CONNECT-GROW-SHARE – WEEK 6 -
OT: Jeremiah 31:31-34
NT: Rev 14:1-7
GSPL: John 8:31-36
Hey Everyone, I hope this Life Group Experience has helped you grow as a disciple of Jesus. Let’s start off this last session with a word of prayer. “Heavenly Father, we thank you for the work you’ve done over the past six weeks. Help us to continue to embrace the discipleship reformation placed before us. Guide as we CONNECT GROW SHARE. In Jesus name, Amen.”
One of my favorite cooking techniques is smoking. The motto, “cook it low, cook it slow”, is in the heart of all smokers. Many of the cuts of meat are so tough and gross if you cook them quickly. But if you take care in making a fire and keep the temperature about 150 degrees, and watch the fire carefully, and cook the meat for a long time, then it’s amazing what happens and how wonderful ribs, brisket and even skirt steak can taste. Add on some homemade sauce that has blurped on the stove all day, some beans that have slowly stewed in a crock pot and you have a great dinner. While I have always liked fast food, I truly enjoy the challenge of making barbeque on the smoker. It always seems to turn out to be very tasty.
There is so much popular Christianity that loves the idea of a fast food faith. We buy into it when we read the current popular books that say if we just claim God’s promise we can all have instant miracles in our lives. I have read “The Prayer of Jabez”. I have read some of Oprah’s suggested books. I have read a lot of books that ask me to do something that will somehow help me get God to do for me what I want him to do. And I share with you in all truth, none of that has ever worked. But what has worked is the journey of a disciple. Connected to God and His people in Worship, Growing together in God’s Word through Life Groups and Sharing Christ with our Words, Service and Resources. This is not a quick microwave faith, but a “low and slow” approach so that the flavors of life and faith mix together in a life that’s uniquely ours. Jesus knew what he was saying when he said to the crowd following him, “and anyone who does not take up his cross [daily] and follow me is not worthy of me.” [Matthew 10:38]
I have also read the Scriptures that make us “wise unto salvation.” In them is revealed not a path of least resistance, or a short cut, but of a life filled with abundant grace and a way of looking at the world that differentiates the Christian disciple from a non-Christian.
Let’s take a look at the reformation. The organized church had put together so many things that had to be done so that God would look with favor upon the people. So many barriers were put up that people were never sure how they stood before God. So Dr. Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses against church abuses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther’s Theses set off a firestorm from the church. The church had a monopoly on economics, politics and philosophy. Luther had punched the Roman Catholic Church and her traditions in the mouth and the Roman Catholic Church retaliated against Luther.
Forming Luther’s thought were the words of Jesus in John 8:31-32, “to the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teachings you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
The truth will set you free. Nowhere is that more real than in your walk with the Lord Jesus. We need not stand before God and offer half baked alibis. We need not have the flavor of the month book selection to give us the right words. Rather we stand before God with an open hand and an open heart. The truth is that there is nothing in us that merits God’s love, but in Jesus Christ, God has poured out his love on us and we can stand confidently before him. The truth is that he loves us. The truth is the Son of God has set us free. The truth is that sin and death cannot in any way hold us captive. We proclaim this truth and this life in Jesus as the core of the gospel. To know Jesus is to be connected to God.
It’s amazing how long it takes to become a fan of a sports team. As little children we may like the colors of the uniforms, or a special superstar. I know that my nephews love the Angels because they met an Angels player in Carl’s Jr in Huntington Beach. As we get older we get more sophisticated in our pursuit. We get favorite players. We follow the team closely on televised games and on the sports page. We buy the gear. We support them in victory. We support them in defeat. It simply is a matter of growing with the team.
In Jeremiah the Lord speaks of putting his law on the minds of his people. He also speaks of the covenant, “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” [Jeremiah 31:33b] This focus and this promise call us to faith in the Lord Jesus. He is our God and we are his people. Our calling is to follow him. As children we believe because our parents train us. As young adults we follow Christ through the ups and downs of growing up. In middle age we start to see the benefits of following Jesus. In our golden years we look back at a life lived as the people of God. God calls us in his promise for a life time. Discipleship is low and slow, not micro waved,not forced.
So also there is a path for our journey. Our path at St. John’s is clear; Connect-Grow-Share. You have started down this path and hopefully this start will be for you a lifelong pursuit. I challenge you to think about becoming a weekly worshiper and connecting regularly and richly with the Lord and His People in Worship. I challenge you to pick up and grow in your relationship with the Lord Jesus through His word in Life Groups. I challenge you to share Christ with your Words, service and resources in all that you do starting with your own family and friends.
Cultural Christianity is a shallow endeavor and a useless path. Cultural Christians turn on and off their faith when it suits them. There is no richness to their journey, just opportunities to rip off pious platitudes and bumper stickers that ring hollow. Nominal Christians as well, miss out on the richness of life. They may have been baptized many years ago and feel that the Lord and his church are there to meet their needs when they need it. They see the church of Jesus Christ simply as a McDonald’s of spirituality that is there to help them when they need the services. We are not in the business of making cultural Christians or nominal Christians.
Our Lord’s commission to us is to make disciples through baptizing and teaching. One of my fatal errors in ministry was not working with the parents of the Teenagers in our Ministry years ago when I was our Youth Pastor. I spent so much time trying to help the students have fun and enjoy their faith. When the fun was over the faith was over. When it was time to get serious and live their lives for Jesus, I’m not sure I equipped them or their parents for a lifetime journey with the Lord. There are lots of things I could have done better.
For each of us raising children the call of God is to help them be disciples. No matter what stage or place you are in life, whether a young adult, single, raising a family or an empty nester, we are called to go and make disciples. How are we working now to instill habits of worship, service, prayer and spiritual growth in our children and grandchildren? How are we ensuring these habits in our own lives? Are we taking this call seriously to help those in our church and community to follow Jesus? How are we setting up our families as places where our children are equipped for a lifetime of following Jesus? Are we showing them and others the path? Are we having conversations that lead them to see Jesus? Are we reinforcing the values we talk about with our actions and behaviors? I can’t answer these questions for you, but each question deserves serious attention. (Testimony Here)
When I became a pastor I did so because I enjoyed the work. I loved the preparing of messages. I have loved putting these studies together. I became a pastor because I love people. But in these years of middle age, my motives have been clarified and my walk with the Lord has pointed me to the end game. I’m here at St. John’s because of the picture of Revelation 7:9-17…9After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.10And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,12saying:“Amen!Praise and gloryand wisdom and thanks and honorand power and strengthbe to our God for ever and ever.Amen!” 13Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes —who are they, and where did they come from?”14I answered, “Sir, you know.”And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore,“they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16‘Never again will they hunger;never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb at the center of the thronewill be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b] ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c]
I’m here and serving you and the Lord for the last day. I’m here for the endgame and I hope you are too. No shortcuts through the hungry times. No quick fixes in the thirsty times. No half way measures to get away from the heated times. But Jesus our shepherd, he leads us to streams of living water and wipes way every tear from your eyes. Keep on your journey, Connect to God and His people in Worship, Grow together in God’s word through Life Groups, and Share Christ with your Words, Service and Resources. And in that pathway, keep your eyes on the heavens and your feet on the ground.
Thanks for your good work over these weeks and your commitment to your life group. I’m hopeful that hundreds of new relationships have been born and that your life has been transformed. I hope you don’t consider this the end but a beginning. I encourage you to think about continuing to meet and grow together in the Word in your life Group and continue on this path of discipleship reformation. CONNECT GROW SHARE.
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