July 1, 2018 NOTES NOT EDITED
Church Membership Matters, Pt5: Organization Matters
Church Membership Matters, Pt5: Organization Matters
Sermon-in-a-Sentence: The Church is an
organic unit organized by God to carry out the Great Commission by practicing
the Great Commandment.
According to HuffPost Blog a few
years ago (3/5/12), American Christianity is sliding into the dust bin of
history only a couple decades behind Europe. It has been acknowledged
frequently that if one visits the grand Cathedrals of Europe that once formed
the backbone of Christianity, one finds the pews “of its beautiful, ancient
churches occupied only by tourists.”
Enthusiastic practitioners of the faith departed long ago—in a slow but
steady decline. Most scholars and
pundits of the American church note a similar, and similarly steady decline in
the U.S. But, those with a keen eye on
the church note that the exodus from “organized” religion is not into no
religion but into a form of “disorganized” religion—a religion where dogma is
dumped to meet consumer demand. Many
call this, the “Seeker-Driven Church.”
The HuffPost Blog states, “Organized
Religion is giving way to Disorganized Religion. Disorganized Religion is replacing
traditional religious identities with a model in which the customer is always
right.”
People are indeed taking the off
ramp on the road of organized religion and following a connector road through
disorganized religion—a religion where organization is downplayed or discarded
altogether in favor of a “go-with-the-flow-feel-good-religion.”
There is a common joke in which a skeptic of religion says to a pastor, “I’ve given up on organized religion.” The pastor slyly replies, “Oh, then you would love our church. We are completely disorganized!”
Every joke contains a kernel of truth, but the reality is that the Bible describes the True Church as “a highly organized organism.” The Church is both organic and organized, just like a human body. In fact, this is one of Paul’s most detailed descriptions of the Church—the Church as a “body.”
There is a common joke in which a skeptic of religion says to a pastor, “I’ve given up on organized religion.” The pastor slyly replies, “Oh, then you would love our church. We are completely disorganized!”
Every joke contains a kernel of truth, but the reality is that the Bible describes the True Church as “a highly organized organism.” The Church is both organic and organized, just like a human body. In fact, this is one of Paul’s most detailed descriptions of the Church—the Church as a “body.”
Let’s read our text describing the
Church as a body. 1Cor. 12:12-20.
Being organized according to God’s plan involves four critical components: our Salvation, our Structure, our Strategy, and our Statements. All these issues combine to bring about one healthy body of Christ.
1. Our Salvation (v13)
Being organized according to God’s plan involves four critical components: our Salvation, our Structure, our Strategy, and our Statements. All these issues combine to bring about one healthy body of Christ.
1. Our Salvation (v13)
13 For we were all baptized
by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews
or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Everything in life begins at the
cellular level from the moment a female egg and a male sperm join together at
the start of life. Salvation is the most
individualistic process in the initial organization of the life of a body of
believers, just like the initial, one-cell zygote, is the beginning of human
life. Like the beginning of physical
life, spiritual life is shrouded in mystery and involves an almost infinite
complexity. Life in the body begins when
by God’s grace, based upon Christ’s sacrifice, the Holy Spirit “baptizes us into the Body.”
Every believer in the True Church must share a common salvation that is the result of the Father’s Grace, the Son’s Sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit’s Baptism. Not only does the Holy Spirit completely engulf us, He also indwells us. Just as all human beings must drink in water in order to live physically, all true believes must, according to verse 13, “drink of one Spirit.” Most church-goers are dry wells. There’s no “Spirit” on them, with them, or in them. The picture here of baptism might be likened unto a fish. A fish is completely immersed in water, and a fish “drinks” of water as it passes over its gills to give it oxygen. The organization of the True Church begins with “blood bought, Spirit baptized believers.”
Without this “baptism by (of, with) the Spirit, there is no salvation and without salvation a person has no place in the body. This is a common theme consistently portrayed throughout the New Testament (Rom. 6:3; Rom. 8:9; Gal. 3:27).
Every believer in the True Church must share a common salvation that is the result of the Father’s Grace, the Son’s Sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit’s Baptism. Not only does the Holy Spirit completely engulf us, He also indwells us. Just as all human beings must drink in water in order to live physically, all true believes must, according to verse 13, “drink of one Spirit.” Most church-goers are dry wells. There’s no “Spirit” on them, with them, or in them. The picture here of baptism might be likened unto a fish. A fish is completely immersed in water, and a fish “drinks” of water as it passes over its gills to give it oxygen. The organization of the True Church begins with “blood bought, Spirit baptized believers.”
Without this “baptism by (of, with) the Spirit, there is no salvation and without salvation a person has no place in the body. This is a common theme consistently portrayed throughout the New Testament (Rom. 6:3; Rom. 8:9; Gal. 3:27).
One of the most sought after actors
in Hollywood in the last few decades was Sean
Connery, perhaps best known as the English Secret Agent, James
Bond. He was also the distinguished Russian
submarine captain in Hunt for the Red October.
His life, at least in the movies seemed like a wonderful fairy
tale. Many people would love to live the
exotic life of James Bond’s alter ego.
He’s now 87 and has travelled the world to shoot movies in exotic
places. He continues to be a powerful force in Hollywood. Still heavy into acting at the age of 62 Sean
Connery was asked, “Why to you continue
acting?” His reply is quite
surprising. Connery said, “Because I get the opportunity to be
somebody [else], somebody better and more exciting than I am.”
Many church membership rolls are filled with people who have not really been saved. Like Sean Connery, they are merely “acting.” The most important issue in church organization according to the Bible is that every member must be “truly saved” as evidenced by being “baptized in the Holy Spirit and drinking deeply of the Spirit’s teaching every day.”
Many church membership rolls are filled with people who have not really been saved. Like Sean Connery, they are merely “acting.” The most important issue in church organization according to the Bible is that every member must be “truly saved” as evidenced by being “baptized in the Holy Spirit and drinking deeply of the Spirit’s teaching every day.”
2. Our STRUCTURE
As we just discovered, our common
salvation makes us a part of the Body of Christ, or the Church. Verse
14-22 describes how God organizes the individual members of His Body.
God has organized His body placing every member exactly where we each need to be so that we can all contribute to the “common good of the body.” We have mentioned this principle before. The Bible says in just a few passages before where we started reading (1Cor. 12:7):
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (ESV).
God’s design is perfect, with no unnecessary or unimportant parts. If we do not discover and implement God’s organization for the church, we end up looking like a Mixed Up Mr. Potato Head Toy. Our arms are where our ears should be, our nose is where our eyes should be and we become a mixed up mess of mis-fitting parts. We cannot, do not function properly when our parts are not in the right place performing the right function. God has a Divine Structure for His Church, the Body of Christ. There are three significant lessons our text teaches us about the perfect organization of His Church.
God has organized His body placing every member exactly where we each need to be so that we can all contribute to the “common good of the body.” We have mentioned this principle before. The Bible says in just a few passages before where we started reading (1Cor. 12:7):
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (ESV).
God’s design is perfect, with no unnecessary or unimportant parts. If we do not discover and implement God’s organization for the church, we end up looking like a Mixed Up Mr. Potato Head Toy. Our arms are where our ears should be, our nose is where our eyes should be and we become a mixed up mess of mis-fitting parts. We cannot, do not function properly when our parts are not in the right place performing the right function. God has a Divine Structure for His Church, the Body of Christ. There are three significant lessons our text teaches us about the perfect organization of His Church.
(1) Each member is ESSENTIAL to the body (v. 17). Every part of the body has an essential function. Eyes see. Ears hear.
Noses smell. Fingers touch. Tongues taste. If your ears stop hearing, your nose can’t
step in and assist you in communicating with people.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
Verses 21-22 also teaches us of the essential nature of each part of God’s Spiritual Body, the Church:
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.
(2) Another important lesson about God’s structure for the church has to do with the wisdom of God as the Great Designer. God places each member of the Body is EXACTLY where he or she best suited to serve (v. 18).
18 But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
Verses 21-22 also teaches us of the essential nature of each part of God’s Spiritual Body, the Church:
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.
(2) Another important lesson about God’s structure for the church has to do with the wisdom of God as the Great Designer. God places each member of the Body is EXACTLY where he or she best suited to serve (v. 18).
18 But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted.
As we just read, the feet may “seem to be weaker” than the head, but how’s the head going to get anywhere without the feet? Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the “seemingly weaker” (v22) members who work out of the sight of the church body, very rarely ever getting acknowledged for all they do—and quite frankly, not really caring to be acknowledged. Those that pull weeds, paint, plant beautiful flowers, and do a hundred other tasks that don’t get the credit that I do as the “preacher,” are just as important as what I do on Sunday morning—absolutely “indispensable” parts of the church organization. God knows EXACTLY who is best suited to do what.
(3) Closely
tied to the first two lessons, we also learn that our “baptism by
the Holy Spirit” into the Body of Christ means that the gifts we
have been given in order to serve are EXCLUSIVE and unique to each individual
Christian (v. 19). Nobody can do for the church what you
exclusively have been gifted to do.
19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be?
In fact, in the Body of Christ, we are not all the SAME. God’s perfect structure depends upon the unique and exclusive contributions of every single church member—large or small, young or old, blue collar, white collar or no collar.
If any member is missing, the integrity of the entire structure of God is in jeopardy and stops functioning as effectively as God designed it.
God’s design for the structure of the Church depends upon every member contributing his or her unique gifts promoting harmony and effectiveness. Leaders must lead. Followers must follow. Every part must be in its place functioning as God intended it. There are no insignificant parts of the Body. The loss of any part can gravely affect the success of the whole. There’s an old proverb that says,
For want of a nail the shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe the horse was lost;
For want of a horse the battle was lost;
For the failure of battle the kingdom was lost--all for the want of nail
We may not always look as significant as the horse. We might be as important as the nail!
God designed the Church STRUCTURE so that every member is ESSENTIAL, EXACLY where we can best serve, and every person’s gift is unique and EXCLUSIVE.
3. Our Statement of Faith.
Doctrine matters. It defines “who” we are as a Church. In our organization we view the Bible as the sole foundation for all our faith and practice. In order to better understand our “what” we are called to do as an organization, we must understand “Who” we are as a people. As a Baptist Church, “we are people of the Book.” That Book is the Bible. More specifically, we are a Southern Baptist Church. Our common doctrine, the foundational elements of that doctrine, are codified in a document we call, “The Baptist Faith and Message.” It is not the totality of what we believe, but it is a summary of essential truths we hold in common.
The easiest way to outline what we believe and practice as an organized organism is to use the word, BAPTIST.
B—the Bible is our Sole Authority for faith and practice.
19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be?
In fact, in the Body of Christ, we are not all the SAME. God’s perfect structure depends upon the unique and exclusive contributions of every single church member—large or small, young or old, blue collar, white collar or no collar.
If any member is missing, the integrity of the entire structure of God is in jeopardy and stops functioning as effectively as God designed it.
God’s design for the structure of the Church depends upon every member contributing his or her unique gifts promoting harmony and effectiveness. Leaders must lead. Followers must follow. Every part must be in its place functioning as God intended it. There are no insignificant parts of the Body. The loss of any part can gravely affect the success of the whole. There’s an old proverb that says,
For want of a nail the shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe the horse was lost;
For want of a horse the battle was lost;
For the failure of battle the kingdom was lost--all for the want of nail
We may not always look as significant as the horse. We might be as important as the nail!
God designed the Church STRUCTURE so that every member is ESSENTIAL, EXACLY where we can best serve, and every person’s gift is unique and EXCLUSIVE.
3. Our Statement of Faith.
Doctrine matters. It defines “who” we are as a Church. In our organization we view the Bible as the sole foundation for all our faith and practice. In order to better understand our “what” we are called to do as an organization, we must understand “Who” we are as a people. As a Baptist Church, “we are people of the Book.” That Book is the Bible. More specifically, we are a Southern Baptist Church. Our common doctrine, the foundational elements of that doctrine, are codified in a document we call, “The Baptist Faith and Message.” It is not the totality of what we believe, but it is a summary of essential truths we hold in common.
The easiest way to outline what we believe and practice as an organized organism is to use the word, BAPTIST.
B—the Bible is our Sole Authority for faith and practice.
A—every church is Autonomous
(self-governing).
P—we hold to the Priesthood of each believer.
T—we practice Tithing as the primary means of funding our Church
P—we hold to the Priesthood of each believer.
T—we practice Tithing as the primary means of funding our Church
I—our method of baptizing is by Immersion
(completely under water)
S—we teach Spirit-led living, not the adherence of manmade rules
T—the goal of our Church is to Tell others about Christ.
All of these doctrines that guide our lifestyle as a Baptist Church (and many others), derive their sole authority from the Bible and not from the teaching of many. One of the foundational Scriptures guiding the organization of our church is 2Tim. 3:16-17:
S—we teach Spirit-led living, not the adherence of manmade rules
T—the goal of our Church is to Tell others about Christ.
All of these doctrines that guide our lifestyle as a Baptist Church (and many others), derive their sole authority from the Bible and not from the teaching of many. One of the foundational Scriptures guiding the organization of our church is 2Tim. 3:16-17:
16 All Scripture is breathed
out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for
training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be
complete, equipped for every good work.
Every member is expected to spend time learning the doctrines of the Bible and making strenuous efforts to put those doctrines into practice as evidenced by a godly lifestyle.
Our Church’s organization involves several components as we have seen: our common Salvation, our God-designed Structure, our Bible-based Statement of Faith, and also
4. Our Strategy.
Our strategy has two necessary parts based upon two significant elements given to us directly by the Lord Jesus Christ. The first significant element of the Mission Strategy of our Church is the Great Commandment. Jesus said (Mat. 22:38-39):
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The second significant element in our Strategy also comes for the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is called, The Great Commission. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)
Every member is expected to spend time learning the doctrines of the Bible and making strenuous efforts to put those doctrines into practice as evidenced by a godly lifestyle.
Our Church’s organization involves several components as we have seen: our common Salvation, our God-designed Structure, our Bible-based Statement of Faith, and also
4. Our Strategy.
Our strategy has two necessary parts based upon two significant elements given to us directly by the Lord Jesus Christ. The first significant element of the Mission Strategy of our Church is the Great Commandment. Jesus said (Mat. 22:38-39):
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The second significant element in our Strategy also comes for the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is called, The Great Commission. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)
If you take these two verses and
paraphrase them you have the Strategy for which our church is organized: Our mission is to
fulfill the Great Commission by practicing the Great Commandment. Our goal is to “love
people into the Kingdom of God by loving and serving our King.”
A church that is not committed to loving others enough to serve sacrificially does not really love God. Loving lost people is the heartbeat of God and must be the heartbeat of the Church. Without a passion for the lost, a church is not the Body of Christ, but merely a lifeless mannequin.
The great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, declared, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.”
A church that is not committed to loving others enough to serve sacrificially does not really love God. Loving lost people is the heartbeat of God and must be the heartbeat of the Church. Without a passion for the lost, a church is not the Body of Christ, but merely a lifeless mannequin.
The great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, declared, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.”
Another passionate evangelistic
believer is Kirk
Cameron. His words cut right
to the heart of the matter of the importance for a Strategy based upon reaching
lost people. He said, “If
you had the cure to cancer wouldn’t you share it? … You have the cure to death
… get out there and share it.”
Church is a living, breathing organism that must be organized in order to maximize our effectiveness for accomplishing our God-given Strategy.
For the last five weeks, we have examined the issue, Church Membership Matters. It MUST matter to every member because eternal souls are at stake. The Church’s UNITY matters. Every member’s RESPONSIBILITY matters. SERVICE in and through the Church matters. SUPPORT for the Church matters. The ORGANIZATION of the Church matters.
The Church matters greatly to God—it must matter greatly to every member of the church.
Church is a living, breathing organism that must be organized in order to maximize our effectiveness for accomplishing our God-given Strategy.
For the last five weeks, we have examined the issue, Church Membership Matters. It MUST matter to every member because eternal souls are at stake. The Church’s UNITY matters. Every member’s RESPONSIBILITY matters. SERVICE in and through the Church matters. SUPPORT for the Church matters. The ORGANIZATION of the Church matters.
The Church matters greatly to God—it must matter greatly to every member of the church.
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