Advent 2021: Grow
Quote
“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion. It is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.”
Billy Graham
Passage
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)
Background
Quote- William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist, a prominent evangelical Christian figure, and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. One of his biographers has placed him "among the most influential Christian leaders" of the 20th century. According to his website, Graham preached to live audiences of 210 million people in more than 185 countries and territories through various meetings, including BMS World Mission and Global Mission. According to his website, Graham preached to live audiences of 210 million people in more than 185 countries and territories through various meetings, including BMS World Mission and Global Mission.
Passage-The personalities of this book include the Messiah Jesus Christ, His parents Mary and Joseph, the Twelve Disciples, the prophet John the Baptist, and other kinds of leaders. These leaders include those in government like Pilate and religious leaders such as the Pharisees (who attempt to hinder the work of Jesus).
The book of Matthew is the first of the synoptic gospels and it was written to reveal the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, the King of the Jews, from the line of David. It also was written to convince the Jews that Jesus Christ was indeed their long-awaited Messiah.
Chapters 26-28, contain the death and resurrection of Jesus. These chapters present the truth of the "Good News" and about how Jesus took the sins of the world upon Himself. This is the central theme of salvation through faith alone in the complete and finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross.
Advent Opening Statement
Jesus grew from baby to adolescent to adult as any other human being grows. His ministry is the focus of scripture, perhaps because his mind was always that mature God-made-man mentality we see in His ministry. The truth is we will never know until we see Him and can ask. His presence on this earth presented to us an example so that we would have a demonstration of success rather than failure. It is that success that gives us hope that it can be done, but it is the abiding, indwelling love of Jesus that made that example possible in the first place.
Ask: What does it mean to be more “Christ-like?”
Point: It means to live, act, speak, and believe more like Jesus during His life as a human being living among us.
Ask: Why do we want to be more “Christ-like?”
Point: Being like Jesus in all things is our bar, our measuring stick, the standard by which we should judge ourselves.
First Reading Matthew 13:1-9 (NASB)
Ask: What does the parable of the sower have to do with us and growing as Christians?
Point: Second Reading (Matthew 13:18-23 (NASB)
Ask: We are all sometimes the person who hears the word and it is snatched away, fall away, or are unfruitful. How is it that Satan is able to move us away from God’s word so faithfully sown by someone? What can we do to stop this?
Point: Third Reading (2 Timothy 2:15-16 (KJV)
Ask: Why do we want to study and make sure the seed is well-planted within us? What does this have to do with growing?
Point: It is about love and loving those we meet.
Ask: How is our personal growth showing love to someone else?
Point: Fourth Reading (Matthew 13:24-30 (NASB)
Ask: Is it loving to want either ourselves or someone else to be counted among the tares?
Point: Of course not. Jesus came as the final sin-offering for everyone because “…God so loved the world…” all the world. Everyone.
Ask: But how does our personal study and growth become something that is pleasing to God?
Point: Our growth then becomes the basis for how we live. This inward change becomes an outward expression when we live out what we believe, make choices in accordance with what we learn God likes and doesn’t like, and demonstrate a better way as an alternative to the problems life as a human being embodies.
Re-read today’s passage
Ask: Today’s passage is about going into the world to make disciples. How does that relate to growing?
Point: Personal growth is the seed. That seed leads to institutional growth of the church. First it starts with one or more individuals connecting with people who relate to them through similar life-experiences. Then, it becomes growth in small groups. Finally, it closes the circle with growth of the church where the cycle begins again.
Ask: “I like all the people in my group now. I’m not sure I want new people or strangers to come in.” Why is this a counterproductive position to take with any group in a Christian setting?
Point: Fifth Reading (Proverbs 27:17 (NASB)
Closing Statement
It is not a loving position to take with anyone that they might be left behind, counted among the goats, or bundled up to be burned with the tares. The problem is we may not rightly discern the intentions of God unless we spend time in the study of scripture, contemplative prayer to rightly divine the meaning, and open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Our intended purpose is not to live this life in a solitary fashion. We are not to hoard our wisdom and life-experience like the servant who buried the single talent. It did not end well for that man. “You wicked, lazy slave,” the master said (Matthew 15:26). Chose this day whom you will follow. That decision leads to either the good and faithful servant or throwing out the worthless slave. The choice is yours and mine and not making a choice is a choice. We can believe, gather, and chose to grow closer to God through iron sharpening iron knocking our rough edges off or not. Growing individually and corporately as a group doesn’t happen by accident. It is intentional. That growth depends largely on what kind of soil our heart is for the seed of His word and our personal effort to tend the garden of our soul. That garden will bear a crop of something. The question becomes will it be pleasing fruit or tares good only for the fires of the furnace? Chose you this day what kind of soil is in your garden.
Question for the Week
How is love related to our growing both personally and as a group; small group, church, and the Church universal?
Scripture
First Reading
1 That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.
2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow;
4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.
5 "Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.
6 "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 "Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.
8 "And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
9 "He who has ears, let him hear."
Matthew 13:1-9 (NASB)
Second Reading
18 "Hear then the parable of the sower.
19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.
20 "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.
22 "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23 "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
Matthew 13:18-23 (NASB)
Third Reading
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
2 Timothy 2:15-16 (KJV)
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB)
See the Definitions page for the Greek word used for “Study” in the King James Version that is translated as “diligent” in the NASB. This word is given as an imperative command we are to do to receive approval from God. This is not righteousness from God but a head-nod of His approval that we are walking a good path.
Fourth Reading
24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25 "But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.
26 "But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.
27 "The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'
28 "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves *said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?'
29 "But he *said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.
30 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"
Matthew 13:24-30 (NASB)
Fifth Reading
17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17 (NASB)
Definitions
Greek Strong's Number: 4704
Greek Word: σπουδάζω
Transliteration: spoudazō
Phonetic Pronunciation:spoo-dad'-zo
Root: from <G4710>
Cross Reference: TDNT - 7:559,1069
Part of Speech: v
Vine's Words: Diligence, Diligent, Diligently, Endeavor
English Words used in KJV:
endeavour 3
do diligence 2
be diligent 2
give diligence 1
be forward 1
labour 1
study 1
[Total Count: 11]
from <G4710> (spoude); to use speed, i.e. to make effort, be prompt or earnest :- do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study.
James Strong, Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, (Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "4704".