Last week after our church meeting, Crystal prayed us out, and as she was praying the word “nesting” came to her. What a perfect way to describe the situation for CPC and perhaps THE church as well.
Also, during our meeting, discipleship was discussed.
CPC is a young church in terms of our launch date in Jan 2020.
As a church, our vision has been intentional about a few things. You might want to write these down.
• Giving
• Fellowship
• Discipleship
It is time for us to LEVEL UP!
Long before the official launch date of CPC in Jan 2020, Pastor Jeff Reynold had a vision of CPC being a giving church, and we have been intentional with that.
Both within our church walls and our community.
• Individuals, as well as other ministries.
o Mention the charity event.
o “Giving” isn’t only about $.
• But it is time to LEVEL UP y’all, in our giving.
Fellowship
Have you ever been part of a church that a good portion of the congregation arrives just a “the bell rings” or even after service begins?
How about as soon as service ends everyone scatters like roaches when the light is turned on?
Fellowship is about many things, and one of those things is trust.
It is virtually impossible to trust someone if you don’t know them.
You build trust with people when you spend time with them.
It brings Lisa and me such joy to see almost everyone stay and fellowship with one another after the sermon ends each week.
That’s church y’all!
It also amazes us how every time we have a meeting, almost everyone shows up!
That is important on so many levels.
But guess what…we can still LEVEL UP.
The third area of intentionality is Discipleship.
• Do you realize that giving and fellowship are an important part of discipleship. Think about it:
o Yes, Jesus gave the ultimate when He hung on that cross for us, but we are shown, before that, how he gave by pouring into others!
o There are many instances where we are told how Jesus fellowshipped with His disciples.
o He was discipling the disciples!
• If you haven’t closely examined our church logo, it speaks discipleship. Go back, look at our logo and dwell on that a bit.
• We better believe in our hearts, that we can LEVEL UP in discipleship.
So where am I going with all this?
I’m glad you asked.
I believe, in order to LEVEL UP in discipleship, which includes giving and fellowship, we must corporeally experience spiritual growth.
As a church body, we must have spiritual growth.
Today, I’d like us to look at:
• A brief explanation of spiritual growth
• Why the need for spiritual growth
• And, a plan for spiritual growth.
Since today’s message is topical, we will reference quite a bit of scripture. I know, we hardly ever do that, right?
But here’s the good news:
• When someone asks you about CPC, you can confidently say “we are a bible-based church”, can’t you!
Let’s begin with a brief explanation of spiritual growth.
This can be laid out with 3 passages of scripture.
• 2nd Peter 3:18 “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen”
• Philippians 1: 3-6 (read from my bible)
• 2nd Peter 1:5-8m (read it, then read it again)
? Before reading the second time say “listen to this progression that Peter lays out”.
• I said you’d hear me us the word intentional today right?
• Be intentional, and go back and study those three verses, let them begin to abide in you.
Now let us examine:
The need for spiritual growth.
For me, the need for spiritual growth is so that I can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to:
• Be witnesses as commanded in Acts 1:8
• Be disciples as commanded in Matthew 28:19
• And to share God’s love as illustrated in John 3:16
As I was prepping for today’s message I had no idea why I said this last week.
Here’s what I said:
• Sometimes, I think the only scripture I need to know is:
o John 3:16…for God so loved the world
o Matthew 28:19…Go and make disciples in all the nations
o Acts 1:8…Go be my witness throughout the world
• But then, my spiritual being begins to crave a deeper knowledge of God. I want to get to know Him better.
• …And this is how today’s message came about.
o My craving to know my Jesus!
Oddly enough, I completely reversed those. Not sure if that has any significance or not!
So, the 1st reason for the need for spiritual growth is:
• To allow us to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out Matthew 28:19 by declaring John 3:16 (repeat that)
The 2nd reason for the need for spiritual growth is:
• Spiritual growth will control our thinking patterns
o Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8:
? Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.
? Paul is admonishing us to control our thinking patterns.
• This is fruit of spiritual growth.
Here’s the third reason:
• We move from carnal (of the flesh) Christians to Spiritual Christians.
• I love how Paul put it in 1st Corinthians 3:3:
o For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving life mere men?
? We move from carnal to Spiritual Christians by showing love, bringing peace, and being unified in our walk with one another.
• Paul also tells us this in Galatians 5:16:
o I say then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
We see in Ephesians 6:12 that the struggle is real:
• For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
How do we fulfill this need for spiritual growth?
James 4:7 says:
• Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee.
o Simple enough right
o Simple ain’t always easy!
I might be so bold to say:
Unless Satan is resisted, there can be no spiritual growth.
We’ve looked at an explanation of spiritual growth and the need for spiritual growth, let’s talk about a plan for spiritual growth!
Let’s look at Colossians 1:9-10
Before we get to this passage of scripture, I’d like to share a few interesting points about Pauls’ letter to the Colossians:
• Written while he was in prison
• Written about the same time he wrote Ephesians
• Check this out, fun fact: there are 34 words found in Colossians that aren’t found anywhere else in the NT
• Paul writes of:
o the preeminence,
o the supremacy,
o and the sufficiency of Christ.
o In fact, there are 15 verses that use in Christ or some similar variation.
• Although Paul’s travel was extensive, this letter was the only letter to a church in which he had never been to the city or the church.
He wrote this letter because he had gotten word that the church there, although had some great things happening, was beginning to practice some false teachings, and he wanted them to understand that everything they needed, could be found in Christ alone.
Stand with me as we honor God while reading His Word.
Colossians 1:9-10 (read from my bible)
• One of my 1st thoughts as I read this passage was “if I don’t know the will of God, how can I accomplish the will of God?
• In the last month or so, I have been asked this question at least 3 times.
o Was your being a pastor a calling in your life.
? I vaguely answered the question, and I mean vaguely. It was kind of like “oh look squirrel”, as I drew attention away from the question.
I don’t often share much testimony about my life, from the pulpit, but I will share just a little today, as it relates to the message, as well as the question that has been asked about my calling.
I’ve kept this very close to my chest, so close that even Lisa doesn’t know! But I know her heart, and she won’t be upset!!!
In 1987, my life looked like a dream on the outside.
• Had a great job.
• Making good money for a 27 year old.
• Had my first new car.
Had the world by the tail, right?
The truth was, I was in a very bad spot, and nobody knew it!
In my despair, I grabbed my bible, fell on my knees, and just opened my bible. Here’s the verse that my eyes were immediately drawn to:
Deuteronomy 18:18 this bible that I read from is NIV
“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.
• For me personally, that prophet part didn’t speak to me, but all the rest did, and it lay dormant for 35 years.
• Can you imagine what my spiritual growth would look like had I listened to God?
So, for many, they don’t know the will of God in their lives or like me, until recently, they haven’t answered the call for the will in their lives.
Learn from your pastor!
To know God’s and obey Gods will, here are a few foundational steps:
I believe I knew God’s will that very moment, I waited 35 years to obey.
• We must:
o Walk in:
? Love
? Purity
? Peace
? Faith
• We accomplish these things by abiding in Him!
Colossians 1:5-6 (read from my bible)
• What does it mean to bring forth, or bear fruit?
o I believe when we bear fruit, it is a sign that we are in a solid relationship with Jesus.
o What are these signs?
• Crystal will you share with us the fruit of the Spirit as related in Galatians 5:22-23?
Spiritual growth begins with a decision to increase our Spiritual walk.
Then by being intentional:
Hebrews 5:12 tells us we need grow in maturity- from needing milk to needing solid food. We must be intentional.
Psalm 66:20 reminds us to pray!
Matthew 16:24 Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and follow Him.
Matthew 11:28 Seek rest in Jesus.
Psalm 141:4 Be careful who you hang with. Your mama ever tell you that? As a mom or dad, have you ever told your children that?
Our daughter has a tattoo on her arm in Lisa’s handwriting that reads “Remember who you are and whose you are”
If we remember who we are and whose we are, we are less likely to hang with the wrong people.
Think about this:
Daily be intentional to grow spiritually by keeping the above scripture close and strive to live the fruit of the Spirit every day.
Can you imagine how fast and strong you will grow Spiritually.
Time to LEVEL UP church!
Close:
We need to be intentional of:
Our understanding of what Spiritual growth is
Why we have the need for Spiritual growth
Execute an intentional plan to achieve that growth so we can:
• Be witnesses to the world
• Be disciples to all the nations
• Love people like God loves people
