Work & Water pt. 4

Work & Water

Week 4 - 9/20/2020

Growth

1 Corinthians 3:1-6

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

We know we can’t cause growth, however, we can prepare for it.

Do we provide an environment for growth?

Weeds can grow anywhere, but good healthy plants need a good healthy environment.

We can provide healthy environments through Fellowship, Discipleship, Worship, Ministry /serving and evangelism.

We’ll look at these today - but please understand this is not an exhaustive list. This is not a formula for growth and there are more elements that we will not examine today.

If you need one thing to make sure you are able to foster growth in Christ - you must know Christ.

Churches grow warmer through fellowship.

A church feels like a home when people welcome each other....some times some people refer to a church as the “house of God” now first...it is metaphorical....but what should the house of God look like? more importantly what should it feel like?

John 13:34-35

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Ever been to someone’s house and they weren’t very welcoming? what about ever been to someone’s house and they had a guest and they weren’t very nice....

or ever been to someone’s house and they had a son or daughter who was the worst child ever? Now if this is the house of God....what type of people are we in here that are filling it up?

Churches grow deeper through discipleship.

Matthew 28:16-20

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Salvation is free, ... but discipleship will cost you your life. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

A church that does not have discipleship...is not really a church....it is a social club....where we can pat each other on the back and say hey we look pretty good....but in the end we fail to bring about the reality of following Jesus....and the reality of heaven and hell.

“Salvation is the introduction to Jesus....Discipleship is getting to know him”

A Church has the identifying patterns when people take on the responsibility of pointing each other to Jesus, and helping each other grow.

Churches grow stronger through worship.

Acts 2:38-47

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[d] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

verse 43 “fear” or “awe” - became part of who they were.

Acts 2:43 AMP

43 A sense of awe was felt by [a]everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles.

Worship is not only singing and lifting our hands - it’s living with a sense of “awe” of who God is.

A church becomes strong....when we recognize our Father.

Churches grow broader through ministry.

A church becomes more than a building when we see outside our walls.

Mark 16:15

15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

We become more when we reach out.

“Missions exists because worship doesn’t” - John Piper

Isaiah 54:2

“Enlarge the place of your tent,

    and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;

do not hold back; lengthen your cords

    and strengthen your stakes.

Fostering growth means thinking outside of where we are.

Churches grow larger through evangelism.

Evangelism is spreading the Gospel through public preaching or personal witness.

A church can reach more, when we have known Jesus....if we don’t know him....we don’t know what to say to those who ask about him. growth comes when a plant has the sun...we need the “Son” to grow.....

Evangelism is the result of knowing and knowing that it is true....

Acts 4:13-20

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

We need to spend more time listening to and looking for the miracles of God, and seeing the mark of Jesus...so that we may know who he is