June 15 & 16, 2002
Romans 8:1-4
“When Nitty Gritty Becomes Brother Nitty or Sister Gritty”
I believe that I have proven to you over the last four weeks that you don’t have to be some spiritual titan to be following God. I also believe that I have proven that all persons, regardless of their past and regardless of their problems in their today’s, are loved, respected by God and that he is wants us to walk with him in what ever stumbling or toddling gait that we can muster. However, there comes a time in every believers life when he or she says to themselves, “I think I am walking closer to God than I am walking to the things of this world. Or, at least, they recognize the desire to do so. That my friends is spiritual growth. That might be considered the day that your Nitty Gritty life becomes Brother Nitty or Sister Gritty. That means that you are on a path to spiritual growth that is discernable and recognizable.
There is a danger however when our Nitty Gritty becomes Brother Nitty and Sister Gritty. So often spiritual growth is reduced to a formula, (take two verses, wash it down with a couple of prayers and call me in the morning.) In fact, we have an entire industry devoted to spiritual growth. There are systems, sets of principles, formulas, training programs, sets of tapes, curriculum and a host of books that guarantee spiritual growth. The danger lies in the fact that when we reduce spiritual growth to mechanics, we lose sight of the wonderful ride that awaits every believer in the kind of spiritual growth that is really a wild search for God in the tangled jungle of our souls. It is a search and a process that involves a volatile mix of nitty gritty reality, wild freedom, frustrating stuckness, increasing slowness and a huge dollop of gratitude. After all as the sermon title would tell you, in your path to spiritual maturity you never shuck the Nitty and never really lay aside the Gritty. This spiritual growth is that which begins with desire and not guilt. This spiritual growth is fuelled by passion not principles. This type of spiritual growth is kept fresh by desperation not obligation.
Have you ever considered what your favorite chapter is in the Bible? If you were to make a judgment as to the greatest chapter of scripture, which would it be? Here might be a short list.
Psalm 23- The Lord is my shepherd… Isaiah 6- When he declares, “Here am I send me.” John 3- For God so loved the world… Acts 2- The whole Pentecost experience, Philippians 4- “Whatsoever things are true…”, “I can do all things…”, “Not that I speak in respect of want…”, 1 Corinthians 13- “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels and have not love…, James 3, or 1 John 1.
A couple of decades ago Dr. Donald Gray Barnhouse posed such a question to 20 individuals that he felt were the greatest biblical expositors of his time, preachers and teachers really. He made it a little easier by asking the question like this, “If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island and only one chapter of scripture could be washed ashore, which chapter would you want it to be? Of the twenty responses there was only one chapter that received more than one vote, that chapter was Romans chapter 8. What was more amazing was that this chapter appeared in the response of six (6) of the respondents. Romans chapter 8 may not have even been on your radar screen. Why would such a response come from men and women who have devoted their lives to biblical preaching and teaching? I think it is because that chapter 8 is where we realize what happens when our Nitty Gritty becomes Brother Nitty and Sister Gritty. You have to understand just a little bit of the prologue of chapter 8.
Just prior to chapter 8, in chapter 7 Paul calls himself “a wretched man, a slave to the law of sin and his sinful nature.” Paul is saying that in spite of his experience on the road to Damascus, in spite of his position as apostle to the Gentiles, in spite of his knowledge of scripture, Paul the Apostle has never escaped his Nitty nor his Gritty. Paul is Brother Nitty. Then he writes, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” When Romans chapter eight is birthed in you, when you lay hold of it and when you rest in it’s promise, you will experience assurance and joy that is unmatched by any other. Look what it says,
Even if you don’t measure up…there is no condemnation.
Even if you don’t memorize 500 scripture…No condemnation
Not in church every Sunday…No condemnation.
Have a bunch of woulda’s, coulda’s or shoulda’s in your life?… No condemnation. Wonderful, glorious, miraculous.
This past Tuesday evening I sat in my living room with a seventeen year old young lady that I have grown to love and appreciate since she and Katie became friends. As often happens with her, she began to talk about life, heaven, hell, etc. She told me this, “I am so afraid that I am going to go to Hell. I went to one church and the preacher kept yelling, “You’re a sinner,
and if you don’t do this or don’t do that you’re going to Hell.” Another church the guy said, “If you do this or if you do that, you’re going to Hell.” I was raised a Catholic and after hearing those preachers there is no hope for me.” I asked her, “Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins?” Her reply, “Yes, of course.” The next question, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?” Her reply, “Jeff, you know I believe that.” “Have you asked Jesus in your heart?” “That settles it then, you’re in.” Then she said, “But, I still smoke, I cuss too much, I get mad at my mom and dad.” I hugged her and said, “The bible says, Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, you’re in Him, He is in you. Trust His promises not the preachers.” She is a Sister Gritty. The unfortunate thing for her is that her Nitty and Gritty just isn’t good enough for many or maybe even most…but, it’s good enough for God.” Yes, smoking isn’t good for her, I told her that. Yes, there is a better way to express oneself than cussing. We all get angry at mom, dad, son or daughter. But, there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus. Remember my supposition: Real spiritual growth is about desire not guilt, passion not principles and desperation not obligation. She has all three, I believe that God will honor her faith and we should pray that he protects her from her until her behavior gets a little closer to her profession. But, Bother Nitty and Sister Gritty, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
I believe that spiritual growth actually thrives in the midst of our problems, not in their absence. Spiritual growth occurs in the trenches of life, not in the classroom. Spiritual growth occurs when we step forward regardless of how far we step forward.
With some reluctance I would like to offer four learnings about spiritual growth. It is with reluctance because I don’t want this list to become yet another slip tab A into slot B list that assures you that you are on the right track, for after all your salvation and strength is a God a God thing and not a you thing or a pastor Jeff thing. You cannot add one thing to or take one thing away from what God has done for you in Christ Jesus. But I will offer them anyway.
Learning 1- Spiritual growth encompasses a lifetime of decisions.
Mike Yaconneli says it like this, “We would like to imagine that growth results from one mighty decision, a once and for all commitment to God. And while we should celebrate our initial decision to follow Jesus, it is just the beginning of our spiritual journey, not the end.” There are thousands of decisions that we have made or will make, some moving us closer to God and some moving us further from God, but they all contribute to a richer and more textured relationship with God. You cannot make one decision without the last decision you made; you grow one decision at a time. As I look back upon my life there is no question that my growth has been inconsistent. One step forward, ten steps back, up and down, sideways and inside out. But I was growing all the same. Brother Nitty, you are too.
Secondly, Spiritual Growth looks different for each of us.
Spiritual growth is not a steadily climbing line. Most church people think that spiritual growth should be charted like this: (Chart A) But true spiritual growth that often frustrating attempt to find and follow God’s trail in the rocky Nitty Gritty of our lives often looks like this: (Chart B). We often make value judgments about that chart. The high points represent to good and positive and the lower ones are bad and negative. When, if we take out value judgments and if my experience is any indication of spiritual growth, the low spots is where I learned the most of God because in those times I recognized my need and was willing to listen a little better. When things are going great we have a natural tendency to coast, let things slide, explain it away. Maybe waiting is good and not bad. Maybe the downward slide is positive and not negative.
