Structures That Work
NCD Functional
Structures
Scripture: Eph. 4:15-16 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all
things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what
every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the
body for the edifying of itself in love.
Introduction: Over the last few weeks we have
discussed empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry and passionate spirituality
and today we are going to discuss the fourth characteristic of a healthy
church, functional structures.
Every
church has structures the question is how functional are the structures?
Do the
structures of the church, such as leadership, ministries and the physical
operations fulfill the duties or activities they are intended for?
Do they
serve their purpose? Do our structures
work?
Our
heavenly father is the ultimate example of structure. Throughout scripture we can see the structures that He has put
into place. And all that He put into
place is and was functional. His
structures served the purposes that they were intended for. Everything was created with a purpose and a
plan. By the way that includes you!
Gen. 1:1 In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Of all
the places in the Bible it is in the beginning we first find
functional structures.
The
creation week.
Day 1 He
created Light Day 4 He sets the Sun, Moon & Stars
in to their positions.
Day 2 Separated Air & Water Day
5 He created birds & fish
Day 3 Land appeared Day 6 He created animals and Man
Day 7 He rested from all His work, He
set up the Sabbath. He created a time
period so that man can spend time with his creator.
God’s
creation was structured and His structure fulfilled His purpose.
What
would happen if God made man first, before he made the land or separated the
water? Chances are Adam wouldn’t have survived the first day.
We also
see that every thing God created was functional, created to multiply
itself. The structures that we see in
nature are very functional in that they are interdependent of one another. Humans and animals can’t live without the
plants and trees and the plants and trees cannot live without people and
animals.
His
structures can be seen in the way he hung the planets in our solar system. Each one help balance out the whole system
as they revolve around the sun. We
don’t even know the mysteries behind the order and size of each planet. But we do know that God put them there for a
purpose.
Enough
about creation lets talk about structure in the heavenly government.
I.
Functional Structures in Heavenly
Government
A. Every government has structure to
avoid confusion. And in the heavenly
government we can identify two visible functional structures, the Law and
redemption.
B. First the Law. Every government has a set of standards in
which it rules by and the Heavenly Government is no different.
Contrary to some beliefs, as God walked with Adam and Eve
in the garden He laid His Law down.
Otherwise how would Cain know it was wrong to kill his
brother Able?
Lucifer was kicked out of heaven for going against God’s
laws.
C. Second functional structure in the
heavenly government was redemption. Long
before God created the Earth and after Lucifer fell from grace, God set in
place a plan to redeem man, if or when he fell. And when they did fall the first lamb died instead of Adam and
Eve.
Lucifer challenged the Heavenly Government on the point
that God’s Law could not be kept.
He couldn’t accept the structure. He wanted to be placed above the throne of
God and war for supremacy began.
Any of us that has ever been tempted and has fallen to
that temptation knows that the war continues.
Satan and his hosts
are warring against the government of God, and all who have a desire to yield
their hearts to Him and obey His requirements Satan will try to perplex and
overcome with his temptations, that they may become discouraged and give up the
warfare. {CG 471.1}
If there wasn’t structure in Heaven how could we ever
expect to have structure on earth?
II.
Functional Structures Church in
the Wilderness
A. Some of the greatest structures
that God set up were set up in the wilderness.
(As far as we can see)
Soon after the encampment at Sinai, Moses was called up
into the mountain to meet with God.
God had a special plan for Israel. Israel was to be taken into a close and
peculiar relationship with the Most High.
Israel was to be incorporated as a church and a nation
under the government of God.
But, there were conditions to be met. The message to Moses
for the people was:
Exodus 19:5-6 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey
My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people;
for all the earth is Mine.
6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests
and a holy nation.’ These are
the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Although the plan of salvation was instituted in the
Garden of Eden the time to carry it to the world by a chosen people began right
hear in front of Mt Sinai.
B. And as God set up this structure
the temple service was put into place.
God told Moses build Him a tabernacle that He might dwell
with man. He told Moses to make it
according to the pattern of the one in heaven.
And Moses did.
God told Moses how to make the furniture that went into
the tabernacle.
He told him what material to build them out of and what
size to build them.
God told Moses what animal was to be sacrificed in relationship
to the transgression.
This structure made it easier for
the sinner to approach God and for God to communicate with His people.
All this structure in the wilderness was to point to Jesus
Christ. Even the foreshadow of the Old
Testament served as a functional structure to help guide Gods people into
truth.
III.
Functional Structures and the Early
Christian Church
A. The early Christian church had
structure.
Christ set up a structure of twelve men that He spent
three and a half years training.
For the first time in the book of act we see the church
functioning as a church. Even as the
disciples waited in the upper room, waiting for the day of Pentecost, they went
about doing church business.
Acts 1:26
And they cast their lots, and the
lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.[1]
Also in the book of Acts (Acts 15) the early Christian
church had to deal with legalism. And from
the outcome we can see the functional structures at work.
While ministering in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas had to
deal with the issue of circumcision. There were certain Christian Jews that went around preaching that
you must be circumcised in order to be saved.
Acts 15:1-3 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised
according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute
with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain
others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about
this question.
These men from Judea were dogmatic in their doctrine in
spite of the fact they had no authority from the church in Jerusalem.
Paul and Barnabas got into some heavy debate over this
issue. It’s interesting that Paul
didn’t say I believe that you don’t need to be circumcised to be saved and
that’s that; no he took the matter before the church council in Jerusalem. And the response was…
Acts 15:28,29 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay
upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves
from these, you will do well.
To often Christians are guilty of interpreting scripture
without God led council. Otherwise we
wouldn’t have 100 different denominations.
Eph. 4:4-6 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one
hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
B. During the early Advent movement
the Church was without structure. Two
of the three founders of the Church were against organization.
James White and Joseph Bates it was Ellen White who pushed
for organization.
There were many problems that occurred because of the lack
of structure. People would give
property to the church and then take it back after dispute among members.
The Pickle factory
There was a man in Cincinnati who owned a piece of
property and offered it to the church to build a place of worship. The church built a tabernacle on the
property. After some disagreement arose
in the church and the man apostatized.
He kicked everyone out, being he owned the property and turned the
little house that was dedicated to God into a pickle factory.
If there was structure in place this would have never
happened. When the Adventist Church
organized it eliminated things like this happening again.
Other issues arose such as who would care for the flocks?
Who would pay to support the clergy?
How was the church to organize foreign missions?
How was the church to deal with splinter groups.
How was the church to deal with doctrinal differences.
What stance would the church take with the out break of
the Civil War?
September 29, 1860 the Sabbatarian Adventist began
organizing into a structured Seventh-day Adventist church
“As our numbers
increased, it was evident that without some form of organization there would be great confusion, and
the work would not be carried forward successfully. To provide for the
support of the ministry, for carrying the work in new fields, for protecting
both the churches and the ministry from unworthy members, for holding church
property, for the publication of the truth through the press, and for many
other objects, organization was indispensable.
{TM 26.2}
Yet there was strong
feeling against it among our people. The first-day Adventist were opposed to organization, and most of the
Seventh-day Adventists entertained the same ideas. We sought the Lord with earnest prayer that we
might understand His will, and light was given by His Spirit that there must be
order and thorough discipline in the church--that organization was essential.
System and order are manifest in all the works of God throughout the universe.
Order is the law of heaven, and it should be the law of God's people on the
earth.”
{TM 26.3} Testimonies to Ministers
C. From this structure we have
printing companies, schools, both primary and secondary schools. We have health systems and hospitals.
D. From this structure we have the
General Conference which oversees worldwide church matters and keeps the world
church in unity.
North American division which oversees the national church
helps keep the North American Church in unity.
Mid-America Union oversees and helps keep unity with in
the churches in mid-America.
Iowa/Missouri Conference which oversees the churches in
these two states and helps promote unity.
The local church.
IV.
Functional Structures and the
Local Church
A. Are the offices and ministries in the local body
functional?
Is the maintenance of the
spiritual structure functional? (Elders)
Is the physical structure of the church
functional?
Is the maintenance of the physical
structure functional? (Deacons
Eph. 4:15-16 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all
things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what
every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the
body for the edifying of itself in love.
Christ is the Head of the church body and every member,
every ministry, every structure falls under the Head.
Through effective working, effective
planning, looking at each ministry so they may be effective in producing
fruit.
Every part does its share, causes growth of the body
Another key to successful church growth is when every
person, every ministry, each structure is doing its share.
Listen to how the Clear Word reads.
But we have spoken
the truth in love which will help you grow to be more and more like Him. We’re Christ’s body, which is only as strong
and healthy as its individual muscles and sinews. So as we work together
according to our abilities, the church will grow and build itself up in love.
The Clear Word
God has structures that are functional in every healthy
church.
V. Functional Structures
in Personal Ministries
A. In what ways do the structures
function to make way for ministry?
Do our structures help or hinder
our ministries?
Does this church make it easy for a member to minister in
the area of their giftedness?
Does church encourage members to follow their passions.
B. Any ministry that is functional
should have three things, a purpose, a vision and a mission.
Every ministry should have a purpose and that purpose
should reflect that of the local church.
Every ministry should have a vision and that vision should
reflect that of the local church
Every ministry should have a mission and that mission
should reflect that of the local church.
If our purpose vision and mission in our personal
ministries reflect that of the local church then our ministries will be moving
in the same direction.
The right hand will know what the left hand was doing.
To have ministries continue in the direction of the local
church there is a need for checks and balances and accountability.
We might ask, is my ministry aiding to the fruit bearing of
the church?
Are we planting seeds in fertile ground?
C. Wouldn’t it be silly for a farmer
to continue planting seed where he knows there will be no harvest?
Wouldn’t it be silly for that farmer continue to water
those seeds if he new that they wouldn’t grow.
If the farmer was wise he would move to more fertile
ground.
If our structures are functional we would be looking for
opportunities to equip individuals for ministries.
We would be looking at the existing ministries and asking
how can we make this ministry more effective?
Maybe it’s discipleship.
Maybe it’s more education.
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in educating our selves in the
spiritual things that we don’t educate in the area of effective ministry.
Maybe we need to look at moving to more fertile soil.
Conclusion: Characteristics of functional
structures
Prepares
the way for multiplication through strategic planning.
Opens
doors for ministry and does not create unnecessary red tape.
Creatively
manages change dynamics as vision grows.
Funnels
resources toward new ministry initiatives.
Networks
ministries to accomplish the greater vision of the church.
“Satan is ever working to have the service of God degenerate into
dull form and become powerless to save souls. While the energy, earnestness, and efficiency of the
workers become deadened by the efforts to have everything so systematic, the
taxing labor that must be done by our ministers to keep this complicated
machinery in motion engrosses so much time that the spiritual work is
neglected. And with so many things to run, this work requires so large
an amount of means that other branches of the work will wither and die for want
of due attention.” {4T 602.1}
There
were functional structures in the creation of the world.
There are
functional structures in the heavenly government.
There
were functional structures in the church in the wilderness.
There
were functional structures in the early Christian church.
There are
functional structures in the Adventist church, both worldwide and local.
There
should be functional to make our personal ministries effective in producing
fruit.
Sometimes
we get tired. Were working so hard,
trying to do the right things and the results seem small. It’s ok to step back and objectively
reevaluate how we have been doing things for the last decade. If it’s not producing fruit we need to move
to more fertile ground. And if it’s not
broke don’t fix it.
But when
God’s people function within the structures that God has set up, His church
will grow all by itself.
Hymn # 12
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Hymn #
330 Take My Life and Let it Be