In a last session, we talked about the three different categories of Christians that we find in I John 2, and we have spiritual children. We have spiritual young men  and women, and we have spiritual fathers and mothers. I want to talk to you  about each of these categories, what that looks like, and then how we, we  ourselves and those who we train can grow through these stages so we don't  remain where we are. I mean, very honestly, I find many people in churches  today are still spiritual babies. They're born again. They know the Lord that  they're really still spiritual children. And so I would show you from Scripture how  you go from one category to the other. You must understand this for healthy  house church ministry to really, really be accomplished. Now let's talk about  spiritual children. You know, what does a spiritual child look like? I mean,  honestly, first of all, they know their sins are forgiven. We just read that from I  John in our last session. And again, this is I John 2:12, 13 and 14. It says, I write you dear children, verse 12, because your sins have been forgiven. And then we read into where he says, I write you dear children, because you know the  Father. So they're in the kingdom of God. They know Jesus, they know the Lord, they know the Father. But here's the reality, I find there are many, many people  been in churches, whatever type church, for many, many years, who actually are still spiritual children. They might be 80 years of age, but they're still spiritual  children. You say, Larry, how do you know? Let me tell you. And I and this  happens many times when I'm involved in ministry, I'm involved in church and in  ministry in different parts the world. Here's what happens. Someone will come to me after I speak, and they'll say, Larry, we're having a problem in the church.  And I say, what's the problem in the church? And they'll say, Well, the problem is we're not being fed. Now, as soon as I hear that, I'm thinking, I heard a spiritual  baby, because only babies need someone to give them a bottle. Only baby  needs someone to spoon feed them. I mean, somebody's a young man or  young woman, they learn to feed themselves. Am I right? How do we feed  ourselves? We feed ourselves by getting in the Word of God for ourselves. Or  you have two babies, one toy, one fight. I find the people in local churches who  give the most problems, whether it's to pastors or whatever's growing, the  leadership of the church are usually those who are just still spiritual babies. I  was talking to a pastor of a mega church in America, and he said 1000s in their  church, he said, Larry, he said, every week, he said, I feel like I'm coming with a  big baby bottle, going down the aisle and giving everybody their bottle. And he  told me the story said of how that, how are they had 1000s of people come to  Christ in their city. Is a big, some kind of big crusade, and 1000s of people come to Christ. Said, a year later, only a few people actually connected with our  church, he said, and they realize what they needed. They need to have spiritual  families. They need to start some kind of House Fellowship, some kind of small  groups. And they did that ans saw some major changes happen. But all these  people are coming into the church, into the kingdom, are spiritual babies. Now, if

we're spiritual babies, how do we become spiritual young men and spiritual  young women? How do we do that? We expect natural children to grow. How  much more should we expect our spiritual children to grow because remember,  the spiritual baby says, Pastor, feed me, feed me. And they're the ones are  saying, there's this problem, this problem. No spiritual young men and young  women start taking some responsibility, but the Father the mothers really, really,  really understand what, what's going on. So I do, I want to make it clear, I love  hanging out with new Christians. I'm not talking about baby Christians who are  new I love you. They are hungry. I mean, you have a house fellowship and you  have a new baby. Christian come it changes everything. It's like when a new  baby comes in the family. Everything focus on the new baby is to forgive it,  forget about your problems. You're focusing on the new baby. The same thing is  true in the church. When you have new people come into the kingdom. You  know what I've learned? It's the funniest thing I can find a new Christian, they'll  pray any prayer, some untheological prayer, and God answers. Now, why?  They're babies. You know, babies come up to the hospital and they're crying. We say, Oh, just wonderful. Give them the bottle. They're doing great. It's wonderful. You know, they do what they do in their diaper or their nappy, wherever you  determine, using your part of the world, and if they are just wonderful, but if  they're 14 years of age doing the same thing, we say we have a problem, right?  Because they haven't grown up. Many people in the church are still spiritual  babies. Now, how do we get them to take this step, to become a spiritual young  man or spiritual young woman? Well, it's right here in I John 2. I John 2 makes it clear. It say, I John 2 says they have overcome the young men have overcome  the wicked one. It says the Word of God abides in them. So what is spiritual  young men do? Spiritual young men and young women have learned to take the word of God for themselves. So let me give you an example. If somebody is a  spiritual baby and they're just confused, you know, they're calling their house  church leader. They're contacting, you know, their pastor, you know, they're  saying something, oh, I'm just so depressed. I'm so confused. Although I'm  gonna do, please pay for me. That's fine. They're babies, but they begin to grow  up a bit. They begin to get the word of God for themselves. And they say, Oh no, I don't need to call this person to help me right now, because the word of God  says God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. And I claim peace in my  life in the name of Jesus. God has not given me a spirit of fear, but power, love  and a sound mind. They use the word of God and you now what happens? They become young men. Become young women. They're still not fathers and  mothers, but they are young men and young women. Now there's one problem  with young men and young women. They're a bit arrogant. Let me explain you  what I mean by that. When I was eight, I thought my father knew everything.  When I was about 13 or 14, I thought he's still pretty smart, but there's a few  things he doesn't know. When I was 16, 17, I thought my father is a prehistoric 

man. He really doesn't know what's going on in today's generation. And then I  got married at age 20, had our first baby, age 23, 24 and learned how to have a  baby. And I was shocked at how much my father learned the last five years.  Now, what happened wasn't he learned anything I was one. Was learning I had  a baby, all of us. I realized all he had done. I hadn't understood that before, but I  understood it then, because I became a father. I find this in churches. Someone  goes to they go to Bible college, to a Bible school, young man, when I was a  pastor, they come and say, oh. They say, Brother Kreider, you know, I know you  love the Lord and everything, but I just want to show there something here, the  word of God. You don't understand, and you know after a while that's fine.  They're just young men, and it's okay. But see, the key is they need to learn to  be fathers and mothers. Because they learn to be a father or mother, it changes  everything. So how do you become a spiritual father or a spiritual mother. Say,  Well, let's memorize the Book of Leviticus. Go for it doesn't make you spiritual  father mother, see, I need to get five degrees from a theological seminary. Fine.  If you want to do that, it won't make you spiritual father. Mother, there's only one  way to become a spiritual father mother, same way become a natural father or  mother have children, and there's two ways to have children by natural birth or  by adoption, either way. Clear, Paul had spiritual son. Philemon He led to Christ  in prison. He called him his son. See in the book of Philemon, but Timothy, in  Acts 16, Paul meets Timothy with his grandmother and his mother, who were  believers and followers of Greek and said could I take him with me. He adopted  him. So either way, it's fine, but we need to know who during the season of our  lives, who are spiritual sons and spiritual daughters. House church gives a great opportunity to express spiritual parenthood, to be spiritual fathers and spiritual  mothers to the next to the next generation. Now, let me be clear about this. I  was in place called Medford, Oregon, a couple years ago, and I was speaking  about being a spiritual father, being a spiritual mother. Little girl the front row  came up to me after the whole thing was over, and she said, Larry, thank you for coming here. You flew the whole way across our nation to teach us these  important things. I said, well, thank you. I said, Tell me about you. She said,  Well, I'm in school. And she said, I have a I have some three girls that I'm just  helping grow spiritually. And I don't always have the answers, but I come home  and talk to somebody in the church or my parents or somebody, and I'm helping  them grow. And I realized this girl was a spiritual mother to two or three girls in  school. I said, How old are you? She said, I'm 12. here is a 12 year old who had  become a spiritual mother. I meet people who are 70 or 80 and feel like  somehow they couldn't do this. We are all called become a spiritual fathers and  spiritual mothers. I'm going to practically in these lessons that are coming  explain to you how that works, how you can do that and how you can do that  effectively. So natural birth, adoption, either way, maybe if somebody comes  your house says they're a believer, but do you begin? You begin to pray with 

them. You meet with them every once a month. I say, Look, you pray for them  every day. You're there for them for a season of time again. You could have  many spiritual fathers, many spiritual mothers. You can be one of many people's lives. It might be for short season might be for long season. The important thing  is that we're seeing we are investing in people, and that's what being a spiritual  father and spiritual mother is really all about. So you can be a spiritual father  mother, regardless of your age. I tell you why. Many people never become  spiritual fathers and mothers because they think they can't do it. I remember we  had our first baby. I was the age, I think it's 24 her first baby, and my wife,  Laverne, was pregnant, and we went through all the childbirth classes where we live. You take these classes, and then I could be with my wife, Laverne, and help in the. Process, you know, to help become a coach her here, she's doing all the  work. And I remember we went to a couple classes, and they said we'll see at  the hospital. This is all new to me, and so I remember, remember, well, one day  she said, today's the day, babies coming today. And I'm panicking. So I think I'm  that ready to be a father. I felt like saying, couldn't you put her on hold, just wait  six months. Well, that was not an option, and so we went to the hospital and  somehow helped her with the breathing, and through the whole process,  wonderful little girl. And all at once, it happens. And I thought, okay, now I don't  know. I don't know how I'm gonna be a father. I might break this baby. You know  how to do this, but you know, somehow I learned, and grandma helped, our  neighbor next door help it. Somehow, I learned how to be a father, and that's  what is being a spiritual father and spiritual mother. I say I don't know if I could  do this. Yes, you can. People will help you. You might make some mistakes, but  it's okay, but the call of God in your life is to be a spiritual mother or spiritual  father to the next generation. Do not allow fear to keep you from going down  that road to be the spiritual father or the spiritual mother that our God has called  you to be. I was up in the West Coast of the United States and talking to being a spiritual father mother. And a man came up to me, an elderly man, and I had a I  don't know, maybe since 70s or 80s. And he said to me, you know, he said, I  work with a ministry called Campus Crusade for Christ, now called Crew. For  many years, I was a spiritual father for many but he said I never had a spiritual  father. And he said it was okay, because God was my father, and God met me  back. I would be great to have a spiritual father. So I moved to the state of  Florida, and while I was there, went to this new church plant, a young man in his late 20s, he said, came to me and said, Could we go out for coffee or for  breakfast? He said, Sure. So we went out for breakfast. He said, he sat there  and asked me questions. He said, you know, men tell me about your life, and  how could this stage your life? How could, how could I be a blessing to you, and how could I help you? He said, It was just wonderful. I haven't experienced that  before, he said. And then he said, Can we get together? Get together like this  again next month? And he said again, he sat there and he asked me questions. 

It wasn't about him. He said, is that he was helping me? He said, Larry. He said,  Here I am in my age. I had found a spiritual father. He's 29 years of age. See,  God can do this any way he wants to do it. There's God is a father, and he  wants to impart his father is he wants to part his heart into our lives to be  spiritual fathers from others. Now, if you turn to II Timothy 2:2, Paul says it like  this. Verse 1 he says, you'd be strong the graces in our Lord Jesus Christ, my  son, speaks about Timothy, his son, again, spiritual son. But then he says this,  he says, and the things that you have heard from me, first generation, say, in the presence of many witnesses to reliable men, and that be, I mean, obviously, let  me restart over the things you heard from that you, talking to Timothy. He was  second generation, Paul. Timothy, second generation. Things you heard from  me. Paul is first generation, say, in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to  reliable man, third generation, who also will be qualified to teach others. And  now we're talking about the fourth generation. Now interesting, Paul was  seeking four spiritual generations. That's how God thinks he's a generational  God, and that's why we're we. If you want to see house churches planted that  grow to become more house churches and reproduce, you have to think like  this, because God is the God of the generation. And unless the vision must be  much more than I want to plant a bunch of the house churches and these we  ought to be a spiritual father and spiritual mother, because when you release  them and send them out, you can still be there to be their father, their mother  and help them. All you need to be is a few steps ahead of them, and you can  see amazing, amazing, amazing things happen. Now it's interesting if you were  just to take, you know, one person, and disciple that person for a year and just  be a father or mother to them. And the next year they take one and you take one more. And the next year you take one more, you continue relationship with  them. And they take one and they take one, just one per year, one person per  year. Do that for 10 years. Do you know how many people that you would be  responsible to have follower or mother in the Lord, 1000 you don't believe me,  do the math, if you did that for 20 years. Do you have any people? We're talking  about a million, a million in 20 years, just one a year, one year, and every one  that you disciple with one year, 30 years, a billion. We're talking what 34, 35  years. The whole world now, people say, Oh, but it'll break down wherever it  breaks down. I said, I'll take a half million. So I just want you to know this is  God's plan. The devil hates this. This way spiritual fathering and mothering is so  important. When you get this in your spirit and this motivates your life, then all at once, you begin to understand planting, house churches, reproducing house  churches, because it goes back to this principle of being a spiritual father and  spiritual mother to the next generation. You know, I think the example that's  helped me so much was in the in the Old Testament of the story of Abraham.  You know, Abraham, Genesis 17:4-5 says, As for me, this is my covenant with  you. You'll be a father of many nations. God speaking to Abraham, Father to 

many nations. And hasn't even had his son Isaac yet, but he believed God. In  the Bible says Genesis 15:5, he says, count the stars is so will your offspring be. And then verse 6 says, Abraham, believed the Lord God wants us just to believe him, to be like Abraham, just to believe God that he could use us to see sons  and daughters spiritually, who are sons and daughters spiritually, who are sons  and daughters spiritually? And we can see, then the nations change just  because of our obedience to Lord. I found it interesting. You know, Sarah, I'm  sure we call her husband for a meal, and his name was Abram. She's and one  day, when God said, Father, many nations, Abraham. Change your name to  Abraham. She started to say, Abraham, come for the meal. The neighbors  probably thought she was crazy. Abraham, his father, many nations, you know,  and he doesn't have his own son. But God saw something else, and because he obeyed the Lord today, the people of God, of course, the Israelites, the Jewish  people all over the world. Praise God, millions and millions and millions because of his obedience, and because of Jesus and words grafted in into the family of  God, all because of Abram's faith when he really didn't have any sons of his  own. See, God wants to give you spiritual sons and spiritual daughters. And see  that behind all this church planting, and planting house churches, developing  house churches, is this heart that says, My God is a father, and he imparts his  fatherhood into my life, and I'm gonna have sons and daughters, and they're  gonna have sons and daughters. I'm a grandfather. I'm soon at the age of my  life where where my grandchildren could get married, have their own children.  That made me a great grandfather. That sounds really old to me, but that's the  reality. That's what happens naturally when you have children. The same thing  applies spiritually. And see God can use you. Just take in one person, one  person, a year even and they take one and you see what can happen 1000 in  10 years, and a million in 20 years, and a billion in 30 years. The most amazing  thing. That's why the devil hates this reality so much. So when Paul says to  Timothy, in II Timothy 2:2, my son, Timothy, he's calling his son, he says, you  find a reliable man. You find someone. You pour your life into what I taught you.  You teach him, and he'll teach others also, fourth generation, and you continue  that on, you see we will see God do amazing things in a generation we live in.  We're to talk more about this, how to be practically, what's it look like? How to be the spiritual father mothers. Calls to be, how to claim our inheritance together.  And we're going to talk more about this in next sessions that come 



Modifié le: lundi 7 octobre 2024, 08:09