LIFESHAPE #7 HEPTAGON: ALIVE! VITAL SIGNS to a Vital life and healthy church
God’s people are a living organism subject to the same principles of growth that apply to all living things. MRS GREN can help us grow a healthy faith walk and a healthy church; practicing the principles of a vital life. WE ARE CALLED TO BE FULLY ALIVE!You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. — 1 Peter 2:4-5:
Christian health, as well as Church health and growth are all about life, the body being an organism rather than an organization. Many churches put the cart before the horse by building facilities and programs before they have adequately taken care of the needs of the people. The cart will not get things moving, the horse will. We need to feed and care for the horse, but instead much of our energy goes into the cart (and the horse ends up too weak to pull the cart). The cart is easier to take care of; we can paint it, decorate it, show it off. Horses tend wander off or perhaps don’t respond the way we want. Ask yourself, “How good is a cart when the horse is dead?”We deceive ourselves with the attitude, “If you build it they will come.” Every church is one generation away from extinction, and today’s generation wants to see living stones.
Meet MRS GREN: VITAL SIGNS
In England they learn these seven processes in understanding the human body. Biology has taught us there are seven characteristics that identify all living organisms. Let’s look at each one and discover spiritual truth about growth.
Movement: shows you are not dead – Movement is a response to stimuli, we see it in the animal world all the time. If out in the open, an animal will move to safety when a predator is discovered. Animals move when stimulated by an outer (danger) or inner (hunger) force. The Old Testament is full of patriarch, prophets and people on the move. At the Red Sea the people stopped moving. How easy is it to stand still (static) in what we know, regardless of how unfulfilling, rather than to move into the great unknown. Moses tells them to stand firm while God tells them to move on. God uses many ways to stimulate His people; His Word, His Spirit, persecution. The Church of Acts was first and foremost a movement: Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”Matt 28:18 “Therefore GO..
Respiration: breathing God’s breath – Breathing is not synonymous with respiration. The process is dependent upon oxygen being released into the body so it can function properly. The process is natural for most organisms, but not all. Some have bad breathing due to illness, lack of exercise, pollution, a tantrum of holding your breath. God’s breathing releases His power in our lives. Inhale His Spirit and exhale His will. God pours out His Spirit as we see in the Old Testament as the Hebrew “ruach” and the Greek “Pneuma” this is God’s visitation on HIS people. Martin Luther described his basic relationship with God as “breathing.” St. Paul probably meant this when he encouraged us to Walk in the Spirit! Galatians 5 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Sensitivity: the pentagon at work – The body is a unit working together. Sensitivity plays a vital role in our receptiveness to stimuli. The church needs people who are sensitive to the pains of others (pastor); sensitive to sight, foresight given by God (prophets); sensitive to the needs and hurts of others in hearing, listening, instructing (teachers); sensitive to speech, sharing the good news (evangelists); sensitive to sniffing out staleness and knowing when to move out into new areas (apostles). This is why I like being part of a “sacramental” church: we get to experience (feel) the “real” presence of Christ with ALL of our senses in His Word & Sacraments. St. Paul uses the senses when referring to our conscience which Hebrew people understand to be in our guts. For ex. without sensitivity we end up as in 1 Tim 4:2 with “seared consciences.” In Paul’s time the seat of emotion was in the intestines, which we westerners call the “heart” for ex: Phil. 1:8 “I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ” (KJV) or Philemon 20 “refresh my guts!”
Growth: the result of a healthy life – Growth is an expression of life; all living things grow. If the church stops growing; it will die. No growth is a sign of decay and death. The lesson of the semi-circle is to prune branches, to cause more growth. God brings growth, not by our efforts: 1 Cor 3:6-9 “6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”& Gal.2:19 “They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.”
Reproduction: creating the future – This is different from growth in that it is a multiplication of an organism. In our spiritual life God takes HIS words (the gospel) and fuses them with one who has a heart open to this good news to make a new spirit. Reproduction; one Christian becomes two. These will gather together in small groupings called a “church.” Reproduction is a sign of life. Unhealthy specimens generally don’t multiply, it is the healthy ones that carry on the species. In Europe children, teens and young adults no longer attend church because Christians in Europe have forsaken the reproduction of themselves into the next generation. In John 21 when Jesus re-commissions Peter: he tells him to “feed my lambs” showing the importance of the next generation. This is so important to the Great Commission of making disciples. All resources go to the new generation? What does this look like for us?
Excretion: a cleansed life – YUK!! Every heart builds up a collection of junk that needs to be emptied through the process of repentance and God’s discipline. 1 John 1:9 “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” or Hebrews 12:6 “because the Lord disciplines those he loves” If we don’t, it is the same as a body not ridding itself of waste it has accumulated; it will bring discomfort, disease and eventually death. The toxins are called the “root of bitterness,” according to the writer of Hebrews 12:15. We must forgive others in order to excrete the bitterness or it will make us unhealthy. In John 13 Jesus taught the importance of cleaning what is dirty. We must not embrace wickedness but excrete it to remain healthy. Matt 18, following this to the extent beyond just personal, dealing with the sin in the church!
Nutrition: the obedience diet – Living things must take in nutrients or they will die. Jesus is the bread of life, so to live we must dine on His words and Sacrament. Jesus said that His food was to do the will of the Father (John 4). We receive our adoption as Children of God through water and the Spirit, in Baptism and receive our spiritual food in God’s Word and the Lord’s Supper. To be healthy we are encouraged to remain in balance UP, IN and OUT.
The Growth Cycle of the Church: VITAL SIGNS
God designed for us to be social creatures, living in community.(extended family) Moses and Jethro had a conversation about the management of people and leadership. Once discovered what Moses was doing, Jethro replied:
“This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.” –Exodus 18:17-23
As we look forward to the Ministry of Cross & Resurrection in 2011 we recognize that to be healthy in these seven areas of vitality we must diversify the leadership and equip everyone to lead and do the work of ministry. This is why we are striving to be the “visible presence” of the Kingdom of God in our community by helping people BELONG, BELIEVE, BECOME.
Jesus had a similar pattern: sending out the disciples in twos, He called a team of 12 out of the 72, there were 120 gathered at Pentecost in the midst of 3000 being saved that day. There were seven men of good reputation “Deacons” appointed to serve the widows overlooked in the daily distribution of food. Today we have the opportunity to focus on the development of clusters, the extended family sized between 20-40. We have a great opportunity at our EMU site and ALIVE! Site in Tecumseh to raise up people who carry this vision and are capable of overseeing these groups and the long-range task of building communities. It is a great time to be in MINISTRY!
As an example in our EMU Ministry: University age: “Millennials.” Who are the Millennials?
(from an article by Thom Rainer in Christianity Today)
As a reminder, the Millennials are America’s largest generation, over 78 million in number. They are slightly larger in number than the well-documented Baby Boomer generation.
The Millennials were born between 1980 and 2000, though our research included only the older portion of this generation, those born between 1980 and 1991. The study included demographic sampling that well represents the generation in total.
The leadership factor: "What Millennials Want in their Leaders."
1. Mentoring. This generation has great respect for those older than they are. Most of them have good relationships with their parents. They have learned from older people all their lives, and they don’t want to stop now. They want to be led and taught in their places of work, in their churches, and in their families. They particularly want to learn from couples who have had long and successful marriages. Many Millennials see such examples as heroes to emulate.
2. Gentle spirit. This category is easier to describe by what Millennials do not want in leaders. Divisive, loud, and acrimonious persons turn them off. They loathe politicians and political pundits who scream at each other. They are leaving churches to some extent because they see many Christian leaders as negative and prone to divisiveness. They are repulsed by business leaders with harsh and autocratic spirits.
3. Transparency and authenticity. I wish Jess and I had counted the number of times that Millennials used the word "real" to describe leaders they want to follow. As one Millennial told us, her generation "can smell phony and pretentiousness a mile away." They don’t want phony; they want authentic. They don’t want pretentious; they want transparent.
4. Integrity. The Millennials are weary of politicians who don’t keep promises. They are tired of Christian leaders who fail basic moral standards. They are fed up with business leaders who are more concerned about personal gain than serving others. They want leaders with integrity.
Looking for a few good leaders:
The Millennial generation has much to offer. As a whole, they desire to serve others. Most of them are very family oriented. And they really want to listen and learn from others. Indeed they are looking for a few good leaders to follow. When they find them, they will follow with commitment and enthusiasm.
Are we going to be HEALTHY at see all of the marks of MRS. GREN working well at C & R? This is my prayer and hope for us! Time for us to check our VITAL SIGNS!
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