I'm excited about the space it's really cool it takes me back to when I
was opening safes legally okay legally as a locksmith all right not not
anything like that all right these are a little bit out of my league but I'm
always interested in that so it's cool to see the building and I was saying
we're actually getting into a new building we just got the keys down in
Tucson we doubled our space we've been breaking records running about in the
40s to 50s on a Sunday morning so we're really excited about that we're gonna
start I when I get back on Monday we're just diving right into getting the
remodel done on the new suite so things are going great down there continue to
pray for us and we'll continue to pray for you if it's not by name it's at
least by church right so we'll get that and you know again glad to be here glad
that I was invited up to preach and it's an honor to be here and I'll admit it's
always hard to know what to preach when you're a guest preaching and there's
always a bit of nerves involved and you know basically the best advice I've ever
heard is just stick to the basics whenever you're a guest preaching just
preach the basics you know because you really as a preacher I don't have my
finger on the pulse up here obviously I don't know what people need to hear but
I know one thing is that people always need to hear the basics they always need
to be encouraged in the fundamentals of the faith and and just things that are
gonna help in growth help in the Christian life help us to grow as God's
people because you know God does desire that we grow as Christians that's you
know that the Christian life is not a static life we don't ever want to get to
this place where we think we've learned it all where we know it all where we
start to plateau and think that we've arrived as Christians because that's
just never gonna happen until we come into the fullness of Christ and you're
there in Ephesians chapter 4 and if you want to bookmark Ephesians 4 we're gonna
come back a little bit later in the sermon but it says there in verse 15 but
speaking the truth and love may grow up into him in all things which is the head
even Christ and we understand that ultimately the goal is to be as Christ
that won't happen until we will not be as he is until that day when we see him
we have that new man but in the meantime Paul here is asking that they would what
grow up he's praying that they would grow up in all things which is the head
even Christ he wants us to grow up and again what that should tell us that the
Christian life is one of it's an upward trajectory at least it should be it's
never this plateau it's never static it's never having arrived until we see
Christ and if you would keep something Ephesians go over to 1st Peter or 2nd
Peter chapter 1 2nd Peter chapter 1 the Lord wants us to grow it's what we're
here to do and there's a lot you know there's a lot of different areas in
which we need to grow but what we need to understand about growth and I'll
focus in on I'll narrow this down here in a minute to stick with me we need to
understand some things though is about when it comes to growth is that growth
is not automatic you know it's not something that's just going to take
place because you got saved and now you just have to sit back and let this
process take over you're not just going to wake up one morning and be a awesome
Christian you're gonna have to work at that you're not gonna just wake up one
morning and be a great church member you're not going to be a great soul
winner just automatically these these are things that you have to put time
effort and energy into in order to achieve that so yes you know God wants
us to grow the Christian life is one that we need to we need to get better
and better at but I'm here to tell you this morning that it's not going to come
automatically it's something that you have to put in the work growth is not
automatic look at 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 5 and beside this giving all
diligence add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge
temperance and unto temperance patience and to patience godliness and to
godliness brotherly kindness to really kindness charity for if these things be
in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and I want to draw attention to
that word in verse 8 that little word if which tells me that these things are not
automatic it's a possibility for a person as a Christian to go their whole
life and not to add all these things again it's an adding of these things
this is something that we have to do we have to add to our faith the virtue we
have to add to our virtue knowledge and so on and so forth we have to add these
things to our initial faith the faith that we have in Christ and again I'll
say it again there's an if there some people don't take the time to add these
things and what they do is they become stagnant and they become unfruitful as
he says here if these things are in us you know we will be neither barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ these things must be added
you know we use the illustration you want to go over to 2nd Peter chapter 3
just a few pages over I want to use the illustration of thinking it think about
you know of cultivate cultivating plants okay if you're if you're if
you're growing something right a lot of times you have to nurture that plant if
you're growing an indoor plant let's say you have to make sure it's in the right
spot it has the right amount of light you have to go to it you have to add the
fertilizer that it needs you have to make sure that you water it day by day
which is probably why we don't have any plants in my house you know because we
you know we're just trying to pay attention to five kids right now let
alone a houseplant and we have a dog so you have to add these things right you
can't just set the plant somewhere to put it in the closet and say I'm gonna
come back and it's gonna be this big beautiful plant you have to put it in
the right spot add these things it's the same way in your Christian life you need
to make sure that you're in the right spot and then you're adding the right
things to your Christian life if you expect to grow and to bear fruit these
things don't happen automatically you're there in 2nd Peter verse 3 look at verse
18 but grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ to
him it'd be glory both now and forever look God wants us to grow as Christians
and I believe this every Christians we often find ourselves going through times
where we're not growing when we become lackluster when we be kind of just
become stagnant we're not motivated and we need to motivate ourselves understand
that God wants us to grow and it's not going to happen by accident you have to
make these things happen obviously I'm using illustration of plant you know
fertilizer water and all that as we're talking about a spiritual growth this
morning and in order for spiritual growth to take place you have to add
what spiritual nutrition there's spiritual things that you have to add to
your life if you're going to grow and become fruitful in the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ if you would go over go go back to Ephesians chapter number
four back to Ephesians chapter number four I'll just touch on this one one
source I'm gonna get to the main part of the sermon here but one source we
probably all would think of when we're talking about adding a a spiritual
source of nutrition to our lives so that we can grow one source would probably be
the the Word of God right Bible says as newborns babes desire the sincere milk
of the word that you may grow thereby what's one of the purposes of the Bible
is to help us grow and look if you've never read your Bible you need to read
your Bible if you're not got haven't gotten in the habit of daily Bible
reading you need to get in the habit of daily Bible reading you know that's
probably the most significant source of nutrition that you're gonna have in fact
I'll just say it it is if you're not reading it if you're not getting in it
you're not going to grow the way you need to and then the preachers gonna get
up and preach some sermon you're gonna get offended you can say well where does
the Bible say that and he's gonna go well here's the chapter and verse you
know if you'd read that you'd be you'd be saying amen and not you know looking
like you just bit into a lemon but here's the thing if you don't read
you're not gonna grow then and this is just one that again I'm just touching
on this and I mean there's other verses we could turn to but the one I really
want to focus in on this morning is church I believe that church is another
very significant source of spiritual nutrition in our lives because of the
fact that what's happening what is happening at church when you go there
you know this church it's Bible preaching the Bible is the emphasis here
you know the the church the the suite we're taking over down there in in
Tucson where it was a former church that was in there and you know as I'm moving
into that space and looking around and I went in there I realized very quickly
that the Bible was not the source there you say how do you know well one they
had a woman as a pastor you know and that you know if you read your Bible
you'd know that's that's not biblical you know she's not the husband of one
wife you know although today maybe it wasn't a Methodist Church folks you know
it's one of these four square ecumenical charismatic type of places but I remember
we went into the suite and I'm and we're looking at it you know before then
they're in the process of moving out and there's just sound equipment and look
I'm not against sound equipment all right I know you got some nice sound
equipment here but they had I mean they had tens of I mean just I don't want to
say tens of thousands I don't know how much the stuff goes for a huge massive
sound boards lights big decor up on the stage drum kits everything just you know
monitors projectors and it's just it was a big show but then you look around the
rest of the building and the place is dump carpet just rolled out you know the
four concrete floor the kitchens a mess they have a little kitchen area with
like just scrap together they went down to it looks like they went to the
second-hand store and just pushed it all together and put some wood glue in
there or something what I'm getting at is that for them in that place the Bible
was not a significant source of nutrition because the Bible was not the
emphasis when you're in a church like this where the Bible is the emphasis you
know that's gonna help you grow and that's why I believe getting into church
is a significant source of growth in the Christian life you know for the Bible
sake for the fellowship that you have with other believers in Christ to learn
how to go out and go so winning and be fruitful in that area you need the local
church and people today they are forsaking the the the assembling of
themselves together even you know people would say I agree with that church I'm
King James only and saved I appreciate what that pastor preaches I'm a I'm an
online listener but I'll never darken the door you know there's people that
even live in Phoenix Arizona MP that don't they listen online for years and
years and years and never come to church a faithful word Baptist Church
pastor Anderson and we got people and you do you have people that move here
from many miles away and want to be a part of church what you know what is
what what makes the difference between a person who will you know make that
sacrifice and move to a local church to be a part of a local church and a person
who's already there won't even go to church it's whether or not you know one
person wants to grow one person doesn't put a lot of emphasis on it they don't
care if they grow they're happy to just stay at home and say amen to a you know
a computer monitor or a TV screen and and feel spiritual about themselves look
they if you're not in church you're not growing I believe that so I want to
preach it you know that's all introduction but I want to preach this
morning a sermon entitled show up to grow up show up to grow up you want to
grow up in the Christian life you need to show up at church and you know I've
seen so many people that just you know they're wishy-washy in church they're
there they're here a little bit then they're gone for a long time it seems
like they never get past certain things in their life they never seem to grow
beyond a certain stage in their life and their spiritual development because why
because they're not getting the nutrition that they need say well
they're reading their Bible well I'd hope so I'd hope that they're getting
some spiritual nutrition somewhere but you know what in all likelihood if I had
to I don't say if I had to bet right but if I had to guess whether or not a
person who is not in church is reading their Bible or not I would probably go
with no they're not I mean how hard is it to come to church I mean for the
preacher it's a little bit more of an ordeal you know maybe it's we're on the
clock right now you know we're showing up we got a job to do we got God's
people to feed you know no offense but I've been on that side of the pulpit a
lot longer I've been on this side it wasn't that hard to show up and mumble
through a few hymns and and just you know try to keep my eyes open long
enough to look like I'm paying attention I mean you're sitting you're
sitting down oh I'm growing because you know I'm reading my Bible home no you're
not you're not reading it if you don't have enough discipline to get out to
church at least once a week you don't have enough discipline to read your
Bible like you should be I mean maybe you do I'm sure there's exceptions but I
think I'm I'm right on that that's in all likelihood that is the way it is you
must get to the source of nutrition in order to grow in your Christian life you
know if we're a wishy-washy Christian if we're if we're hit and miss on our
church attendance you know you're going to be what spiritually emaciated you
know the Christian who doesn't read their Bible doesn't go to church you
know spiritually they're like you know they've been in a they're starving to
death they're like somebody that got stranded on an island with no food or
poor nutrition you know their spiritual ribs are sticking out they're all gaunt
you know we need to get to where the nutrition is spiritually if we want to
grow and this is where it is it's in the house of God you're there in
Ephesians chapter 4 look at verse 11 you say well it's Church really that
important well I mean Christ died for it you know he shed his blood to purchase
the church and then it says here in verse 11 he gave some apostles and some
prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and some teachers so they could
get up and hear themselves speak they could fall in love with the sound of
their own voice so they could you know you know newsflash you guys probably
already understand this isn't a newsflash you know preachers aren't up
here and pastors aren't up here doing this for their health the stress and the
attacks and everything that you've seen your pastor go through and I've seen my
pastor go through you know it has a physical toll on the body too you know I
remember I experienced a little bit of that when we had a this big you know
blow up at at our church and there was all this stress I mean I got physically
ill I couldn't eat my stomach was bothering me I called pastor Anderson
what's he so yeah I've been able to eat either and then I looked it up I said
the stress caused this kind of thing did you know that this is a little
biology lesson I'm going off a rabbit trail but you're you're as I understand
it you know if there's any doctors in the room you can correct me later but
your digestive system and your stomach has its own has its own nerve as like
its own you don't you ever notice don't normally feel what's going on in your
guts when you're under increased stress and pressure you start to feel that you
get stomach pains so you literally go through like this physical pain sometimes
not to mention just you know the you know the daily what comes upon preachers
and pastors the care of the church you know the stress that's there you know
that's not why God gave apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and
teachers just because they had nothing better to do it tells us why it's the
why he gave us these things verse 12 for the perfecting of the Saints and again
that perfecting there it's it's a making whole right to be to be perfect an
entire wanting nothing as it says in James you know to be perfect is to be
entire not to be sinless but to be perfecting of the Saints for the work of
the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ that's how important
Church is to God he's actually or had ordained that certain men should meet
certain qualifications and should stand up and feed the flock of God but look if
you're not there when the bread is being broken you're not there when it's being
served you're missing out you know I'm not gonna miss out you know if people
stop coming to church in Tucson you know I'm still gonna be you know if people
decide to quit coming and skip out on church I'm still gonna feed the people
that are there my family's gonna walk out nourished you know and if it gets so
bad we got to close the door as well I'm gonna find a church and I'm gonna go I'm
gonna go eat for a while you know I'm gonna get on that side of the buffet
table and enjoy a meal right and just savor the flavor rather than sit you
having to get up every every week and mix the ingredients and put it in the
oven and make sure it comes out right but that's how important the local
churches and people forsake it they take it for granted they don't think
it's that important and what they're doing is they're starving themselves
they become spiritually emaciated you know he gives us these things for the
work of the ministry verse 13 to we all come in the unity the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ that's a growth there that's growth he's saying
look you have these preachers you have these teachers you have these
evangelists you have the local church to help you grow until you come unto the
measure of the stature of Christ that tells me that this plays a major
significant part in your Christian growth the local church well you're not
gonna grow up unless you show up you need to show up to grow up look at verse
14 we'll see more of this gross this growth it says there verse 14 that we
henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every
wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lay
and wait to deceive he's given us these things so that we know more be children
like he's saying that so that you're never children it's okay to start out as
a babe in Christ it's okay to start out as a child but you don't want to remain
that way that's not God's will for you he wants you to grow beyond that to be
no more children and look with the notice how children are described here
they're tossed to and fro right I mean it's real easy us dads we know if we
have kids we can just you know the kids want to wrestle we have to rein it in
don't we we have to hold it back you know the my son thinks he's really
getting me you know when he claimed my five-year-old climbs up on the couch and
and jumps on me with the full force of his weight and he and I act oh you know
it's like a WWE match or whatever you know and he's thinking oh man I got the
old man right where I got on him right it's go time we know it's I could easily
what toss him to and fro right not that I do all right I'll admit sometimes I
grab an arm and a leg and throw them on a bed or a couch but you know but this
is why you need to grow you need to get some spiritual weight right and you get
some spiritual muscle so you aren't tossed to and fro and carried about by
wind right that's the joke we that we always make about the skinnies right if
you don't know what a skinny is it's probably because you're not you know we
say look you better grab onto something to grab onto a rail when that wind
starts to blow because you're you're you have no weight you're gonna get blown
away right you know the same thing can happen spiritually that if you don't
show up to church and get the spiritual nutrition you need you can just be like
so so spiritually thin and such a spiritual rail that's just some false
wind of doctrines gonna come along and just there you go right out the door
church just get carried away some false accuser comes along and just say that
person ever put on any spiritual weight if they just got blown out by some
demonic breeze that comes through that's what happens to people when they don't
show up they don't grow up they don't put on the spiritual weight they get
tossed to and fro they're carried about with every wind of doctrine by what the
slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie and wait to deceive you
know we need the spiritual church or the local church to help us put on that
spiritual weight to grow and be no more children so that we can defend ourselves
because we have an enemy like I don't know how many times we're going to see
people attack churches before people get it they go oh we have a spiritual and
it's like duh the problem is people think that when we say that like the
devil is going to show up at the front door with a pitchfork you know and like
that's how we attacks that's not how he attacks and we tax through Judas is he
packed attacks through what false doctrine through infiltrators through
Judas is and so on and so forth and I want to go off on that but look you need
to get into the source of the of the spiritual nutrition if you're going to
grow up you know the Bible reading okay if you want to go to go to first
Timothy chapter number four first Timothy chapter number four and the
Bible promises that that you know I hate to break it to you but things are
actually gonna get worse before they get better you know in the Bible test says
that in the latter times you know perilous times shall come men shall be
you know seducers deceiving and being deceived evil men shall whack and
seducer shall wax worse and worse the Bible says it's not gonna say less and
less you know that was written back then and said look it's gonna get worse
and worse and we're here two thousand some odd years away from when that was
written and I don't think I have to really spend a lot of time trying to
convince people that things are getting worse not better I mean look at the
state of our country in our world spiritually I mean it's just it's just
it's just it's going down the drain folks in a hurry and I'm not going to go
on about that but look we need to understand that there are spiritual
sources in our life for spiritual attrition to help us resist these these
attacks to not get carried about to not remain children you know the Bible
reading is one of them we're gonna talk about that again look at first Timothy
chapter 4 I know I got you some in Ephesians stay there but we're gonna
come back to first Timothy 4 again later if you want to bookmark that try not to
sprain any fingers this morning but it says in verse 1 now the Spirit speaketh
the spread expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith
giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils this is something
that's going to be a hallmark of the end times this is something that that
Timothy even his day was dealing with that people were going to depart from
the faith that they're going to give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines
of devils and we understand that but I want to point out the antidote right
because this is Paul telling him and warning Timothy look this is what's
gonna happen here's what they're gonna teach they're going to come this is what
they're gonna do and then he's saying you know what you're defenseless there's
nothing you can do about Timothy no he said in verse 13 till I come give
attendance to reading the exhortation the doctrine you know that's the
antidote to these people is to know your Bible and to give attendance to what
reading you'll get in the Word of God spend time of it and look I'm not saying
everybody in the room needs to make sure they're reading you know two hours one
hour a day a good night can people find 15 20 minutes in their day to just
read the Bible and get through it once a year just one time a year and a minimum
you know if you read the Bible one time this year you'd be way ahead of vast
majority of Christians you would be the upper percentile you'd be the elite
right but you want to be an elite read your Bible then you know and the thing
is it gets so frustrating you know preaching this and preaching this and
preaching this and just seeing people year by year not reading their Bible not
reading get up and read you preach and you preach it and it's gonna get
preached again oh you the New Year's right around the corner it's a major
theme that preachers love to preach on right around the New Year reading your
Bible so I'm just gonna give you a taste now go ahead and read your Bible you got
three months to the end of the year you know get see how far you can get it get
ahead on the next year because here's the thing you know he's warning them
that these wicked people are gonna come and then he gives them the solution in
verse 13 and the first thing on the list is reading like well I'm not gonna read
my Bible but I'm gonna take on all these these wicked reprobates I'm gonna
go ahead I'm gonna take on you know all the false doctrine in the world no
you're not now without giving attendance to reading you think you're some
spiritual giant you know but but you're if you're not reading you know you're a
spiritual weakling because that's the source of nutrition you know get in the
spiritual gym and pump those weights for a while you have attendance to reading
what else to exhortation you know to me I read that and I think preaching now
for Timothy he's probably telling him hey work on your preaching you know but
we can apply this to all of us and say look you need to be there when the
exhortation is taking place you know you could learn everything on your own
couldn't you you know the spirit that that that is in you you know you need
not that any man teaches you right but that same anointing teach a few of all
we understand that look if you read your Bible and read it for hours you and
after a long time you could study things and you know you maybe you could
just quit your job or quit taking care of the kids and just give up all your
hobbies and you could just dive into the Word of God 8 to 12 hours a day and you
could come out in a few years and knowing everything you just having it
all locked in but is that realistic you can start to see why God gave us the
local church you start to see why God gave us teachers and preachers and
pastors and all that to help us what accelerate our growth you know this is
like the spiritual steroid here right to help you recover quickly and I'm not
promoting steroids okay this disclaimer right there all right the views
expressed this morning are not necessarily views endorsed by sure
foundation that research although I'm pretty sure Pastor Thompson would not
endorse steroids either look you need the spiritual ones I'll go ahead endorse
those I'll put my stamp of approval on that get the spiritual steroid to come
into church you know it's gonna accelerate your growth I mean do you
want to do you want to give up all those things and and take all the time it's
gonna take or do you want to just have somebody who's already done the reading
has already been in church and heard the preaching who's already learned the
doctrine just get up and teach it to you and you're like oh that would have taken
me you know I could have taken three four hours and written that sermon but
you know I just had to show up and listen for 45 minutes maybe take some
notes and now I understand something about the Word of God now I can go back
out in the world and live my life and and and go out there and know that I'm
not gonna just get you know carried about by every wind of doctrine that's
out there so he says look that here's the problem that these wicked people are
gonna come here's the antidote give attendance to the reading and what give
attendance the exhortation and to the doctrine that's being taught in the
local church say well you know I I'll show up to church you know every once in
a while you know and look I don't know who's regular here or not which just
makes it great for me it's not to worry about making anybody uncomfortable right
but look if you're just one of these bare minimum people like well I'll just
show up when it suits me I'll just show up when the guest preachers in town I'll
just show up on the special occasion you know I'll be there on Easter I'll be in
there Christmas like look we're not Catholics I'm Catholic when you go to
church every Easter no not a very good one look but if you're getting at it
this if you're just bare minimum in your Christian life if you're just
getting a bare minimum of nutrition well you know you can expect in your growth
bare minimum results because you get out what you put in if you're just barely at
church you know you're just gonna get that little bit of nutrition that you
need you know it might give you a little bit of time you might help you just you
know continue to just climb your way through life like that guy in the desert
right he finds a little puddle of water and then you know that puddle water is
pretty good but then he's still got that whole rest of his desert to just drag
himself through that's not how I want to live my Christian life you know and the
thing is you don't have to you know I know it's a desert out here spiritually
but there's there's this great oasis called sure foundation Baptist Church
the local church and it's you know it's three times a week right you guys three
times a week around here yeah that's right it's the Baptist on the front door
that's right you know that three times a week it's getting served up and look I'm
not saying if you're not here all three services that you're in sin I'm just
saying you can expect those results though and that's what I've noticed the
people that are there every time the doors are open I seem to be the most
solid people in my church I'm just saying hurts the same here those are the
people that are making changes sticking by the stuff doing the work are the
people that are dedicated to showing up three times a week and I get it we get
sick we get busy life happens but the people that are dedicated to being in
church those are the ones that seem to grow and excel more than the rest one
of the ones that just saying well I'm just gonna go in and check church off
for the week you know and try to keep my eyes open through the service and then I
can at least say I'm there you're well you might be there in physically but you
kind of you know if you're checking out mentally did you really go to church
look we need to be there if we want to grow we need to be there and look I'll
say this if you're not regular church you are in sin you're forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together you know and you need to be in church why
else would God give us the local church if you didn't expect us to be there you
know there's the saying that we have as Baptist three to thrive right well I've
kind of elaborated on that a little bit three to thrive look I believe in three
to thrive the ones that are thriving and people were Tucson and Tempe and other
churches are the ones that are there three times a week as often as they can
those are the ones that are thriving in their Christian life that are just you
know ahead of the pack then you have another crowd that's called tool do you
got three to thrive then you got two will do look two will do and two is good
two is better than one and two is definitely better than none right two
will do it'll get you by you'll do all right hey you'll be do you'll be doing
better the person that's just what one to get it done all right you got three
to thrive two will do and then one to just just get it done just to make sure
I don't completely waste away spiritually just to make sure I don't
become completely emaciated and die an early death let me just show up get that
little bit of nutrition you know it's like that like people think vitamins are
like the solution to all our health problems and I'm not against vitamins
either you know but there's a lot that's a whole industry animal but some people
I think they just show up at church take a vitamin right they think well I'm good
to go for the rest of the week that's it I'm gonna just read my Bible you know
once this week or you know I just got a you know I'm gonna read one proverb a
day for the rest of my life that's my little spiritual vitamin why don't you
try living your real your physical life like that just wake up grab your
Flintstone gummy right your little candy called you call a vitamin and chew on
that for a while and see how far that gets you you won't last a day I mean the
guys that have these physical jobs and these mental jobs where it's just it's
just a stress you know moms who are raising kids I'm talking about stress
all this hard work you're putting in these long hours you think you're gonna
do that on a vitamin ain't gonna happen you're gonna you're gonna you're gonna
fall out you're gonna get stressed out you're gonna get hangry right no one
likes to be around people who are angry actually I do because then we can be
like hey let's get something to eat well I better watch it talk about eating a
church but that's the analogy I'm using like you can't just want you know one
one to get it done you know what you'll probably eat by in the Christian life
you'll probably be okay and I'm not saying that you can't be a good
Christian only go to church once a week you can't but is that all you want to
just be okay in the Christian life just make it like well at least I'm gonna
make it no you know what I want to thrive in the Christian life look if I'm
gonna do this thing let's do it you know why go halfway why not just go all the
way in you know it's like it's like the guy at the swimming pool you know it's
the water's cold a little bit it's kind of uncomfortable when you first get in
you know the best way to get in a cold pool just just jump in I mean just belly
flopping in that thing do a cannonball well you know the Christian life is like
that swimming pool a lot of people this is what they do in the Christian life
they're just like ooh you know oh that's cold I don't know if I want to get it
well I'll get a little bit and then they just stand there and with you know up to
their knees or whatever and they're and they're knocking and they're just
like look you got to get all the way in once you get all the way in it gets
comfortable you get used to it that's why I want to be in the Christian life I
just want to take a full run to Christian life and just sail and just
smash his belly flop right into it just make some waves you know and have you
know get get the toys out and and swim around and have some fun I like the
Christian life it's exciting to me I like coming to church I like being
around God's people why would I treat that treat that like a drudgery oh it's
time to go to church again I drag myself in gotta make sure I have you know like
four espresso shots before I get there better give the preacher one too because
you know unless he makes the sermon ultra exciting and gets super animated I
probably not gonna enjoy myself you know we're not here to entertain you sorry
we're just here to feed you the Word of God you know we try to make entertaining
I get that we try to be animated try to use illustrations and things well look
that's not how I want to live my Christian life just just one to get it
done just barely just hanging on just white-knuckling it to the Christian life
I want to I want to jump all the way in so you know why you know a lot of people
are probably convinced this but you ever wonder why people they there's people
understand this and that they still don't change say yeah I know I should be
there you know more than I should be there at least once I'd be do better if
I was there more often they get what I'm saying they agree but why is it that
they they don't change well they have excuses they have excuses right and
they're lame excuses I'm sorry you know the gloves are coming off I've heard
too many excuses for too long it's just like that's a lame excuse what are some
of that I'm just gonna touch a few of them okay here's one it's too far it's
too far you know there's some people if you say that to them in this church they
will laugh in your face is well you know most people mean by too far anything
over 20 minutes that's what I mean Tucson will drive will drive 15 20
minutes go so winning people you're all the way over here well I mean that's
that's like 15 man I can't come it's 15 minutes in a car in an
air-conditioned vehicle there's a Dutch Bros on the way you know there's in and
out there whatever you could stop get some make it fun well I would but it's
15 minutes yeah but the movie theater is the same distance away you got no
problem going there hey the grocery store is farther away and you're gonna
exact the excuse you're gonna use then honey why is the fridge empty how come
there's nothing on the table well I would have gone to the store but it's 20
minutes wait oh well that makes sense I'm sorry we'll just wait for the
Safeway or whatever to open up down the street you know let's go through the
couch and see if we can find some crumbs the kids left behind they're in the
minivan that's where you gotta find them you know what I'm saying my minivan I
clean it out and there's like a whole there's like loaves of bread in there
and I don't mean like whole loaves I mean there's like enough bread in there
to like make it crusty little where that came from right so I got to stay
away from these illustrations because they just let go off hmm but that's
another lame excuse that people use don't they it's just so far you know I
like being here in Vancouver it reminds me a lot of where I'm from originally in
northern Michigan I mean you guys trees are way bigger but it's more rural and
spread out right I'm sure you get a little out of town people you know the
houses are much further apart and that's where I lived and like everything
was 30 minutes away everything was 30 45 minutes away just what you did through
the snow I'm talking northern Michigan snow like
banks of snow and people went to church I mean I remember I don't know how many
times I went to church in a blizzard and I'm not saying that to pump myself up
I'm just saying look I wanted to grow as a Christian and nothing was gonna stop
me from getting to church especially not 30 minutes on a sunny day oh it's hot
out you know okay well just stay comfortable at home and just waste away
spiritually then you know the biggest irony I've noticed too is that the
people who live closest are the often the people who miss the most I'm just I
scratched my head of that it's like you live 10 minutes 15 minutes away and you
can't show up to church it's just too far well here's another one I've got all
these kids like welcome to the club you know we've got five all under ten you
know and look we managed to get to church on time and look this might make
some people mad but I'm gonna go ahead and make some people mad you know I
remember hearing a story of the lady that was her excuse for the longest time
oh I'd you know I I would be to church on time but I've got you know three or
four kids and I just can't you know I just can't get them all ready you know
with their perfect little Sunday outfits and everything just dolled up
and in church to me in the van and to get there on time and then one lady came
to her and says like well I've got eight I managed to do it I was caddy right you
know what it worked that lady she heard that she was mad for a while you know
what she started showing up church on time she got those you know it's called
get ready earlier hey maybe you need to skip the Starbucks you know that's
that's the funniest thing is people show up late but they've got like a full
drink in there like a fresh like they're just getting there like walking getting
that first sip image sorry I'm late it's like yeah well I could see that you know
you had other you were busy you know look you're gonna do that at least bring
the preacher one you know I'm just kidding don't do that how about just
show up leave you know if you got to get that drink leave a little earlier
you got kids that takes a little longer I get it it's work it's hard get ready
earlier here's here's a bright idea get ready the night before look here's the
practical you know part of the sermon get the kids ready the night before pack
the bag the night before get the man hey dad's help out who got quiet there hey
dad's help out help mom out a little bit getting ready okay now look I could
probably I'm just as guilty as that as anybody but right when I'm being nice
and conscientious right I do my part you know but help out mom and dad you know
help out getting them ready how about the older kids help out let up I'm gonna
move on there but look that's one excuse there it's too far it takes too long to
get there I'm glad Jesus didn't have that excuse hey I need son you know the
father said son I need you to go down there and die for all humanity and save
their souls it's just so far Lord father I'd go but I mean look at the distance
we're up here in heaven and glory with all the angels and and and and and all
of that and you want me to go down there it's just a little too far I mean he
went further for us than you'll ever go for him 30 minutes come on you know you
can get there if you really wanted to you know he took upon himself the form
of a servant was made in the likeness of men go to Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews
chapter 11 look here's the thing if it's if it's really too far because sometimes
it is I get it sometimes it really in there you either need to find a church
where you live or here's a bright here's another and this is this is one that
just makes people go oh move move for church move for church I'd never do that
you'd move for a job you'd move to go to a school you'd move just because you
like another city I just want to live there okay go ahead people will move
across the country for you know just vain empty worldly reasons but then you
just confront them with the idea the concept of hey you could move to go to a
good church it's like all we're in a cult it's some kind of call you want me
to move for a church yeah I want you to move for a church I think you should I
think it'd be good for your kids I think it'd be good for your family
wouldn't be good if you had your kids in a good local church don't you care about
their spiritual well-being too
I mean look at Hebrews chapter 11 well God would never ask anybody to move
right mmm well let's look at verse 8 look at our father of our faith Abraham
right by faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he
should should after receive for an Aaron inheritance obeyed and he went out not
knowing whether he went I mean he went out to a completely strange land to just
sojourn and walk through it never gave he got to settle down and he didn't even
know where he was going I just said head out and he said walk up and down the
land and this and just look at the land I'm gonna give to you to your heirs not
you to your heirs I want you just walk around it and just sojourn and you know
he he literally moved here for the will to be in the will of God so it's really
not that you know odd of a concept to ask God's people to move to be in a
local church but look if you don't want to grow you know then don't move if
you're not interesting in growing then you know don't if you want to grow up
then don't bother showing up but if you want to grow if you want to be fruitful
if you want to to live a life that's gonna please the Lord you know what you
might have to move or you might have to just be ready to put in that our two
hour drive and people do that it's not crazy I mean people might think you're
crazy for doing that but I hear that and I think that person you know what
they're gonna grow they're gonna they're gonna be growing they're gonna be
listening they can listen the Bible for an hour there they can listen an hour
back they get their spiritual nutrition on Sunday and they'll probably have more
done you know spiritually than a lot of people in the whole week we've got more
spiritual nutrition look he told him to go out not knowing where they went verse
9 by faith he soared in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling
and tabernacles you know that's a tent oh it'd be so great to live back then
be like Abraham yeah right he'd look at you and say you're crazy
imagine if you get a time machine and go back there like Abraham I came to live
here with you and check it out and you start telling them about what you left
behind like yeah we don't we just go to this place this big box all the food you
need is there and I'm like you don't have to wait for to grow on a tree it's
like brought from around the world everything's already slaughtered and
plastic wrapped and then we just grab you know these flavorful drinks on the
way out and it's a can of gas and we just go cook it up at home oh in our
homes you'd love it Abraham they're they're air-conditioned heat climate
controlled we got screens in them they entertain us you know we got all this
comfortable seating if they're stationary you know we got our own
little plot of land you'd be like and you came back here he'd like grab you
and get in this time machine and head back and say you do it cuz he's in a
he's literally in a tabernacle he's living his life in a tent wandering
around the desert keeping a flock working harder you know than 12 plus
hour day and back then you know they determined their workday by when the Sun
came up and went it back down went back down because they only had so much you
know time in the year to get everything done I mean we got to really think about
what these people endured you know but that came before us Abraham went out by
faith not knowing where they went he dwelt was willing to dwell in
tabernacles say what would motivate a person to do that first not first 10 for
he looked for a city which had foundations whose builder and maker is
God you know he was looking to Jesus he was looking at the heavens he was
looking at the life to come that's why he's like I'll live in a tent I'll be as
uncomfortable as you want Lord as long as gonna please you because I know one
day I'm gonna see him face to face one day I'm gonna receive a reward for the
thing the works that I've done you say well I don't know if I could move an
hour I don't know if I could show up on time I don't know if I could be there
three times a week are you really looking for a city are you really
looking forward to heaven then
here's the reality you know you can we could talk about all these these these
excuses that people have but the reality is is that you'd be in church if
you wanted to be look if you want to be in church you'd be there I'd be in
church but you know what if you want don't talk if you want to be in church
you'd be there another lame excuse I'm too busy right well I'd be there I'm
just I'm too busy but people they schedule their lives around what's
important to them that don't they you get that paycheck on Friday and the you
know it's like you don't have direct deposit probably everyone has debt
deposit now you don't want to talk about but it used to be you know before the
internet you actually had to take a physical check to a physical bank of
cash it right and boy you'd make you'd fight traffic you'd make it happen you'd
get to that bank on time get that thing deposited because it's important to you
right we're here in a bank literally right but we're in a spiritual bank too
you know you need to come to the spiritual bank and make withdrawal you
know if it was that important to you do it you know if you had some bill to pay
you had some trip to go on you had to get some cash and it's 4 30 the bank's
gonna close at 5 I mean people would be burning rubber to get to that bank and
get what they need right why cuz people schedule their lives around what's
important to them you know just it's not that hard to tell what's important to
people just look how they live their life look what's you know just look what
they make a priority in life that's what's important to them well it's my
job here here's another one that's really gonna step on some to it well
it's easy for you to say because you know your job is to do that I've
switched jobs for this reason for church I've turned down jobs that said look I
got to be in church and so that we need to work some days I I would read I would
be looking for a job and I'd look through the you know the help wanted ads
or whatever that's another bygone thing right it would say availability must be
available weekends nope I wouldn't even apply I would just say I'm going to
church why cuz that's what's important to me well I'm too busy I'd be there
but my job here's a novel idea get another job I mean I don't know else to
say well I just can't find you you could find one you know maybe you'd have to
take a pay cut maybe you wouldn't have to have such a nice life well I don't
know if I could do that go tell it to Abraham go tell Abraham who lived in a
tent his whole life with a family uncomfortable wandering around ask him
if that was easy but you know why he was willing to do that because that was what
was important to him if it's really that important you'll be there you'll make it
happen okay here's another one and I'm almost done my family thinks it's weird
to go to church that much I'd go but every time I load up that you know I'm
loading up the van on a Wednesday or Thursday night you know midweek all
dressed up for church and the neighbors out watering the lawn across the street
there they go again who cares what they think look at the world's doing we're
talking about weird look what they're into look how they spend their time you
know they're gonna pull on a pair of yoga pants and go drink Starbucks that's
where they're at this morning that's what's important to them you know going
and just eating a bunch of sugar and scrolling through some news feed you
know that might be fun that might that might tingle the taste buds but you know
what there's no spiritual nutrition in that who cares what they think they
might think it's weird but you know what when your life isn't a mess and there's
is you know then we'll see who how weird it is when their kids turn out you
know all purple-haired and look like they've gotten a fight with the tackle
box and lost and just tripped and went headfirst the tackle box came up you
know just hear him coming around the corner cuz everything's a jangling on
their face yeah but you go to church three times so we're connect that that's
weird look at it's like look at your life you know alcohols destroying your
life keep on drinking gamblings destroying their lives they keep on
gambling all these sins that they just stand and they think well but you're
weird for living a godly life and going to church three times a week look at
that's weird I want to be as weird as I can I want to be I don't want to be the
normal today look you kids you want to be you want to be hip you want to be
cool you want to be countercultural you want to be edgy go to church go to
church read your Bible be a Christian you know that's the edgy thing to do
isn't it you know being being a fag and in some public school somewhere that's
cool now that's like oh yeah how cool there's nothing cool about it's an
abomination to God the Christians the ones gonna stick out like a sore thumb
the Christians the ones that's gonna be different well my family thinks it's
weird well you know what Jesus didn't promise you that your family's gonna get
along with you if you got saved I'm sorry to live for God you didn't say
that in fact he said the opposite he said I think not I came to send peace I
can earth I came not to send peace but a sword for I'm kind of said a man at
variance against his father the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law
against her mother mother-in-law and a man's foe shall be day of his own house
that's what Jesus said you know and people get it's just amazing when people
get shocked by that like they'll read that they'll heal the preacher say it
and then it happens they're just like I didn't see it coming do you think he was
just that's just filler like he was just saying that like uh and a man's
foe should be on those house yeah write that down that'll work no that's a
reality you know it's a lame excuse well I'd be in church more I'd live for God
but my family just thinks it's weird you know the real reason why people don't
come to church it's not because they're busy it's not because you know they
don't want to be weird it's not because they'll say that it's not because they
you know it's too far it's because the reason why people don't show up to
church is because they don't value church the way they should it's not
important to them that's the real problem they don't value church for what
it is and what is church and this is this is something that jumped out to me
there they go to Genesis 28 Genesis chapter 28 I know it's kind of a
different passage to go but then this is 28 we're gonna stay there and I'll wrap
this up I know I'm going along this morning but look if I make you mad I'm
not gonna see you next week see if I'm that long-winded preacher that shows up
and just goes on and on it cuts into your buffet time or whatever you know
you're you know that's fine I'll make you mad because I don't have to see you
for well next time I come up maybe if I get invited back come back don't invite
him back look at Genesis 28 verse 10 and Jacob went out from Beersheba and went
toward Haran and this is of course when he's fleeing from Esau his brother he's
going in the land of Laban to Laban's house and he lighted upon a
certain place and tarried there all that night because the sun was set and he
took up the stones of that place and put them up for his pillows and laid down a
place to sleep and that place to sleep and he dreamed you know I think he must
have been in Arizona because that's the only thing you could find out there is
pillows is rocks couldn't find a bush or something I don't know and he says in
verse 12 and he dreamed behold a ladder set up on earth on the earth and the top
of it reached it to heaven and behold the angels of God ascending and
descending on it and behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord
God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac the land where in thou Elias to
thee will I give it excuse me and to thy seed we'll skip ahead for the sake of
time you have the promise see there verse 16 and Jacob waked out of his sleep
and said surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not and he was
afraid and said how dreadful is this place this is none other but the house
of God and this is the gate of heaven and Jacob rose up early in the morning
took up the stone that he put up for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and
poured oil upon the top of it now verse 17 notice there he said this is none
other but the house of God and look you have to understand something that when
you're here in the local church you are in none other than the house of God now
I know it's it's it's it's not ornate in here it's nice it's comfortable it's
functional but is it have all the things like the Catholic Church has does it
have all the gold and the silver and the brass and the altar and everything of
the painting on all over the ceiling and is it some giant edifice that everyone
just people who don't even believe just come to take pictures of no but you know
what that's not the house of God either they're preaching some false gospel over
there it's a doctor you know a bunch of it's a it's a den of iniquities with the
Catholic churches and many others you know you could drive down the road here
and find some giant a-frame building that has a bunch of stained glass around
and go in there and feel spiritual and feel religious but that's not the house
of God if God's people aren't you know what makes up the house of God God's
people make up the house of God and look because we're God's people and we're
here we are in none other than the house of God this morning that's why you need
to show up you need to learn to value church for what it is what is it the
house of God is what it is and you know our types of churches you know I try to
do the best I can to put a good foot forward when people walk in you know to
be somewhat you know at least not scared away by the way it looks the core right
that's not my main emphasis you know because we kind of have a strike against
us you meeting a bank you making an office strip mall you mean we're meeting
in a warehouse folks with an office front a literal warehouse I think it's
cool you know I got the big tall ceiling all the exposed everything up top it'll
look nice and we're done look people can walk in there and go I'm not going to
church here look at this place right but look people who understand that the
Church of God is that it's made up of the the assembly of the believers know
when they walk in that place whether it's in an old bank whether it's an
office strip or whether it's in a strip mall or realtail space a warehouse
wherever it is if it's in somebody's living room if it's in a park that they
are none other than the house of God that's that's where they are the house
of God we this assembly this is the house of God this morning and we need to
learn to put a premium on you say I don't know about that I'll just read to
you first Peter chapter 2 verse 5 you also as lively stones living stones are
built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ look we are the lively stones we
this morning are built up a spiritual house Bible says in 1st Timothy 3 if I
tear you along that thou mayest know how the oddest behave thyself in the house
of God which is the Church of God what is the house of God in the New Testament
it's the church what is the church assembly of the believers you're sitting
I know you might not be blown away by the decor and the just how beautiful
this building is this morning but I'll tell you where you're sitting it's not
just some bank old bank you're sitting in the house of God and people who
understand that and believe that why why would you miss out on that well I'd go
to church okay ask how about instead of saying should I go to church ask
yourself this should I go and meet in the house of God he said surely the Lord
is in this place that's what what what Jacob said you know we say the same
thing about this place you know it's not just the people around you that are here
this morning it's the Spirit of God the Lord is in this place this morning to me
that's a profound thought I mean cuz you know look like Paul told the Corinthians
you know there's not many noble not many mighty are called you know God has
chosen the foolish things the base things of this world to confound the
things which are wise and mighty right he uses plain simple salt of the earth
everyday people look if you walk around and just say well it's just it's just a
bunch of average folks here you know and that's all you know I'm just looking to
be impressed by well where's the councilman where's the where does the
representatives go to church you know it's Barack Obama go here right there's
someone I was visiting in Chicago so you want to see where Barack Obama goes
to church like no let's see where he lives no I don't care you know but if we
come in just trying to be impressed by the people are there impressed by the
building itself look there's not much to be impressed about in that regard but
you know what is impressive is the fact that God is here that God looks down and
says there's my people gathering together in my house my spirit will be
there with them that can be said the same thing here in this place because
wherever two or three gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of
them he said lo I'm with you all way even until the end of the world he's
with us as ordained the local church he said this is none other the house of God
and this is my last point I want you to pay attention this this is none of the
house of God he said in verse 17 and he said and this is the gate of heaven this
is the gate of heaven you know why that's important to be in the house of
God so that you can learn to reach others with the gospel because that's
what we emphasize here in these churches you know do we emphasize going digging
wells building schools and buying backpacks from the local schoolchildren
you know like the church that you know had to vacate the sweet we're moving
into that you know they had their social gospel no so that's what how are you
serving your community well we're opening up the gate of heaven I mean
that's a pretty good public service if you ask me that has eternal rewards for
everyone involved he said this is none of the house of God and this is the gate
of heaven look this is the gate of heaven folks because this is where the
place in in Vancouver Washington from which the gospel is going to go for look
I'm sure there's other gates around here there's other local churches that preach
a gospel I'd hope so but I know for sure that there's one right here culture
foundation Baptist Church that this is a gate of heaven it's not not only it's
the house of God which is in itself amazing it should motivate you to be a
part of it and to be in the church we know it also it's the gate of heaven
it's gonna you know you could go out there and show people how to go to
heaven this is how the loss are going to be saved and I don't know I'm going long
but second Corinthians 5 now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God
beseech you by us be reconciled to God he has committed unto us what the
Ministry of Reconciliation he's made us gatekeepers folks to heaven you know
he's saying look open the show him with the door show him the gate go out there
and show how to go to heaven not only is this the house of God this is the gate
of heaven you know why some people never darken the door of a church like this
because they can't see past a pile of rocks when Jacob got done there he made
that pillar out of the stones he'd laid on and poured oil on it you imagine being
a guy came after him he didn't see Jacob's ladder he didn't hear the voice
of God right Jacob did that you know sometime later some other times runs
what is this you ever been that been out hiking and find a pile of rocks like
that where people will do that they'll just pile up rocks somewhere you're like
oh I wonder who did that you don't go this is the house of God
yes I hope you don't right you know that's what some people that's all they
see somebody came after Jacob said wow someone stack some stones up put some
oil on it what a waste of oil why cuz it's not important to them and look
we'd expect that of unbelievers all these people are just driving by in this
road right here you think they've seen that sign ago there's the house of God
there's the gate of heaven like there's another Baptist Church there's another
leased out building you know I'm gonna go to that one down the street that has
you know just more of the same materials just organized differently it's just
more aesthetically pleasing to my eye that doesn't make it the house of God
though does it house of God is the gate of heaven it's where God's people come
the believers to go out and preach the gospel to congregate and grow in Christ
we'd expect that of the unbelievers but you know what I think sometimes even
God's own people get this attitude they walk into a church and they go here we
are again and this cramped stuffy I don't like the paint they chose these
are cheap chairs look those aren't cheap chairs we got the same ones those are
nice chairs somebody called those chairs cheap to me once I was just like
I just smile it because I I know how much they cost I'm the one that put them
together and brought them down you know anyway but people walk in they get this
attitude now just the house of God it doesn't look like it to me looks like a
pile of rocks you know what you need to look at things spiritually what I'm
getting at is that if you'd learn to see the church for what it is you'd value it
for what it is you'd make it important if you really believe this was the house
of God and that this was the gate of heaven don't you think you'd make more
of an effort to be here but and people in that but just blows my mind there's
people other say I do believe that that's like the where are you how come
you can't be consistent how can you can't show up how come you can't get
involved in the soul winning because they had the same attitude that the
unbelievers do say the guy that came after Jacob just another pile of rocks
somebody stacked up for some weird reason I don't understand anyway I got
it closed but look God wants us to abound God wants us to be filled God
wants us to grow as Christians that's what he wants doesn't want us to be
barren and unfruitful in our lives and he's given us sources of nutrition in
our life to grow there by he's given us the Bible but you know what you're not
gonna grow up unless you show up you're not gonna grow in the Word of God unless
you show up to the Bible reading do you give attendance to reading you know when
the roll call it's called for Bible time you know say here present you know
grow you know God's given us wants us to grow he's given us the spiritual
nutrition through the local church you're not going to grow up if you don't
show up let's go ahead and pray