WEBVTT 00:00:02.409 --> 00:00:04.421 The Call of Jesus 00:00:05.470 --> 00:00:09.654 Welcome to this lesson 24: How To Grow Up. 00:00:09.974 --> 00:00:13.901 Last time we talked about the different spiritual levels we see in the Bible. 00:00:13.901 --> 00:00:17.635 We talked about being babies, newborn, 00:00:17.635 --> 00:00:20.523 how to grow up and become children in the faith, 00:00:20.523 --> 00:00:23.587 and then become parents in the faith. 00:00:24.317 --> 00:00:28.820 We need to go out and find a person of peace, as Jesus is talking about, 00:00:28.820 --> 00:00:32.107 something we've looked at in this series "The Call of Jesus". 00:00:32.107 --> 00:00:35.212 But when we find that person of peace 00:00:35.212 --> 00:00:38.905 we need to know how to share the gospel with them, 00:00:38.905 --> 00:00:42.129 so they can be truly born again. 00:00:42.289 --> 00:00:47.252 But, we also need to help them to grow up. 00:00:47.562 --> 00:00:51.813 We need to help them to become mature in Christ. 00:00:52.213 --> 00:00:55.512 Like in a family, what we see in a family is that... 00:00:55.512 --> 00:00:57.992 In a family there should be babies. 00:00:58.262 --> 00:00:59.689 In the natural family. 00:00:59.689 --> 00:01:03.304 But they should not remain as babies. 00:01:03.444 --> 00:01:05.614 They should grow up. 00:01:05.834 --> 00:01:08.743 And by time, they should, actually, grow up so much 00:01:08.743 --> 00:01:13.733 that they leave the home and go out and get their own family. 00:01:14.083 --> 00:01:17.638 And now we are not parents but grandparents. 00:01:17.638 --> 00:01:21.911 As it is in the natural, God wanted to be in the spiritual. 00:01:22.841 --> 00:01:26.477 When I take a look at the church today, I just want to say: 00:01:26.477 --> 00:01:30.670 It is sad to see how far away we have come from 00:01:30.670 --> 00:01:33.195 what God wants us to be, 00:01:33.195 --> 00:01:38.943 how few that are really growing up and seeing good fruit 00:01:38.943 --> 00:01:41.107 in their everyday life. 00:01:41.107 --> 00:01:43.851 There are so many people today in churches who just, 00:01:43.851 --> 00:01:50.615 sad to say, continue being spiritual babies the rest of their life. 00:01:50.755 --> 00:01:53.645 Why? Why is it like that? 00:01:53.905 --> 00:01:57.093 Could it be that we lack discipleship? 00:01:57.263 --> 00:01:59.712 I believe that is one of it. 00:02:00.182 --> 00:02:03.519 But the truth is also that... 00:02:04.289 --> 00:02:09.724 many people in the church are not born again yet. 00:02:09.934 --> 00:02:14.392 I want to read a quote here from my book "The Call of Jesus" in this chapter. 00:02:14.692 --> 00:02:19.636 "When a person is truly born again, you will see it in their life. 00:02:19.636 --> 00:02:25.015 There will be fruit in their life that will show they are a new creation. 00:02:25.015 --> 00:02:28.210 When there is fruit in a person's life, 00:02:28.210 --> 00:02:31.631 they need milk so they can grow up and mature; 00:02:31.631 --> 00:02:36.842 however, if the fruit in not there, that means they are not born again, 00:02:36.842 --> 00:02:41.423 and they need something much stronger then milk." 00:02:41.763 --> 00:02:45.004 When a person is born again, 00:02:45.004 --> 00:02:48.616 we looked at last time, that person needs milk. 00:02:48.736 --> 00:02:51.370 But if a person is not truly born again, 00:02:51.370 --> 00:02:54.738 they need something much stronger then milk. 00:02:54.738 --> 00:02:56.743 What is that? Blood. 00:02:56.863 --> 00:03:01.189 The blood of Jesus. They need to be born again. 00:03:01.189 --> 00:03:05.052 Because when they are born again, 00:03:05.402 --> 00:03:08.375 the life is being transformed, 00:03:08.375 --> 00:03:12.579 not from outside in, but from inside out. 00:03:12.579 --> 00:03:17.895 1 John 3:6-10 is saying this: 00:03:17.985 --> 00:03:21.096 "No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. 00:03:21.096 --> 00:03:25.238 No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. 00:03:25.238 --> 00:03:29.018 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. 00:03:29.018 --> 00:03:33.683 The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. 00:03:33.683 --> 00:03:36.829 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, 00:03:36.829 --> 00:03:40.045 because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. 00:03:40.045 --> 00:03:44.964 The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 00:03:44.964 --> 00:03:49.819 No one who is born of God will continue in sin, 00:03:49.819 --> 00:03:54.142 because God's seed remains in them; 00:03:54.142 --> 00:03:59.220 they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 00:03:59.220 --> 00:04:04.441 This is how we know who's the children of God and who's the children of the devil; 00:04:04.441 --> 00:04:09.608 anyone who does not do what is right is not God's children, 00:04:09.608 --> 00:04:14.856 nor is anyone who does not love their brothers or sisters." 00:04:15.046 --> 00:04:19.541 What we see here is... the Bible is very, very clear 00:04:19.541 --> 00:04:24.978 that everyone who is truly born again do not go on sinning. 00:04:24.978 --> 00:04:31.070 The seed of God is inside of them and they cannot go on sinning. 00:04:31.070 --> 00:04:36.075 We also read that they love their brothers, those who are born again. 00:04:36.375 --> 00:04:39.706 If those things are missing in a person's life, 00:04:39.706 --> 00:04:41.245 if people are living in sin, 00:04:41.245 --> 00:04:45.615 if people don't have the love to be with other believers... 00:04:45.825 --> 00:04:49.138 Why? Why is it missing? 00:04:49.138 --> 00:04:52.936 Could it be because they are not truly born again? 00:04:52.936 --> 00:04:57.108 You know we can know a tree by its fruit. 00:04:57.108 --> 00:04:59.222 And if this is not there, 00:04:59.222 --> 00:05:05.111 if the longing to live a holy life, if the desire to love their brothers 00:05:05.111 --> 00:05:10.010 and being with other people is missing in a person's life, 00:05:11.050 --> 00:05:15.251 you cannot disciple a person like that into maturity. Why? 00:05:15.691 --> 00:05:18.774 Because they are not born again yet. 00:05:18.924 --> 00:05:23.405 And therefore, when we talk about how to grow children up, 00:05:23.405 --> 00:05:28.206 what we need to always start with is the gospel. 00:05:28.206 --> 00:05:31.514 We need to always go back to the gospel and keep it simple. 00:05:31.514 --> 00:05:35.959 Preach the gospel, even to those who come to churches, 00:05:35.959 --> 00:05:39.493 even to those who come into your fellowships. 00:05:39.493 --> 00:05:46.378 Because if you have a person and you see something is missing, 00:05:47.048 --> 00:05:52.283 what is missing is just revealing a deeper problem. 00:05:52.283 --> 00:05:53.751 And what is that? 00:05:53.841 --> 00:05:55.387 That is the root. 00:05:56.227 --> 00:05:58.559 You know we can know a tree by its fruit. 00:05:58.559 --> 00:06:01.810 If a tree, for example, produces oranges, 00:06:01.810 --> 00:06:05.413 and you want the tree to produce apples instead, 00:06:05.533 --> 00:06:09.862 the solution is not to take down all the oranges 00:06:09.862 --> 00:06:14.301 and tell the tree: You have to stop producing oranges! 00:06:14.301 --> 00:06:19.551 You need to start producing apples! What is wrong with you, tree? 00:06:19.651 --> 00:06:23.484 No, the tree just produces what it is. 00:06:23.484 --> 00:06:25.935 Orange tree produces oranges. 00:06:25.935 --> 00:06:28.194 Apple tree produces apples. 00:06:28.194 --> 00:06:32.962 A tree produces what it is. 00:06:33.102 --> 00:06:34.724 The same is with a person. 00:06:34.724 --> 00:06:38.844 If you have a person who is living in sin, 00:06:38.844 --> 00:06:42.231 if you have a person who is not longing for the fellowship, 00:06:42.411 --> 00:06:44.993 then I want to encourage you... 00:06:45.103 --> 00:06:49.488 before you go deep, deep, deep in and try to disciple them, 00:06:49.488 --> 00:06:52.555 and draw them out, and: Come on, you need to stop sinning. 00:06:52.555 --> 00:06:54.914 Come on, you need to come to the fellowship. 00:06:54.914 --> 00:06:56.306 Come on, you need to... 00:06:56.306 --> 00:06:58.823 because you'll get exhausted in that, 00:06:58.823 --> 00:07:02.714 than rather take the time to sit down with them and share the gospel. 00:07:02.714 --> 00:07:06.137 Because when people truly get that life... Hallelujah! 00:07:06.137 --> 00:07:08.914 They don't need anyone around them to: 00:07:09.234 --> 00:07:12.848 Come on! You have to live holy! Come on! You have to have the fellowship! 00:07:12.978 --> 00:07:14.034 And I remember that. 00:07:14.034 --> 00:07:18.083 I was 19 years old when I gave my life to God. 00:07:18.553 --> 00:07:21.881 I was the first one in my family who gave his life to God. 00:07:21.881 --> 00:07:25.525 I had no, like families, and many friends. 00:07:25.525 --> 00:07:29.636 I had one friend who was a Christian. I had no one else. 00:07:30.406 --> 00:07:35.415 Right away, without even really being in church ever, 00:07:36.165 --> 00:07:38.845 when I got born again, the first thing happened... 00:07:38.845 --> 00:07:39.768 What was that? 00:07:39.768 --> 00:07:41.803 It was what we read. 00:07:41.803 --> 00:07:47.275 One of the first things that happened was I could not go on sinning. 00:07:47.405 --> 00:07:52.168 I could not. Like, when I did things I was used to do, 00:07:52.168 --> 00:07:55.501 that were sin, I just felt it inside of me. 00:07:55.501 --> 00:07:58.124 The seed of God was inside of me. 00:07:58.124 --> 00:08:00.187 I could not go on sinning. 00:08:00.187 --> 00:08:04.135 And I know for my sake, I did not need a lifted finger and say: 00:08:04.135 --> 00:08:06.979 Hey, you are not allowed to do this. You have to do this. You have to do this. 00:08:06.979 --> 00:08:10.816 No. I did not need it. Why? Because the seed was inside of me. 00:08:11.046 --> 00:08:12.889 God was there. 00:08:12.969 --> 00:08:14.337 As we read before. 00:08:14.497 --> 00:08:20.537 Another thing was: I was longing for fellowship with my new families. 00:08:20.647 --> 00:08:23.821 I was longing for fellowship. 00:08:24.884 --> 00:08:28.827 A guy like me, who was born again, when I was longing for fellowship, 00:08:28.827 --> 00:08:32.290 I needed more than just one day a week... 00:08:32.430 --> 00:08:35.742 to go in and just meet, Sunday was not enough. 00:08:35.852 --> 00:08:37.887 I needed more. 00:08:38.317 --> 00:08:42.237 And I wanted to live holy, but in the beginning I fell 00:08:42.237 --> 00:08:44.712 and I did wrong things, and I felt condemned, 00:08:44.712 --> 00:08:47.664 and there I also needed somebody around me, 00:08:47.664 --> 00:08:51.153 more than one day a week. 00:08:51.403 --> 00:08:55.205 And in my life God gave me somebody. 00:08:55.545 --> 00:08:58.804 He gave me my father-in-law 00:08:58.954 --> 00:09:02.549 who became my spiritual father, who was there for me. 00:09:02.659 --> 00:09:08.034 And my father-in-law helped me to grow up. 00:09:11.594 --> 00:09:13.661 He never sat down with me and said: 00:09:13.661 --> 00:09:16.920 Torben, now we will have a teaching. This week we are talking about this, 00:09:16.920 --> 00:09:19.989 next week we are talking about this, third week we are talking about this... 00:09:19.989 --> 00:09:24.639 No, my teaching, the teaching he gave me, milk he gave me, 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:28.558 was on the couch, with him, sitting beside me. 00:09:28.708 --> 00:09:31.522 I was sitting there with my Bible, and I was hungry. 00:09:31.522 --> 00:09:35.047 And I asked a lot of questions: What about this? What about this? 00:09:35.047 --> 00:09:37.165 What about this? What about this? 00:09:37.165 --> 00:09:39.268 And when I was fighting he was always there. 00:09:39.268 --> 00:09:42.463 When I was doubting and asking questions - he was there. 00:09:43.333 --> 00:09:46.854 This is what a newborn believer needs. 00:09:47.034 --> 00:09:51.235 They don't need to just come to a meeting. 00:09:51.365 --> 00:09:53.308 They need family. 00:09:53.658 --> 00:09:56.287 They need 24/7... 00:09:56.427 --> 00:10:02.513 somebody who is there, who is ready to share life with them. 00:10:02.713 --> 00:10:06.913 And this is how we really see children grow up and become strong. 00:10:06.913 --> 00:10:11.848 In 1 Corinthians 4:14-16 Paul is saying this: 00:10:12.008 --> 00:10:16.620 "I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 00:10:16.620 --> 00:10:20.734 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, 00:10:20.734 --> 00:10:23.607 you do not have many fathers, 00:10:23.607 --> 00:10:27.811 for in Jesus Christ I became your father through the gospel. 00:10:27.811 --> 00:10:31.248 Therefore I urge you to imitate me." 00:10:31.958 --> 00:10:36.936 There was many guardians, or many leaders, let's say like that, in the church today. 00:10:37.156 --> 00:10:39.631 But there are not many fathers. 00:10:39.921 --> 00:10:43.021 Paul was really a father for some of those people, 00:10:43.021 --> 00:10:48.902 and I encourage you out there, when it comes to how to grow people up in Christ, 00:10:49.682 --> 00:10:53.813 when a person is a newborn and experience Christ, 00:10:53.813 --> 00:10:57.612 they need more than to just be invited to a meeting. 00:10:57.962 --> 00:11:01.538 They long for fellowship. They want to live holy. 00:11:01.538 --> 00:11:04.529 They need somebody who can just be there for them, 00:11:04.529 --> 00:11:08.120 somebody who can share life with them, 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:11.513 somebody who can love them. 00:11:11.823 --> 00:11:15.755 They need more then just to be invited to a church. 00:11:15.755 --> 00:11:20.319 They need to be invited to a cup of coffee, or for a dinner. 00:11:20.669 --> 00:11:22.977 And this is what I encourage you to do. 00:11:22.977 --> 00:11:26.281 When you start to work with people... 00:11:26.691 --> 00:11:31.144 and you start to see people come to Christ, 00:11:31.384 --> 00:11:33.248 open up your home. 00:11:33.248 --> 00:11:35.217 Invite them for a dinner. 00:11:35.217 --> 00:11:38.912 Sit down with them in the sofa. Talk about life. 00:11:38.912 --> 00:11:44.789 And there answer some of those questions people often don't get answered in the church. 00:11:44.789 --> 00:11:51.197 I know when I was a newborn believer and sat in my father-in-law's to be house, 00:11:52.934 --> 00:11:55.187 he did not put up a teaching, as I said, 00:11:55.187 --> 00:11:58.779 but he answered those questions I had in that moment. 00:11:58.779 --> 00:12:00.718 Hey, I'm fighting with this. What about this? 00:12:00.718 --> 00:12:02.499 What about this? What about this? 00:12:02.499 --> 00:12:05.277 And he gave me so much more, to have somebody 00:12:05.277 --> 00:12:08.428 to answer those questions I had in that moment, 00:12:08.428 --> 00:12:11.856 than going to hear a sermon 45 minutes, 00:12:11.856 --> 00:12:15.129 with something that was not working in my life. 00:12:15.659 --> 00:12:19.707 But I want to say, it is not always easy to find those right people, 00:12:19.707 --> 00:12:24.202 people who are mature, who want to help people. 00:12:25.182 --> 00:12:28.294 It is not easy outside the church or inside the church. 00:12:28.294 --> 00:12:33.252 I remember some years ago, I was in a city and I led some people to Christ. 00:12:33.252 --> 00:12:37.407 There was no church in that city, but there was a small group 00:12:37.407 --> 00:12:41.268 of Christians gathering. There were six Christians gathering. 00:12:41.268 --> 00:12:45.558 And I tried to take some of those new believers into that group, 00:12:46.478 --> 00:12:50.590 but it was not easy, because in that small group there was six people, 00:12:50.590 --> 00:12:53.214 and when I looked at them, there were two who were amazing, 00:12:53.214 --> 00:12:57.932 who loved Jesus, amazing, on fire, it just came out of them always. 00:12:58.202 --> 00:13:02.230 Another two were more neutral, and like: who are they? 00:13:02.740 --> 00:13:07.460 They are good and not bad, but they love Jesus, so it's fine. 00:13:07.460 --> 00:13:10.777 But then there were two that were worse poison ever. 00:13:10.777 --> 00:13:17.334 Two very religious people who just take out every life out of a new believer. 00:13:18.804 --> 00:13:22.473 It was very difficult for me, because how do I bring people to that small group, 00:13:22.473 --> 00:13:25.033 and I wanted them to connect with those two, 00:13:25.033 --> 00:13:27.755 or maybe those two, but not with those two. 00:13:28.005 --> 00:13:29.747 And it's not easy. 00:13:30.307 --> 00:13:36.187 Since I had those experiences, I stopped just... 00:13:36.897 --> 00:13:38.629 taking people to church, 00:13:38.629 --> 00:13:44.637 because I did never know who they will meet in church. 00:13:44.857 --> 00:13:47.044 So, instead of just saying: come to church 00:13:47.044 --> 00:13:49.230 and let them connect with everyone, 00:13:49.230 --> 00:13:52.072 because one of the first one I really led to church, 00:13:52.072 --> 00:13:54.159 she connected with wrong people in church, 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:56.470 people who were living lukewarm, 00:13:56.470 --> 00:14:00.101 and they ended up going to city, and that girl fell away again, 00:14:00.101 --> 00:14:02.454 because they were out drinking. 00:14:02.644 --> 00:14:04.716 We see so many things today. 00:14:05.526 --> 00:14:08.171 It's better, instead of just leading people to church, 00:14:08.171 --> 00:14:11.534 to just lead them to one or two people who are on fire. 00:14:11.884 --> 00:14:14.836 And I hope that is you, that you are on fire. 00:14:14.836 --> 00:14:19.189 That you will take the time to meet with people. 00:14:19.189 --> 00:14:24.418 Or, if you cannot, than find somebody else who live the life, who's on fire, 00:14:24.418 --> 00:14:28.783 and try to introduce those new believers to them. 00:14:28.783 --> 00:14:32.831 Somebody who can help, somebody who can take care of them, 00:14:32.831 --> 00:14:36.003 somebody who can help them grow up. 00:14:37.023 --> 00:14:41.036 And I believe this is how it should be for all of us. 00:14:42.376 --> 00:14:46.134 I know it's not always easy, because who to connect with, 00:14:46.134 --> 00:14:49.321 but I've also seen it again and again that God is in control. 00:14:49.321 --> 00:14:50.853 So, if you don't have anyone, 00:14:50.853 --> 00:14:55.385 then start to pray that God will send the right one to those people. 00:14:55.675 --> 00:14:59.135 And this is what He did with me. When I look at my own life, 00:14:59.135 --> 00:15:02.242 I did not have anyone who could help me, who could take care of me, 00:15:02.502 --> 00:15:05.793 but then God gave me my father-in-law. 00:15:06.103 --> 00:15:10.442 It was not just accident. It was God who ordained it. 00:15:10.622 --> 00:15:12.941 It was God who took care of it. 00:15:13.151 --> 00:15:16.576 I remember one night we were in a meeting, a prophetic meeting. 00:15:18.376 --> 00:15:24.275 A prophet called him up and said: you have one son. 00:15:24.275 --> 00:15:26.572 He said: No, I have three daughters. You have a son. 00:15:26.572 --> 00:15:28.625 No, I have three daughters. You have a son. 00:15:28.765 --> 00:15:31.097 No, I have three daughters. You have a son. 00:15:31.097 --> 00:15:35.777 He's like a son for you and your job is to be there for your son. 00:15:36.007 --> 00:15:38.157 And he knew who he was talking about. 00:15:38.467 --> 00:15:39.584 Me. 00:15:39.994 --> 00:15:44.540 So, God has called my father-in-law to be there for me. 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:47.668 My father-in-law is not a big minister. 00:15:47.768 --> 00:15:51.646 He's not somebody who's speaking in churches and who's all over. 00:15:52.496 --> 00:15:56.295 This is not also what you need and what other people out there need. 00:15:56.475 --> 00:16:01.812 We do not need a big minister who doesn't have time to take care of people. 00:16:01.942 --> 00:16:04.318 We need people who have time. 00:16:04.568 --> 00:16:08.903 We need people who can just give what God has given them. 00:16:09.353 --> 00:16:12.848 And I share much more about that in my book "The Call of Jesus", 00:16:12.848 --> 00:16:17.093 where I talk about how we can be there for other people. 00:16:17.093 --> 00:16:20.945 And if we don't have anyone ourselves, what we can do, 00:16:20.945 --> 00:16:25.178 and how we can pray and ask God to lead us to somebody. 00:16:26.078 --> 00:16:32.000 So I want to say this: when we start to work with discipleship, 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:36.328 the best discipleship is to become family and friends with people, 00:16:36.328 --> 00:16:39.102 to walk with people, to share life with people. 00:16:39.102 --> 00:16:42.971 To be there especially for those new people who come to faith. 00:16:43.191 --> 00:16:46.627 The best teaching how do you get people to grow up 00:16:46.627 --> 00:16:50.321 is just to sit down with them in a sofa, over the coffee table, 00:16:50.321 --> 00:16:53.428 listen to their life, listen to their story, 00:16:53.428 --> 00:16:56.295 listen to what they are fighting with right now, 00:16:56.295 --> 00:16:58.507 what are they struggling with, 00:16:58.717 --> 00:17:00.688 what questions do they have, 00:17:00.868 --> 00:17:04.850 what did they read in the Bible during the week, they don't understand, 00:17:05.050 --> 00:17:08.140 and then be for them and answer their questions. 00:17:08.140 --> 00:17:10.765 And then pray for them. And then help them. 00:17:11.235 --> 00:17:14.551 This is how we get people to grow up. 00:17:14.701 --> 00:17:19.711 Not to just invite them to a meeting and give them 45 minutes of teaching. 00:17:20.421 --> 00:17:24.704 No. Invite them to your home. Go to their home. 00:17:24.964 --> 00:17:26.870 Be there for them. 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:29.564 And I encourage you, if you start to do that, 00:17:29.564 --> 00:17:32.886 if everyone start to do that, when we reach people, 00:17:32.886 --> 00:17:37.432 and we take the time, and again, we don't need a big minister. 00:17:37.432 --> 00:17:40.529 You don't have to be a pastor who's doing all of it. 00:17:40.689 --> 00:17:43.491 It's something you and me can do, each of us. 00:17:43.491 --> 00:17:46.694 We can help people. We can take care of them. 00:17:47.614 --> 00:17:49.590 So this is how it is. 00:17:49.830 --> 00:17:54.366 Be there. Love people. Invest in them. Spend time with them. 00:17:54.596 --> 00:17:58.088 And this is how we get people to grow up. 00:17:58.648 --> 00:18:01.139 And then you will see fruit in their life. 00:18:01.979 --> 00:18:08.102 Next time I'm going to do a video here called "Dear Pastors and Leaders", 00:18:08.102 --> 00:18:12.367 because next time I want to talk to all of you who are pastors and leaders out there. 00:18:12.367 --> 00:18:14.117 I'm not against the church. 00:18:14.887 --> 00:18:17.082 But I want to challenge you. 00:18:17.082 --> 00:18:20.639 I want to challenge you to really take the call of Jesus 00:18:20.639 --> 00:18:22.794 and give it to the people in the church, 00:18:22.794 --> 00:18:27.036 and see a movement from God, there where you are. 00:18:27.036 --> 00:18:28.870 So, I look forward to see you next time. 00:18:28.870 --> 00:18:29.688 Bye-bye! 00:18:32.074 --> 00:18:33.571 The Call of Jesus