The Catalytic Church:
The Member-Run Church
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:1-6a
Maybe you’ve heard
about the two women who stood side by side
on the sidewalk
in the middle of the night
watching the only church in the neighborhood
burn to the ground.
And as they stood there,
one woman finally turned to the other
and said,
“Humph! This is the first time I’ve seen YOU at
church!”
to which the second woman replied,
without missing a beat,
“This is the first time I’ve seen the church on fire!”
Well, she’s not alone.
There are a lot of people in our neighborhoods,
in our communities,
in our schools,
in our workplaces,
who might be interested in learning more about Jesus Christ
and the things of God
if they could just see a church on fire . . .
And that is exactly what we want,
what we intend,
here at Cobblestone Community Church;
we are praying and working to make this church,
this group of Christ-followers,
a catalytic church,
a church that is not only on fire itself,
burning with enthusiasm and exuberance,
but also one that sets on fire everything around it,
a church that has a catalytic effect
on individuals,
on schools,
on the community all around.
Good morning. My name is Bob Hostetler, and
this morning at Cobblestone Community Church we’re concluding a five-week series of messages from the Bible, entitled “The Catalytic Church.”
You see, we here at Cobblestone Community Church are preparing to launch
a new, distinct, and dynamic church
here in Oxford
on Palm Sunday, April 8, 2001.
And we have only eight Sundays--after today--to build the community and structure and resources we’ll need to be in place on that day.
So, we’re not only meeting together for worship and fellowship and prayer that benefits us and our spiritual growth . . . We’re also trying to teach and do the things that will best prepare us to be a distinctly community-oriented,
student-friendly,
seeker-aware,
outward-focused group of people
in the months and years to come.
So in the past 5 weeks we’ve talked about 5 things about Cobblestone Community Church that we believe will make this a catalytic church, and those are making sure we’re:
a purpose-driven church,
a culturally-relevant church,
an outward-focused church,
a seeker-aware church,
and, today, a member-run church.
Next week, we start a five-week series called “Crucial Questions, Candid Answers,” in which we’ll take yet another approach to defining ourselves as a church, answering questions like, “What Do We Believe?” and “How Will We Worship?”
And then our final series before Launch Sunday will be called “Growing a Winning Personality,” in which we’ll present our vision for helping those of us who are Christ-followers to reach out to skeptics and seekers in ways
that are low-risk for us
and nonthreatening to them. . .
But today we’re talking about what it takes for a church to be not only on fire itself,
but also one that sets on fire everything around it,
and I believe that one of the keys to being that kind of church is in being a member-run church.
Let me explain. If you have your Bibles handy, would you please turn to the book of Isaiah, the 61st chapter . . .
If you’re using one of the Bibles we’ve provided for you in the center of each table, you’ll find it on page ____.
If you’re using your own Bible, you can usually find Isaiah by opening to the middle and taking a right turn! It’s between Song of Solomon and Jeremiah, if that helps.
As you’re turning to Isaiah’s 61st chapter, let me just mention that most churches are not member run churches, at least not in the sense that I’m talking about today.
In most churches, some combination of denominational bureaucrats, professional ministers, and paid staff make the decisions and accomplish the ministry of the church.
When someone’s hospitalized, a pastor goes to visit.
When someone needs prayer, a minister’s available.
Whether it’s a sermon, a class, a decision, or a task, the professionals are the ones who are expected to do the job.
But my friends, I don’t believe that’s how it’s supposed to work. And to show you what I mean, let me direct your attention to Isaiah 61, starting at the first verse.
You may remember that this passage formed the text for Jesus’ commencement address, his “mission statement” at the beginning of his public ministry. It was a prophecy given by God to Isaiah, a prediction of what would happen sometime after God delivered his people from their captivity and exile in Babylon, a prediction that found its fulfillment in the ministry of Jesus Christ and the launching of the church.
So keep that in mind as you consult your own Bible and I read aloud from mine, beginning at Isaiah 61:1:
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the
prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion--
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God (Isaiah 61:1-6a, NIV).
Those are the words I want to focus on, the first sentence of the sixth verse:
And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God (Isaiah 61:6a, NIV).
You see, something important is being promised here through the prophet Isaiah. God is talking about a time, a time when God will show his favor to his people, a time when his Anointed One
will bring good news to the poor,
liberty to the captives,
healing to the brokenhearted,
forgiveness for the guilty,
freedom for those who feel controlled,
and release for those who feel trapped.
And with all those blessings would come one more:
you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God (Isaiah 61:6a, NIV).
And what that means is that when Jesus came,
he not only brought healing,
and salvation,
and freedom,
and release . . .
he also brought about a time,
an era,
a “day of favor” in which . . .
1. Every Christ-Follower is a Priest
You may recall that, in the Old Testament, when God gave the Law at Mount Sinai, his idea, his plan,
was for the whole nation of Israel to be a nation of priests:
“Now,” [he said, in Exodus 19] “if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6, NASB).
But Israel did not keep the covenant; they couldn’t rise to receive God’s promise . . .
So, instead, God chose Aaron, the brother of Moses, and all his sons to be priests for the people.
What this meant was that, say Mike Johnson was a good Jew . . . And, as a good Jew, he wants to worship God and pray to him and make offerings to him. BUT because Mike is not a priest, he can’t do that. He has to take his offerings to a priest, and let the priest take his acts of worship and make his prayers for Him. All that Mike could offer to God could only be offered through a priest.
But Jesus changed all that.
Do you remember how, on that dreadful day when Jesus was hanging on the cross, there came a great and terrible moment when the veil of the temple, the tall curtain that separated all but the priest from the holy presence of God, was torn in two, from the top to the bottom?
Now, notice--any man, if he was willing to throw away his life, could have cut or torn the curtain from the bottom up . . .
But there was only one person who could reach down and tear that thick fabric from the top down, and that is God himself . . .
And I believe he did it to indicate the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, that because of Jesus’ death on the cross--and through our faith in him--
we can now go directly to God
instead of through a human priest,
we have direct and constant access to God,
We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:19-22, NIV).
As 1 Peter 2:9 says to each one of us,
You are . . . a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9, NIV),
because
Jesus Christ . . . has made us kings and priests to His God and Father (Revelation 1:6, NIV).
So, my friends, if you have received salvation through faith in Christ, you are a priest, having direct access to God on your own behalf and on behalf of others!
That’s what Isaiah 61:6 means when it says,
you will be called priests of the LORD (Isaiah 61:6a, NIV).
But that’s not all; Isaiah’s prophecy also means that when Jesus came, he brought about a time,
` an era,
a “day of favor” in which . . .
2. Every Christ-Follower is a Minister
Nowhere in the Bible does it say--
or even suggest--
that you have to wear a white collar,
graduate from seminary,
have the word “Reverend” before your name
or the letters “M. Div.” after your name
in order to be called a minister!
Neither does it suggest that you have to know the Bible front and back like Jim Lillibridge,
work for a Christian ministry like Rich Jarvi,
or even have a great personality like me,
before you can be called a minister!
[That better not be laughter I hear]
Isaiah promised,
you will be named ministers of our God (Isaiah 61:6a, NIV),
and Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth, proclaims the fulfillment of that prophecy, saying,
[God] has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6, NIV).
You see, the teaching of the Bible is that:
• every Christian is created for ministry (Ephesians 2:10),
• every Christian is saved for ministry (2 Timothy 1:9),
• every Christian is called into ministry (1 Peter 2:9-10),
• every Christian is gifted for ministry (1 Peter 4:10),
• every Christian is authorized for ministry (Matthew 28:18-20),
• every Christian is commanded to minister (Matthew 20:26-28),
• every Christian is needed for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:27),
• every Christian is accountable for ministry (Ephesians 2:10), and
• every Christian will be rewarded according to his or her ministry (Colossians 3:23-24).
I can’t stress enough that every Christ-follower is a minister.
[Leave platform; walk through the congregation, touching several individuals and announcing,
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to meet , a minister of Cobblestone Community Church,” etc., then return to platform]
That’s one reason why I believe God has Cobblestone Community Church right where he wants us, right where we can be a catalytic church in this community,
because we need every Christ-follower here to be a minister, to fulfill God’s calling and exercise your privilege in this church . . .
We don’t have a single staff member.
We are all volunteers,
and some may look at that and say, “That’s no way to run a church!”
But I suspect that’s part of the reason why the vast majority of the fastest growing churches today are recent church plants, because they have no choice but to use the gifts and talents and skills and energies of every
believer, every minister, and not just those who get paid for their ministry.
That’s not to say we won’t have staff someday; but I pray that by the time that happens, we will be unable to break the habit of fully functioning as “priests and ministers of our God.”
Now, if that is true--that every Christ-follower is a minister--it has several implications that are crucial for us to grasp and put into practice, both as a church and as individual members--ministers--of the church. And the first is this:
A. The ministry of the church is supposed to be “charismatic,” not a matter of position, power, prestige, or profession.
Now, don’t panic. I know I said the word “charismatic,” but let me explain. That word simply means the “manifestation” (mata) of God’s grace (charis); in other words, the New Testament is clear that the church’s ministry is to be driven by the gifts God has given each member, not by who’s got what title or position. As author Linda Belleville says,
“the New Testament writers are unanimous in their insistence that gift precedes function.”
What does that mean? Belleville goes on to say,
Those who participated [in the ministry of the church] did so prompted by the Spirit’s leading and gifting, not by their official or professional standing among God’s people.
Folks, that means that you are the minister here. Every ministry of this church is open to you, according to your gifts--including THIS ONE--because the ministry of the church is supposed to be “charismatic,” not a matter of position, power, prestige, or profession. Next,
B. Every ministry is important.
There are no “little people in the body of Christ, and there are no “insignificant” ministries.
On the contrary [Paul says], those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable (1 Corinthians 12:22, NIV).
Let me give you an example. Most of you probably don’t know the two people who are regularly involved in the preparation of the coffee and tea each week, but if Lynette Holzworth and Deb Fitzgerald did not get that coffee flowing each Sunday . . . Wellllll, I shudder to think what would happen.
I am not being patronizing when I say that those two women are great in the kingdom of God.
Some ministries are visible, and some are behind the scenes, but all are equally valuable, because every ministry is important. Finally,
C. True unity and effectiveness occur not because official roles are assumed by the few, but because gifts are exercised by the whole.
To quote Linda Belleville again,
The New Testament presents ministry as something that is done by the whole and not simply the few.
The ministry of the church is like a living jigsaw puzzle; when all the pieces fit together, it can be a beautiful thing. BUT you know the funny thing about jigsaw puzzles? You always notice the missing piece first. If just one piece is missing, the whole effect is disappointing.
That’s one reason why we’ve planned for the leadership of this church to come and go on a rotating basis. Those who serve as elders, deacons, and directors of ministries will do so for limited terms--not only to give them a break, and help us avoid getting into ruts, but to allow others with those same gifts the opportunity to serve in a new capacity every few years. I think that’s healthy; I think it’ll be fun . . . especially that day in the future when Sarah Zimmer becomes one of the leaders of this church! Boy, things’ll really get interesting then!
My brothers and sisters, you are needed. In order for this group of Christ-followers to be truly catalytic, we need every minister whom God has anointed and gifted and called to roll your sleeves up and begin to exercise your gifts in the service of God and his people.
And that process can begin right now,
this morning.
I want to ask three things of you--if you are a Christ-follower--in response to this morning’s message.
First, I want to ask you to pray; pray for the ministry of Cobblestone Community Church. I’m not asking you to commit to praying every day for a year or anything quite so demanding. I’m asking you for one prayer. If there’s a chance you might forget, do it today; do it before you get up from your seat. But if everyone in here prays just once in the next few hours or days for the ministry of this church---WOW!
Second, ask God to open to you what the Bible calls “a great door for effective work” (1 Cor. 16:9). Ask him to show you where and how he wants you to be his minister.
And third, I ask you to minister God’s lavish grace to at least one person this week. That might mean sharing the Gospel with someone; or it might mean giving up your seat on the bus. It might mean comforting someone who’s crying, or it might mean celebrating with someone who’s laughing. But there’s a catch. I don’t want to ask only something easy from you; I want you to go out of your way to do it. If an opportunity drops into your lap, good, go with it; but I’m asking you to go out of your way to be “ministers of our God” just once this week. Would you do that?
I pray you will,
as we spend a few final moments in worship . . .
God,
Thank you that you have “called [us] priests of the LORD [and] ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6a, NIV).
Thank you that you have “made us competent as ministers of a new covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:6, NIV).
Help us, Lord . . . Help us to find joy--
the kind of joy your Son found in serving others,
the kind of joy Bob Holzworth has found in exercising his gift of administration,
the kind of joy Kay Johnson finds in shepherding others,
the kind of joy Randy Tankersley finds in accompanying worship;
Make this group of people, this body of believers, into a catalytic church, one that runs smoothly and effectively because every member is a minister,
in Jesus’ name, Amen.
