Grow in Christ Continually

Grow in Christ Continually

(Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 2:42-47)

Yearly Theme:  “Patience is…”

Series Title:  “Vision and Purpose”

August 14^th, 2022

Something to think about:

Today, as we learn more about what it means to grow spiritually, we once again turn to the Great Commission in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28:

Matthew 28:16-20 (NLT)

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.  ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Last week – during this month of Vision and Purpose at North Main – we learned about what it means to “Know Christ intimately.”  Today, we are exploring what it means to “Grow in Christ continually.”  To Grow in Christ continually is represented by the phrase in the Great Commission where Jesus says, “teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”  Teaching requires learning, and learning requires teaching.  These are reciprocal in nature.  And both learning and teaching are a means to growth.

Here’s the takeaway this morning:

Key Point:  “Growing in Christ continually is the way a disciple matures in his/her faith.”

But what does this look like in action?  Let’s take a look at the early church:

Acts 2:42-47 (NLT),

⁴²  All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

⁴³  A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  ⁴⁴  And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.  ⁴⁵  They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.  ⁴⁶  They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— ⁴⁷  all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

How do we break this down in easy-to-understand points of application?  Consider the following…

• We grow in Christ continually by  .

So, what does doing life together involve within the body of Christ:  the Church?  According to the passage we just read about the early church in the New Testament book of Acts, doing life together involved four core fundamentals.  Let’s look at each of them individually:

1.  together
   

2.   together
   

3.   together
   

4.   together
   

Something to take home:

The believers in the early church devoted themselves to each other in ways that linked their arms, so to speak.  They were focused on a common mission and purpose that was directed by their belief in Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit they were unified in their purpose, goals, and efforts.  For Jesus’ followers, doing life together meant more than just sharing meals together, and catching up on life; doing life together meant encouraging one another daily, challenging one another spiritually, and going the distance together in this race set before us in Jesus Christ. 

Doing life together in the body of Christ means weeping with each other through our sorrows, laughing and celebrating together through our joys, and caring for one another when others can’t care for themselves.  Doing life together in the Church means sharpening one another as iron sharpens iron, and forgiving one another’s offenses, and – ultimately – is the means by which disciples of Jesus “Grow in Christ continually.”