And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.  These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 1 Corinthians 10:10-11 (NIV)

“No pain, no gain” the exercise slogan goes.  The idea is that unless and until you feel the muscles burn, you are not really gaining any fitness benefit.  “No pain, no gain” could be the slogan of physical therapists as well.  They are a mixed blessing as many of you know.  Their purpose is to motivate you, maybe even force you, to endure pain that you don’t want to experience so that you might get stronger or regain range of movement.

The physical body not only needs exercise to get stronger, it needs exercise just to maintain its strength.  A body at rest withers.  Without the regular stress of exercise and movement muscles atrophy.  This is the reason astronauts exercise regularly in the stress-free environment of space.  The physical body needs exercise.  Stressing and taxing the body maintains health and leads to growth.

We know that, but still we want to lose weight without the stress of dieting or the pain of exercise.  “Just give me a pill, wrap my tummy, or liposuction me.”  We want ease, not pain.

The same is true of the spiritual body, the church.  Stressing and taxing the body of Christ maintains health and leads to growth.  We know that too, but we want the kingdom to come “with a minimum of fuss and bother.”  We want spiritual health without the stressful diet of sharing one another’s burdens and living in community.  We want spiritual growth without the painful exercise of study, reflection, and prayer.

The story of the New Testament church in the book of Acts is one of growth and pain.  The early church grew internally (maturity) and externally (numerically) despite internal tension (community life) and external opposition (cultural challenges).  Growth brings problems and pain, but growth also results from problems and pain.  It always has, it always will.

For example, look at how sacrificial giving in community led not only to the problem of dramatic judgment (Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 4:32-5:11), but also to continued growth (5:12-16).  By Acts 6 there were well over 5,000 people at First Church of Messiah Jesus in Jerusalem (see Acts 1:10-11, 15; 2:41, 47; 4:4; 5:14).  That growth brought pain.  Just ask the widows who were being neglected (6:1-6).  Yet God used the resolution of that problem to bring spiritual and numerical growth (6:7).  That growth resulted in the painful persecution of Stephen (Acts 7:54-8:4) which in turn led to widespread preaching and more conversions (Acts 8).

Those are just a few of the snapshots you see in the book of Acts.  You get the idea.  The church is a hothouse of painful gain.  The means that God consistently uses to bring that gain despite the problems and pain are: (1) prayers of faith and preaching the Word; (2) servant-leaders and servants-followers; (3) all under-girded by God’s Spiritual presence (not only through the Spirit’s indwelling each believer, but also through the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper).

First Presbyterian Church is growing brothers and sisters.  We will experience growing pains (and already have)!  How will you respond to the pain?

Will you flee from it seeking some solution for gain without pain?   Or will you look to gain through the pain?  Will you resist growth because of the pain it brings or will you prayerfully trust God’s Spirit to work in and among you?  Will you grumble and complain or take real problems to the leadership God has provided and willingly serve as part of a biblical solution?

No pain, no gain.