ICS Daily Devotions
Planting the Tree
John 12:24-25 (NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Along the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne, Australia, are rainforest trees that can grow up to 100 meters tall! They have thick trunks and can live for 300 years, as long as there is no bush fire. You can count the rings on the stump of a dead tree to know its age, but because it has a very thick trunk, we can’t know its age until it dies. One thing we can know with certainty is, it didn’t grow into its height, thickness and strength. It took years in a difficult environment for it to grow to its full size.
Likewise, churches also need time to grow and develop. We rejoice over God’s faithfulness for each year he sees our church grow, and for each year he sees our sister church plant in Singapore grow. Everyone in the congregation contributes to the growth and stability of their church, and we want to see it last not for just one generation, but for generations to come.
Like a tree, churches go through multiple seasons, as Jesus illustrates in the Bible, by way of analogy. These seasons include planting and growing, and also seasons of struggling. But ultimately, we can expect the Kingdom of God to be full and successful.
In John 12:24-25, Jesus uses the image of grain to explain the importance of living our lives for the Lord. He, himself, was living out the will of God for His life, and he died. Through his death, Jesus brought about the salvation of all humankind. All would have been doomed to hell had he chosen to remain in heaven. Therefore, we should follow this great example and also lay down our lives for the Lord, whether that means dying or living in accordance to His will. We are living in His will if we have chosen to be a part of this church, and to serve the church in whatever capacity that God has gifted us with.
Honest and faithful service produces much fruit, and there will be a mighty harvest, though we might not see it ourselves. There will be a multiplication effect if we intentionally make ourselves disciples of Christ. A disciple of Christ is someone who takes a new believer under his or her care to nurture that person through the Word, so that he or she will continue to grow spiritually after accepting Christ.
There was once a Christian brother who was a doctor by profession. He took time to disciple twelve younger brothers for two years beginning when they were 15 years old. He spent almost every Saturday afternoon with them. He could have made a lot more money by opening his own private clinic, rather than freely spending time with twelve young men. He would likely have even gotten married earlier if he hadn’t spent so much time with them. Yet, this medical doctor laid down his life by investing his time in service. He was a grain that fell to the ground and died. He was like a big brother to those twelve young men. Two out of the twelve went on to become full time ministers of God, while the rest became successful businessman, grounded in the word of God. The two that became pastors, in turn, have seen thousands come to Christ throughout the years of their ministries. But how might everything would have turned out very differently had that doctor not taken the time to journey with them?
That doctor, and those who followed his example by discipline others, are grains that fall to the ground. They lay down their lives and so doing, many lives are impacted for eternity. While pastors and evangelists may see the most seeds planted, every Christian believer can impact the lives of others, whether they disciple others in their offices, neighborhoods, or families. Are you willing to give up some of your time to train and mentor others for Christ? We need to remember that God did not ask us to be mere believers, but a maker of disciples for him. Are you willing to journey with those less rooted in the Word?
Sermon Series: Church Anniversary Celebration
