Today is a wonderful day. It's the most important day of
our week. It's the Lord's day is the first
day of the week and the opportunity that we have as a
few of God's children to assemble and worship God in
spirit and in truth. We're so thankful for that.
I'm glad to be here with you, and to worship with you
together. On the screen, the title of our
lesson is entitled until Christ is formed in you and these are
not new Concepts, but I want to talk on the subject of spiritual
growth. I think a congregation has to be
focused on growth and I think the growth has to be focused on
ourself individually. First.
In other words, if we don't grow individually in Jesus Christ,
then a congregation will not grow.
I'm very concerned. Learned about the church and
plans, Road in Bakersfield, California in this regard.
As an evangelist working here. My hope.
And my prayer is that this congregation will continue to
exist far beyond the years that I am here.
I think if we are content with just existing, there will come a
time when we will no longer exist.
So, I want to talk about the subject of Christ being formed
in you a very encouraging passage and a very Pointed
passage found in Galatians. Chapter 4 and verse 19.
Paul said, my little children for whom I labor in birth again
until Christ is formed in you now, Paul was writing to those
that were members of the body of Christ, they were Christians and
the laboring. Again, I think what he's talking
about. The first labor, obviously was
when they obeyed the gospel and he did his part by way of
laboring that they might obey the gospel.
Oil. But also now he's saying I'm
laboring again until Christ is formed in you.
I think this is a great passage that shows us that God allows
time for growth. That's very encouraging that God
allows time for growth but also here as Paul is pointing out,
there's urgency so picture it this way.
I'm thankful that there's patience on God's part but
there's urgency on my part because growing in Christ is a
command and by the way, we're going to get into the specific
things that would describe someone who has Jesus Christ
formed in them and just a few minutes.
Let me just say by way of an introduction.
Action. A couple of General statements.
If a person is carnally minded, instead of spiritually minded,
in other words, driven by the thoughts of the flesh.
Decisions are made by the flesh there carnally minded as opposed
to spiritually minded if that is you and I don't know who that
is, but if that is you, Jesus Christ is not formed in you.
If you have a hard time with commitment, I'm talking about
commitment to Jesus Christ and his church.
Then Jesus Christ is not formed in you.
If you are a person where Christianity has not changed
your life, then Jesus Christ is not formed in you if your
service to God is only when we assemble on Sunday morning as
the Lord's Church to worship, if that's it.
And that's the extent of your Christianity.
Then Jesus Christ is not formed in you.
If you obeyed the gospel many years ago but you haven't grown
at all once again. And then Jesus Christ, not yet
is not formed in you. Spiritual growth is a choice
that everybody must make. It's a command by God and it
requires a diligent effort on our part.
You know, the great blessings though we find that God's going
to help us in our growth. He's going to help us.
We pray that God would help us. Give us wisdom, give us
strength, give us courage to persevere and all those
wonderful things. God helps us but number Two
number two. He also blesses us when we do
spiritual growth though, often times is hindered by low
self-esteem. And therefore, we don't achieve
higher levels of spiritual growth because of low
self-esteem. In other words, somebody might
say, well, you know, I don't have any capabilities, I don't
have the ability to do that, I can't really grow.
I'm not like somebody else. He's got a whole lot more
ability than I do. And sometimes because of low,
self-esteem and negative, self-talk, we talk ourselves out
of the idea that we can grow. Now, listen, God has never given
us something to do. Way the command that we were not
capable of doing never he wants us to do exactly what he said
and that is to grow and everybody's different, I get
that. But sometimes growth is hindered
by negative self-talk. Be careful about that.
But there's also something else about that too.
Sometimes a person says well I don't have any abilities.
I'm just the one Talent guy more on that later.
I'm just the one Talent guy. And sometimes they use that as
an excuse, not to try to grow. But growth is a command.
All right, what are the goals for growth?
I think everybody has to have goals.
I think we have to have goals in every aspect of our life Hall of
Fame running back. Emmitt Smith.
One time said, as he was drafted into the NFL Master.
Why did you write down every specific goal that you ever
wanted to achieve as a professional football player?
And he said this he it did not originate with him but he did
say it too. He said dreams are not goals
until they're written down. Out.
My whole life, my father taught me that people don't plan to
fail. They only fail to plan.
He taught me, you got to write it down, you have a dream, you
have an idea that you would like to someday.
You got to write it down and it becomes a goal, then you have
objectives to achieve that. Well, the same is true.
Spiritually, isn't it? We should be very specific about
that. So it is where the Christian
what I've done is today, I have broken down these goals in three
categories. Ural goals, functional goals and
congregational goals. Now, we're gonna spend the
majority of our time on the first one behavioral goals, and
this is why because behavioral goals apply to everybody,
equally everybody here equally. Functional goals and
congregational goals. They can vary and we'll talk
about that a little bit later, but we spend the majority of our
time on behavioral goals. Our ultimate goal is to be like
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is formed in us
when we become more like him. Now, I want to just give us some
foundational passages bear with me through some of these
foundational passages because Jesus talked about what it was
like to be a disciple. In fact, in Luke chapter 6, and
verse 40. Jesus said a disciple is not
above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained, will
be like his teacher. Now, we need to be like Jesus,
who's Jesus? He is our teacher, we are his
disciple. What is Jesus want today?
What's he want us to be? He wants us to be disciples, he
wants us to be followers of him, in fact, in Matthew 28,
beginning there in verse 19, the Great Commission go, therefore
and Make Disciples of all Nations, baptizing them in the
name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things.
Things that I have commanded you and lo.
I Am With. You Always even to the end of
the age, that's what Jesus wants.
He wants disciples and disciples are properly trained when they
become like the teacher. That's what Jesus wants for your
life. What's God want?
Same thing, Romans 8:29 for whom he that's God foreknew.
He God also predestined to be conformed, to the image of his
His son, what a powerful passage.
And sometimes people get these kind of words, misunderstood and
out of whack their foreknew and predestined, okay?
All it means is, God foreknew in his mind, from the foundation of
the world, he predestined or predetermined, that a follower
of Jesus Christ, a disciple of Jesus Christ would be conformed
to the image of his son. From the foundation of the
world. That's exactly what God wanted.
He goes on to say that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren We need to become more like Jesus in our life.
What else though? What else?
So here in this passage we are conformed to the image of his
son but there's more second Corinthians 3 and 18 but we all
with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the
Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as by the spirit of Our Lord.
So Paul says we are Form to the image of his son.
He further says we are transformed into the image of
Jesus Christ and one more in Colossians chapter 3, same
author. This is what Paul said in
Colossians 3 and verse 10 and have put on the new man who is
renewed in the knowledge according to the image of him
who created him. Notice we are conformed and
transformed into his image and we are renewed in knowledge.
So the essential element of spiritual growth is to become
more like Jesus, renewing, our Behavior to conform to the
example of Jesus Christ. And this involves growing in the
knowledge of Christ. Second Peter chapter 3 and verse
18. But grow in Grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ to him, be both
Timmy Glory both now and forever.
Interestingly though this is not just academic knowledge.
This is very important. This is personal knowledge,
through character development, personal knowledge, through
character development, You know, this is kind of when Jesus
Christ becomes alive in your life.
It's when your faith becomes your own.
It's when you are truly changed and your behavior is changed.
Its when Christianity becomes personal to you, It means
something folks. I'm going to tell you a
Christianity has to be more, has to be more than checking boxes.
Look, in a certain part and obeying rules.
It's got to be more than that. Now, do Christians have a
certain way that we look sure at all.
That's true. It's got to be more than that
folks. As be way more than that.
And I think sometimes what we do is and please don't
misunderstand me. I've not gone off the
reservation. Sometimes we talk about the
importance of being a member of the church, which is true and
yes it is and it's important and you can't have Jesus without it.
I preach that a couple weeks ago all, that's true but sometimes
we talk about what it looks like to be a church member and we
don't spend any time on what it's like to be a Christian.
To be christ-like to be like Jesus.
To have our lives that are transformed and changed.
Remember that song we used to sing.
He's real, he's real. What a beautiful song and what
and he lives in my heart. That's when Jesus Christ changes
us. And Christ is now formed in us.
Let's spend time. Also understanding what it means
to be a Christian and have our lives truly changed.
And by the way, I'll just tell you this right now.
The only way that a person going through life with all the trials
and all the hard things in life, the only way that you can
persevere and the only way that you can handle all the all the
things out there, Is to be a child of God.
Be changed on the Inside Out, have Christ formed in you and
that is your Christianity is real and working for you.
It has to be working for you. Some of the old-timers used to
say, how's it working for you? How is your religion working for
you? How is it?
If it's superficial, it's not working very well.
But if it's Inward and private and real, and you're changed,
and transformed and conformed, and renewed, like Paul said, all
those words, guess what? It's going to get you through
anything in life. Going to show you a very
practical passage. Now we've done this before.
We're going to do it again. It's great stuff.
It's found in 2nd Peter chapter 1 beginning in verse 5.
Peter says, but also for this reason.
Giving all diligence. Add to your faith virtue to
Virtue knowledge to knowledge, self-control to self-control
perseverance to perseverance, godliness to Godliness,
brotherly, kindness and to brotherly, kindness love.
First of all, this talk about faith for just a moment.
The Hebrew writer says, for without faith.
It's impossible to please God, for he, that comes to him.
Must believe that he is. He that comes to God, must
believe that he is, and that he is, a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him. You cannot go to heaven and you
cannot come to Jesus without faith.
We know that. But there Comes A Time in your
life when your faith has to change and what I mean by that
it changes in that it grows. Do you remember when Jesus was
speaking to his disciples when they came to him?
Very familiar story. I won't spend a lot of time on
it, but when they could not cast out that demon out of that young
man, and Jesus finally does it and they come to him and they
said, how come we couldn't do it.
What we doing wrong and Jesus says because of your unbelief,
which Means in the original, your little faith.
They had little weak faith and then he says, if you could just
have the faith of a mustard seed, you can move mountains and
nothing would be impossible for you.
In other words, the mustard seed that starts off very, very
small. It grows to Greatness what he
was telling him is your faith died.
Small at didn't grow you don't have great faith, you got little
weak Faith. So Every Christian, there comes
a time. In our life our faith has to
grow and become real but not only that we got to add some
stuff to it. Now, I don't know about you, but
I love practical passages of scripture that I could say,
okay, you know what? Things are a little out of sorts
right now. But if I could just get my hands
on a practical passage, it'll help me.
That's this one right here. Here's some specific things to
do. These are the things that we
add, we add virtue knowledge, self-control, perseverance,
godliness, brotherly, kindness. And we add love.
I'm going to Define these and then we're going to put them all
together. What do they actually mean?
These are things that we have to add number one, adding virtue
that is moral excellence. That is your quality of life.
So you add to your faith, faith, and what faith in the gospel
faith in? Jesus Christ, you just obeyed.
The gospel. You became a Christian.
I got to add something to that. What am I going to add?
I'm going to add moral Excellence.
Moral Excellence. Also based upon something, I
gotta add knowledge. And, by the way, this is this
word actually means correct in sight.
Okay, so anybody that would say that you can't no real truth.
You can't understand absolute truth and everybody's truth is
for themselves and they choose and all that.
That's not what this word means. You know what it's saying?
Peter is saying you add knowledge.
This is correct in sight, it is knowledge properly, understood
comprehended and applied that's what it means.
Understood comprehended and applied proper knowledge.
What else do I have to add? Well, I got to add something
that we all need and that self control, and it literally means
to hold oneself in. Now some people don't have
trouble with that. Some people do have trouble with
that, but I'm going to tell you every Christian needs to know
about self-control. We all do.
Right? What else perseverance
perseverance does not mean passive acquiescence.
You know what it means? It's an action word.
It means endurance to do what's right.
Godliness, is something that I have to add to, and that word
means reverence, it's having a practical awareness of God in
every aspect. Out of my life.
And if I got that, you know what's going to happen?
It'll demonstrate itself in action.
That's called righteous living. What else?
I got to add some brotherly kindness, which is brotherly
affection. And finally, I've got to add a
guppy love sacrificial. Selfless Love.
Now, let's put them all together.
These are the words and what they mean.
So what Peter is saying is the first thing I got to think about
when I obey the gospel, I got to add some stuff to my faith.
I'm going to add, moral Excellence, quality of life
based upon proper knowledge, knowledge, that is properly,
understood comprehended and applied.
You know what that's going to do, it's going to give me the
ability to have self-control to hold myself in.
It's going to also give me something else to, and that is
the strength to persevere to endure to do that, which is
right. Right?
All based upon godliness with the Practical awareness of God.
In every aspect of my life. I will demonstrate that Godly
life in brotherly kindness which is brotherly affection for
others. All in my pursuit of agape love
sacrificial. Selfless, Love two things.
One, it's not a one-time thing. It's a lifelong thing and to it
doesn't just go in One Direction.
Watch it goes the other way too. It is a cycle like this around
and around. Notice if I have in my pursuit
of agape love, you know what if I've got that in my life, you
know, it's going to happen, it'll manifest itself in
brotherly, kindness, all based upon godliness with the
Practical awareness of God. In every aspect of my life.
It's going to give me the strength to endure.
It's going to give me the ability to hold myself in.
It's going to be based upon proper knowledge.
All in my pursuit of virtue, moral Excellence, it goes the
other way, too. As some pretty great stuff that
Peter gave us to do. When we develop these Graces, we
are truly fruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
And again these are not just academic knowledge but personal
knowledge. You character development,
that's when the Lord becomes real in our life.
In second, Peter chapter 1 and verse 8.
For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither
be Barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
You know, all of these Graces that we talked about, were best
personified in Jesus. So the more that we grow in
them, the more we truly know and understand our savior but I
understand too. That there's great challenges
sometimes you know why it's challenging to grow.
I think it's challenging to grow for a couple reasons.
There may be others, but I'm just going to use to, I think
it's challenging to grow because it requires diligent effort, and
sometimes we choose the path of least resistance.
Sometimes sometimes not meaning to, sometimes we just get busy.
But it takes diligent effort on our part.
So if I'm going to grow as a Christian, it's not a one-time
thing. It's a diligent effort that I
must put forth. Number two, it also requires a
sustained effort. Paul talked about that in
Galatians, chapter 6. And sometimes it's a, it's a
sustained effort, even if we're growing discouraged.
Your been discouraged. Sure, you have.
Everybody's been discouraged. That's why Paul says, do not
grow weary. The King James says, in
well-doing, the new King James says, in doing good, don't grow
weary, even if you're discouraged.
So sometimes it's hard for people to grow because it takes
a diligent effort and it takes a sustained effort even when we
grow discouraged, as stressed before though, such growth does
not come naturally. If we're not very careful, we
revert back to our formal conduct and character.
Do you know the you know, the old saying if we've always if we
always do what we've always done, we'll always get what
we've always got. Sometimes we have the best
intentions, man. We got some great intentions.
We're going to start on fire. And it's just a matter of time
before we revert back and forget that happens to us, doesn't it?
It's kind of like this January 1.
Everybody's New Year's resolution most people's New
Year's resolution. They're going to prove
themselves somehow. Usually go to the gym, get in
shape, gyms are packed, in January by March.
They're finding out. You know why?
Because people just go back to what they've always done.
And sometimes with it, when it comes to growth, we need to be
careful. We need to be diligent and we
need to be steadfast. In our work to grow or will
drift back, we don't want to do that.
We don't want to drift back. Second, Peter chapter 2, and
verse 24, if after the they escaped, the pollutions of the
world, through the knowledge of the Lord, Jesus and Savior,
Jesus Christ, they are again. Entangled in them and overcome.
The latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
I remember years ago, brother Linwood Smith, He said this.
There's no telling. How many people we could save?
If we didn't have to keep saving the same ones over and over.
Linwood said that I'm quoting Linwood but I get it.
I understand it. Sometimes we try to beg, people
almost beg people to be stronger, beg people to be
committed. But at some point in time,
folks, you have to decide in your heart.
This means more to me. This means more to me and I'm
going to grow, and I'm going to be the Christian that I should
be. And I'm never ever, ever going
to turn my back on the Lord. So We are conformed, transformed
and renewed to the image of Christ.
That is our behavioral goals but then we go to this.
Actually, let me just one more passage here in Romans 12 and
verses 1 and 2 and do not be conformed to this world but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind.
That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God. So now let's talk about
functional goals. In 1st Corinthians chapter 12,
we read about functional different functions in the body
of Christ, the church has many members in 1st Corinthians
chapter 12, beginning in verse 20.
But now indeed, there are many members.
Yet one body and the eye cannot say to the hand.
I have no need of you, nor again, the head to the feet.
I have no need of, you know, much rather those members of the
body, which seem to be weaker are necessary.
Re and those members of the body, which we think to be less
honorable on these, we bestow greater honor and on our
unpresentable parts have greater modesty.
Now interestingly there are many members and everybody is needed.
There's not one part of my physical body, that is not
needed. Every member of the body of
Christ is needed. You might be saying what you
mean me? Yeah, you yeah, you I've said
this for years I must say it again, if the church is going to
be all that it could be and should be.
It's going to take all of us. I believe in that it's gonna
take all of us. Everybody is needed.
But also understand this, there's many members, but we
don't all have the same function in Romans chapter 12 Verses 4
and 5 for as for as we have many members in one body but all the
members do not have the same function.
So we being many are one body in Christ and individually members
of one another. So what do we learn?
There's many members in the body of Christ.
Every member is important. Number two, number three.
We don't all have the same function but number For
everybody has to do their own part in Ephesians 4:16.
From whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every
joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every
part doesn't share causes growth of the Body for the edifying of
itself in love. As members of the body, we have
to grow, we have to develop our functions.
Now, some people might have different functions and others
and different abilities and talents more on that in just a
minute. But there are some people that
teach but just because you don't teach, and that's not your role
to teach, or you don't have the ability to teach doesn't mean
you don't have a role in the body.
I know people that are some of the greatest servers, I know.
And they serve others. They serve others like crazy.
They're awesome with that. They're good at that.
They see about the needs of others.
They pick up the phone and find out about how somebody's doing
Reaching out. Some people are incredible song
leaders. I am not But we have some that
are right here in this congregation, I've always
thought it was awesome to go to pick up a songbook and you've
never seen it before and then just sing it.
Okay. Everybody's has a roll.
Everybody has abilities. Everybody has a function.
Everybody does. now, whatever abilities that we have, We have
to utilize those abilities in the service to god.
Notice what the Bible says in First Peter, chapter 4, in verse
10. So, whatever you have notice,
what first Peter 4 in. Verse 10 says, as each one has
received a gift Minister, it to one another as good stewards of
the manifold. Grace of God, failing to grow
waste, the abilities that God has given us.
Look at this passage right here for though.
By this time, you ought to be teachers.
Do you need someone to teach you again the first principles of
the Oracles of god notice? And you have come to need milk
and not solid food? Let me ask you.
If you've been a Christian for 10 years, have you grown and
knowledge at all? Can you handle the meat of the
word of God? Are you hungering for the meat
of the word of God? Or are you in infancy stage?
And you still need somebody to teach you the first principles
of the Oracles of God and you still need to meet the milk and
not of strong meat or strong food.
Have to grow. Growth, comes from nourishment.
You know, I really believe we live in a Bible.
Illiterate Society, I do there was a time and, you know, this
there was a time. If you're anywhere near my age,
you'll know this there was a time when people even in the
world knew a little something about the Bible.
People would quote scriptures. People would have passages of
scripture that that were their favorites and so forth. and it
seems to me today, that there's many people, that have
absolutely no idea about the word of God, but on the same
level or with the say, that being said, sometimes we have
Christians that are malnourished to members of the Lord's church
that are malnourished But growth comes from nourishment.
Now, the challenge of reaching our functional goals is
determining what? Our functions are based upon our
abilities. I get that.
So let me ask you this, I'm going to put all these things on
the screen. Because based on your abilities
will determine your function. Number one, what are mine?
What are my abilities? Because my abilities will
determine my function. So ask yourself what are my
abilities? What can I do?
Number two, ask yourself this. Do I really lack certain talents
or do they just need to be developed?
Listen, I'm going to tell you, I've known some teachers that
started off. They had ability but they
started off and they were green. Like everybody else is when you
start out right in time, man, they grew.
You know why? Because they always had the
ability, it just needed to be developed So ask yourself, ask
yourself, do I lack certain talents or they need to be
developed number 3? Am I the one Talent man?
Really? Or is that an excuse that I use
not to grow. What else?
Is my lack of development due to laziness and indifference.
Am I selling myself short through negative self-talk.
Or watch. This is the world preoccupying
my time and energy so I have no time for Spiritual things.
By the way, this is your list. This is for you.
I've already looked at it. I asked myself the same stuff
too, but ask yourself these questions.
What are they? Do I like talents or do do they
just need to be developed? Am I the one Talent manner?
Do I use that as an excuse is my lack of development due to
laziness and indifference? Do I sell myself short through
negative? Self-talk and is the world
preoccupying, all of my time, all of my time and energy again,
as I said in our introduction, if we just continue to exist,
there will be one day when the church in Bakersfield will stop
existing. So we have to grow.
We must have behavioral goals and we must have Functional
goals and finally, we must have congregational goals.
Now. Individual growth is intertwined
with church growth. The work of the church is
threefold. And here's what it is.
Number one, edification. Number two evangelism and number
three benevolence and that's benevolence with our own, by the
way, that's the work of the church.
So there are people that have all kinds of ideas in the world
in the religious World about things that the church does and
so forth. And so on, this is what the
Bible teaches, what the Lord's church, this is the function of
the Lord's church. This is what the Lord's Church
does, and application evangelism and benevolence.
Now, edification can be done privately, it can be done
publicly, it can be And by teachers and preachers of the
Gospel. Evangelism it can be done by the
net by the Evangelist. It could be done by a
congregation reaching out to those that are in the world.
And benevolence taken care of our own.
You know, we always pray. That God will bless our
congregation with growth. And we mentioned specific
things, don't we? we say grow in strength, Growing
knowledge, grow in wisdom. Grow in patients grow in love.
And grow a number. And I always pray because I got
it from my father. I always pray with the drawing
power, being that of the gospel and nothing else.
Do you see the responsibilities that we have?
We have to reach out to those that are in the world around us.
And I got to tell you, It's true that the mass numbers of people
coming to Christ or perhaps coming to Jesus Christ in other
countries, that's probably true. But that doesn't remove our
responsibility in our local city.
In our local town right here. In fact, if the church isn't
strong here and growing guess what?
We won't even have, the means to send preachers to those Faraway
lands. Evangelism, you've heard me,
give this a little station years ago in a totally different
sermon, but I've put it in this one now.
But I think it really fits about having a vision for those that
are lost in the world wherever they are.
There's a story told about a wise, Indian father.
And he had three sons. And he determined to give all of
his worldly, possessions to one of his three sons that
manifested, the greatest promise and the greatest prowess.
As a test, he pointed to a mountain.
That was bold against the sky and he sent all three of them up
the side of the mountain and he gave him one instruction.
He said when you come back when you return, you have to bring in
your hand, a token of how high you climbed.
The first son wasn't gone very long, and when he came back, he
handed his father. A white Wildflower.
His father knew exactly how high he climbed because he knew that
grew just above the Timberline. The second one was gone quite a
bit longer and when he returned in his hand, he had a red
Flintstone and his father knew that son made it almost to the
top. But the third son was gone for a
long, long time. And when he returned he stood
before his father, and he said, father, I have nothing in my
hands because where I went, there was nothing to bring back.
But I stood on the summit. And I overlooked the valley.
And I saw two Great Rivers. Join the ocean.
His proud father said son, it's been my life's ambition, that
one of my sons would see what you have seen.
You have as it were nothing in your hands to show for your
travels, but you have something that's far.
Greater you have Vision in your soul, the greatest of all I'm
going to tell you something, we may think in our life, in all of
our efforts, We Stand open. We Stand empty handed But if we
can say that where we've gone, we have stood on that Summit
that we've overlooked the valley and we saw the two great rivers
of human need and soul, starvation.
Join the ocean of life. If we could say that where we've
gone, we've seen that and we did all.
We could well, have something far greater will have a vision
in our soul, the greatest of all Evangelistic goals. in
conclusion this morning, if we desire to grow spiritually,
we're going to have to have behavioral goals.
And that is that our Christianity becomes more than
just what we do. Now, what I mean by that is when
we assemble in attendance to worship, Our Christianity has to
be more than just what we do into in attendance at church.
It's got to be what we are. Functional goals determined
strengths and fill a function in everybody in a congregation is
needed and everybody is necessary.
Our congregational goals. If we're doing all of that, if
we're being transformed on the inside out, if we're occupying
our functions and doing what we can with in our role, guess
what, then we can have congregational goals to that are
reach out and see the Lost, save the lost and keep them saved.
One final thing about that. There was a survey done.
And I got to tell you my whole life.
I've always kind of said and you maybe have to.
I know the old-timer said it a lot, but the people that are in
the religious world Looking for a church, Ardis looking for
entertainment. That may be true in some degree.
I don't know. May be true of some degree.
But I know one thing that's not the majority.
There was a, there was a poll taken, not long ago and they
were asked, what are you looking for, in a church?
This is people out in the Christian professing world.
What are you looking for in a church?
Do you know what happened 83%. We're looking for a church that
has a good sermon preached. Something in the Bible that can
help me practically in my life. That's number one. 83% said,
we're looking for a sermon places where they preach sermons
that are helpful to me in my life.
And number to get this 79% of that 83% said, we're looking for
a place where the leaders of that congregation reach out and
make us feel welcome. if that's not in our wheelhouse, I don't
know what is we got the truth of the word of God.
We got people that care and love others and want to reach out and
make them feel welcome. We can make a difference.
Are you growing is Jesus Christ? Formed in you.
If so Jesus is your life, Finally.
Jesus Christ is not in you if you are not in him Galatians
3:27 for as many of you as were baptized into Jesus.
Christ have put on Christ you got to become a member of the
Lord's Church. You have to become a Christian.
You do that by contacting the blood of Jesus.
Jesus says he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.
He that believeth not shall be damned Jesus.
Further said in Luke 13 and 3, I tell, you know, but except ye
repent, you will all likewise perish.
I got to change my heart, my mind, I got changed my heart.
It's going to change my life, which the greatest thing ever,
when I do that, and I obey the gospel, it changes my
relationship with the Lord great stuff.
Jesus said, if you confess me before men, I will confess you
before my Father, which is in heaven and that confession is, I
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God first.
Peter 3:21 says, the like figure whereunto even baptism doth
also. Now, save us, not the putting
away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good
conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If you've never taken those steps of obedience, you need to
do that today. And we'd love to assist you in
that contact. The blood of Jesus have your
say, Sins washed away, and Jesus will add you to his church.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information, or you would like
to receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.
Please email us at info at her Church of Christ
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest.