Generally we think of organic as something being genuine, non synthetic or pure. How could we apply this definition to the Church of God? Let's see, an organic church would be a Church built by God with none of its building materials or structures defiled by man's carnality. I once heard a sermon titled The Organic Church and found it very enlightening in comparison to what the average church in America looks like today. Below are some notes I took from the sermon that hit on some key points. At the end of the summary of notes is a link to the original sermon you can listen to.
Organic Church
ONE
TWO
It has a self organizing capacity (For example, when you go to sleep at night, you don't have to sit down and make a list of all the cells (members) that need to be renewed & restored in the body (of Christ). The Body (of Christ) has a genetic code that determines that all of its cells (members) are renewed and organizes the body. The genetic code for the body is in the blood of Jesus. The organic church has a self organizing capacity. That means that ministries & functions and members of the church are not going to be embodied in committees that determine what & who the church need. It will grow like a bud coming out of the vine (Jesus) and the more that self (carnality) messes with that bud the more it gets messed it up.
God puts vision in the heart of people for the good of the church. He brings from every person the things that they are supposed to supply (for the Body of Christ) as their part. Therefore, the best thing we can do is teach people how to plug into Jesus. If you want ministries in the church, teach people to plug into Jesus. We need to teach people to listen to the voice of the Lord. The more an individual plugs in and listens to the voice of the Lord the more the Lord will actually cause passion and visions for things to arise within them. This is how organic ministries are formed in the organic church and not through committees and committee meeting as in the self anointing structured church.
As we teach people how to listen to the voice of God, we might want to suspend developing ministries within the church until God raises up someone with passion for a particular ministry. When a person has passion and vision from God, he will have the unction from the Spirit to see it through deriving fulfillment from working within that ministry not complaining about others not doing their part.
THREE
The person, whom God has raised up within the church to head a ministry need an organic Sheppard to Sheppard them. The Sheppard being tuned to the Spirit, will bear witness with the Spirit in the person to whom God has impassioned with the ministry; and not hold them back from where God is leading nor push people into places where God doesn't want them to be. (Remember, The Organic Church is a church where each member (including the Sheppard) is taught to be connected to Christ and how to submit for the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit to manifest through them.
As wise farmers, a farmer where the Father is the Husbandman, who are called to be co-laborers with the Father in His plantation, we as Sheppard's are to observe what the Lord is doing. We are to watch the feet and the mouth of the sheep. If they are eating and drinking properly and there is no mouth or foot diseases, we are to leave them alone. If we observe mouth or food disease, we are to treat it with the Word of God, give them some antiseptic and move on. Other than that we don't touch it or handle it until it's time to pick the fruit. If we handle the buds & blossoms of what God is producing, we'll just ruin it and it will not produce. We are to lead them before still waters, into green pastures and into places of resting in the Lord; and that's it.
Another advise for the Organic Sheppard would be that of a story in a book "The Fourth Dimension" by a Korean Pastor, Paul Yonggi Cho. In the book it talks about someone had come to him and asked him, "you have such a huge church, how can you afford to spend so much time praying everyday with such a large church". He responded and said, that's why I have such a big church; I cannot afford not to; from the time spent in prayer and spending time in the presence of the Lord, all kinds of things within the church springs forth". As a leader of the church, he couldn't afford not to spend such a level of communion with God. The morrow of the story is " If you want things in the church to be built, build them in the Spirit".
FOUR
The Organic Church is function oriented and not position oriented. So many churches have competition for positions of titles of authority. No one walks into these areas of positions of authority in these churches and step on toes or you'll have the hatchet fall upon you. Jesus calls us to places of functions and not this hierarchy of positions that have become an icon of status. Pastors have a specific function to Sheppard the flock and should not be interested in the title Pastor (Apostle Prophet Evangelist or Teacher), but rather walking out the position of that title. A good sign that you have been called to a particular position of title is when others call you by that title first, by observing your walk rather than by introduction or being told. There should be no interest in their title, if they are following the Lord.
From the very beginning of problems in the universe was this arch angel who decided he wanted a greater position; God's. He wasn't interested in God's function-- as the sustainer and life giver. He didn't want that function at all. He just wanted God's position (authority and glory) and not His function. This created death and chaos in the universes. He tempted Adam and Eve with title and position (you can be like gods knowing good and evil, i.e. you don't need God in your life you can be one yourself). Whenever there is a struggle in the church for title and position, you'll see division, death, chaos and anarchy in the church.
Listen to Sermon The Organic Church
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