Part 3B: “It’s High-Time for Christians to Move from Being Church-Goers, to Church-Growers!”
Good morning and Praise the Lord Saints.
I want to devote my time today, to going deeper into last week’s Sermon. We started talking about the first of three “weights” (hindrances) that set born-again Christians back from running their race to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. (See Sermon dated, Jan. 29, 2023) The first weight I am pretty sure was a surprise to you, but nevertheless it’s true:
#1 Born Again Christians Attend Church Too Much–Yes, Christians “go to Church” far too much!
Now think with me for a moment please. When you get to heaven and stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ to receive the rewards done in your body, whether good or bad, what do you want the Lord to say about you? (II Cor. 5:9-10) What do you want to be known for by the great cloud of witnesses, and the many citizens in heaven? Do you want to be known as a “Church-Goer, or a “Church-Grower?”
The neat thing about our relationship with God, is that through His Son Jesus Christ, there is no judgement, guilt, shame, nor condemnation for those who abide in Christ Jesus—so we can freely and critically examine and measure our performance as born-again Christians against the Word of God. We must completely yield ourselves to the teaching, chastening, and correction of the Holy Ghost, which will enable us to efficiently and effectively run the Christian race set before us with grace and patience. (Rom. 8:1-3 & II Cor.13:5) If we are doing the wrong thing, with the help of the Holy Ghost, let’s turn around and do the right thing!
Please take a moment using the questions below to examine your performance relative to the Great Commission given to us by Jesus Christ, the Lord. (Mark 16:15-20) If you like, you may answer the questions prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, which started in March 2020:
- When was the last time you preached/shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with a Non-Christian?
- In your Christian experience how many people have you won to Christ?
- How long has it been, if ever, that you have invited family, friends, or strangers to Church, and taken the time if needed to bring them to Church?
- When was the last time you personally laid hands on the sick and commanded miracles to come forth?
If your answers to these questions range from, “not often, none, not very much, or I can’t remember;” then the frank truth is, you have not been helping Jesus Christ expand the Kingdom of God—the Church of Jesus. You may be a regular “Church-Goer,” but you are not a “Church-Grower.” God wants born-again Christians to be “Church-Growers.” (John 4:35-38 & John 15:5)
Why is it that the vast majority of Christians turn a deaf ear and remain ambivalent to Christ’s Commandment to go and preach the gospel and perform miracles, which confirm the gospel message—and instead, choose to sit in pews and chairs, and serve God only from within the four-walls of the Church? (Mark 16:15-20) It’s because the vast majority of Christians have “lost confidence” in God working through them to do the work of the Ministry.
One of the significant underlying reasons why most Christians have lost confidence is that God’s people are not dwelling in the “Presence of the Lord” when they get to Church. Christians are going to Church every week (well at least about 25 to 33 percent of Christians indicate in surveys they attend weekly services). However, when they get inside of the four-walls of the Church, they are not pressing their way into the Presence of the Lord.
For the record, I will say again, regular Church attendance is one of our responsibilities under the New Covenant we have with God in Christ Jesus (Heb.10:25). Christians who honor God with regular Church attendance are to be saluted and commended for their faithfulness. God, however, doesn’t want us to just be Church-Goers, but while we are in Church Services, He wants us to enter into His Presence to receive hidden treasures.
As born-again Christians, every time we come to Church, we should expect to experience the “Presence” of God and the “Power” of God to move and manifest in our midst. God desires true Worship from the heart, while in His Presence. (John 4:23-24) God is searching for people who are in search of Him alone. (James 4:8-10)
Oh’ what treasures we miss out on because so many of us come to Church full of thoughts and cares of the world, and religious traditions and routines, instead of an all-consuming hunger and thirst for Jesus Christ. Jesus promised that anyone who is starving for righteousness would be filled. (Matt. 5:6) Ask yourself, when you arrived for Service this morning, did you come expecting to be in the Presence of God, and to see the Power of God move to do miracles, or did you come to fulfill an obligation? I posit that most Christians are not famished for God, if so they would seek after God and find Him, and God would lift them up into His Presence, and they would and never be the same! (Matt. 7:7) The goal of God each time that we come together in Church, is for everyone to enter into His Presence.
The “Fullness of Joy” is Expansive Treasure of God.
When born-again Christians assemble together in Church, God wants us to enter into His Presence, the goal being, to give to us collectively, and individually, His “Joy.” The
Bible teaches us that in the Presence of God is the “fullness of Joy.” (Ps.16:11) Glory be to God! I am talking about God’s Joy—which is “expansive” treasure—is available to us every time we enter into God’s Presence!
God’s Joy is one of the enumerable hidden treasures that we have in Christ Jesus (Col. 2:3). God’s Joy is like a discovered ancient treasure chest at the bottom of the sea, which is of itself extremely valuable, but also when you open the lid of the treasure chest, there are many more great treasures contained within it.
Within the hearts of every born-again Christian, God’s Joy has been deposited, hidden, and sealed, but is revealed and poured out of us by the Holy Ghost, as we enter and dwell in God’s Presence. (Rom.14:17) Please understand that the Joy of the Lord is not to be defined in terms of human feelings or emotions. Make special note of what the “Joy of the Lord” is: The Joy of the Lord is “God’s-Knowledge.” Repeat this with me please: The Joy of the Lord is, “God’s-Knowledge.” God seeks to set His Knowledge before His children.
When we enter into the Presence of God, the full-ness of God’s Joy—Knowledge is present. Praise the Lord—you know that God is the only “Being” in the universe that knows everything, from the beginning to end, and the reverse, as He spoke it all into existence! (Is. 46:10) God desires to set His Knowledge before us, which when received, showers and overtakes our total beings.
When the Joy of the Lord is revealed from the Spirit of God, it permeates through the depths of our souls, and engulfs the human brain and physical body. The Joy of the Lord—God’s Knowledge revealed to us has the ability to instantly touch our human feelings and emotions resulting in combustible happiness, praise, singing, dancing, and so forth.
Perhaps the best way I can describe the Joy of the Lord in the natural, is to picture a parent with a child teaching them the alphabet. The parent sets before the child the method of learning the alphabet—singing the alphabet or repeating the letters of the alphabet—A B C D E F G…and so forth.
The parent knows the entire alphabet, from the beginning to end—right? So the parent has knowledge of what letter of the alphabet comes next and teaches it to the child—A, B, C, D and so forth. If you will, in teaching the alphabet, the parent is revealing and exposing to the child basic truths about phonetics and the English language.
Furthermore, the parent is not satisfied that the child has acquired the knowledge of reciting the alphabet, until they are able to correctly recite it with proper pronunciation of each letter on their own—and thereafter, correctly write each letter. In fact, when the child becomes aware they can recite the whole alphabet correctly on their own, they cannot wait to go and tell and show their parents, family, and even strangers that they can recite the alphabet, and happily they do so. The child will go around to everybody saying, “I know my ABC’s—want to hear it?” They don’t even wait for your response. They just start reciting the alphabet over, and over, and over.
In like manner, when we are in the Presence of God, our Father God sets His Joy before us. The Joy of the Lord—the Knowledge of God—reveals hidden truths to us about “what good thing from the promises of God is coming next in our lives.” When you possess God’s Knowledge—you possess the truth about what’s coming next, as God’s Knowledge always manifest itself! You see, write this down and commit it to memory:
“The Joy of the Lord is a knowing of what Jesus Christ has done for you, that always produces a showing—no matter the present circumstances you face.”
If for example, you have come to Church today with a sickness or illness in your body—get in the Presence of God—and He will share His Joy (Knowledge) of healing with you, and it shall come to pass. Because healing in your body is a hidden truth—with the stripes of Jesus Christ you were healed more than 2000 years ago. (I Pet. 2:24) If you have come to Church today, and can’t pay your mortgage or rent—what do you do? Get in the Presence of God and receive the Joy of the Lord (Knowledge of God) about your finances, and money and favor will come to you sufficient to pay all your monthly expenses, and put plenty more in store. In Christ, all sufficiency and rich supply is a truth about your human welfare. (Matt. 6:8, 33; Php. 4:19; & John 10:10)
Do you get the idea here? When you come into God’s House—whatever is going on in your life—whatever you are struggling with—whatever you are depressed about; only strive to enter into His Presence, so God can fill you with His Joy (Knowledge). When you have God’s Knowledge about what Jesus Christ has already done about your situation, you will have complete trust “confidence” that it will come to pass, because it’s the truth that will be revealed. So we can say this: The Joy of the Lord is God’s Knowledge, and also the “Faith of God” revealed to you! God wants His children to have and use His Faith! The Faith of God never fails to come to pass!
Furthermore, when you possess God’s Joy, like the child in our example that has mastered reciting the alphabet, you can’t wait to go and tell the good news about what you know to be true. You can’t wait to tell the world about Jesus Christ, who He is, what He has done for you, and what He is doing in your life right now! In fact, God’s Joy sends you to people that Jesus Christ has chosen and called to come into the Kingdom of God and receive their miracle!
You see the born-again Christian that abides in the Presence of God and possesses the Joy of the Lord, moves from “Church-Goer,” to “Church-Grower!” When the Joy of the Lord has flooded your being it causes you to witness Christ and announce the Kingdom of God in greater authority and power than God’s own angels! The song writer Myrna Summers wrote a song entitled, “God Gave Me a Song that the Angels Cannot Sing!” Not even the angels can understand and tell of the greatness of God’s Joy experienced in the sons of God, when they have engaged in intimate fellowship with the Father. (Ps. 8:4-5)
On the Day of Pentecost, in the Upper Room, the 120- disciples assembled there were on one accord, and the Spirit of the Lord came in like a mighty rushing wind, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. With great joy ringing in their hearts, the Holy Ghost moved the Apostles and fellow believers, from the Upper Room, into the streets of Jerusalem, to preach salvation through the name of Jesus Christ to men represented by every Jewish nation. On that day three-thousand souls were saved. (Acts 2:1-4, 41)
This is what the Joy of the Lord does—it moves you from indoors to outdoors—heralding the name of Jesus with miracles following. When you possess God’s Joy it’s not possible to just sit in Church; week after week, month after month, and year after year. No way! The Joy of the Lord will pick you up and take you into the fields of the Lord! The good news about Jesus Christ cannot be kept to yourself!
You see, there are two places Jesus Christ, our Great Shepherd, leads His sheep (born-again Christians) into (1) the House of the Lord and (2) His Vineyard to reap the lost. The sheep have this promise from Jesus, that He is the door, and the sheep will go in and out and find pasture. This is what the born-again Christian is engineered to do—to go into Church and find pasture, and go outside in the Vineyard and find pasture—abundant life, health, security, and prosperity; such that we are to lack no good thing. (Ps. 23:1 & John 10:9) We find everything thing we need in life wherever Jesus the Shepherd goes. The reason why Christians have insufficiency is because they are not following the Shepherd wherever He leads—into Church and out in the Vineyard.
As I mentioned last week, daily, Jesus is in the
Vineyard visiting and hanging out with the unsaved people of the world, especially those in the midst of crises. Jesus is waiting for Christians to come out of the Churches and preach the gospel and perform miracles, the Lord working through them. Jesus does not work in His Vineyard alone, we are “co-laborers” with God. (I Cor. 3:9)
Let us now dig deeper into the treasure chest of the Joy of the Lord to understand, that God’s Joy, also brings forth God’ Strength. For the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh. 8:10) In order to walk with Jesus Christ wherever He leads, we need God’s Strength (power, force, or might) to follow Him; to fight against principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places; to preach the gospel with all boldness; to work miracles ordained by God from the foundation of the world; and to endure hardships and persecutions as good soldiers. Without God’s Strength none of this is possible! But the Apostle Paul said all things can be done through Christ which strengthens us. (Php. 4:13) When you have God’s Strength, all work can be accomplished with excellence—at the office, school-house, business venture, or ball fields.
Now, we can clearly see and understand why the vast majority of Christians are not actively participating in the Great Commission: they are deficient of God’s Joy, Knowledge, Faith and Strength, which only comes from being in the Presence of God! The lack of the Joy of the Lord flowing in the lives of Christians gives Satan a foot hole to sow evil seeds regarding Christians’ active participation in the Great Commission. The Apostle Paul wrote, that we are to give the devil no place in our lives. (Eph. 4:27)
The Absence of God’s Joy Causes Christians to Perceive the Great Commission as a Great Weight on Their Lives, Rather Than A Great Grace Given to Them By God.
Largely Christians have a “stay-in-Church” mentality because the continual flow of the Joy of the Lord is absent from their lives. They spend little, or no time, in the Presence of the Lord, either in Church or at home, and as a result, they become easy bait for Satan to plant seeds of distraction regarding their role in the Great Commission—seeds sown of ambivalence, rebellion, neglect, and the love of things and pleasures of this world bombard the thought-life (brains) of Christians.
Truthfully, most Christians cringe at the thought of going into the community and preaching the gospel, witnessing their faith, and performing miracles—even though in their born-again hearts, they know they should, and really want to. Search your heart right now and prove for yourself this is so.
Your heart, by the unction of the Holy Ghost, yearns to win someone to Jesus Christ right now. But, once you get up out of your chair and move outside, your flesh, carnal mind’s thinking will instantly discourage you from talking about Jesus to anyone! You need the Joy of the Lord, you see, that comes from being in the Presence of God, to stir you up, and overcome your timidity and ashamedness of Jesus before others. (II Tim. 1:8)
Yes, this is nothing but the trick of the enemy, Satan playing head games with Christians—trying to steal, kill, and destroy the Christians’ confidence in God working through them to do the work of the Ministry. Satan only wants to set the Christian back in running their race to be like Jesus—He wants to get you to take your eyes off of Jesus, and stop following the Shepherd wherever He leads, to get you off of the straight and narrow path that leads to God, life, and peace.
Christians don’t understand that the Great Commission is a God-given “grace” for every born-again Christian to perform with diligence, excellence, and success. (Acts 1:8) God’s Joy (Knowledge) says we have been given miracle-working power from the Holy Ghost to stand as witnesses for Jesus Christ everywhere we go. This means when Christians obey God and participate in the Great Commission—God’s Knowledge—God’s Faith—God’s Strength will produce a showing of what He promised! Souls will be saved and miracles will spring forth because it’s God’s Knowledge at work!
If Christians had the Joy of the Lord flowing in their lives, they would move out our Churches with great speed into the community, knowing that as they preach Christ—God’s Strength will flow through them to do miracles. Just like the child having mastered the alphabet cannot wait to recite it before anyone who will listen, the Christian full of the Joy of the Lord cannot wait to share the gospel and work miracles for anyone who will believe in Jesus.
Instead, Christians have allowed Satan to deceive them into thinking that their calling, and God’s plan for their lives involves only “in-house” Ministry. Most Christians are content in defining their calling by assigned roles in the Church, such as Sunday School Teacher, Youth Leader, Usher, Deacon, Elder, Pastor, Choir member—on and on we go.
But the title God has ascribed and etched in heaven for all of us on earth is, “co- laborer.” Get it my friend? You are a co-worker with Jesus Christ in His Vineyard. Tell me, how often do you hear Christians refer to themselves as the co-worker of Jesus Christ in His Vineyard?
Without regularly entering and abiding in the Presence of the Lord, and receiving the fullness of God’s Joy, Knowledge, Faith, and Strength, Christians in mass numbers will not, nor can they, effectively carryout the Great Commission and expand the Kingdom of God.
However, to turn the tables over on Satan’s head, as born-again Christians, we must become proficient in accessing and abiding in the Presence of God. Yes, this is the key to the Christian race—knowing how to abide in the Presence of God. Through the finished works of Jesus on the cross, God has provided to born-again Christians “a new and living way” to enter into His Presence.
Entering into the Presence of God is a Blood Bought New Covenant-Right of Every Born-Again Christian
Our New Covenant with God in Christ Jesus provides the instructions for daily access to God. Let’s read Hebrews 10:19-21.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
We enter into God’s Presence—God who abides within us—through faith in the precious blood of Jesus Christ. As we acknowledge the blood sacrifice of Jesus, in which God used to reconcile the world to Himself, we instantly come into His Presence. It’s not about an emotional blast of screaming and crying and singing for hours that we need to do in order to draw near to God. All we need to do is from our hearts, appropriate/acknowledge faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and instantly God is Present in our midst! The writer of Hebrews continues on by saying at Hebrews 10:22:
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
With your whole being submitted to God, draw near to God through faith in the blood of Jesus, and we have full assurance that God Almighty is in our midst, and ready to pour out His Joy in us, and through us. (James 4:8)
The sheer beauty of this “new and living way,” is that wherever we are, in Church, home, or any other place, we have unlimited access to God through faith in the blood of Jesus. Oh, can you even imagine the signs, wonders, and miracles we would see if while in Church together in unity, we all expressed our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ? Miracles would unfold and explode all over the Church before the Word of God is even preached, before a hymnal is even sung!
Every Church congregation in the body of Christ should start Service with earnestly expressing from their hearts “faith in the blood of Jesus”—at Sunday School, Worship Service, Bible Class, Choir Practice, Trustee Meeting—faith in the blood of Jesus will bring God in our midst. This is what the Saints of God need—to get in and abide in the Presence of God—for without God we can accomplish nothing! (John 15:5)
At home we ought to practice the Presence of the Lord, by releasing our faith in the blood of Jesus. I dare you to start doing it daily—start living your life in this “new and living way,” by declaring faith in the blood of Jesus on your marriage, children, house, finances, job, business—everything!
Practice your “faith in the blood” like the child practices reciting the alphabet—until you have it sown into your heart and soul, and are ready to share the blood of Jesus with every person! Always acknowledge your faith in the shed blood of Christ, not as a ritual or tradition; but in love, honor, and respect of our New Covenant promise we have of God.
I asked the Lord, why did He establish the confession our faith in the blood of Jesus as the “new and living way” to access His Presence? God said, “Darryl, because the shed blood of Jesus Christ is the “Fullness of My Joy manifested on the world!” God used the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross to reconcile the world to Himself. (II Cor. 5:18-19) And, God has given to every born-again Christian the Ministry and word of Reconciliation.
We need to understand that the Ministry of Reconciliation is not just for us to preach and serve to Mankind—to exchange man’s problems for God’s promises—but also to Minister unto God in Worship! That’s right, we are to serve God with the Ministry and word of Reconciliation. When we express faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, we remind God of the work He accomplished through Jesus at Calvary to reconcile the World to Himself. Because Jesus Christ finished the race that was set before Him, the world has been set free from sin, death, hell, and the grave—all the people of the world have to do is believe in Jesus and they will receive eternal life and be raised up at the last day.
As we thank and acknowledge God for the blood of Jesus—Jesus’ precious blood that: (1) washed the sins of the world away, (2) healed the nations, (3) forgave our sins and gave to us an inheritance of forgiveness, (4) delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of Christ, (5) purchased our salvation, (6) released Abrahamic Covenant blessings on us (7) gave us unlimited access to God—God comes in our midst and fills us, and clothes us, with His Joy (Knowledge) (Faith) and (Strength!) We give God thanks for the blood of Jesus Christ, and we enter into His Presence and fills us with His Joy.
This is what Christians are to thirst and hunger for to be in the Presence of the Lord, to find and possess the hidden treasures of God’s Joy, Knowledge, Faith, and Strength! I can only speak for myself. My sole quest when I come into the House of the Lord, is to enter into the Presence of God—not because I have to preach a Sermon—but because I have appreciated, esteemed, and valued God’s Presence above all else in my life.
So, in my heart, I come into His courts with confessions, singing, and thanksgiving about the “blood of Jesus.” (Ps.100:4) Because I know it was the blood of Jesus that delivered me, saved me, and prospered me. And since I appropriate the blood of Jesus on my life, in faith and from my heart, I sprinkle the blood of Jesus on the Ministry, on you, and your family in their generations, on my enemies, throughout our communities, nation, and the world! The blood of Jesus was shed everywhere, and for everyone!
As I appropriate the blood of Jesus in faith, God draws near and is in the midst—to fill me with His Joy, Knowledge, Faith, and Strength so that I may herald and make the name of Jesus Christ more famous and bring increase to the Kingdom of God! I am determined to be a Church-Grower, and not just a Church-Goer. What about you?
Closing Thoughts
In closing, in running this Christian race, we are to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Jesus Christ lived in the Presence of God, and therefore, God’s Joy (Knowledge, Faith, and Strength) was set before Him. (Heb.12:2) The cross and all of its shame couldn’t stop our King Jesus from winning the prize of sitting down again at the right hand throne of God. The prize of quickening us all together, and raising us up all together to dwell in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The prize of having the Spirit of God dwell in us as it dwelled in Him, and will raise us up at the last day, with glorified bodies like unto His glorious body. For Jesus Christ possessed God’s Knowledge, therefore everything He told his followers would happen, came to pass just as He said it would.
God in Christ Jesus has set before us His Joy, Knowledge, Faith, and Strength so that while running the Christian race, we may have confidence and boldness, no matter the circumstances, to do the work of the Ministry and bring increase into the Kingdom of God.
Let us all practice and usher in the Presence of God in our homes and Churches through unfeigned “faith in the blood of Jesus” so we may be continually filled with God’s Joy, Knowledge, Faith, and Strength—to move from mere Church-Goers, to Church-Growers.
Receive with all assurance of faith by the blood of Jesus Christ, Philippians 1:6 which reads:
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
May you from this day forward until the Lord returns, abide in the Presence of God by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and enjoy the experience of the hidden treasures of God’s Joy, as Jesus perfects your walk with Him. In Jesus Mighty Name, we say, Amen!
Next, week we will examine the second weight that the enemy tries to use to hold us back from running the Christian race.
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See you next week should the Lord tarry.