Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/12/2010 - 6:34am
MP3 File:
Designed to Grow...to grow small
Over the past few weeks in our current series of messages we've seen that God's plan for us is to grow. God intends that we mature in our faith, that we develop as believers. We are "Designed to Grow."
In fact, a healthy church is a growing church—and healthy believers are growing believers. It's not just about the congregation; it's also about individuals. God doesn't want you to plateau or become stagnant or slip backwards. He wants you to grow in Christ.
Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a seed planted in the ground. Just as a seed is full of potential and promise, just as a seed is designed to grow, so is the kingdom of God! It's what God intended!
We've seen specific ways God wants us to grow—healthier and stronger; in impact and influence; in our faith. I hope you, like I am, are being stretched—challenged—to grow in faith.
Today, however, as we wrap up this series of messages, I'm not so concerned about laying another biblical principle on you or teaching you some deep insight. Today I'd like to just have a heart-to-heart talk with you (pastor to people) about the future of this church—and your part in it.
If you're here at the Tab regularly, you know I don't pull out the "pastor" card too often, do I? I don't insist that you do what I say just because I'm the pastor or because God has put me in the role of spiritual leader.
I'd rather direct you to the authority of God's Word rather than assume personal authority. I wonder, however, if perhaps it wouldn't be good on occasion for you to hear my personal perspective—what's on my heart about this church, about you.
It's not that your pastor is perfect. Far from it! Leaders make mistakes. We can "blow it" from time to time. There's no doubt pastors and leaders are human. You should respect them, but be careful not to put them up on a pedestal.
Having said that, will you let me be candid? Will you give me permission to speak into your hearts?
I'm asking that you listen with an open heart, to prayerfully consider what I say. But I'm also asking you to test what I say against the Word of God.
After all, the Bible is our standard. It's the measurement God has given so we can know what is true and right. If what I say lines up with God's Word, if it resonates in your spirit as being consistent with God's truth, then you'd do well to pay attention—to apply it to your life.
The Bible tells us God gives gifts—spiritual leaders—to the church (to this church!) to help us fulfill his plan and purpose.
11 It was he [Jesus Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Eph 4:11-13)
This passage of Scripture tells us there are several key things we as a church are supposed to be doing—and that leaders in the church are not the ones supposed to be doing those things. The leaders are to prepare the whole church (everyone in the church) to do God's work.
The KJV says that the gifted leaders in the church are supposed to train and help the members of the church body do "the work of the ministry" (v 12).
Do you know what that means? It means that the Tab doesn't have just a small handful of ministers, those who are paid a salary to be on the church staff. It means that the Tab has dozens and dozens of ministers, people who are being equipped to do "the work of the ministry"—works of service.
BROCHURE: When I announced that our enVision retreat later this month was for "leaders and ministers," I assumed (mistakenly!) that everyone would realize the retreat was for everyone—all those who do works of service, all those doing the work of the ministry.
So let me be very clear! The future success of this church in fulfilling God's plan requires that each member of the body be mobilized and equipped to do ministry.
This is why we need about 70 to 80 more people to sign up for the enVision retreat. It's not too late! You can sign up after the service today. If you're a believer, God wants you to be a minister, to do works of service.
If it's only the pastoral staff who can do ministry, then this church will stop growing. We will become spiritually stunted! The pastors' job is to prepare and equip you to be a minister.
This is why I invest time with a core group of people in a discipleship class every week—to equip and prepare them to take on ministry assignments.
This passage lists several characteristics or goals for healthy, growing church. Look at some of the things a church needs to be or needs to do:
1. To do works of service (v 12) [KJV: for the work of the ministry];
2. To be built up (v 12) [NCV: to make the body of Christ stronger];
3. To reach unity in the faith (v 13) [NCV: all joined together in the same faith; BBE: come to the harmony of the faith];
4. To reach unity in the knowledge of the Son of God (v 13) [CEV: united...by our understanding of the Son of God]
5. To become mature (v13) [NLT: mature and full grown in the Lord];
6. To attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (v 13) [NLT: measuring up to the full stature of Christ].
A lot of people look around in a church, and if they see increasing numbers, they assume the church is healthy. But numbers are a very limited indicator of health!
Just because someone has put on a lot of pounds doesn't mean that person is healthy! Wow! It looks like you've added 100, maybe 150, since last year. What's that make you? 375? 400? I had no idea you'd grown so much!
I think there's a danger we have to watch for—that we don't become a "fat" church, where we add numbers but don't add these other characteristics.
A healthy church will be growing in all these ways, not just numbers—growing (1) in works of service, (2) built up and stronger, (3) joined together in faith, (4) united in knowing Jesus, (5) maturing (meaning being responsible), and (6) growing up to be like Jesus (in his love for others, in his way of living—WWJD).
Now, who is supposed to be doing all these things? Is it the hired church staff? Is it the church leaders? Is it the pastors? Is it the teachers? Is it the evangelists or prophets or apostles?
No! It is God's people who are supposed to be doing these things. Leaders were given "to prepare God's people" for these things...
Literally, according to the original word, it's "holy ones"—the NASB and KJV translate the word as "saints." The NCV says "God's holy people," and the MSG simply calls them "Christians."
In other words, the work or ministry of the church is supposed to be done by all those who are in the church. That's you! Each believer should be empowered and released to do ministry in whatever way God has given resources and abilities.
A healthy church—like a healthy body (which is the picture used here, the "body of Christ")—will have a variety of parts all connected and sharing together. Each part does something different—from a variety of things—so that all the other parts receive the help and support they need.
If you're part of the body, you should enjoy the benefit of what others in the body can do to help you grow stronger and mature.
Your body functions well when all the parts are doing what they are supposed to be doing. When your eyes watch where you're going, they protect you from running into the furniture and stubbing your toe. Your eyes watch out for you so you don't trip over the toy truck your kid left in the middle of the room; your eyes can prevent you from falling and breaking your arm.
When your ears are working properly, you'll hear the warning of the train at the railroad crossing. When your heart works properly, all the parts of your body receive a fresh supply of blood—carrying oxygen and nutrients so you can grow. The blood also removes waste from your cells so you don't become sick with toxin. And your kidneys work to filter the toxins out of your blood.
Every part of the body has a purpose and a function that benefits the rest of the body. This means the church body can bless, protect, and take care of you. But it doesn't stop there! If you're part of the body, you're to give back to the body. God provides you with abilities and resources to contribute to the other members of the body so they can grow and mature. God intends that you be a blessing!
I said I wanted to talk about the future of this church—and your part in it.
Here's the deal: We will never be all God wants us to be, we will never do all God wants us to do—unless we can make a major paradigm shift. We need to adjust our way of thinking. We need to see things differently.
The traditional American way of doing church typically has been to hire a minister to do the work of the ministry. There are a few problems with that approach, however:
1.
It confuses the roles of leaders and ministers.
For instance, some may feel overlooked because they think the pastor is there to visit them. They
might have a dozen visitors from God's
people, but because they see church in a traditional way, they don't value
the ministry of the church people—and they overvalue the role of the pastor.
2.
It restricts ministry (both the amount and the quality) to only
what can flow through the hired church staff.
If we confine ministry to just a few select individuals (pastors, elders, deacons),
we limit ministry to just a few. We're not able to touch as many people until
we "release" the work of ministry to all the members of the body.
It's just like a bottle neck—where the flow of liquid slows way down because it has to squeeze through a small space. When we try to squeeze ministry through a few select individuals, we limit what God wants to do in this church.
It's like a traffic jam on the highway when construction funnels all the traffic down to one lane. We jam up the traffic flow of ministry when we insist that it's only the leaders who must do the ministry. But keep all the lanes open, and we'll keep things moving!
3. It robs people of the blessing of being a minister by taking away your role and instead giving it to a "designated hitter" or a "hired gun."
I believe we need to grow smaller as a church if we're going to grow larger. In other words, we cannot increase our ministry impact unless we spread ministry out to all the members of the body. Large impact comes from more ministers—each with a smaller focus.
We need multiple ministers operating within a growing number of small circles. None of us can touch everyone, but we all can have a circle of influence to touch some.
That's what happens in small groups! It's in small groups that we can develop genuine relationships of caring and support for one another.
This is not the same as a "class," where you may or may not develop a relationship with others. This goes beyond merely meeting together on a regular basis. This means that you connect with others so you all minister to each other rather than depend on a "hired gun" to do it all.
If you're not in a small group, it's very possible you could slip through the cracks and miss out on the ministry that should be available to you in the body of Christ. It's also possible you could slip through the cracks and miss out on the chance to serve the body.
If you're not part of a small group, you should be. It's only as we grow smaller that we'll be able to increase the size of our ministry impact.
TESTIMONY: How many of you know what I'm talking about? You've experienced the intimate relationships that come from being part of a small group? Can you share with us how you have benefited from being part of a small group?
Some of you can do even more than join a small group; some of you have the ability to lead a small group. And some of you who don't feel capable to lead a group have the potential—all you need is a little basic training and an opportunity to try.
Moses: Carried the responsibilities of the whole congregation all day long—and even though he worked all day long, the endless requirements for decisions and judgment were never done. (Exod 18:13-16)
17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. (Ex 18:17-18)
His advice: select capable people to divide the load and share it among many.
The leaders in the church are not intended to do all the ministry. Rather, they are supposed to "prepare (equip) God's people for works of service."
When the worship service is done, that's when the real service and ministry can really start—because we're turning you loose to do the work of the ministry.