Title Think about it (Matthew 6:28-33)
Contents
It is a time when natural products are preferred. This is because forcibly grown animals, plants, food made using animals and plants, and the economy that have been forced to grow, etc., suffer from many side effects. Natural products have no side effects. It is also good for health. The church is also not good at forced growth. The church must grow naturally. Faith, character, and character are the same. Only when natural growth is achieved, there will be no aftereffects and no problems.
There are international professional ministries that research, diagnose, and assist for Natural Church Development. It is an institution called 'NCD', which is an abbreviation for Natural Church Development. Among the books published here is a book called Natural Church Growth. In this book, eight qualities essential for a healthy church are identified. These eight qualitative characteristics are the standard for measuring a church qualitatively. So, a church that has all eight qualitative characteristics is called a healthy church, and a church that does not have it is called an unhealthy church. From today, we are going to try to think together how our church will apply these characteristics to our church while looking at the eight qualitative characteristics that can lead to the natural church growth according to NCD continuously for the given time in detail and in detail.
In today's text as well, "Look how the lilies of the field grow", instead of saying, "Consider how the lilies grow in the field." It's not "Look" or "See", but "Think" or "Consider". In the text, the Greek word for this is 'katamansano'. This word 'catamansano' is a strong form of 'mansano', and if you look at its meaning, it has the meaning of 'learn', 'observe', 'study', or 'investigate'. In Greek, when the prefix 'kata' is used before a verb, it is usually a grammatical accentuation with the meaning of emphasizing the word. In view of this principle, 'think about it', this 'catamansano' means to study hard, study hard, observe diligently, research diligently and ponder diligently. It's not just about looking, it's about looking deeply.
In the name of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that we will become the kind of "catamansano" type of Christians who do not look sloppy no matter what they see, and can diligently contemplate, study, and even think and do what they say.
Then, what did the text tell us to study, study, observe, investigate, and ponder so diligently? Is it the beauty of the flower of the Baphaphwa? It is not. Then what is it? It's a question of "how do lilies grow?" It is to diligently learn, study, observe, investigate, and ponder the growth process of lilies. As we study, watch, and ponder the process of lily growth, we must guide our direction.
Jesus told those who were only concerned to forbid worry and rather to see the birds flying in the air, and to learn and imitate the natural growth process by looking at the lilies in the field. It is a saying to watch and learn how a living organism grows. Do not try to promote growth by force, but let it grow naturally. In fact, birds work hard all day in search of food, and lilies do not neglect their efforts to extend their roots in search of water and their stems in search of sunlight. So, while not making an effort to make a living, they are never concerned. A healthy lily is one that grows and grows naturally. That's what God does.
As we raise our children, we worry a lot. There is no time to stop worrying about various problems such as habits, hobbies, studies, friendships, and the opposite sex. However, if you are healthy both physically and mentally, there is no problem at all. Everything will be fine. However, once the physical and mental health is broken, complete growth is impossible.
It's not just birds and flowers. It is to meditate on the hand of God feeding and clothing the birds and flowers. You should not think of tricks due to anxiety and do not overdo it. That's what ultimately kills the lilies. God feeds even a single flying bird and raises a single lily.
As Alfred Suturro said, even though all humans are born to be happy, the reason not all humans are happy is that the idea that I am unhappy and that I am incompetent does not change. When you change your thoughts, you change your reality. Therefore, when we start thinking that God is sovereign over material things and that we are his children, all our worries and anxieties will disappear and we will live in peace and joy. As Christians, our value to God is not what we do to Him, but what we are to Him. We believe that our existence rather than our actions glorifies the name of God.
In the meantime, there have been two approaches for church growth.
One is the 'method-oriented mindset' that believes that the church's organization, program, and method are important for church growth and tries to introduce it.
Another is the 'Spiritual supremacy mindset' that believes that the Holy Spirit can work only when the humanistic mindset must be broken because artificial organizations, programs, and methods are not spiritual for church growth. In other words, church growth is modeled after a certain grown church, and if the method used by that church is used as it is, 'methodistic church growth theory' that claims that other churches will grow in the same way, and church growth only comes through prayer. There is a 'spiritualistic church growth theory' that emphasizes only ability.
However, the real problem is that the church does not grow even if it is spiritual and prays a lot, and there are cases where the church does not grow even though it is learned from the model of the church that has grown up and grafted into one's own church. This means that there are cases where the spiritualistic church growth theory does not succeed, and there are cases where the methodistic church growth theory does not succeed. This may or may not work this way.
But there is a sure way to be. That's how the Bible says it. What is the natural church growth that our Lord gives us through the Bible?
This is a 'natural' or 'biological' approach. We learn from the creation of nature, that is, God. This method shows the 'organic growth principle'. As the body of Christ, the church is not a mere organization, but a living organism or organism, so a living organism must grow as long as it is healthy. Growth happens automatically, even if you don't try to achieve it artificially. Therefore, the church should put all its efforts into a healthy church with all its heart. As long as you are healthy, the church is meant to grow. It doesn't mean that someone interrupts or stops you. Rather, when you are healthy, you have to have a little bit of a problem, so that you have a stronger immune system and you are more healthy.
Look at 1 Corinthians 3:10, "I planted and Apollos watered, but God made it grow; therefore neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes it grow. For we are God's fellow workers, and you are God's field and God's house. By the grace of God that was given to me, I laid the foundation as a wise builder, and another builds upon it. Let each one be careful how he builds upon it.??
All we do is water and plant. It is God who makes it grow. The church is thus a living organism, not a machine. It's not a way, it's not a worldly skill. Just because it happened there doesn't mean it's done here. It becomes the spiritual principle of God, and this is what we can learn from the natural principle.
?쏪esus, the Great Teacher, brought his hearers into contact with the things of the natural world so that they could hear the voice of the creature speaking to all creation. When our hearts are softened and receptive, the creation will It will help us to find spiritual lessons in the spectacles before our eyes.
The parable of the self-growing seed, the parable of the mustard seed, the parable of the four kinds of land, the parable of the trees and fruits, the parable of the law of planting and reaping, and the parable of the lily of the field are representative examples.
Natural church growth does not attempt to artificially ?쐁reate??church growth, but releases natural growth so that God Himself builds the church of God. It is to make God work in the church of God. Under this premise, methods and spirituality must be used as well.
But above all, Jesus said that there is only one way for us to grow spiritually. It is about focusing and focusing on God. God tells us not to try to be useful for others, but to believe in Him. If you focus your heart on God who is the source, rivers of living water will flow out. Our common sense and reason cannot discover the source of life. Jesus teaches that our heavenly Father controls our spiritual growth. God knows our circumstances. If we focus completely on God, we too will grow and grow spiritually like the lilies of the field.
Only fully mature trees bear fruit in the fall. It is natural for growth to happen spontaneously when the time is right. If you try to force growth, there will be only side effects. Trees that have grown abundantly with residents are not welcome.
We pray in the name of the Lord that our church will become a church with high quality characteristics and thus achieve natural growth and become a healthy church as we share the eight qualitative characteristics for natural church growth and a healthy church.