Transformative Growth: The Power of Faith and Discipleship
Summary
In sharing my testimony, I reflected on my journey from the inner city of Jacksonville, Florida, where I was influenced by a challenging environment. Despite having a supportive family, I found myself entangled in a lifestyle of crime and rebellion. It was during this tumultuous period that a persistent Christian witness reached out to me, planting a seed of faith that eventually led me to a transformative encounter with Jesus Christ. This pivotal moment occurred not in a church, but in the solitude of my bedroom, where I surrendered my life to Christ, marking the beginning of a new chapter filled with purpose and hope.
The essence of my message tonight is encapsulated in the parable of the leaven from Matthew 13:33. Jesus uses leaven as a metaphor for the kingdom of heaven, illustrating how the church is meant to grow and expand. However, this growth must be rooted in genuine spiritual transformation rather than superficial numbers. The church is not merely a community or a building; it is the body of Christ, called to uphold God's truth and reach the lost with the gospel.
The problem with some modern church growth strategies is that they focus on attracting people from other congregations rather than evangelizing the lost. This approach can lead to a superficial faith that lacks true discipleship. True church growth is about conversion and discipleship, where individuals are transformed by the gospel and equipped to live out their faith. This involves a commitment to evangelism, discipleship, and church planting, ensuring that the church remains focused on its mission to spread the love and truth of Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, the kingdom of heaven is like leaven, meant to permeate and transform the world through the power of the gospel. Our hope is not in perfect buildings or programs, but in the presence of Jesus Christ within us. As we embrace this mission, we are called to love others and share the transformative power of the gospel, believing that God can save and change lives just as He did for me.
Key Takeaways:
1. Transformation through Christ: My journey from a life of crime to faith in Jesus highlights the transformative power of the gospel. True change begins with a personal encounter with Christ, leading to a life of purpose and hope. [04:43]
2. The Church's Mission: The church is called to grow not just in numbers, but in spiritual depth. This growth is rooted in evangelism and discipleship, focusing on reaching the lost and nurturing genuine faith. [09:39]
3. The Danger of Superficial Growth: Churches must avoid the temptation to grow by attracting members from other congregations. True growth comes from evangelizing the lost and fostering authentic discipleship. [22:36]
4. The Role of Discipleship: Discipleship is essential for sustaining church growth. It involves teaching and equipping believers to live out their faith, ensuring that the church remains focused on its mission. [37:20]
5. The Power of Evangelism: Evangelism is the foundation of church growth. By sharing the gospel and leading others to Christ, we fulfill our calling to expand the kingdom of heaven and transform lives. [40:18]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [04:43] - Personal Testimony
- [09:39] - The Parable of the Leaven
- [14:10] - Understanding Leaven
- [22:36] - The Church Beyond Community
- [25:33] - The Problem with Church Growth
- [28:46] - Superficial Converts
- [35:11] - The Importance of Jesus in Church
- [37:20] - Evangelism and Conversion
- [40:18] - Discipleship in the Local Church
- [43:59] - Invitation to Salvation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Matthew 13:33
- Exodus 12:15
- Galatians 5:9
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Observation Questions:
1. What metaphor does Jesus use in Matthew 13:33 to describe the kingdom of heaven, and what does it signify about the nature of the church? [09:39]
2. According to the sermon, how did the speaker's personal encounter with Christ differ from previous religious experiences? [04:43]
3. What are some of the negative connotations of leaven mentioned in the Bible, and how does this contrast with its use in Matthew 13:33? [14:10]
4. How does the speaker describe the problem with some modern church growth strategies? [25:33]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does the parable of the leaven challenge the church to focus on genuine spiritual transformation rather than superficial growth? [09:39]
2. How does the speaker's testimony illustrate the transformative power of the gospel, and what role did persistent Christian witness play in his journey? [04:43]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of discipleship in sustaining church growth, and how does this relate to the concept of leaven? [37:20]
4. How does the sermon critique the focus on attracting members from other congregations, and what alternative does it propose for true church growth? [25:33]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own spiritual journey. Have you experienced a transformative encounter with Christ similar to the speaker's testimony? How did it change your life? [04:43]
2. In what ways can you contribute to the spiritual growth of your church community, focusing on evangelism and discipleship rather than just increasing numbers? [09:39]
3. Consider the metaphor of leaven. How can you ensure that your influence in your community is positive and transformative, like the leaven in the parable? [14:10]
4. Are there areas in your church or personal life where you might be focusing on superficial growth rather than genuine spiritual transformation? How can you address this? [25:33]
5. How can you actively participate in discipleship within your church, helping to equip others to live out their faith? What steps can you take this week to engage in this process? [37:20]
6. Identify one person in your life who is not yet a believer. How can you share the gospel with them in a way that is genuine and loving, similar to the persistent witness in the speaker's testimony? [04:43]
7. Reflect on the role of the church as described in the sermon. How can you help your church maintain its focus on its mission to spread the love and truth of Jesus Christ? [22:36]
Devotional
Day 1: Transformation through Personal Encounter
True transformation begins with a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, leading to a life filled with purpose and hope. Reflecting on the journey from a life of crime to faith, it becomes evident that the gospel has the power to change lives profoundly. This transformation is not just about turning away from past mistakes but embracing a new identity in Christ. It is in the solitude of one's heart, much like the solitude of a bedroom, where surrender to Christ can lead to a new chapter of life. The gospel's transformative power is available to all who seek it, offering a path from darkness to light. [04:43]
Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV): "To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Reflection: What area of your life needs transformation through a personal encounter with Jesus today? How can you create space for this encounter in your daily routine?
Day 2: The Church's Mission of Depth
The church's mission is to grow not just in numbers but in spiritual depth, focusing on evangelism and discipleship. The parable of the leaven illustrates how the kingdom of heaven is meant to expand through genuine spiritual transformation. The church is called to reach the lost and nurture authentic faith, ensuring that growth is rooted in the gospel's power. This mission involves a commitment to evangelism and discipleship, equipping believers to live out their faith and uphold God's truth. The church is not merely a community or a building but the body of Christ, called to spread His love and truth. [09:39]
Colossians 1:9-10 (ESV): "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."
Reflection: How can you contribute to the church's mission of spiritual depth in your community? What steps can you take to engage in evangelism and discipleship this week?
Day 3: Avoiding Superficial Growth
Churches must avoid the temptation to grow by attracting members from other congregations, as true growth comes from evangelizing the lost and fostering authentic discipleship. The danger of superficial growth lies in focusing on numbers rather than genuine spiritual transformation. Churches are called to prioritize conversion and discipleship, ensuring that individuals are transformed by the gospel and equipped to live out their faith. This approach requires a commitment to reaching the lost and nurturing genuine faith, rather than merely increasing attendance. [22:36]
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."
Reflection: In what ways can you help your church focus on genuine spiritual growth rather than superficial numbers? How can you support efforts to evangelize the lost in your community?
Day 4: The Essential Role of Discipleship
Discipleship is essential for sustaining church growth, involving teaching and equipping believers to live out their faith. It ensures that the church remains focused on its mission to spread the love and truth of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is not just about learning but about transformation, as individuals are equipped to live out their faith in everyday life. This process involves nurturing genuine faith and commitment to the gospel, ensuring that believers are prepared to share the transformative power of the gospel with others. [37:20]
Hebrews 5:12-14 (ESV): "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."
Reflection: How can you engage in discipleship within your church community? What steps can you take to grow in your faith and help others do the same?
Day 5: The Power of Evangelism
Evangelism is the foundation of church growth, as sharing the gospel and leading others to Christ fulfills the calling to expand the kingdom of heaven and transform lives. The power of evangelism lies in its ability to reach the lost and bring them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. This mission involves a commitment to sharing the gospel and living out its transformative power in everyday life. By embracing this calling, believers can contribute to the growth of the kingdom of heaven and witness the transformative power of the gospel in their communities. [40:18]
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV): "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."
Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear the gospel message today? How can you share the hope of Christ with them in a way that is gentle and respectful?
Quotes
"And for me, I got arrested, and I got out some time after that, and I still didn't change. I still had this hard head, this stubborn mindset that I was refusing to change my lifestyle, so I kept doing the same things. I continued to get incarcerated for drug charges and missing court, different things of that nature. But during that process of time, a Christian came and ministered to me, but it was different than every other time I had gone to church or every other time somebody told me about Jesus." [00:02:38] (37 seconds)
"because not only did they lead me to a clear decision to accept Jesus Christ in my heart and my life, but they told me about my sin. And they told me that if I were to die in the state of my sin, I would not make heaven my home. And then they told me about the love of Jesus Christ. So religiously, I accepted Jesus because I respected God because I grew up going to church. So I had no real intention of changing. But other thing about this witness that was different than every other time before us, every time I prayed with somebody in the past, they would just leave and go about their business. And I went about mine. So I didn't mind praying with the God because I thought it would be the same situation that he would just leave and go about his life. And my life would continue to go the same. But this guy followed up on me." [00:03:34] (48 seconds)
"But that seed that that young man planted in my heart, planted in my life, began to produce fruit. And I said, you know what? I don't know everything about God. I don't really understand religion, but what I do know, what I do believe is that God is real. And that night, it wasn't a church service. It wasn't anything like that. But in my bedroom that night, I bowed my knees and I gave my life to Jesus Christ. Amen. That was June 7, 2008." [00:04:37] (26 seconds)
"Listen, God is all about growth, but he wants us and his church to grow the right way and not to lose focus of the mission that he's called us to. Amen. This is what our text says. Can you hand me that water, please? The Bible says, Matthew chapter 13, verse 33, the kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leaven. Let's pray, God. We come in the name of Jesus, Lord. We thank you, God, for this congregation. We thank you for this people. God, we thank you for this church, all that you're doing." [00:09:52] (45 seconds)
"And the second thing that it meant is getting rid of the leaven also represented purity. Because leaven is typically a sign of sin and corruption in the Bible because leaven spreads and it affects the whole. Usually when the Bible mentions leaven, it is an example of something bad. Usually leaven is not a good thing. Leviticus 2 .11, no grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord made by fire." [00:13:33] (34 seconds)
"sin or corruption something that we need to avoid he's saying this is something that we need to embrace he's saying that the church is supposed to expand and enlarge that the church is designed to spread you know you can't make everybody happy I've met some people they don't like our church because it's too small now many other people they love our church like yeah cuz I don't like the big churches I'm like well what happens if our church gets big right but if we have any revelation any understanding of the church we would understand that God desires his church to grow this is the imagery of expanding tents tent stakes in the Bible it Isaiah 54 2 & 3 he says enlarge the place of your tent and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings do not spare lifting your cords and strengthen your stakes for you shall expand to the right and to the left and your descendants will inherit the nations and make the desolate cities inhabited so he's saying enlarge your tent state so in other words God desires for you to grow enlargement represents preparing for God's blessings it refers to making room for increased influence blessings but also with responsibility how many know you get more stuff that's more responsibility right you get a bigger house that's more house to clean that's more mortgage to pay more rent right you get a nicer car you know you get a bigger car that's more gas mileage there's more responsibility that comes with the blessing that is God's will for your life and that is also God's will for the church enlargement how many believe that the church is not just the building but the church is God's people that we are the church amen I didn't like that how many believe that we are the church okay okay I'm gonna make sure I'm preaching to somebody so God does not just want his building to grow we thank God what God has done with you guys this church with what God is doing with the building but God wants you God wants his people people" [00:16:24] (135 seconds)
"The problem is when the church is focused on growing but not focused on Jesus. And when that happens, the method of growing is by proselytizing. What proselytizing means or what a proselytite is, is someone who is converted from another religion, belief, or church. Now, this can happen naturally through salvation. I mean, Muslims can get saved, Catholics can get saved, Hindus can get saved, atheists can get saved. It doesn't matter. Or fake Christians like I was when I was growing up can get saved as well. So it doesn't matter your religion, your doctrine." [00:24:59] (36 seconds)
"the problem when the church seeks growth but strays from the mission is that there is no discipleship if the church does happen to have genuine Christians they will produce uneducated untrained and spiritually immature Christians how many know Harvard University was it was established with primary aim of training clergy and promoting Christian education but it's now one of the most enter Christ into institutions in all of academia they started off as a Christian college to train up Christian leaders but now" [00:28:46] (43 seconds)
"Discipleship in the local church is what sustains growth. This is what is profound about the founder of our fellowship, Pastor Wayman Mitchell, and where he established... in our fellowship, most of the church world and people who claim to be Christians don't understand discipleship. If you ask most people who claim to be a Christian, if they are a disciple, they will say, yes, yes, they'll even make the ugly face. You know, when you're trying to convince somebody that you believe, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm a disciple." [00:37:55] (33 seconds)
"Because you may not have to go to church to become a Christian, just like I got saved in my bedroom that night. But you do have to go to church to be a disciple. That's what the church is for. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 12, for the equipment of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." [00:39:57] (21 seconds)
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