“GROWING IN GRACE”

Ephesians 4:14-16

Sunday, August 23, 2009 

ME: Common “slogans”:

      It takes a licking and keeps on ticking: Timex Corporation 1956

      Melts in your mouth, not in your hand: M&Ms 1954

      Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't: Peter Paul Almond Joy/Mounds, 1953

      Breakfast of Champions: Wheaties, 1935  (Donuts the breakfast of former champions!)

      Good to the last drop: Maxwell House coffee 1926

MORE CONTEMPORARY: So easy a caveman can do it: GEICO 

Looking for “sentences that soar”

UNITED IN CHRIST GROWING IN GRACE? REACHING OUT IN LOVE?

      It’s on the wall, it’s on the cover of our bulletin every week; What does our slogan mean?  How serious are we about it?  Is it just words? Does it impact us in any personal way?

      What does it mean to be united in Christ?

      More than just united, we’re united IN CHRIST: Position, purpose, passion  Belief 

WE: Growing in grace: “If any man be in Christ… he is a new creature” Behavior

            If he’s not new, he’s not a believer! Brotherhood

      After 8 years my trees are too big, and there are too many of them.

      I have two plants that are crowding out the ones around them.  A lot is out of control.

      I still have two big empty spaces.

      I have 7 or 8 Crepe Myrtle trees.  AFTER I pruned them one year Jule found a web site that   said pruning crepe myrtles was really CREPE MURDER! (one not in 3 years!!) 

WHAT DO WE MEAN: “Growing in grace”   WHAT’S THE STRATEGY?”? 

 (Mission, Vision, STRATEGY 

COME, FOLLOW ME – LOVE EACH OTHER – GO, MAKE DISCIPLE

   United in Christ              Growing in grace          Reaching out in love 

ALL GROWTH IS NOT GOOD GROWTH: Just growing won’t help.  We need to grow in grace.

      What does growing in grace look like?  How do we get that kind of growth? Are we growing at all? Are we growing IN GRACE? 

GOD: “Direction (not intention) determines destination” (Andy Stanley)

      If you want to go the Bakersfield, going NORTH on 99 won’t get you there; going the wrong way still feels like progress! 

STEP 1: FOLLOW THE LEADER(S) (Spiritual GPS) “lead the follower(s)” 

      (Our vision: Eph 4 – Acts 2) Ephesians 4:11-13   He (Jesus) is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, 13 until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. NLT  

      Leaders are gifts: Apostles (missionaries), prophets (preachers), evangelists, (all 3 move around: common values and vision), pastors and teachers (life guides, stay put: nurture and accountability).   

      Gifts With a purpose (“Their responsibility”): “equip and enable the saints (all of them –not just the “members”)” to do the work and build up the church.  The job is not to “do His work and build up the church” – that’s the job of the saints! Leaders provide equipment and opportunity. Spend time developing OPPORTUNITIES! 

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. PASS – GIVE IT AWAY! 

      NOTE: “measuring up to the full stature of Christ” is only possible for the church.  Individuals will never fully measure up –  it takes all of us to fully represent Christ to the world.

      INTERDEPENDENCE – SHARED EXPERIENCES 

“Men will know you are my disciples if you love one another” (Jesus: John 13:35) 

All of us need to see the goal of our spiritual lives to be reliable, able to teach, determined to reproduce ourselves (make disciples) 

Step 1: FOLLOW THE LEADER(S)

STEP 2:  SET THE DESTINATION (Growing in grace has a destination)

      Ephesians 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.  

      Mile Markers – progress indicators – results (Leaders make sure we’re going north) 

Step 1: FOLLOW THE LEADER(S)   -  STEP 2: SET THE DESTINATION

STEP 3: DETERMINE THE PATH (Direction determines destination)

      Ephesians 4:15-16 God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love — like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. (from THE MESSAGE) 

SO WHAT? Direction determines destination  

NOW WHAT: Growing in grace is what we need to do to make reaching out in love possible (Not enough to KNOW the truth – we need to pass it on - tell it in love!) 

Peter’s advice: 1 Peter 3:15-16 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  

Colossians 1:27 To them (the church) God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

UNITED IN CHRIST – GROWING IN GRACE – REACHING OUT IN LOVE