1 Corinthians Chapter 13:10-11

What would this church look like if everybody in here gave like you gave?

Would it be a better place? What if everybody approached serving God the way you approach serving God? Would we have too many people in children's ministry needing to send them out?

Or would your kids need somebody to share the Word of God with them? Welcome to Cross the Bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina.

We should be growing up in our faith and becoming less selfish and more caring. Pastor David discusses this important topic today as he continues in 1st Corinthians chapter 13. Before we join Pastor David, we want to let you know about an outreach opportunity that could bring hope to countless prisoners. This month Cross the Bridge is teaming with men and women like yourself in order to provide Pastor David's devotional book Cross the Bridge Every Day to inmates. When you call today and help support the ministry with a gift of $25 or more, we'll send you a book and also provide one to a prisoner in need. To take part in this important outreach call 877-458-5508.

That's 877-458-5508 or go online to crossthebridge.com. Now here's David McGee with his teaching Love Looks Around. Chapter 13 is talking about love. It's probably one of the more well-known chapters in the Bible and even people who don't believe in God or believe that the Bible is God's Word recognize the literary value of this chapter. Which I find very interesting since it's inspired by God himself. Today we're gonna pick it up with verse 11, but for context's sake let's back up to verse 10. 1st Corinthians chapter 13 verse 10 says, For when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. Verse 11, When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child.

But when I became a man, I put away childish things. That's an interesting verse and it speaks of the fact that as we mature, we begin to see things differently. I want to point out that this is a process that we're all supposed to be going through.

We go through it physically, we go through it emotionally, and we're supposed to go through it spiritually. And let's understand, you know, we are big proponents and appreciative of the grace of God. That's the unmerited favor of God. The fact that he cares for you, loves you, wants to forgive you. Not because you've done anything.

He just loves you that much. And we come to God simply as we are. See when you come to God, God doesn't say, no, now wait a minute, let me see how many scriptures you have memorized or how many times you've been to church in your life or how many gold stars you got in Sunday school. Now you just come. While we are appreciative of the grace of God, let's understand that once we receive the grace, it should begin to change our life. And we don't just sit in one place. God, thank you for your grace.

I'll just hang out here. Charles Spurgeon, an incredible preacher of a hundred and plus years ago, said the grace that does not change your life will not save your soul. It's a pretty deep comment on the grace of God. See the grace that we receive when you understand that Jesus loves you so much that he died for you and what put him on the cross was not the Jewish people or the Romans, but actually our sin. You begin to separate yourself from your sin, slowly but surely. So we begin this maturing process.

Now, let's be clear of what this verse is not talking about. There is a childlike wonder that I think is part of being a follower of Jesus Christ. Some may say, well, that's immature.

I don't buy that it's immature. I think that it's, again, a childlike wonder. A lot of us go through life and we get ground up and we get calloused and sometimes hard-hearted and then our soul awakes when we come into a relationship with Jesus Christ. And all of a sudden the colors of spring are nicer, the flowers smell better, the skies are more beautiful, and you just feel like skipping around and whistling and acting like a kid. I think that's a good thing.

I think it's a good thing. Luke chapter 18 verse 17, Jesus says, I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it. What does Jesus mean by that?

Well, there's actually a lot of meaning packed in that verse, but let me break it down really simply. Our three kids are growing older faster than you would believe. And I thank God that they're getting older faster than I am, right? But when they were little, you know, and I wanted to hand them an ice cream cone, they didn't say, well dad, what kind of deal are we brokering here?

What am I exchanging for the ice cream? They said, oh man, praise God, hand me that thing. When you and I come to Jesus, we don't understand completely about God.

A friend, we can spend a lifetime studying this book, and I have spent a years and years studying this, I still don't know everything about God. There's that childlike faith that says, you know what, I don't understand everything, but you love me and you're willing to forgive me. Yeah.

Yeah. And so that childlike nature of coming to God and saying, yes, I want to receive your forgiveness. I understand I don't deserve it. I would even debate and argue that you can't really even have childlike fun apart from God. See, because when you get into this world, the world starts to to grind you down, doesn't it? All of the stuff and all the cares of the world, and you can look around and you can see people that are walking around underneath the burden of the cares of the world, can't you?

How you doing? Fun. I don't want to be like that. I don't think God wants us to be like that, because Jesus said, I came to give you life and that life in a sour fashion. Isn't that what he said?

It's what it means in the Greek, if you take every Greek word and every seventh letter and walk backwards on a Thursday, you get, no, I'm kidding. No, life more abundantly. So I think there's a childlike wonderment, a childlike fun. So let's understand, that's not what this verse is, because you can have a blast in God just doing simple things, right?

When your sins are forgiven, that's not what this verse is talking about. Our perspective is what it's talking about. See, it says, when I was a child, I spoke, I understood, I thought as a child. So you're speaking, you're understanding, and your thought begins to change in a maturing fashion. See, when you're a child, you think, how does it affect me? It's a very kind of self-centered sort of way of thinking, and all children have this. It's understandable, because they're not really aware or cognitive of what's going on around them.

They just know that they haven't been fed, or their diaper needs to be changed, or whatever. Of course, as we grow up, then we begin to think, how does it affect others? How does what I'm gonna do, what I'm about to say, my action, gonna affect others? It's part of being an adult. And as a child, you think, well, what good does that do me? Again, kind of a self-centered, you know, what good do I get out of this, or this action, or whatever? But as you get older, what good does that do others? A child says, well, how can I help me?

What can I do to help myself? But as you mature, again, how can I help others? It's kind of interesting when you stop, and you look at, well, either yourself, and as you've grown up, perhaps you have kids, and maybe they're still at home, maybe they're on the way out, or maybe they're wee ones, but you can learn something looking at that, because it's interesting, you know, when a child is in the house, when he's a small child, that child is dependent upon others, well, really, for everything anyway. Shelter, food, all that. Then later on, as the child begins to mature, and perhaps creates an income, what does he do, or she do with that money? Just blows it.

Just blows it. You know, rare is the kid that comes to the parents, hey, I understand you've got a mortgage, or pay rent, and you feed me groceries. Let me give you some cash. No, they, you know, they're blowing it on iPads, iPhones, iTunes, all sorts of stuff, you know, without even an awareness that somebody's providing for them, or at least not aware to the point that they begin to sew back in, if you would. Then later, as they grow up, they begin to provide for others, ultimately will provide for their children, even get to the point, perhaps, where the bulk of their income's not even spent upon themselves, but spent on the family, on shelter, and food, and perhaps education, and maybe an inheritance for others, to bless others. Now spiritually, let's understand the same thing happens. See, because spiritually speaking, when you come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, almost everyone comes at the expense of somebody else. It's not that you show up and begin to sew into a ministry, or support a radio ministry where you hear the gospel, or a television minister where you hear the gospel. No, somebody else is providing that, providing the funding, the work, all those things, to offer you the gospel. Now it may be free to you, but somebody, and the gospel is free, but the presentation of it is not.

Somebody's doing something, paying a cost. So we receive that, praise God. Praise God, because it's a great picture that freely we receive. But then, spiritually as we grow, we should begin to understand that God has blessed us, and we should begin to be aware of others. We should begin to know that there's other people out there that don't know what we know, that haven't experienced what we've experienced.

We begin to take baby steps. Usually we don't start out with a full-blown tithe. We do a little something, an occasional gift, and then maybe tithing, and then maybe on top of that, offerings, and so that other people can hear. Why do we do that?

Simply put, that's what love does. And as we mature spiritually, we become aware of the needs of others. See, if you're still focused completely on your needs, yeah, you're still growing spiritually. Somewhere along this journey, you'll begin to realize that there's other people that are more needy, that need your help, need your service, need your prayers.

Hmm. And it's interesting too, because it really is one of the final places in our maturity. I say that, I mean some Christians, the average, you know, Christians tithe, quote-unquote, two percent, the average Christian does. We'll never share his faith with anybody, we'll never see anybody want to the Lord and doesn't invite them to church.

But we want to blame the government for what's wrong with the world. Martin Luther said we go through three salvations. The first is our heart, the second is our mind, the last is our pocketbook. There's some wisdom there. Now, I'm not saying, I'm not saying that simply tithing or giving offerings make you spiritually mature. But I can honestly say that somebody who does not tithe and give offerings is not spiritually mature. They're just not aware. There's an awareness, you know, when you come in here as you mature. Hey, you know that there is a mortgage, there is a unbelievable power bill, there's all these things going on.

And since I'm enjoying the blessings of this place, I need to sow back and I need to give. It's part of maturing, part of growing up. And we love to give reasons why we can't and shouldn't and all that stuff. But it's one of those easy things to look at, honestly. It's what we refer to as quantifiable data. In other words, you can look at how many times in a month you attend church here. That's quantifiable data. That doesn't mean that you're spiritual if you're here, but it shows that it's a priority. You can look through your checkbook, see if you're giving, and it shows if it's a priority.

You can check that it's quantifiable data. And I think there's a commitment. There's a commitment and a mature believer to attend church. It's not whether you should attend church, it's where you should attend. A mature believer, it's not should you give, if you should give, it's where you should give. So let's understand that that's one of the ways we need to mature spiritually. Because as a child, you're not aware of the expenses you're incurring.

You don't really think about that. But as you mature, you begin to look back on your life and go, wow! You know, dad really sacrificed, or mom really sacrificed for this.

You're listening to Cross the Bridge with David McGee. We'll be back to the teaching in just a moment. This month, we're focusing on prison ministry, and I have the chance to sit down with Pastor David. Pastor, we know that sharing the Word of God is always important to you. And why is it so important to get God's Word into the prisons as well? Our prison system is built around trying to change the lives of people who've made bad decisions. And yet, you can't change a life without changing the heart. And that's where God's Word and God's Spirit are so powerful. They can change a life.

They can change your heart. We can share the Word of God with somebody. You can help send us into the prisons to share the plan of salvation, see that prisoner get saved, and then begin to disciple him and teach him the Word of God so that when he gets out, he is different than when he came in. With all that is going on in the world today, why are you so interested in prison ministry? Jesus himself said, if you've gone to the prisoner, it's as if you've gone to me.

Friend, have you ever gone into the prisons for the sake of ministry? Join with us now. Because as we join together with your prayer support, with your financial support, and with the actions of the team and the materials that we can put in their hands, we know people will be saved. We know they will be discipled.

We know that they will come out different than when they came in because the Word of God tells us that God can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we're able to ask or think. We're hearing these testimonies of these lives that are being changed, and we thank God for that. And we know we're just in the beginning of what the Lord's going to do as you join with us to help us to help them.

Thank you for sharing, Pastor. If you're listening and agree with David about our need to help those in prison, we would love to hear from you. You can call 877-458-5508.

That's 877-458-5508. And when you give $25 or more, we'll send you a copy of Cross the Bridge every day. Not only that, but we'll match your gift by sending another copy of David's devotional to an inmate in need. Also, your gift of $200 or more will provide a case of 10 books that will be used to help change lives for eternity.

Again, that number is 877-458-5508, or go online to crossthebridge.com. Now let's return to Pastor David's teaching. Luke, chapter 6, verse 37 says, do not judge others and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others or it will all come back against you.

Forgive others and you will be forgiven. Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over and poured into your lap. And this is in the Bible, gang, and the amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

It's in there. Now, you know, with that verse, two camps, you know, one camp is like, man, bummer. I want to receive, I don't want to give. That's immaturity, spiritually speaking. The other camp hears that verse and goes, that's awesome. I can sow into the kingdom and help build the kingdom and God will bless me.

Let me ask you a question, speaking about spiritual maturity. What would this church look like if everybody in here gave like you gave? Would it be a better place?

Or would we have a for sale sign outside? What if everybody approached serving God the way you approach serving God? Would we have too many people in children's ministry needing to send them out?

Or would your kids need somebody to share the word of God with them? You see, there's some things that you can look at in your spiritual maturity that are quantifiable data. Now, there's some stuff that's not. We're talking about love. How much do you love people? Well, it's kind of hard to measure sometimes, isn't it?

And yet it reflects back on this quantifiable data. See, the way, and Jesus said this, the whole law and the prophets is wrapped up into this. Be what you want others to be, if you will. Matthew chapter 7 verse 12.

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets. See, another part of maturing is, you know, when you're a baby or a small child, you don't do anything around the house. You don't mow the yard or take the trash out or any of those things.

But what happens as you grow older? You're supposed to do those things. Take the trash out. You know, the first time somebody asked you to do that, you're like, what?

Who? Me? Can't believe you'd ask me to take the trash out. But then you begin to understand, you know, I live here. I should be helping out. That maturity, growing up, you consider other people.

And then you understand that it's actually an honor and a privilege to help out around your home, in our own church. You know, the other way that shows maturity is asking advice. As you get more mature, you ask for more advice, don't you? As life goes on, as a matter of fact, the older you get and more complicated, you ask for more and more advice. You gather all sorts of people around you, you know. You don't do your taxes anymore.

You have an accountant do your taxes and you know that, you know, if you have a court issue, you hire a lawyer. So you begin asking advice. Not that you take everybody's advice, but you ask it. That's a sign of maturity. And if you're getting ready to do something, buy a house, buy a car, do something, you go, hey, what do you think of this?

And you gather the wisest people you can around you to ask them. That's a sign of maturity. If you think about the parent-child relationship, there's a season as a child, you just think your parents don't know anything. As Mark Twain said, he says, 16, my father was the most ignorant man on the face of the planet. At 21, I was amazed at how much he'd learned in five years.

I thought that first season. I thought my father didn't know anything and then I started asking him things. Hey, dad, what do you think about this?

What do you think about that? And as I grew older and matured more and more, guess what? I asked him more and more questions.

And my father, who was an incredible businessman, smart guy, taught me a lot. And you gotta know if you still have the opportunity to ask your father, ask your father. Ask your mom because there is coming a day when you will not have that blessing and that privilege. A lot of times now, you know, think, man, what would dad do?

I wish I could, you know, pick up the phone and ask dad. But this verse points out that we're supposed to be growing up in our faith, in our relationships, in our relationship to others, our family, our friends, our church. The life lesson here is we should all be growing up in our faith and becoming less selfish and more caring. We should all be growing up in our faith and becoming less selfish and more caring. I think this also includes us as a organization, an organism, the church.

I decided early on that at least 10% would be invested into missions and evangelism from everything that came in. But as time went on and God continued to bless the church, we looked for more and more opportunities outside the church. That's why we do some of the things we do with radio and televisions and missionaries and all these things. Because as we're growing up as a church, we're aware that we're supposed to be caring for others. If we weren't a group of grown-ups, not that we're all grown up if you will, but if there wasn't a core group of people that were praying, that were serving, that were giving, Sunday morning would not be what it is here. And if you're not doing those things, you need to understand that God is calling you to do those things and that right now you're living on the fumes of those who do. And again, you should be looking at your life and going, okay, how am I doing?

How am I growing up in this area? Am I growing up in how I look at serving God? Am I growing up in how I give to God?

Am I growing up in the way that I look at church? And you should be able to say, yes, I am. I'm making progress.

I'm not perfect yet, but I'm heading to write your action. 2 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 5, Paul says this, Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely, you know that Jesus Christ is among you.

If not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. Test yourself in these areas I'm talking about. Serving, giving, loving. Serving, giving, loving. Now the last one, again, hard to measure in quantifiable data. But the first two are not.

It's very easy. You know, am I serving? And then you shouldn't go, well, I don't know, you know, can helping out in children's ministry an hour a week or in the media ministry, can that really change your life? Absolutely. Gives you a different perspective.

This is part of what's supposed to be happening as we grow up. Friend, do you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven? You can know right now. I want to lead you in a short simple prayer, simply telling God you're sorry and asking Him to help you to live for Him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven. And I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life. And I've done wrong things. I have sinned.

And I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you all of my days. In Jesus' name. Amen. Friend, if you prayed that prayer, according to the Bible, you've been forgiven, you've been born again.

So congratulations, friend, you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you. If you prayed that prayer with David for the first time, we would love to hear from you. You can call us toll free at 877-458-5508 to receive our First Steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. God is using Cross the Bridge to impact lives across our country, including the lives of those currently serving time in our nation's prisons. While materials provided by Muslim organizations continue to increase within our prisons, our distribution of Pastor David's book Cross the Bridge Every Day has been making a significant impact for Jesus with prisoners. And you can help continue that outreach by calling today. When you call today with a gift of $25 or more, we will send you David McGee's devotional book and then match your gift by sending a copy to a prisoner in need. And if you're able to give a gift of $200 or more, we will send a case of 10 books to inmates who are without hope. Help us reach those in prison. Call today at 877-458-5508.

That's 877-458-5508. Or go online to crossthebridge.com. Also, if you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday, why not join us for our live stream at 9 and 1130 Eastern. Just visit crossthebridge.com and click on our live stream link. There you can watch Pastor David teach from his home church, The Bridge, in Kernersville, North Carolina. Again, that website is crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening. We hope you'll join us next time as we continue to cross the bridge.