Believe and Grow 01/05/2020: full transcript and answers

▶ 0:00 Since 1999 the church attendance has dropped 20% in the united states. Some people are going to identifying with no religion saying they don’t have a religion and some are just not going to church. So what I want to point out this morning is that we have to be in the church to grow and the Bible lays that out very plainly it’s very important you have to be in the garden you’ve got to be on the boat you’ve got to be where God is doing the work the Bible says in Isaiah 5 that he he cleared out a spot to grow a vineyard so you got to be where God is doing this work and that today is the church the vine.

▶ 0:57 Or a vine a grapevine doesn’t grow underwater doesn’t grow out in the ocean it grows in a vineyard ok as Christians if when you become a new Christian you can’t go home and just say ok I’m gonna grow on my own I’m gonna be a Christian on my own you’ve got to go to the vineyard and get planted in the vineyard and let God begin to work on you in the vineyard. So we’re gonna look at Noah this morning and God’s word to Noah Genesis chapter 6 verse 13 he starts out with I will destroy the wicked we all know this story if you’re a Christian at all you’ve heard the story of Noah and he comes to Noah and says I’m going to destroy the wicked and so make yourself an ark I’m.

▶ 1:54 Bringing flood waters to destroy all flesh I’m summarizing the story here I will establish my covenant with you have a promise for you you and your family shall go into the ark and you shall bring two of every kind of animal in the art. And if you didn’t know there is a judgment when we all die the Bible says in Romans that we’re gonna stand at the judgment seat of Christ. And we’re gonna be judged on what we according to what we have done whether good or bad you’ll find that in the scriptures.

▶ 2:36 Bible says in John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever would believe on him should not perish but have everlasting life so that the scripture implies that there’s people that are going to perish but that there’s a solution it’s Jesus Christ and you’ve got to accept him to receive eternal life and in this case and the story of Noah you’ve got to be on the ark you need to get on the boat that is being built and Jesus Christ is the builder of the church Jesus said to Peter he said you are Peter but upon this rock I will pill I will build my church your name is Peter Peter means petra or rock. But he said to Peter your name is rock but I’m the cornerstone I’m the foundation and upon me I’m gonna build my church and Jesus is the builder of this ark that is going to save people he’s the builder of the church.

▶ 3:46 And what I want to point out this morning is that Noah had faith and that’s where it begins if you’re a new Christian here today if you’re not a believer if you’re an unbeliever whatever you are you have to start with faith Matthew 17 verse 20 if you have faith as a mustard seed it can be small mustard is small it’s like a little ball fits in your hand really small. Nothing will be impossible for you there’s so much potential that little mustard seed turns into a great big tree there’s so much potential you. Can get rooted into the ground you can grow you can have a great life you can produce fruit there’s so much potential but without faith it is impossible to please them if there is no seed you can’t put nothing into the ground to get something you have to put something in the ground.

▶ 4:49 Second Peter 1:1 to those who have obtained the same precious faith with us by righteousness of our God and savior Jesus Christ 2nd Peter he goes on to say in verse 5 add to your faith and it begins with faith there is nothing before faith in this scripture it starts with add to your faith that’s the beginning so you got to have faith kids over there you got to have faith can you guys say faith there you go. And Noah had faith Noah had faith in the word that he received from God. It didn’t and what we have to understand is when you read these stories you can read one sentence it says he was he received the word and then the next sentence says he did it and what you don’t understand that there’s a lot of years a hundred years have you ever tried to do something for a year consistently.

▶ 5:57 It’s it’s a lot of work it’s commitment. Having children getting married that’s all commitment it’s a lot of work and so when you just flip through the [unclear] you just boom boom oh you know you read it in about one second Noah experienced it in a hundred years right. So you see this faith he he has his faith but he is acting it out and Hebrews 11 really points us out Hebrews 11 verse 7 by faith Noah being divinely warned of things not seen move with godly fear some godly fears okay you know if you got some fear in you from God you know you think God you know he’s not gonna like this that’s a good fear it’s called the fear of the Lord we got to get that fear he prepared an ark for the saving of his household this is very important and this is the problem we have today in America and all over the world believers will accept Jesus Christ they’ll have faith like a seed but they refuse to do the next step.

▶ 7:14 Noah prepared an ark for the savings see he had genuine faith in what God called him to do God is calling everyone and and giving us the message about sin and how our sin needs to be addressed and how we need to accept Christ and how we need to grow we have to respond to that message. Noah prepared an ark he may have had plans to do something else with his life I. Mean he’s got 900 years to live I mean he could have plans to do you know 20 awesome things I got this on my bucket list and this and this well here comes in an eruption. And every one of us has to.

▶ 8:14 Experience that and make a decision when we hear God’s word how do we receive the word and what are our actions. According in Genesis 6 verse 22 according to all that God commanded him so he did again he backed up his faith with action he had genuine faith now I want you to remember some things there’s some implications of him of this word he received of this whole experience there were how many people on the ark eight people. How many people receive the word from God no one. How many receive the word from God one.

▶ 9:08 And Noah shared it with others seven others and see they had to respond you know Noah’s wife had to respond what did God ask you to do what are we gonna be doing the rest of our life. Building a boat. And you know when Noah put down that first plank. You can’t move now you can’t oh the arts we got to move the art we’re gonna go move over to shimmy shimmy ah we’re gonna go move over to timbuktu no the ark is here we’re staying with the ark. Once that plank is down once you get those other ones in you can’t move that thing.

▶ 10:03 Only one person can move that ark who is it God. Only one person could shut the door who was that God. His sons also you noticed I can’t read anywhere where it says that they had children on the boat so we don’t know exactly how this all you know when did shem ham and japheth arrive on the scene were they just indoctrinated as soon as they were born dad’s building the ark wham okay they’re getting older now hey dad’s but you wanted to help dad dad’s building the ark they’re teenagers and I don’t want to help you dad and then they were older. And. There’s no kids so it may have been that they had to wait a long time before they found a spouse as a young person it’s hard to be patient it’s hard to wait sometimes.

▶ 11:08 But these three waited for the right person to come along that would respond to Noah’s message to God’s message. They waited. Nobody had to go with Noah though I didn’t have to go with Noah the sons didn’t have to go with Noah I mean in the other story about lot the lots lots of daughters husbands they didn’t come. So these implications are very important because you have to think and understand you know it’s not always easy. But you’ve got to hear who has the word and follow that word of God you know mary magdalene she went to the tomb and she had the word from God from Jesus Christ in the morning before the apart the great apostles were there mary magdalene was there and she received the word from God so who’s got the word and what is God saying and are you going to respond how are you going to respond to it so.

▶ 12:30 Back to all that he did. According to all that God commanded him so he did so God has some commandments and see this is the transition you have to make as a new believer are you going to start following and listening to God’s commandments. Acts 17 verse 30 God commands all men everywhere to repent when you accept Jesus in your heart there’s an there’s more steps you’ve got to turn you’ve got to repent you have to turn your life around you got to stop the cymbal sinful behavior acts. 2:38. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ vayas Peter says repent and be baptized commandment. Acts 2:38 also and it says repent be baptized and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit we need that gift of the Holy Spirit we need God’s spirit in us the Bible says that we are the temple of God and the spirit of God dwells in us 2nd Peter 1:5 add to your faith here we go Peter is giving us the next step add your faith virtue and there’s.

▶ 13:47 About four five six other things you have to grow there is no you know just get saved I’ve got my seed of faith I’ve got my seed of faith I’ve got my seed of faith know. That faith that seed must grow that must be planted. 1st Corinthians 12:13. For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body there is a baptism into the body we are the body of Christ here today and you’ve got to be baptized into the body submerge you know baptized is submerged under water you take that seed you plant it you put dirt over it is submerged and it’s not going anywhere.

▶ 14:41 Unless of course you have it in a potting a pot. But that’s not what the vineyard is the vineyard is a big field. It’s not a bunch of pots. Psalms 92 verse 13 those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of their God as a young person my family they my parents would speak several verses to me growing up and this is one of those verses those that be planted in the house with Lord shall occur so we always went to church know if it was the vine if it was carbon canyon we were there. Genesis 8 verse 8 so we’re gonna talk about being planted Genesis 8 verse 8 he also sent out from himself a dub this is the story of Noah on the ark okay and he and when God he tells these stories and all of a sudden he’s talking about a dove he’s talking about a raven he’s talking about waiting seven days and he brought it back into his own he makes this big thing about a dove going out of the ark God’s trying to illustrate something okay.

▶ 15:59 Why is that in in the in the thousand pages that we have why are we hearing about a dove he also sent out from himself of dove to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground but the dove found no resting place see after Jesus rose from the grave the Bible says that God sent the comforter the Holy Spirit and right now the spirit of God is flying around and looking for a resting place. When you have that seat of faith can the can the dove rest on that no. You got to put your seed in the ground the dove can rest on the ground and he can help you grow the water can help you grow but you know birds where do birds go yeah.

▶ 16:54 They go in the trees you’ve got to grow. Now the spirit of God has many functions so don’t get upset you know the spirit of God can come down as water the spirit of God can come as a dove the spirit I mean he does everything all kinds of ways he does things in all kinds of ways. He sent her out and she returned with the freshly plucked all the leaf in her mouth and he sent her out again and she did not return. I’d like to think that the dove went to that all of the tree and rested there how many want the spirit of God resting on you. Joël to verse 25 so I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten you know when you’re out there exposed trees they’re just out there exposed they’re exposed to the bugs the bugs come and fly and they just eat and and all that stuff and maybe you’re not a good-looking tree because the locusts have eaten the the worms have eaten you but the dove likes worms.

▶ 18:13 That the likes locusts. He’s coming hey you got some food on you I’ll get that off of you and I’ll restore you. That spirit of restoration wherever you’re at wherever whatever your tree looks like right now. Jesus can restore it the spirit of God can restore it but if you start ripping yourself out of the ground if you start doing all these kind of things to the ground you’re gonna have a problem. God can work with a tree that is damaged God can work with some eat locust eating stuff he can work with the worms he can even work with whatever’s going on underneath but you’ve got to stay planet.

▶ 19:11 Restoration. God can restore another example in the same story Genesis 8 verse 1 then God remembered Noah I want him to remember me God remembered [unclear] God remembered the caliph’s state of california God remembered the united states how many want God to remember us amen. And. Every living thing you know here they are the flood has come I mean they’ve been on this boat for a year and they’re sitting there like what’s going on. How many of us would be that patient on a boat how many guys have been on a boat how many have been on a boat before how many been on a boat for over a day or two days it’s not a wonderful I mean I mean it’s not a great thing.

▶ 20:08 We’re talking about a year on a boat just floating not going anywhere no you’re not no purpose but just feeding these stinking animals that are pooping you got a clean up bathroom. Every living thing and all the animals you see have animals under line you don’t think anything about the animals right when I read this term like animals yeah it’s great and glad they’re there so we can eat them later right. That were there of them and God made a wind a wind what’s when we know a wind is God made a wind to pass over the earth and the waters subsided. There’s a story Peter’s vision that he had in acts chapter 11 verse 5 I saw a great sheet let down from heaven I saw four footed what animals.

▶ 21:08 Of the earth wild beasts creeping things and birds of the air were there birds of the air on the ark were there creeping things on the ark yes I heard a voice saying to me rise Peter kill and eat but I said not so I for nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth now if you know this story about Peter this vision was speaking to him something the voice answered me again from heaven what God has cleanse you must not call common. And. Later if you wonder if you know the story Peter was sent to Cornelius house Cornelius was not a Jew. Cornelius was a Gentile and right now the Jews thought that they had it all for themselves the message the spirit was all for them the Holy Spirit baptism that they parents they thought it was all for them.

▶ 22:12 And Peter’s telling the story here as I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell upon them upon the Gentiles upon Cornelius upon the people that were with them and they as at the beginning just like on the day of Pentecost then I remembered the word of the Lord you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit if therefore God gave them the same gift. That God gave them the same gift. Who was I that I could withstand God. Now let me ask you this question there’s two points here.

▶ 23:14 The animals were important. The animals are the Gentiles on the boat okay. They’re part they need to be rescued. Where am I going with this. Oh yes okay when the day of Pentecost had fully come they were all with one accord in one place. The spirit of God came they were in one accord in one place where were they on the ark in one place they were on the ark I’m talking about being planted right now I’m talking about sticking to what God has called you to do.

▶ 24:10 All with one accord how many were in the upper room. 120. How many did what they start out with 500. 120 went to the upper room all in one accord and the Holy Spirit fell the Holy Spirit rested. You see we need that. All because they were united all because they were planted all because they that this was real to them Noah it was real to him. You know those that be planned in the house of lawyer you can’t just throw that scripture out you can’t just get rid of that that is a real thing this is a real thing going on here and suddenly.

▶ 25:13 Came a sound from heaven as a mighty rushing wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting the Holy Spirit came like a wind just like it came in Noah’s day to subside the waters and what did Noah do Noah and his family stayed on the ark they stuck with the ark that art once that plank was laid they couldn’t go anywhere they had to stick with it and you know I’m sure they had arguments when you got 900 years to deal with there’s gonna be a lot of arguments right. But remember arguments come and arguments go I hope. So Noah was faithful to building the ark God moved the ark not Noah.

▶ 26:13 Another story here last story Ezekiel 37 verse 1 the spirit Lord set me down in the midst of the valley and it was full of bones they were very dry now those bones you think they’re gonna go anywhere no they’re dead they’re dry they’re not moving maybe you’re part of a dead church. And you’re not moving don’t pick up your bones and start walking into the wilderness all by yourself just stay there dead and dry. Know as we know there’s seasons in God right there’s times of dryness. You just stay where you are. Stay in the valley with all the other dead people. Ezekiel 37 so I prophesied as I was commanded the prophecy came the word came just like it came to Noah that word of God came.

▶ 27:17 The bones came together bone to bone the sinews the flesh came upon the skin covered them but there was no breath. Prophesied again and the breath came into them they live and stood upon their feet an exceedingly great army that is our church that is the church united states california. Mountainside lake elsinore. You know when God breeze on the dead churches. We’re gonna be an army. When God and we want God to breathe on us now you know that’s our goal here that’s what we’re after we want God to come we don’t want to wait. We want to experience that prophecy now we got to go get it bring it here.

▶ 28:16 Noah prepared we can prepare we can go in home and prepare and bring something to our congregation that will get the dead bones off the ground and make it alive so that we become a what a great army. You shall know that I’m the Lord when I brought you up from your graves I will put my spirit in you you shall live and I will place you on your own land you see the dryness is good when you look dead when your tree looks tattered and eaten and disgusting it’s good we hate it nobody likes to be a dry dead bone. We don’t like the dryness we don’t like the the uncomfortableness but you know what what is he saying here you shall know that I have performed it I have spoken it because you were in really bad shape you were stinky you were ugly you were dry but because I came and did something you know it wasn’t you you.

▶ 29:37 Know it wasn’t brother. John I was going to say [unclear] cuz you know that’s all. It wasn’t sister whoever it was God who performed it amen. As. They come up as a worship team comes up Psalms 92 verse 13 those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of their God they shall still bear fruit in old age. Old age you got you know I was talking about faith and I know we have some older people here and you guys are all you guys you know you know faith is like you know thirty years ago right the message of thirty years ago hey look at this they still bear fruit in old age why because they are planted.

▶ 30:35 They shall be fresh and flourishing fresh and flourishing. Well I don’t feel fresh and fresh and flourishing it doesn’t matter. Remember whatever the locusts have done can be restore whatever has happened to the dry bones they’re dead because they were fighting they can be revived. They shall be fret to declare that the up the Lord is up right amen that is what we want to do go out into this community and declare the Lord is upright he is true his word is true his word is alive. Psalms one to his delight is in the law of the Lord in it he meditates it in a day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water how many you want to be planted by the rivers of water.

▶ 31:34 We’ve got to be planted. We’ve got to go home we got to spend time in the book in the Bible we’ve got to carve out time like Noah did he carved out time not only to build the ark but also to preach righteousness. We as Christians as people planted in the house of the Lord we have to take time for God. And we need his spirit.