“Natural Church Development: From Polarized to Pulling Together”
Oct.26, 2008 1Cor.3:1-17 Play
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The Wasted Worldly Tug-of-War Church
● jealousy, quarrelling between Paul/Apollos
supporters (3f)
● today divisions in congregations between
‘spiritualists’ & ‘technocrats’
The Growing, Developing Church
● Paul/Apollos just servants doing their task;
God makes things grow (5ff)
● farmer addresses growth-limiting factors, but
relies on grain production “all by itself” (Mk 4:27f)
● NCD 8 quality characteristics: empowering
leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate spirituality, functional
structures, inspiring worship, holistic small groups, need-oriented
evangelism, loving relationships
The Masterly-built Tested Church
● build carefully in order to withstand testing of
Judgment Day (10ff)
● need both ‘dynamic’ and ‘static’ poles (1Pet 2:5;
Eph 2:21, 4:12; 1Cor 3:9)
● reformation principle: institutions must be useful
for dynamic development - church as organism
The Spirit-at-home-among-us Church
● collectively a temple indwelt by God’s Spirit - not
to be destroyed (16f)