Tonight I want to trace the Growth of the Lord's Public Ministry… I'm going to deal with Growing Pains and these passages will help us to understand the ABC's of this issue..

Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (The start of His Church, his Called out Assembly)

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

John 6:10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

(I might ask, "Why are you following?")
(Notice how quickly things change when he begins to really preaching)

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Seems to be a resurgence in the last week of His Earthly Ministry…

Matthew 21:8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

Note the response right before the Very End… Same group that wanted to make him King now has rejected him, for No fault of HIS own)

Matthew 27:20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

(I'm really going beyond what is needed for the message but I want to emphasize the up's and down's of the Lord's ministry…)

(Now it would seem he's back to where He started… )

John 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

But be careful making a judgement just yet… If anyone evaluates the earthly ministry of Christ at this point they conclude Failure don't they? Where is everyone at? Zach? Blind Bart? Mary and Martha? Anyone but Mom and John….

Acts 1: 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

(43 days or so latter… Resurrection has got the Lord's Family in amen)

Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Acts 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Acts 5:14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

Tonight I want deal with "ABC's" of Growing Pains… I'm afraid we are often taken off guard by the effects of growth… numerically and spiritually…

Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

When there was just a hand full here at the Church, it is easy to give everyone all the attention they want or need… it starts by going after someone, (Go through the process… eventually you should be going after someone with a partner you are training to go after someone)… Follow me and I'll make you "Fishers of Men" is the principle…

Illustrate the Growth of a Family.. Your own family… 1 child -- Now four Children… Easy to give all your attention to one child… Behavior of middle children often reflects growing pains..

Many a Pastor lost, many a Church member because he didn't have as much time as He wished he could have, people felt slighted so they got mad and left…

Many a sold out Christian found out that living for The Lord takes time and commitment and your going to have less time to pay attention to all your old habits and hobbies… Spiritually..

Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

What do Babies do when they want attention? They Cry… You have a choice don't you… what is it? I have the same choice…

John 6: 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Give your Testimony ---

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

You sell out to God and Grow like you are supposed to and you'll have some problems… and you'll be tempted to back off or quit… The Lord knew this was coming.. that's why He wrote, Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

(You'll never have to worry about this if you never live anything in front of them.. if you never sell out to what is right.)

Tonya B… tell the whole story… Happily ever after?
Nope, DIVORCE… DIDN'T WANT CHANGE…

Growth is always accompanied by Change… Backslidden folks love the status Quo… they don't want to loose their say, their power… too many get in, there'll be change… So we have growing pains…

"idiopathic limb pain" -- A knee condition brought on by Changes in your Body..

A muddy old pond can look kind of clean if it's not stirred up.. but let it get stirred up and we'll see How clean it is… Change!

One sure way to deal with Growing Pains is to not Grow… let me say, some don't really want to grow… They practice some ABC's as well…..

Abstinence --- Don't sow the seed, keep it us four and No More… Lazy Christians do this all the Time..

Belligerence --- Bad Attitude // If you have a sorry attitude, you'll repel every thing… Fuss, Fight, Stone Wall, Rebel - You won't make me… Our Church has pressure in it.. Pressure to Grow -- Johnson Grass and Bermuda… I'm weeding the one and fertilizing the other… I'm watering the one and isolating the other…

Confusion --- Sow discord… Gossip… Tale Bear… Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.