this week there was an article about the common statement "I just don't feel fed spiritually." The interesting thing about the article is that it was noted that every one of the most popular teachers of the Bible today... shared how they hear it just like everyone else.
"There is a consumer mentality within the Christian subculture that views the church as a feeding station that exists for no other reason than to keep them stimulated, titillated, and…yes, fed. Church becomes a worship and food bar as we search for what we like to eat in order to put it on our plate. Even worse is how this “feeding” often results in little more than weight–gain as opposed to fuel and challenge for missional exertion." [4]
Carey Nieuwhof in an article entitled Shift Responsibility, Fuel Your Growth
"I wonder what would happen if we pursued a personal walk with the same passion we use when we blame others for our failures? I wonder what would happen if we helped each other out and prayed for each other but continued to encourage people to take responsibility for their spiritual growth?
What would happen we collectively re-assumed responsibility for our spiritual growth?" [5]
The answer of course...is that great things will happen as we each take the primary responsibility.
3. We must take the initiative in movement towards growth.
Notice our text says..
"Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks..." (v. 15)
Strong words...they speak of bringing energy to bear on something...on change.
Proverbs 12:27 (NKJV)
“... diligence is man's precious possession”.
We have the power to effect change...around us and in us.
= initiative
Do what you need to do in the natural and God will do what He needs to do in the supernatural.
It's not a matter of our efforts but our engagement. [6]
Jesus said,
Matthew 7:7 (GW)
“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you."
You cannot receive.. cannot find... or have doors of spiritual life open by being passive. .... without initiative.
Note: I believe that there is a significant step of initiative involved with coming to the weekly gathering. What I believe we will find is that the more it is part of a process integrated into our personal lives... it will prove vitalizing...and when it becomes the primary means it will be faced with limitations.
Many of us know this. Many of us know people who attend church never seem to find lasting significant change in their lives.
They attend meetings.
Or maybe they attending meetings and they get involved!
Maybe they attend meetings, get involved, and even get really involved!
But yet change doesn’t come.
Maybe that includes your own experience.
Paul warns us...
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:21 (NIV)
> If you don't take initiative.... evil is...and it will conquer you.
We are never on neutral ground...never just standing in a static place. We are always in a spiritual process.
Hebrews 5:14
“…solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Growth involved learning to train yourselves.
Interesting that there is this analogy to natural human development. We do need others to help us when we are initially completely dependent. But we grow to not be fed but to participate. Eventually we are also learning to help feed others.
This leads to the final point...
4. We must assume that growth always involves progression.
Notice
"...everyone will see your progress." (v. 15)
One of the biggest enemies to growth is losing sight of the path.
Nearly every person I know has experienced an initial discovery that excited them... somewhere early on...especially if they first grasped the reality of knowing God when they were young. And then they feel like life bounced them out of the joy. They get hit with something... and feel they can never get it back. We may feel like we have lost a lot along the way....but what really matters has not changed.
Some of us need to just get back to this simple truth: God is still God....and still rules...and still loves you.
You are not done...because God is not done.
There is a stage to continue in.
When we read in the Bible of people "becoming believers"...and today we might often speak of "becoming Christians"....we become too focused on something having become rather than the becoming. If we have come to recognize and receive the death and life of Christ... it is a life changing decisive moment....but that is only the beginning of a new life.
Paul would later write to Timothy again.. it would come after years of pioneering... writing letters (much of what became the New Testament)... world changer.
He asked Timothy to bring him books so he can keep learning. (2 Timothy 4:13)
He is inspired, yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for 30 years, yet he wants books! He has had a wider experience than most men, yet he wants books! [7]
> He was a life long learner. Always progressing.
There are always steps to take.
Conclusion:
i want to give us an opportunity to consider what God may have as a next step in our life. I don't want you to just make something up. I want to ask you if there is some step that God genuinely brings to mind that you could do THIS week. Perhaps one of these may be fitting for you...
One way I can take initiative to grow this week….
___ If I'm seeking to know who Christ really is, I'll seek answers to some questions
___ If unconnected, I'll go participate in a Home Church or similar small interactive group
___ I'll start to develop a rhythm of solitude and prayer in my life
___ I'll begin reading the Scriptures on a daily basis
___ I'll seek God about one particular aspect of character or conflict
___ I'll be intentional to be a light of God's heart to someone in particular (i.e pray for and care for)
___ I'll look for a life younger in the faith I can encourage
Closing prayer.
Resources:
Notes:
1. New York Times (online), April 20, 2013
"The Benefits of Church" By T. M. LUHRMANN
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/opinion/sunday/luhrmann-why-going-to-church-is-good-for-you.html?_r=0&pagewanted=print
ONE of the most striking scientific discoveries about religion in recent years is that going to church weekly is good for you. Religious attendance boosts the immune system and decreases blood pressure. It may add as much as two to three years to your life. The reason for this is not entirely clear.
From Gallop - Wellbeing - "In U.S., Churchgoers Boast Better Mood, Especially on Sundays"
by Chaeyoon Lim, March 22, 2012
http://www.gallup.com/poll/153374/churchgoers-boast-better-mood-especially-sundays.aspx
"Not only do Americans who attend a church... report having higher wellbeing in general, but they also get an extra boost to their emotional state on Sundays -- while the rest of Americans see a decline in their mood."
"Moreover, the research found that friendship in church is more strongly correlated with life satisfaction than friendships in other contexts such as the workplace or a book club."
See also - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1479774/The-secret-of-long-life...-go-to-church.html
2. Regarding meaning of “church” http://www.hisholychurch.net/ekklesia.php
Called out not to another human government but to that ruled by Christ over the kingdom of God…in which men to not ‘lord over one another.’
3. Greg Laurie: 4 Dangerous Church Growth Myths found at http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/164991-greg-laurie-4-dangerous-church-growth-myths.html
4. James Emery White, Church and Culture blog, www.churchandculture.org, Vol. 9, No. 34
"Of Food and Feeding"
"There is a consumer mentality within the Christian subculture that views the church as a feeding station that exists for no other reason than to keep them stimulated, titillated, and…yes, fed. ... food bar as we search for what we like to eat in order to put it on our plate. Even worse is how this “feeding” often results in little more than weight–gain as opposed to fuel and challenge for missional exertion."
5. Carey Nieuwhof in an article entitled Shift Responsibility, Fuel Your Growth , February 10, 2010 in Connexus,Leadership,Life,Spiritual Growth,Strategy
Although we’re not suffering from this right now, those of us who have led for a while are far too familiar with Christians who hop from church to church every few years, leaving church after church because they didn’t grow in their faith. They leave, blaming the church and church leadership for failing. I’ve discussed this for years with other church leaders, and we’re all frustrated by it.
Sometimes, churches need to change and admit we are not doing a great job helping people grow. But honestly, sometimes it’s not the church’s issue. The leadership has often done all it can to create environments that help people grow. I wonder if there’s an underlying issue beneath it all that rarely gets addressed. It centers on the answer to this question: who is responsible for your spiritual growth?
The truthful answer is: you are.
I am not responsible for your growth. Your wife isn’t. Your children are not. Nor is your car mechanic or small group leader. The elders are not. Nor is your neighbour across the street. Who’s responsible for your spiritual growth? You are. In exactly the same way that I’m responsible for my growth and development. It would be ludicrous for me to blame you for me not growing spiritually, but that’s what people do all the time to their churches.
Your church can help. We try to create great environments that help people grow. But think of it this way: a chef can set a spectacular dinner table and cater a great meal, but at the end of the day he can’t make you eat or make you have fun. That’s your business. All he can do is create a great environment conducive to wonderful dining.
I have been tremendously helped by great leadership and great teaching in the church over the years. But I’ve also grown under poor leadership, learned from mediocre teachers and even been sharpened in less than ideal community. In fact, I’ve always grown the most when I’ve assumed personal responsibility for my spiritual development and looked for others to help me (not grow me, just help me grow). I’ve grown the least when I’ve slacked off.
I wonder what would happen to the church if Christians took responsibility for their growth? I wonder what would happen if we pursued a personal walk with the same passion we use when we blame others for our failures? I wonder what would happen if we helped each other out and prayed for each other but continued to encourage people to take responsibility for their spiritual growth?
What do you think? Is this an issue you see? What would happen we collectively re-assumed responsibility for our spiritual growth?
Similarly, the follow up to Willow Creek's "Reveal" assessment, "Move"...has described the problem. One of it's points:
"You haven’t clarified the church’s role. – “Because—whether inadvertently or intentionally—these churches have communicated to their people that, no matter where they are on their spiritual journey, the role of the church is to be their central source of spiritual expertise and experience. As a result, even as people mature in their beliefs and embrace personal spiritual practices as part of their daily routines, their expectation is that it will be the church, not their own initiative, that will feed their spiritual hunger.”
"Move" point noted in: 12 Reasons Why Your Church Doesn’t Produce Spiritual Growth
From http://tonymorganlive.com/2012/06/20/12-reasons-why-your-church-doesnt-produce-spiritual-growth/
6. Other Scripture references to healthy initiative:
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 regarding idleness, and their example of working to cover their needs, giving them the rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
Proverbs 12:27 (KJV) - “The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man's precious possession”.
Proverbs 21:25 (KJV) - “The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor”.
2 Corinthians 8:17 - “For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.”
Proverbs 3:27-28 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do [it]. Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Proverbs 6:1-5 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, [if] thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:23-24 - Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Matthew 5:43-44 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Romans 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin.
7. Significance of apostle Paul requesting books despite his achievements
Commenting on II Timothy 4:13, where Paul asks Timothy to bring him a cloak, books
and the parchments, Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote the following words: He is inspired,
yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for 30 years, yet he wants books! He
has seen the Lord, yet he wants books! He has had a wider experience than most men, yet
he wants books! He has been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which
it is unlawful to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New
Testament, yet he wants books! Never underestimate the power of a book. According
to one authority, for every word in Hitler's Mein Kampf, 125 lives were lost in World
War II.
-Charles H. Spurgeon, as quoted by Warren Wiersbe's Victorious Christians You Should
Know
