Someone Is Counting On You to Grow | September 21, 2025 AM

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The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist

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message from God's Word will be a blessing to you.

Acts chapter 3 in the word of God, this.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

Morning would you turn there Acts and chapter #3 it was a

couple weeks ago we were at the end of second Peter and we saw

that every single one of us were to grow right we saw that we.

Were to grow in grace, we were to grow in the knowledge of our

Lord Jesus. Christ and we also saw.

That we were to grow. In giving him glory and.

We all agreed, I believe. That that was what?

We were to do with our lives and then last.

Week I asked you the question that that nosy.

Question that only a pastor would ask you, right?

And that was this. Well, so did you grow?

Sure. We preached about it and we

talked about it and we all agreed that it is in the word.

Of God. But the question is, did we

actually do what the Bible? Told us to do and so I hope that

over the last. Week you reflected upon that and

that it wasn't just the fact that growth is about just

getting tough or looking deep within yourself to be able to

find the way to be able to grow, but it's really if there's the

answer. Within you it's not.

Certainly within your own flesh. But the answer for the believer

is this the Holy Spirit who? Lives inside of you, he.

Is the one that. Empowers you.

He is the mechanism in which we are to be able to grow.

Listen, you want to grow on your own apart from the Holy Spirit.

That's a fool's errand. And so we looked at that over

the last couple weeks. But I would also like to ask you

another question here this morning.

In the same. Vein, as we continue to look at

Peter and we continue to look at his growth that it wasn't just

something that he talked about. But it was something that.

He lived out in his life in the book of Acts.

And as we look at this issue of growth, maybe we need to ask

ourselves this question this morning.

Do. You realize that someone is

depending upon you to grow. See maybe you think this issue.

Of growth is intimately. Personal.

And in a way it is because only you can grow in your own life.

Someone else cannot force you to grow.

I cannot come over to your house, say, Come on, man.

Grow, grow, grow, you'd say. Go, go, go, go.

Home. We don't want you here, pastor.

All right, I can't make you grow in and of myself.

Listen, that is an intimately personal decision that only.

You can make. And that the Holy Spirit can

help you with. But I will tell you this.

This morning that. God has people in your life that

are expecting you grow. God has people in your life that

need you to grow. So perhaps over the last couple

weeks you've thought, well, I haven't grown and I maybe don't

have a desire to grow. And I would submit to you this

morning that if that is the case, then there are people that

God is counting upon you to be able to reach and to help and to

lead and to serve, and the guide who have been neglected.

You know this isn't just about you, it's about the.

People that God has placed. In your life to be able to help.

To grow. Romans 14, seven says None of us

live unto ourselves. And none of us die unto

ourselves. Meaning this if you think life

is a solo mission, it's not that God has placed you in this.

Life to be able to. Be a help and a.

Blessing to others and they're counting on you to grow.

Would you stand? Pleased for the reading God's

Word in Acts chapter 3 this morning Acts chapter 3 will

Acts 3 · chapter mention Acts 3 · chapter mention

begin in verse #1 and it says now John and Peter or well

Peter. And John went up.

Together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the 9th

hour. And a certain man lame from his

mother's womb was carried, whom they lay daily at the gate of

the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms of them

that entered into the temple. Who's seeing Peter and John

about to go into the temple? Asked.

And alms. You know, talking about alms,

meaning he he wanted some money and Peter fastening his eyes

upon him with John said, look on us.

And he gave heed unto him, expecting to receive something

of him. And Peter said silver and gold

have I none? But such as I have, I give thee.

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk, and

took him by the right hand and lifted him up.

And immediately his feet and ankle bones receive strength.

And he, leaping up, stood and walked, and entered with them

into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and

they knew that it was he which sat at Homs, at the beautiful

gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and

amazement. At that which had happened unto

him, and as the lame. Man, which was healed, held

Peter and John. All the people ran together.

Under them, in the porch that is called Solomon's greatly

wondering, a man, thought he. Was going to get a little bit of

money. But he got something a whole lot

better. He got healing through Jesus

Christ. And so we're look at that this

morning and the Ministry of. Peter and John to this.

Man, and a message I've. Entitled.

Somebody is counting on you to grow.

Would you be? Seated and let's pray together.

This morning. Heavenly Father, I do thank you

for. This morning and the people.

Who are here where I thank you for?

Our guests and visitors and returning guests and visitors,

Lord, we thank you for them all. We certainly don't take for

granted that there would be people that would take out of

their day to be able to come to not just any church, but to this

church to be able to hear Your word.

And so, Lord, we thank you humbly for that.

But I pray that as I give the word of God this morning,

they'll be given rightly, Lord, they'll be given clearly.

And most importantly, if there's someone here again who needs to

be saved, that they would. Understand the life changing.

Message of Jesus from this passage.

And we do ask it all this morning in Jesus name, Amen.

Life really doesn't end its salvation, it just begins.

The day you get saved, you become a servant of God.

And life changes for you completely.

It was Jim Berg and his book Change into his Image, which I

would. Encourage you to read if you've

never. Read it before Jim Berg.

Said this, our Lord did not come to this planet, live a perfect

life and become a worthy atonement for the sins of the

world, so that those who became as children could merely be well

adjusted, live morally upright lives, and enjoy personal

happiness and success. He died to redeem us from the

penalty and power of a sinful heart that keeps us from being

useful. Servants to the living God.

I like that you were saved to serve.

You were saved to be able to minister the gospel ministry to

others who are around you. And Peter is starting to.

Realize that now, isn't he? The man who around 40 days or so

ago, this is after Pentecost. But we know that somewhere

during the ascension, before the ascension of Jesus Christ, that

Peter decided to quit. He decided to go fishing, but

yet that he was told and admonished by Jesus to get back

in and to be. Able to.

Love the sheep and more than he loved the fish.

And so he did so and he took leadership in Acts chapter 1 and

Acts 1 · chapter mention

then Acts chapter 2, the promise of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

And what happened? Peter wasn't just talking and

putting his foot in his mouth anymore.

Peter is talking and preaching with boldness that can only be

attributed to a man who is allowing the Holy Spirit to work

in his life. And we saw that at the end of

Acts chapter 2 that 3000 people got saved.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Imagine the parking problems they would have had compared to

what we have here at Liberty Baptist Church.

Amen. 3000 people got saved that day and were added to the church

and they continued in the apostles doctrine and prayers

and everything was going and everything was great.

But then we start chapter #3 and Peter and John are together.

Now, I don't want to take too long to dwell on this, but

listen, Peter and John were together.

Remember we looked at a few weeks ago the fact that Peter

and John didn't really get along very well in days before, and

they were like oil and water. And even though they've been

together for three years in the ministry of Jesus, they didn't

get along well. But now they are here and

they're in harmony. And that's what the power of the

Holy Spirit can do when people are willing to listen to the

Holy Spirit in their lives. And now there are two men who

come from two different ways of thinking, but they realize,

listen, we got the same way of thinking in Jesus Christ.

We need to be able to work together.

And here they are. And they're going to the temple,

by the way, not during the hours sacrifice, because the hour of

sacrifice held, no. Hold on them anymore.

Now they're coming during the hour of prayer.

This is what they are coming. And as they are going, they're

going through what is called the beautiful gate and reading a

little bit of the history of the beautiful gate from Josephus,

who was a Jewish historian. It was said that that beautiful

gate, also sometimes called the Corinthian gate, was covered

with Corinthian brass, not Corinthian leather, but

Corinthian brass with silver and gold.

It was located in the east side of the temple, and Josephus said

that it was more beautiful and it was more opulent than any of

the other gates. So it was literally called the

beautiful gate because of how ornate it was.

And many people would have been drawn through that gate because

of its beauty. But bringing those people

through that gate also meant that there were.

Men who wanted ohms. Men who needed.

Money. And they realized, well, if I

could, maybe. Talk to people, if I could maybe

ask people for money as they're going through this gate and they

have maybe a. Little bit of a religious

feeling within their bosom. During this time, because

they're about to go in and worship the Lord and maybe have

coming out from worshiping the Lord and maybe perhaps we can we

can talk to them during this time and receive a little bit of

money. And the Bible says there was a

lame man. There was a man that was born

without being able to walk and that for some great period of

time people had picked him up and had dropped him off at this

gate. And at the end of the day they

would pick him up and take him back home.

And this had happened over and over and over again.

For how long? Well, I don't know exactly how

long the Bible doesn't tell us, but it was long enough that

people knew who he was. So we're not talking about

something that just happened a week or two weeks.

I would I would dare say by what we see here in the text that it

probably been many years that this man had gone through the

same routine that someone had picked him up.

They had taken him to the temple, they set him down the

beautiful gate. He asked for money.

At the end of the day, they picked him up, they took him

home. And he had a reputation as one

of them who would sit there at the gate.

So Peter and John are going through this beautiful gate and

as they do, he asked for alms just like he did on every other

day to every other man and woman that would have walked through

that gate. And as they do so, Peter and I

believe as he listens to the Holy Spirit within him, no, not

an audible voice, but the urge of the Holy Spirit saying to to

Peter at that time that he is to address this man, but he's not

to address him with silver and gold.

You know how I know he was a Baptist preacher?

Because he says this silver and gold.

Have I none silver and gold Have I none?

And he he says, he says look at me and the man is excited.

He says hey I'm I finally got someone's.

Attention. Listen, you know.

From. People who have asked.

For money in the past. Often times they're they're

gays, a virtue. They don't want to look you in

the eye. They're already expecting that

someone's going to say no. And here's this man.

He I imagine his expectations. Already this nobody's giving me

any money, nobody's going to help me and.

Peter says hey, pay attention. And he gets excited.

He says. Silver and gold have I none, And

I imagine in that one moment that man goes, Oh well, what

else can you help me with? My need is silver and my need is

gold. But Peter, through the Holy

Spirit, realized his need was a whole lot greater than silver

and gold, that he had something to offer that couldn't.

Be offered any other way? By any other person.

And he said this in the name of Jesus.

Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk now we.

Kind of take for. Granted the miracles that take

place in the gospels, but do you realize for Peter this is a

first for Peter? This is something that he.

Has not done in the past and he's.

Trusting the Lord that this is what is supposed.

To be done and what happens? Well, the Bible makes it clear

this man gets up and boy, what a scene it was.

In fact, it doesn't just say that he got up.

It says in verse 8 and he leaping stood up.

But by the way, when Jesus heals, it's not like the faith

healers, you see that the snake oil salesman that you find it

and say, well, eventually I'm going to feel better.

I got healed but in probably about a month I'm going to get a

little bit. Better here.

No, He. Got healed and what happened?

He jumped up and he jumps up and he's, I mentioned he's crying

and he's grabbing Peter and he's grabbing John.

A man, listen, who had never walked in his life.

This wasn't a man who had gone through an accident or an

incident and lost the use of his legs.

And certainly that would have been tragic enough.

But there's a man who didn't even know what it was to walk,

who never experienced to be able to actually use his feet and his

leg bones in his entire life. And all of a sudden the strength

is given to him in a moment and he's jumping and he's leaping

and he's glorifying God. And what happens?

All those people that are going in the temple, they don't care

about the temple anymore. What are they doing?

They're gathering around Peter and they're gathering around

John and they want to know exactly it was what happened?

How did this happen? What's going on?

This, this is incredible. We know this man, we've seen

this man. He's never gotten up before.

He's never stood up. All he ever does is ask for

money. And here he is.

He's restored and he's with Peter and he's with John.

And we remember those guys from Pentecost and what's going on

what, what exactly is happening here.

And Peter again filled with the Holy Spirit, What does he do?

He used the opportunity to give glory to God, and he uses an

opportunity to preach. The Gospel.

Look at verse #12 He says this. And when Peter saw it.

He answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at

this, or why you look ye so earnestly on us, as though by

our own power or holiness we made this man to walk.

Peter says, listen, if you thought there was anything

within me. He says, If you only knew who I

am, If you only knew what my back story was, There's nothing

within me that could cause this. This man who was lame on his

feet to be able to walk. It's not about my holiness and

it's not about my power. Go down to verse #16 And he said

And his name through faith in his name hath made this man

strong who ye see and know. Yeah, the faith which is by.

Him hath given him this. Perfect soundness and presence

of you all. What does he say?

He says, listen, it's not because of me, it's because

Jesus. It's not because of me.

It's because faith in his name. And listen, it was because of

faith in the name of Jesus Christ that this man was

physically healed. But I also want to say this to

you this morning and listen to me.

It's also by faith in Jesus Christ that someone is not

necessarily physically healed, but a more important healing

than a physical healing is a spiritual healing.

And only Jesus Christ can save a soul.

Only faith in Jesus Christ can save someone to take them from

death unto life. As we looked at Mephibosheth

last week on Sunday night, how this man, Mephibosheth was lame

on his feet. He had nothing, he could do

nothing, he owned nothing. But all of a sudden the King

came by and he had everything. Why?

Because of what the King could do for him.

And the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, King Jesus is the

one that can bring healing into your life.

Oh sure, physical healing, but we're not really talking about

that. What we're talking about,

something far more important, is we're talking about a spiritual

healing that you can pass from death unto life.

When you trust in Jesus. Christ your Savior.

If you don't know Jesus Christ your Savior, if you've never had

a time and a place where you realize that you were a Sinner

and only Christ could save you, you need to call upon Him today.

You know. This is what you need to do.

There is no other priority. There is no other step that you

need to take. The Gospels be extended to you.

It's been purchased. Your salvation has been

purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

What you need to do is call upon Him.

Not upon the sacraments, not upon your works, not upon the

money that you give, not upon church membership, not upon any

of the things that you can do. Because listen, if you could

save yourself, Jesus Christ didn't need to come.

If you could save yourself, Jesus Christ didn't need to die

on that cross. No, no, what you need is what

only Jesus Christ can offer. He is the door.

He is the one that can give you life and give you life more

abundantly. So you're going to call upon

him. And this is good stuff, don't

you? It's just crazy when people say

the Bible is. Boring.

It's. Like, I don't think you read the

Bible if you think the Bible is boring because this is exciting.

And Peter, a man who was a failure a few weeks ago, has a

crowd come up and he says this. You know how to do?

How to preach to him? Like, I don't want to get over

the fact that this is the same Peter that was cursing a few

weeks ago. I don't know him.

And now he's saying. Hey, Jesus Christ.

You don't know him, but you need to know him.

Find out that his preaching was so bold and we'll.

By God's grace, look. At this later, his preaching was

so bold that he and John ended up getting arrested and he got

out and you know what he said? Well, we'd listen to you, but we

got to listen to Jesus first. So we're going to keep

preaching. Who is this guy?

It's a guy who grew. A man who?

The Holy Spirit. Had done a work in his life.

This was an incredible day and one that the spirit moved within

Peter to see healings of both a physical and of a spiritual

nature. But you remember.

What I said a few minutes ago that someone is counting on you

to grow. You might wonder.

Well, OK. Pastor, I see, but where do you

get that from This text that we were reading like I, Pastor, I

agree with. Everything you just said, it's

all right. Here, but I don't understand why

the thrust of the messages someone is counting on you to

grow, because I don't know that I saw that necessarily well.

Let me remind you a couple things go back to verse #2 it

says in a certain man lame from his mother's.

Womb was. Carried, whom they laid daily at

the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful to ask alms of.

Them that entered into the temple now drop.

Down to verse #10 and they knew that it was that let's try that

again I'm. Sorry.

And they knew that it was. He which had sat for.

Alms at the beautiful gate of the temple, and they were filled

with wonderful or with. Wonder and amazement.

At that which had happened unto him.

Seems to be that there's no doubt that this was a man that

was fairly well known. This man was only well known

because of the passage of time. He had been.

Laid at the gate, but by the way, not.

Just at different. Gates.

He was laid at the same gate. Every day for an extended period

of time. So something I it's just, I kept

coming back to this this week. During my study and I kept I

kept thinking about this and it really it's what I want to focus

on for the next few moments if we have the time by.

God's grace, it's this. If this man.

Had been sitting at the gate of the temple for an extremely long

time. You know this man had.

Been there. Always asking for money.

Always needing a healing. And he just got healed on this

day. But he'd been there for a very,

very long time. Why hadn't?

Jesus healed him already. I mean, seems to me that Jesus

spent quite a bit of time in the temple.

I have no doubt that Jesus. Would have passed by this man

many times I mean I don't think there's any doubt that we can

surmise that Jesus would have passed by this man gone through

the gate beautiful to go in and out of the temple that as he

done so that this man who had been there for a very long.

Time would have been there. And while Jesus may have

acknowledged. Him while Jesus may have.

Talked to them, it's never found in the word of God and we do

though this. Jesus had never healed him.

So why Peter and not Jesus? Why for three possible?

Years did Jesus pass by him here and there every time he was in

Jerusalem. But Peter, on this day, is the

one that brings. Healing to him.

Now I can't. Always say that.

I mean, can any of us really say we know the mind of the Lord?

I'll say this. If you say you always know the

mind of the Lord, then. We got some.

Questions for you, because none of us can discern the mind of

the Lord unless the mind of the Lord's already preserved for us

within the Word of God. He gives us His mind in 66

books, doesn't he? And so we're thankful to be able

to have that. And there's some things we can

surmise. From what we see here.

But we do know this. God is sovereign and nothing.

Escapes him. Here's what I mean.

Jesus. Didn't.

Just go past him and say you know what I've been meaning?

To heal him. And I forgot.

You know what, Peter? You take care of it for me.

I can't believe I forgot about that.

Say, Pastor, you're being sarcastic.

No. OK, that would be really

sarcastic, you know. God's sovereign nothing that

happened. In Job's life came as a surprise

to God Job chapter one Job chapter 2 God was intimately

Job 2 · chapter mention

acquainted with every difficulty that came in job's life.

None of it caught in my surprise.

And I'm not suggesting here that there's anything that took place

that got Jesus by surprise or that Jesus was neglectful or

anything like that. In fact, I think we could

surmise knowing what we know about God, knowing what we know

about his omnipotence, knowing what we know.

About his omniscience. Knowing what we know about his

character, about his love. And his compassion.

I think we can surmise that that because we know that nothing

escapes him. There's no doubt in my mind that

Jesus hadn't done a work in this man's life specifically because

he left the work for. Peter to do.

Amen. That he left this man for some

period of time because he knew someday that it would be the job

of Peter to walk by and to be able to see his ministry expand,

to see his ministry grow, to see his faith and trust grow in God

as he understood in this moment that, wow, the Lord will use me

in ways that I never even thought possible.

And So what do I see from this? That listen, God doesn't need.

Us to fulfill his work. Before we get too.

Far down this road here. God doesn't need you and he

doesn't need me. We can get a little bit too high

on our horse, can't we? In the sense that, well, I'm a

preacher of the Word of God. The Lord needs me.

Listen, that's about. The time when the Lord says hey.

You're done, the Lord. Needs me.

He doesn't need me for anything. I caused him more grief than

help. The Lord needs me.

The Lord needs you. He don't need any of us.

He chooses to use us. And in many ways that's even

more wonderful that God has chosen to use you and God has

chosen to use me. He doesn't need us to.

Proclaim His name, but He chooses us to proclaim his name.

He doesn't need us to. Lead.

But He chooses us to lead. He doesn't need us to fulfill

the obligations of life, but He chooses us to be able to do so.

Why? Because of His great love, He's

left some obligations. For us, not because he's.

Neglectful, but because he wants to continue to see us grow, and

someone's counting on you to grow.

There's some people that God has left behind for you to be able

to be a blessing to. And if you don't grow, you can't

be the person you need to be for those people that He has called

you to be for. Listen, I'm not saying this.

Man would never have gotten. Healed if Peter went a fishing

because the Lord can work things out however he wants.

It's not like Peter could have stymied the plans of God.

You know, but God says, all right, this is for Peter, and

Peter goes to fishing and he never comes.

Back and God says now what am I going to do?

Like the old saying says, has it ever occurred to you?

That nothing's ever occurred to God like.

Nothing ever just came to his mind.

Whoa, I didn't see that possibility.

He knows it all. He's seen it all.

The end from the. Beginning.

But God had planned for Peter and John to be the ones to grow

enough to be able to minister this man.

And it couldn't happen while they were fishing and it

couldn't happen while they were trying to do things with their

own power. What I'm saying is there were

people that were counting on them to grow.

There's going to be people in Samaria that Peter's got to

preach to. They're going to count on him to

grow. There's Gentiles who are going

to be outside of the household of the faith until Peter

receives a vision from the Lord that says don't call unclean

that, which I have cleansed talking of the Gentiles.

And what does Peter do? He goes and preaches the gospel

to him. He basically opens up the

gospel, if you will, humanly speaking, to the Samaritans and

to the Gentiles. He goes on and there's a pillar

of the church, as Paul calls him.

He goes on and defends the Gentiles salvation.

In Acts chapter #15 when there were those Judaizers who tried

to say, well, they can't get saved unless they follow the

law. And Peter says this, you don't

understand the gospel does. Peter can't do these things

unless he grows. He can't be the person who God

has called him to be unless there is growth in his life.

But but really, this message isn't about Peter because he's

gone. I'm looking forward to meeting

him someday. I'll tell you got a lot of.

Questions for him can't wait to meet him, but his message is

about Peter. This message is about you.

It's about me. And the question is this, do you

realize that God has put people in your life to be able to

minister to? And if you don't grow, you won't

be able to be the person he's called you to be.

You know, he could use the angels to proclaim the gospel to

your neighbors, but what has he done?

He's left them for you to minister to.

He's called you to be able to do that job.

He he could write an interoffice.

Memo at your work saying. Hey everyone who's a believer,

let's have a Bible. Study together, but he's called

you to be salt and light in your workplace and to be able to

maybe read the Bible with people who are there.

Witness your faith as you can in your workplace.

You know he's he's left that job for you to do.

You know, would it be great if a new believer got saved and the

Lord just uploaded all the information they.

Need right in their brain. He doesn't do that, does he?

Oh. No, you're a new creature.

You pass. From death to life.

But there's still a lot about the Christian life you don't

know. And God has ordained.

The method of growth for a new believers being in the word but

also that in the church that the elder teach the younger and if

you don't grow enough and you can't teach the younger.

And again, that's not necessarily.

Elder and younger in age, but in Christ.

And if you can't do that, listen, there are people that

God has left for you, for you to be able to minister to within

the church, and you can't do that.

Well, that's the pastor's job. You think I can?

Minister to everybody adequately.

Within this church, do you? Think I should minister to

everyone adequately in this church?

I only have one life experience. You have your life experience

that God's brought you through and there's people that he wants

you to help. But what if you don't grow

enough? Then you just come to church.

You come and you go and you come and you go and you miss what God

has for you, which is to be a blessing to someone who's

younger in Christ. Hey fellas, if you got a wife,

God's called you to minister to her.

He's called you to minister to her.

He's told you in in Ephesians chapter 5 to love her as Christ

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

loved the church. Listen, you are to show Christ.

To her. That's a tall order, isn't it?

God's left you with that responsibility and if you don't

grow, you will not be able to fill that responsibility because

you can't do that on your own. You can't do it on your own

husband and wife with children to be able to raise them in the

nurture and the admission of the Lord.

Listen, you got to grow so that you can pass on the faith to

your children. You've got to grow so you can

pass on the faith to your grandchildren.

Listen, how will you pass on the word of God if you don't read it

for yourself? How can you pass on a love for

church if you're not in the House of God for yourself?

You know, God has left you with this responsibility and it

requires your growth. Hey, he's left us a whole town

to be able to minister, to say things are dark out there.

I know. And he's left these people for

us. Why?

So we could show them Jesus Christ.

Could he just write it in the clouds?

Sure, he could, but he's chosen us to be his ambassadors.

He's chosen us to be the ones to be able to go and share the good

news of Jesus Christ. There's people he's left for us

to help. You say, Pastor, I don't feel

very capable of that. Well, maybe you could say

something like this. Well, silver and gold have I

none. But such as I have, I give you

basically saying, Lord, I'm not much.

But you already knew that, didn't you?

That's why you gave me the Holy Spirit to grow.

And I'm going to grow because my family's counting on me.

I'm going to grow because my spouse is counting on me.

I'm going to grow because my kids are counting on me.

I'm going to grow because my grandchildren are counting on me

I'm a grow because my church is counting on me.

I'm a grow because my. Neighborhood, my office, my

friends, my, my peers, the kids in my school, they're all

counting on me. And so I have to grow it.

If I don't grow, I don't live unto myself and I don't die into

myself. No, no, this isn't just about

me. He's left me here not because he

needs me, but he's left these people for me.

Not because he's forgotten about them, but he's left them

because. They're my mechanism of growth.

As they are to grow at the same time.

And if you forget what will happen?

And this is really where the issue comes down for us this

morning, Really, only a strong man can help a lame man.

A weak Peter can't help this man.

A weak John cannot help this man.

Why do we need to grow? Because as we grow stronger in

the Lord, we're able to help those in desperate situations,

and we're able to help those that God has called us to lead

in the 1st place. 2nd Corinthians 518 All things are

of God, who hath. Reconciled us to himself.

By Jesus Christ hath given us, listen, the ministry of

reconciliation, John 1020 or John 2021.

And Jesus said to them, Peace be unto you, as my Father has sent

me, Even so send I you. He's commissioned us.

He's called us to go out and he's left people for us, not

because he forgot about them, but because he loves them so

much and he loves us so much. He wants to grow to reach those

people and that's why we have to get stronger.

Peyton, my daughter, many of you know her as if I take for

granted. There's a few of you that are

new that may not know all of my family yet, but believe it or

not, we have an older daughter that doesn't even live here

anymore. She's married, but Peyton comes

up to me and this is kind of a little child thing because I

feel like our older girls did this too.

But she has a water bottle because, you know, the water

bottles are the thing nowadays, isn't it?

It's it's kind of a cult. I mean, let's be honest, the

water bottle people and the pickleball people, they really

annoy me. All right, But OK, that's an

exaggeration. But.

Peyton has a water bottle, you know, keeps her water cold and

all that, and that means we don't.

Buy a bunch of these bottles so it's really good but but she

has. This water bottle and.

She'll come up to me almost every morning and say.

Dad, I don't know why she has to.

Make the noise too, because she's not moving anything.

I don't know why she's moving. I can't open it as a baby.

Daddy's not going to open it for you.

What a what? A jerky 1.

And I'm only admitting this in front of you.

Actually, I don't know why I'm admitting in front of you.

No, no, there's a reason why. I know she can open it.

She just doesn't want to. Say listen, stop making.

That noise and open the bottle and then it says.

Oh, I did it. Wow.

You know, you know why I forced her to do it.

I want to grow stronger. She needs to grow stronger.

Could you imagine her being in her 20s and going?

It's like, it's like I got to get.

Married. I got to find a man, open my

water bottle. Like, no, OK, that's not good.

That's not good. These things ought not to be.

You know what I'm saying? Because I want her to grow.

I put her in situations to strengthen her.

If she does not grow, then someone else is going to have to

do the work for her. Now, I want you to listen

carefully. I want you to look right into my

beady eyes right now, OK? Because we're close to being

done. If you don't raise your children

in the nurture, the admonition of the Lord, if you're not

strong enough to be able to do that, at least growing, someone

else will. This world wants to raise your

children and they want to raise your grandchildren.

So what do you do? You need to grow enough so that

you could listen. I don't.

I never said you were to be perfect.

You just need to be growing and grow because if you don't raise

them, the public school system will.

Entertainment will. The music industry will all the

people you don't want downloading into your child's

mind. What do you do?

If you don't do it, someone else will.

Spiritually speaking, if you don't grow, who will reach your

spouse on if they need to get saved?

If they don't see you growing spiritually an unsaved spouse,

well, how are they going to come to Christ?

Now listen, I'm not, I'm not saying that you are the one to

be blamed. They have to make that decision.

But we do know that the Bible also says we have a

responsibility to be the watchman, to be the proclaimer

of the word of God. You say, well, pastor, you can

do it for me. Listen, they'll never listen to

me if they don't see it in you. You got to grow.

Who if? You don't win your family.

Who will if we don't reach our town?

Who will if we don't reach our neighbors?

Who will if you don't offer encouragement?

Who? Will if you don't help.

Reconcile your loved ones. Who will?

Over and over. The question is who will do it

if we don't? Because he's left these people

for us to minister to. Not because he's forgotten about

him. No, because he wants you to be

able to be the one so it can be in your process of growth.

He said, well, if I don't grow, it's just up.

Look at this pastor. It's a personal decision.

It may be a personal decision, but don't think the

ramifications. Just extend to your life and

your life alone, because it will extend far greater than you

could ever imagine. Here's Joseph.

Bad things happen in his life, but he grows.

What happens? He ends up saving his family.

Here's Daniel. Bad things happen in his life.

He's stolen from his homeland. He's made a eunuch.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

I get every reason to tap out and say I don't want to follow

God. God used him to save a nation.

Here's Ruth in the same situation, taken by force.

What happens? She grows.

And what saves? No, we're not living to

ourselves and we're not dying to ourselves.

God needs you to grow, so He needs me to.

He needs you to because He ordained you to, not because he

needs you because he's incapable.

He needs you to because he's already chosen you to do it.

I read a book a few maybe a year or two ago on the the Johnstown

or Jonestown or Johnstown flood in Pennsylvania is a David

McCullough book. It's like the very first book

that David McCullough wrote and it sounded like a great book to

read. But you know, when you realize a

600 page book about a flood, that's like, I haven't read that

much about the flood in the Bible.

You know, I don't know that I want to read that much about

this flood that happened, but it was a tragedy.

Over 2000 people died. And the reason that happened was

because there was a dam that was created that was supposed to

have been strengthened. It was made, it was created.

It was supposed to have been strengthened and made stronger

over the years because it was earthen and there was other

parts of it that were supposed to have been.

Enhanced and made better. And also to be cleaned and to

make sure that everything would would end up being, you know, if

there's a spillways, the water need to go over that the

spillways would be clear. And all those things every.

Possible safety precaution was neglected and everybody thought,

well, it'll take care of itself. And what happened was a

catastrophic rainstorm took place that overwhelmed the dam,

went through the valley and ended up causing such horrific

damage. As I mentioned, almost 2000

people died. It was a miracle for those who

even lived. And in the middle of the flood

was a great fire that took place.

And if fire and water all together?

An amazing mixture of catastrophe almost unseen in our

history as a nation. It all came.

Down to a few people that said, you know what, I think things

are fine the way they are. I will say.

This and I will be done. You don't know the effects

downstream if you refuse to grow.

You don't know the effects downstream, but I will tell you

this. They will be catastrophic.

God has called you to grow, and in His love and in His mercy,

He's given you everything you need to grow with the Holy

Spirit inside and the Word of God.

He wants you to grow. He'll help you to grow.

There's other people that need you to grow.

So I'll ask for the third time in three weeks, will you grow

this week? Thank you for listening to the

sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church.

If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we

can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at

[email protected]. Or you can visit us this Sunday

at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA.

May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.