|
INTRODUCTION
ILLUS: We live in Iowa - the heartland of America - farm country. Over 90% of our land is farm land - corn, beans, hay,
oats. If you are not a farmer you may be a gardener - raising sweet corn, potatoes, peas, beans, tomatoes... We know
farming and gardening, it is built into our genetics. We understand the old farmer driving slowly down the road admiring
the crops. We understand the lifecycle of the crops - right now grain is maturing - beautiful green - in a month or so,
getting ready for harvest. You gardeners may already be enjoying - sweet corn, tomatoes, peas and beans.
The Bible talks about farming often. Both OT and NT people were agrarian - raised grain and raised livestock - lived off the
land. Several parables Jesus told - earthly stories with heavenly meanings - were about farming.
Today’s text is one - Read Text: Mark 4:26-29
The earthly story is the mystery of growing seed - a man plants it, goes to bed every night and gets up every day - and without
his help, the seed in the soil “by itself” sprouts, grows - first the blade sticking out of the earth,
then the head of grain forms at the top, and then the grain matures, and when the “crop permits” - when it
is fully grown, then the man goes back to work with the sickle and harvests it. We understand the story.
The heavenly meaning is that is how the kingdom of God grows. The parable of the sower is a few verses back - the seed is the
Word of God, it is sown in our heart, and slowly it grows and producing fruit in our lives.
There are often several applications for parables. We can apply this broadly about how God is building His kingdom on the
earth. We can apply it personally about how we are saved and mature in our faith. But today I want to apply it corporately as
to how God grows a church.
Let me give credit where credit is due - 3 weeks ago attended Natural Church Development by Christian Schwarz:
- “Church Development” = church health and church growth.
- “Natural” = natural, not manufactured, not forced, not patterned after business models, but designed by
God, revealed in creation and the Bible.
- NCD a Biblical systematic theology of church health and church growth
Let us start with illustration of farming before application of church growth. When it comes to farming there are two parties
at work: us humans “the man who casts seed on the soil…and harvests it;” And God through His creation
“produces the crop by itself.”
1. God’s Role in Growing Crops
- God’s creation is a marvelous. This world didn’t happen by accident, intelligent design is written all over
it. Consistency and order, production and reproduction, the cycle of life. God gave all organisms an inherent ability
to survive and thrive and reproduce.
- Gen. 8:22 “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night
shall not cease.”
- v. 28 “the soil produces crops by itself” - Nature is amazing for all the necessary elements for
life - not just human life, but animals and plant life are built into nature - we enjoy the riches and the beauty of
this earth, the natural life teeming on this earth since creation, surviving through the flood, 6,000 years later we
ought to sing:
QUOTE: “For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth, over and
around us lies. Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.”
- God provides the soil, the rain, the sunshine, the wind…
- We mankind are pretty creative, we have invented many things that we enjoy, but no technology can sustain or reproduce
itself. Your coffee machine can make coffee, but it can’t make another coffee machine. Coffee plants make coffee
beans, and more coffee plants. You can’t plant a toy car in the ground and later reap a full grown real car. Our
technology wears out and we junk it. Yet, creation keeps surviving and thriving and reproducing - God’s amazing
power is built into nature.
2. Our Role in Growing Crops
- We get to do some basic work. We get to plant, watch and marvel, and harvest. Elsewhere the Bible talks about a few
more things we can do: till the soil, cultivate and get rid of weeds, store the grain, eat/feed the grain.
- We have some manual labor to do. It is more fun to do it with machines.
- The farmer is an essential partner with the God of creation to produce crops. In some places the farmer actually does a
lot of the watering - irrigation. Farmers around here let God do that, some of you gardeners may share in that. We get
to bring in the harvest, enjoy barns and bins and stomachs full of the crops, some 30, 60, 100 fold. What a
partnership!
ILLUS: Our garden - Jeannette gets tomatoes, I get potatoes. However, because of wet weather and bad timing I
didn’t cultivate the weeds out of corn, thus no sweet corn crop.
That is the illustration of farming. Now let us apply the principles to growing a healthy church. Use Mark 4:26-29 in
tandem with 1 Cor 3:6-9.
1. Our Role in Growing a Church
- Paul says “I planted, Apollos watered” “the man casts the seed on soil“
- NT is filled with instruction of what we humans, God’s people can do to grow Christ’s Church.
- Great Commission Matt. 28:19-20 - disciple, witness, baptize, teach
- Preach the word 1 Tim. 4:2
- Teach the word Titus 1:9
- A long list of “one another’s” pray, encourage, love, build up, help, carry one
another’s burdens, speak the truth, submit, show hospitality, etc.
- Along with planting and watering, even do some cultivating - repenting of sin James 5:16, deny ungodliness
Titus 2:12
- Also use our spiritual gifts 1 Cor. 12-14, display fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5
- Worship God in spirit and in truth John 4:24
- Love one another as a testimony to the world John 13:34-35
- Share with those who have needs Acts 2:45
- Being together routinely Acts 2:46, Heb. 10:25
- And more, there is a lot we can do. Be open to the work of God, remove the obstacles that prevent God from working His
growth power.
- A good farmer will work hard at choosing the right seed, preparing the soil, making sure the soil has the proper and
balance of nutrients and supplementing them with fertilizers and getting rid of the weeds.
- We can’t manufacture church health and church growth, but we can prepare the soil (obedience) remove the weeds
(repentance of our sin), permit the release of God growth potentials (natural nutrients).
- We who work together - 1 Cor. 3:8 - “we are one…but each will receive his own reward according to his
labor.” We are blessed to be a partner with God in growing His church.
2. God’s Role in Church Growth
- “but God was causing the growth”
- Mark 4: “the crops grow by itself” = automatic, ruit happens on it own, built into creation.
- What does God do to grow the church of Jesus Christ?
- Acts 9:31 - give us peace, builds us up, we live in the fear of the Lord, comforted by the Holy Spirit,
increasing in numbers.
- The growth is qualitative and quantitative.
- Elects us, calls us - Ephesians 1
- Jesus came to live and die and rise again so we can be saved - John 3:16
- Provides the written Word Psalm 119; 2 Tim. 3:16-17
- Gives us the Holy Spirit John 14:26
- Answers prayer Matthew 7:7-8
- Empowers us to share and live the gospel Titus 2:11-15
- Gives us our spiritual gifts 1 Cor. 12-14
- Develops within us spiritual fruit Gal. 5:22-23
- Unites us an one body Eph. 4:4-6
- Jesus said “I will build my church” Matt. 16:18
- Jesus still is building His church, we are here 2000 years later, and 8,000 miles away from where the church began.
This congregation is 120 years old this year. God has done some amazing work of growth.
- What privilege we have had to partner with God in growing His church.
- We have some important roles that we need to do with excellence like a great farmer. But let us never forget, all the
growth comes from God - personal spiritual growth, corporate church health.
- I am not a agronomist, but NCD notes there are 6 principles of growth in nature that are applied to the church
- Interdependence - 1 Cor. 12-14 individual parts relate to the whole, one things
affects another. 8 characteristics affect the others. We need each other.
- Multiplication - Matthew 28:19-20. The church reproduces itself, makes new disciples,
new groups, new churches, new ministries.
- Energy transformation - Romans 8:28. God can take bad things and make them good, our
bodies can fight off diseases. Acts 17:23 Paul can take an “unknown God” and
reveal the true God. The lost become found. Persecution grows churches. Hostile energy is thus transformed to
holy energy. Unused energy is tapped as people find/use their spiritual gifts.
- Sustainability - multiuse - Multiple things take place at the same time Matt. 28:19-20.
Also a worship service can not only provide worship to God, but opportunity to use gifts, train leaders, edify
the saints, evangelize the lost, provide examples of godliness, train children…
- Symbiosis - two dissimilar organisms in a mutually beneficial relationship. Plant diversity
and diversified ecosystem: clean farms fields also need areas around of grass, nearby swamps, hedges, trees.
1 Cor. 12:12-18 The church needs a diversity of people exercising their diverse gifts for the mutual
benefit of each other.
- Fruitfulness - John 15:1-5 - visible fruit, lives changed. Quality and quantity,
spiritual success. Matt 7:17 good tree produces good fruit. 7:20 “So then, you will know them by
their fruit.”
CONCLUSION
We are honored to be in partnership with Christ in building His church.
Are we doing our part? Obedience, faithfulness, doing the right things right
Do we need to remove any obstacles that prevent a healthy church and a growing church? Our own sin, selfishness,
self-righteousness, self-glory
Are we letting God release the growth potential of our church? It is there, “The crop grows by itself.”
Surrender to His will, rejoice when God gives the increase, and give Him the credit/glory.
So what is next? Natural Church Development survey reminds us as a body we need to work on improving loving relationship.
|
