WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:00.959 Well, good morning. 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:05.200 I've been on sabbatical break for July, and so it's my first week back. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:19.039 My reflection last week as I attended church and helped out but didn't preach is just what an honor it is to stand every week and just tell you that in Jesus God really does love you and He delights in you. 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:22.559 And so these next three weeks, we're gonna talk about how do we grow as a Christian. 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:28.000 When we talk about how do we grow as a Christian, we're talking about how do we grow in that delight. 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:30.079 C.S. 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:41.439 Lewis's Narnia series, there's a scene where Aslan, who's that representation, the lion who represents Jesus, there's a scene where Aslan and Lucy are speaking together. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:43.359 Here's an image from the movie series. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:45.200 And here's what the scene, here's the scene. 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:48.479 Aslan, said Lucy, you're bigger. 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:52.159 That is because you are older, little one, answered he. 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:53.840 Not because you are? 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:55.280 I'm not. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:00.240 But every year you grow, you will find me bigger. 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:04.640 So the question is are we finding Jesus bigger? 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:07.439 Lovely and more than enough? 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:12.159 Or as Christians, are we just busy and distracted? 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:18.959 Now it's possible when I even say Christian growth, or this topic comes up that you could feel guilty. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:35.920 Feelings of guilt may kind of conjure up because you're not growing and you know you should, or you're not growing as fast as you think you should, or you're not growing and you don't care, and then you feel bad about not caring, or maybe you could even feel bad about not feeling bad about any of that. 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:37.760 All of it, all of it's possible. 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:39.280 We're really good at guilt. 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:47.120 Maybe you were in a church that used guilt or fear as motivation for Christian growth. 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:52.400 And so then, of course, the topic of Christian growth is not something that you welcome. 00:01:52.640 --> 00:02:03.120 But these three weeks are a little different because these three weeks were not leaving Jesus to talk about or embrace some set of rules or set of things to do. 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:06.640 The question is how do we grow in this delight? 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:08.800 How do we grow in this lavish love? 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:13.919 And Dane Ortland's book Deeper, he writes this about change and growth. 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:14.639 He writes this. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:19.120 The basic point of this book is that change is a matter of going deeper. 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:29.599 Some believers think change happens through outward improvement, behaving more and more in accord with some moral norm, the biblical law, the commands of Jesus, or conscience or whatever. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:36.479 Others think change happens mainly through intellectual addition, understanding doctrine with greater breadth and precision. 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:42.719 Others think it comes centrally through felt experience, sensory increase as we worship God. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:50.080 My argument is that all of these elements are included in healthy Christian development, but real growth transcends them all. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:57.280 Growing in Christ is not centrally improving or adding or experiencing but deepening. 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:04.560 A few months ago, I was walking out of a Publix and I walked out the front doors, I walked over that first lane of traffic. 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:21.840 As I walked over the first lane of traffic, I looked up to my left and there was a truck coming toward me, and I passed and I looked into the driver's seat, and it was a guy who in the past years ago traumatically hurt a whole bunch of my friends. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:25.360 And traumatically hurt myself and my wife. 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:30.240 And as I saw him, I immediately became like really nauseous. 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:31.599 It was so fast. 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:33.039 And I waved. 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:34.159 I did like the path. 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:35.759 There was another hand signal. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:37.520 There was two, there was this. 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:54.719 I gave this one, but I I there was another hand signal that the inside of me wanted to give, but I'm like, I just waved, and I got to my car, and by the time I was at my car, I was just like back in anger and bitterness. 00:03:55.439 --> 00:04:00.319 Now you don't even need that backstory because you have a person like this. 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:08.639 Um hurt you or betrayed you or frustrated you and just like seeing them or hearing their voice. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:10.479 One thing's clear. 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:17.360 I I want God and I want all of God's grace to shower over me. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:22.160 I just don't always necessarily want it for him. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:25.040 Maybe you're like that. 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:30.639 But this is this is actually how we are like this guy in the Old Testament, Jonah. 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:33.839 God calls Jonah to go and preach to Nineveh. 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:42.319 The only thing is in 2 Kings we learn that these people that God called Jonah to go to, they were horrible. 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:45.279 And they had tortured Jonah's people. 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:49.600 So Jonah wanted nothing to do with these people. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:52.800 He wanted them to pay for their sins. 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:54.319 So he runs. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:05:08.319 But finally he relents, he goes, he preaches to Nineveh, and just when we think the story is like kumbaya, sweet tea, pecan pie, they're all friends in the backyard, just when we think that's the story, Jonah 4, 1 through 4. 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:12.800 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:19.279 And he prayed to the Lord and said, Oh Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:29.759 That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster. 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:31.519 I mean, just like a little drama. 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:32.319 Can you hear it? 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:35.120 Just a little drama, just a little, we're good at this. 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:41.360 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:45.920 And the Lord said, Do you do well to be angry? 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:49.759 Point number one is this everyone is a mixed bag. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:55.199 We can be obedient one moment and then heartless the next. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:57.519 Jonah has no love for these people. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:05:59.600 He is arrogant, he is bitter. 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:00.879 That's Jonah's sin. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:04.000 It may not be yours, it may not be mine. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:09.279 We all have ours materialism, lust, greed, anger, selfishness. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:15.360 You watch what you shouldn't say, something you shouldn't, or you wanted to say it, maybe you didn't, the hand signal you wanted to give, but you didn't, right? 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:16.639 Like, it's in us. 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:22.560 You know you should be loving and giving and kind, but then you're not. 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:25.680 So how does Jonah become loving? 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:28.160 How does Jonah change? 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:30.160 How do we change? 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:32.560 How do we grow as Christians? 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:46.399 In the New Testament, we read Paul, Ephesians 3, 8, to me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:54.800 So point number two is this we grow as we develop deeper in our understanding and relationship with Jesus. 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:58.000 Now, if you've been around church, that isn't new. 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:03.600 But what it turns out is there's nothing more profound than that. 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:06.879 This word unsearchable, verse 8. 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:11.040 It's only used one other time in the New Testament, Romans 11, 33. 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:15.680 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:20.800 How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:29.360 So God is filled with wisdom and insight, and this Jesus is that source for us. 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:33.120 So how do you become loving, filled with insight? 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:34.079 How do you grow wise? 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:36.800 How do you grow upright, pure, giving? 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:38.240 Well, we look to Jesus. 00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:41.199 There's nothing more profound. 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:45.680 There's no greater spirituality, no next book that you will need. 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:47.920 There's no second blessing. 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:50.560 Looking to Jesus is supreme. 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:53.439 Back to Ortland and his book, Deeper. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:08:06.160 Open yourself up to the possibility that one reason you see modest growth and ongoing sin in your life, if that is the case, is that Jesus, the Jesus you are following, is a junior varsity Jesus. 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:11.680 An unwittingly reduced Jesus, an unsurprising and predictable Jesus. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:17.279 Have we snorkeled in the shallows thinking we've now hit bottom on the Pacific? 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:20.800 So Jonah preaches to these people. 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:22.079 The people repent. 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:24.399 God is gracious, God is merciful. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:25.360 It's amazing. 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:27.279 And Jonah hates it. 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:34.559 Jonah leaves the city, he goes out, he sits, and God appoints a plant to grow up and provide shade for him. 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:36.480 So Jonah's happy. 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:37.919 He's comfy under the shade. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:43.840 But the next morning, God appoints a worm to attack the plant and kill it. 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:46.960 And then we get verse 8, Jonah 4, 8 through 10. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:54.080 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah, so that he was faint. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:58.799 And he asked that he might die, and said, Is it better for me to die than to live? 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:03.120 But God said to Jonah, Do you do well to be angry for the plant? 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:07.200 And he said, Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die. 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:16.240 And the Lord said, You pity the plant for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in the night. 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:26.480 Point number three is this our growth will include awareness of the destruction of sin in our hearts, lives, and relationships. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:35.039 We could say it this way: conviction by the Holy Spirit and confession to God will be part of our growth. 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:37.440 We will have to see our sin. 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:43.120 Jonah had to see his sin, his rebellion to God's call, his lack of love for these people. 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:48.639 The good news for Jonah and for us is that God never gives up on him. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:54.559 Jonah becomes so miserable that God and change are his only option. 00:09:54.720 --> 00:10:05.279 I've heard author Ann Lamont say something like this: we change when we are falling apart faster than we can lower our standards. 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:11.759 Like it's like, okay, like this is all my great ideas are not working. 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:16.639 Unfortunately, God's office is just there at the end of our rope. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:18.559 So how do we grow? 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:23.919 We get a hint, a pretty big clue in 2 Peter 1, 3 through 8. 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:31.440 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:33.840 Okay, so his power, number one. 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:39.360 Through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:46.320 Okay, knowledge of him, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:46.960 Okay? 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:49.759 Power, knowledge of Jesus, his promises. 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:58.879 So that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires. 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:00.480 Okay, are we caught up here? 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:05.759 We have his power, Jesus, Jesus' promises. 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:08.639 For this very reason, make every effort. 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:16.559 So out of all of that, out of all those promises indicated to us, given to us, now we have something we should do for this very reason. 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:30.080 Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:37.840 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:40.960 Now, verses six and seven could feel like a to-do list. 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:44.159 They actually feel like a pretty incredible list of characteristics, right? 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:51.120 I mean, all of us would be like, man, to be known as something like that, to be known as steadfast and godly and loving and self-controlled. 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:53.039 That would be amazing. 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:59.120 The problem is, the problem is the list is not enough to get us to be the list, right? 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:02.879 The demand is not enough to create the change. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:07.039 Or else we would all already have it figured out. 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:08.960 We would already be that. 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:29.519 Now, fortunately, that list comes out of verses three through four, and then again in verse nine, we are given this rescue for whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he's blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:38.240 So when we lack the desire or the power to change, we have forgotten God's grace. 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:40.639 That's point number four. 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:46.399 The grace of God known in Jesus saves us and transforms us. 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:57.279 It's because as we remember God's grace to us, that limitless love to us, while we did not earn it and while we do not deserve it, a healing occurs in our hearts. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:12:59.840 Something changes inside of us. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:11.759 This is why our goal as a church is for us to leave every single Sunday reminded and thinking about the Christ more than the Christian. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:14.639 This is why we keep looking at this in Christ list. 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:17.120 I don't know if you've picked up on this in the last two years. 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:21.759 I keep blending this list into sermons over and over and over again. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:22.960 Do you remember this list? 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:26.720 In Christ, we are always forgiven and always righteous. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:30.879 In Christ, we have secure forever acceptance and peace with God. 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:34.559 In Christ, we are never alone and have endless companionship. 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:40.000 In Christ, we are liberated from performancism to live by the Spirit and freedom and love. 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:45.120 In Christ, we are relieved of judgmentalism and empowered to live with love toward others. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:49.039 In Christ, we are both deemed godly and become godly. 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:54.879 In Christ, we have a heavenly home prepared for us when our days on earth are over. 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:57.279 We grow deeper. 00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:02.720 We change as we grow deeper into Jesus, and it won't be perfect. 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:11.919 In fact, it may be one of the biggest letdowns of your life that you aren't changing, you haven't changed as much as you thought you would. 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:15.919 And this is how Jesus will look even bigger to you. 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:19.759 It's why our growth is always a growth in grace. 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:22.960 One of our core values as a church is growth. 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:27.200 It's not numeric growth, it's about our growth as Christians. 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:39.440 Here's how we word it: we grow in the grace of God by living more deeply in the great wealth of our beloved identity in Jesus Christ as we know it through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:43.919 The Holy Spirit uses this deepening to heal and transform us. 00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:52.159 This is a rest from our self-reliant striving as to know a spiritual growth that occurs only by God's work in our lives. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:15:00.720 This growth and grace is a lifelong process filled with imperfection and grace, confession and peace. 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:07.360 A couple weeks ago I did a deep dive on our Jesus, Big Jesus artwork. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:10.000 Have you ever wondered, like, where did that thing come from? 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:12.639 Like, what in the world is going on? 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:19.039 When we started our school, so it's called the DC's Mosaic, is what it's called, the original. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:20.480 Um, that's a copy. 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:23.840 The original is from the 13th century and it's in Istanbul. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:27.759 Now that copy it came from Mount Perrin's school. 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:35.600 Some Christian artist came through and did a big concert at Mount Perrin, and they brought that thing and hung it up on stage, and then they just left. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:38.159 And so Mount Perrin's like, what are we gonna do with this? 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:48.399 So it'd been in their basement for a couple years, and then they heard that we were starting a church and we're moving into a building, and so they reached out and like we're yeah, like we were taking free stuff. 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:51.759 It didn't even matter, don't send a picture, we're on our way. 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:56.559 Sam Heiling and I went with the truck, we laid it down vertical on the truck bed. 00:15:56.720 --> 00:16:01.039 It's the only way you've been vertical, I mean horizontal on the truck bed, tied the thing down. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:03.440 We drove down the center of Stylesboro Road. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:07.440 Jesus was just parting the traffic as we went. 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:13.840 It lived in my garage for six months, and then it's been here. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:22.480 Here's the original in Istanbul, an original mosaic over the years and centuries, lost the bottom half of it. 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:26.399 Christ flanked by Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:37.919 Christ is labeled with a Greek abbreviation for Jesus Christ, and he sits upon a jeweled throne, like an emperor or a judge. 00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:42.159 The work reminds us that Jesus is king. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:53.440 And then we look at his facial expression, and it reminds us that this king is different. 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:58.720 I love in Matthew, where King Jesus describes himself. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:07.039 Matthew 11, 28 through 30, come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:19.359 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I'm gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:32.160 So King Jesus, preeminent before all time, who reigns above it all, says, To you and to me, I'm gentle and lowly. 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:46.079 If we could go back to that picture of Aslan and Lucy and remember their conversation, and this is not guilt on you or guilt on me, this is grace on us for our growth. 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:52.960 That question, are we finding Jesus bigger, more lovely? 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:58.559 More than enough, or are we just busy and distracted? 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:00.160 Let's pray together. 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:07.599 Heavenly Father, thank you that Jesus is more than enough for us, supreme and sufficient for our hearts. 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:12.960 Help us even more to fall back into your grace known in Jesus. 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:20.960 That in Jesus we have full forgiveness, in Jesus we have full righteousness, in Jesus, you are always with us. 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:37.200 Help us to trust you more, to grow in you, to confess more, and to laugh more, to feel your delight because Jesus is enough, and to grow in the lavish love you have for us. 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:38.640 In Christ's name we pray. 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:39.440 Amen.