Acts 14:21-

I, not being the ideal was raised in a godless home; it wasn't that we hated God but that He was not part of our daily lives. He made no difference in how we lived. We did what seemed right in our own eyes; riding the cultures moral wave that is now dissipating on the beach of careless self-indulgence. I am a son with no family vision, no historical value handed down to me from my father. No sense of this is where we've been and that is where were going. At the same time I missed Church life for kids, the sweet stuff like hymn's and memory verses as well as the way we do church. I am not so committed to the traditions of well-meaning men. That said I may step a little harder on the neck your favorite tradition without realizing the amount of affection you have for it.

Object lessonà Everyone make a list of what is important about Church life and Christianity. No real wrong or right answers. Say 5 or so- could be greeters, pianos and choir or putting on your Sunday best, or systematic preaching, some says Calvinism others Arminianism, What do you love about church, what matters for church life?

àActs 14:21-28

My contention is that the church triumphant is being destroyed from within through immaturity.

1. Paul and Barnabas are wrapping up the journey
   
   1. On the way in they break fresh ground
      
      1. Establishing groups of believers
         
      2. Being persecuted as they go
         
         1. Pursued
            
         2. Reviled
            
         3. stoned
            
   2. On the way back they are establishing order with prayer and fasting, appointing elders.
      
2. Who is this persecution coming from?----(Narcissism)
   
   1. The Jews, instead of being a light on a hill became a self-absorbed "we are separate from thee o heathen nations and therefore better. The living God has separated us, delivered us and we are set apart, we must be clean, holy and righteous. These Jews failed to see having eyes; failed to hear having ears. I ask why? Part of our answer lies in human nature and its antithesis with the commands of God.
      
      1. Exercise dominion in Christ– As we move within our jurisdictions Luke 10:17-20 17The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" 18And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
         
      2. Deuteronomy 6 "as you go" – law is a delight and constant thought – real love
         
      3. Mature life in Christ
         
         1. Acts 17:28'In him we live and move and have our being
            
         2. John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."
            
      4. Great commission – deeper message
         
         1. The commands of God are about maturity
            
   2. These Jews where trying to protect there status as the people of God, who on the outside looked good but on the inside they were full of self.
      
      1. Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.
         
      2. Matthew 15:8 "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" Quoting Isaiah 29:13
         
      3. Matthew 15:10- What Defiles a Person 10And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." 12Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" 13He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.14Let them alone; they are blind guides.^c And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." 15But Peter said to him, "Explain the parable to us." 16And he said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?^d 18But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone."
         
3. Do we ever do this?
   
   1. Yes in three ways, they build one on the other and discussing them with someone is like kicking them in the shins. In them we feel safe, content and rest our hope.
      
      1. Subtle Narcissism
         
      2. Misplaced Pietism
         
      3. Reckless Eschatology
         
      1. These 3 harken us back to that old deception were life and purpose are measured not by Christ but how I feel
         
         1. The lust of the flesh
            
         2. The lust of the eyes
            
         3. The pride of life
            
      2. They entice my pride concerning time, measuring its value by my life and understanding rather than the kingdom of God marching on.
         
         1. If a study of history teaches us nothing else, it teaches that when things are bad from our perspective it's because we are seeing national judgment; nations not recognizing the crown rights of Christ.
            
            1. Remember Adams message, he said " The picture of history is this huge mosaic and has as its center Christ"
               
               1. And we come to it and say
                  

                  WIIFM. "What's in it for me?"
                  

               2. That's like standing in front of a speeding locomotive and saying stop! These tracks are mine!!
                  

                  
                   

Ephesians 4:13-16 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,5 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

 

1. Sing Halleluiah to the LORD – deep soulful worship- life on life
   
   1. Very God and very man came and died for you.
      
   2. He took a bullet for you and you come with a list (Pietism) saying hey you want to get saved? You can be clean like me then we'll throw our list at them and if they get the list and not Jesus they will be white washed sepulchers    Don't get me wrong I like lists. I love the 1.2.3.'s and then when I am finished I can stick my chest out a little bit and I think I'm alrightà NO What if the world loved your list?- what would it look like, what would you see? Perhaps a Jewish culture like the one that crucified Christ and stoned the apostle Paul.
      
      1. John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
         
      2. John 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
         
2. But who did Jesus suffer persecution from? Was it not the nation built by his own hands? Was it not the most externally godly people perhaps the world has ever known? If the Pharisees and Sadducees were here they would be our leaders. If the whole world were like them you would not witness to them.
   
   1. You look on the outside –1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
      
3. The Pharisee and the adulterous John 8:2-11
   

   
    

   1. 3 part story àwho are you- pick your part
      
      1. Pharisee –beating every one up with a list of pietism
         
      2. Adulterous –does not measure up to Gods law, (for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23)
         
      3. Jesus –Forgives sin
         
   2. What do list keepers look like; when we read about the wicked Pharisee's trying to corner Jesus to either kill this sinner or condemn the law. This is what we do with our lists, instead of saying oh wicked Pharisee who has led you astray? This should show us how we miss it.
      
      1. What we understand, they should get what's coming to them- if someone hurts you that's what you say.
         
      2. What we don't understand "Father forgive them they know not what they do" Luke 23 – "Lay not this sin to their charge"
         
4. The Gospel is so simple a child can understand it, be saved and follow after the savior but also so deep and wide that aged men loose themselves in it.
   
   1. The Gospel, the power of God revealed in his word
      
      1. The Gospel is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.
         
      2. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The Gospel is what we are to preach. The gospel is "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand". Matthew 3:2
         

         
          

      3. The real list is the law of GOD. You can't keep the list! It's not in the fabric of your being. à
         Changing the list to any substandard level only lets you justify yourself and condemn others.
         

         
          

   2. The rich young ruler- Matthew 19:16 "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?"
      
      1. What do we see- he keeps the list- I've done all these from my youth
         
      2. Jesus says go sell all that you have and give to the poor –Why? if you really love your neighbor as yourself your heart would be for your neighbor as much as for you.
         
      3. As soon as I say that you, like me want to cheapen it by believing in your heart that we can do this.
         
         1. Small problem à You Can't
            
         2. Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness comes by the flesh then Christ died for nothing.
            

• The real powerful and efficacious Grace of God is working in you, don't stand in its way.
  

1. When we walk by the list we frustrate the grace of God! And then we walk in self-righteousness and not Christ's righteousness.
   
2. Are you Christ righteous?
   
3. He is our hope
   
4. is our peace
   
5. He is our wisdom
   
6. Our righteousness
   
7. He is our faith
   
8. Our desire
   
9. He is our truth
   
10. HE IS and you are not- take your list and crush it! Throw it on the ground! Your list is an abomination to God!!
    
11. Let us say like the apostle Paul " I know nothing else but Jesus and him crucified" 1 Corinthians 2:2
    

1. If we look at the most righteous person here – Isaiah 64:6 your righteousness is like filthy rags – away with your stench and then what about US. That's the story of the rich young ruler – that's the message of this saga between the established accepted church and Jesus who is God.
   
   1. Matthew 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
      
      1. If there is no hope for the scribes and Pharisees and our most righteous person then what about the rest of us?
         
         1. Our hope is built on nothing less then Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
            

            But wholly trust in Jesus' Name.
            

   2. This is the problem
      
      1. Our only hope is in Christ à He is universal
         
         1. One hope for the whole world
            
         2. Our list is cultural
            
      2. The Gospel is dangerous
         
         1. It sets the world ablaze
            
         2. Our list makes us comfortable
            
   3. Most of how we do church is a comfortable cultural expression and not biblical
      
      1. Pastor/shepherd- biblical word, but the idea of one man doing all the work is a cold lifeless religious form.
         
      2. Piano- not in the bible- you can do church without them – certainly not wrong to have one but for example the church in Africa has mostly brass instruments – which I found lively.
         
      3. Biblical prayer meetings – in the bible prayer meetings usually meant fasting and then a gospel outreach to people who may kill you. à I'm guessing that would liven it up a bit!
         
         1. If we want to fix this we can repent and pray for the big three that cripple the modern church.
            
            1. Gluttony
               
            2. Apathy
               
            3. Self-righteousness
               

1. Our eschatology has become a source of division. This grieves the Holy Spirit whose work is unity. Ephesians 4.
   
   1. It is to the churches much like the evolution debate. The beginning and the end are under attack. It is exclusive and if you're not onboard then you're not in the conversation.
      
      1. The eschatology conversation has been dominated by The Scofield bible and his system of study. Since 1909
         
      2. These systems like evolution change with the next news-event. That means new books and more money.
         
      3. A sense of elitism, (which plays to our pride) if you don't believe in futurism then we must part ways, I'm not even sure that guys saved.
         
      4. There are unintended consequencesàPre-tribulation rapture- the concept of being saved out of trouble.
         
         1. Let's eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we're raptured.-escapism
            
            1. Leaves us with a disenfranchised view of life.
               
         2. Israel and the church have suffered more than we can fathom, but we have a get out of persecution free doctrine.-inconsistent.
            
            1. In Acts God uses persecution to spread the Gospel.
               
            2. In Rome God used martyrdom to turn a culture.
               
         3. This makes us spectators --Let's watch this train wreck; cause were getting out of here. Escapist.
            
            1. We have a ministry of reconciliation 2 Corinthians 5:18
               
            2. We are the ambassadors of Christ –the way the truth and the life 2 Corinthians 5:20
               
            3. We are the light of the world – Matthew 5:14
               
            4. You have a personal relationship with the author of reality and must display that to your culture with maturity and wisdom.
               
               1. Murder is evilàkilling in self-defense is righteous.
                  
               2. Discriminating against others for unchangeable is wrong à discriminating against the immoral is right.
                  
               3. Adultery and immorality are evil à The sacraments of marriage are beautiful and life giving.
                  
         4. How many false prophetic books can be written before we suspect the theology?
            
         5. Why are you so worried about your skin after all, it is that skin that was pursuing hell.
            
         6. With things getting worse and worse, should we bring kids into this world? à Who is your God? Acts 14:15"Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. àThey would have just sacrificed a cow and we would sacrifice our posterity. Be fruitful and multiply is Gods answer to our biggest problems. – Laborers for the harvest to name 1
            
         7. "The rapture will not be secret but open and manifest. Its purpose will not be to whisk the elect away from the earth for a while until Christ returns for a 'second' Second Coming. The purpose of the rapture is to allow the saints to meet Jesus in the air as He returns and be included in His entourage during His triumphal descent from Heaven. His coming in this manner will be attended by the general resurrection, the final judgment, and the end of the world." ~ R.C. Sproul, "Essential Truths of the Christian Faith," p. 275.
            

1. Final thoughts
   
   1. Rule#1 satan does not fool us with lies so much as half-truths and miss-direction.
      
   2. Rule#2 The flesh is an idol making factoryàbecause it satisfies our emotions
      
   3. Rule#3 our knee jerk response to most scrutiny is self-justificationà I look around I'm keeping my list- I'm ok.
      
   4. Immaturity is having a disposition of self-worship "WIIFM = what's in it for me" (sales)
      
      1. Subtle Narcissism – starting my thoughts on life and reality with me myself and I instead of Father son and Holy Spirit.
         
      2. Misplaced Pietism – I can be clean before God – Feeling good about life because me and mine are doing so good at keeping my list. Smack of expectations which is a form of manipulation (getting what I want) not love (serving others). Instead of igniting each other with submission, confession and testimony about the Savior.
         
      3. Reckless Eschatology – coming to the bible with a crystal ball mentality – What do you see in my future? Not focused on the crown rights of Jesus Christ. - Divination= pursuing the secret knowledge of God. – Futurism.
         
         1. Leviticus 19:26 You shall not eat anything with the blood: neither shall you use divination, nor witchcraft.
            
         2. Deuteronomy 18: 10There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.
            
            1. God is sovereign and Christ has dominionà do you trust him?
               
            2. Trust is a simple selfless vulnerability.
               
   5. God Loves Maturity à it's that simple
      
      1. Its Natural- everything God made has a maturing process
         
         1. The earth1-night and day 2-heaven and earth 3-land and sea plant 4-sun moon and stars 5-fish and birds 6-animal and man 7-rest—a fruitful garden
            
         2. Plants – seed-sprout-roots-stem-leaf-flower-pollination.-many seeds
            
         3. Animals –egg-chick-chicken- many eggs
            
         4. Men – baby-toddler-child-adult-many kids
            
         5. Physical Maturity is the natural process of life.
            
   6. 2 development aspects of maturity – you play a part.
      
      1. Emotional and Spiritual maturity àthey overlap
         
         1. Immaturity –a predisposition to think and care primary for me, what I want- How I feel --expressed as a need -the unripe fruit is sour.
            
            1. 1 Corinthians 3:3 1But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3for 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? 4For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human?
               
            2. Romans 2:8but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
               
         2. Maturity – being fully developed, able to fulfill its designed purpose. Delighting in Gods design for you. Think of Ripe fruit.
            
         3. Most of our vexations are simply outward displays of an immature self-sensitive heart. Welcome to reality –
            
            1. Confess and Repent- Repeat à it is the power of God for victory over the flesh
               
         4. I'm not who I want to be; but by the power of God I'm not who I was. He is with me every step of the way. Voddie Bauchum
            

            
             

         5. And maturity for what? Malachi 2:15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
            

 

1. If you get this right then home life is a celebration of the power and victory of the cross of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
   

 

1. Emotional Maturity – lost and ignored by the church and culture( a parental perspective)
   
   1. Don't give in to or overlook a child's selfishness- that stunts development
      
   2. It's all about giving your children a taste for it –affections – does your home life give your children an appetite for self or service.
      
      1. Joy shared is multiplied = When you share the joy of others, you gain some and they lose none.
         
      2. Sorrow shared is divided = their burden is lightened when you come and weep with them, showing care and compassion.
         
         1. Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
            
      3. Bearing one another's burdens, coming along side and help them shoulder the load. Galatians 6: 1Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
         
2. Spiritual maturity- an aspect of our relationship with God
   
   1. Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? à Spiritual growth.
      
   2. Hebrew5:8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, Developing maturity?
      
3. Disciplined life    1 Corinthians 9:26-27 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. – this is your part
   
   1. Fasting –Matthew 6:16-18"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
      
   2. Hard productive work
      
      1. 2Thessalonians 3: 10For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
         
      2. Ecclesiastes 2: 24There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,
         
4. Suffering à This is key, if we miss this we miss the sovereign hand of God
   
   1. 2cor 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.
      
      1. If we go the distance to confession and repentance we receive the gift of that sin becoming filthy and distasteful to us.
         
      2. Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
         
      3. How many of you have been sick, really sick?
         
         1. Pizza… could not eat for years
            
         2. Raspberry chocolate-still makes me nauseous to think of.
            
   2. James 1: 2Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
      
      1. Joy=. The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; that excitement of pleasurable feelings which is caused by success, (Webster's 1828) as opposed to self-pity.
         
      2. Steadfastness-Firmness of standing; fixedness in place. 2. Firmness of mind or purpose; fixedness in principle; constancy; resolution; Faithfulness (Webster's 1828) as opposed to slackness.
         
      3. When you're suffering with some trial, get happy. Recognize that God is working in you
         

 

Acts 14:21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.     Through many Tribulations? Yes-God is not satisfied with them being saved He wants maturity-

So they can move independently and reproduce. The ministry of Paul was like a parent working, correcting encouraging and loving; so in the end you have a growing community of believers.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. àService of others

2 Corinthians 2: 14But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. Christ leads Us! In Triumphal procession!

2 Corinthians 5: 11Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live
for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

 

16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. No longer living for ourselves but as his ambassadors.

2 Corinthians 8: 1We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. That what Christ has for us abundance of joy overflowing

2 Corinthians 10: 3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. àThis starts in your heart, expanding outward from there.

We have all we need in Christ Jesus; to do what he calls us to.

God is shouting to you again and again and again be mature, walk in maturity. All things are put under His feet and we are his mouth, his hands and his feet. He has dominion over all; demons, nature and flesh of men. Your list is a burden for you to carry that proves to be a weakness. Resting completely in the righteousness of Christ and his faithfulness to mature us; we are strong. If we are pursuing the enemy all the way to his gates and through then we must walk in maturity!

 

 

 

 

Ephesians 4:13

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,
attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.