Don't we all love Larry and Ellen? On "Undercover Boss" everyone always wants to be assured that they are valued. If the boss showers them with recognition, appreciation, or cash, they feel valued. But if the boss doesn't notice them, maybe they don't feel so valued. No one should ever feel that way!
So last week we talked about valuing one another. You value others not only by your words, but in what you're actually doing for people. God didn't just say, "I love you." He demonstrated that love. He loved you so much that he sent his only Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for your sins. Jesus died for you even though you were saying and doing evil things!
We're talking about something revolutionary here! Your value is anchored in something much deeper than your talents, your abilities, your athleticism, your salary, your job, your lot in life, your net worth, your social status, your age, or your health. In God's eyes, you are a big deal, regardless of your status in life.
How big a deal are you to God? Anyone can say that he loves you, but Christ actually died for you. Every time you take communion you announce two things. First, you announce that you understand your value in light of what Christ did for you. Second, you announce that you value others in light of what Christ did for them.
Say to the person next to you, "You really matter. Christ died for you."
Okay. One of the things that strikes me about "Undercover Boss" is how people dream about being part of the perfect corporation. Think about it. You want a CEO you can believe in, right? You want a boss who has integrity and genuine concern for you and your family. You want to be in an environment where you thrive, where your gifts, skills, and abilities are unleashed! You want to feel a real sense of purpose-- a kind of calling for what you do. You don't want to be a clock puncher. You want to make a contribution that matters-- and not just to the bottom line. You want to make a difference each and every day. You don't just want to get out of bed each morning and go to work. You want to leap out of bed, excited and happy to go to work! And you don't want to be continually compared to others, or criticized. You just want to be part of something transcendent. You want to have a part in something that matters, that is noble and good.
What I would like to propose is that you stop looking for the perfect corporation. Instead, together let's work on building a great church-- together let's build something so incredible that it fulfills your deepest longings, and not just yours, but the longings of others and the longing of God almighty. There are four things that make a great church. I wonder if you would be willing to write them down and consider them?
A Great Church is Christ-Centered
You can tell what matters in an organization by what people talk about. In 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 we learn that pagans talk about a lot of worthless things. But in the Church it's all about Jesus. Paul tells us that a person filled with the Holy Spirit never curses Jesus' name. Instead, a Spirit-filled person announces that Jesus is Lord. He aacknowledges that Jesus is Lord and head of the Church on earth.
Someone asked about these "Undercover Boss" spoof videos that we've been making. The videos have one point. Everything we do is about our Lord Jesus. Christ Jesus is supremely competent to be CEO of his Church. In contrast, the most competent man on earth is little more than a clown in comparison to Christ. We ought not consider ourselves too highly. A great church is centered in Christ. Christ is Lord, master, boss, and CEO. You can give your best not because you're sold out to man, but to Jesus himself.
A Great Church is Creative
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 tells us how in the Church, you see great diversity. There are a variety of gifts, service, and activities taking place within the walls of this church in the name of Jesus Christ.
You feel a kind of synergy in a great church. But the synergy isn't natural-- it's supernatural! When you look closely, you discover that it is God himself who is empowering people to do extraordinary things-- things that go far beyond what is possible in corporate America. And though there is great diversity in the Church, there is an underlying unity. People are serving the same Lord, by the same Spirit, and are being empowered by the same God.
A Great Church has Contributors
In 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 we're told how every person is given a manifestation of the Spirit. Think of the kaleidoscopic array of Christ's beauty. No one person alone reflects the full glory of God-- but what does the Bible say? It says that the Spirit gives one person wisdom, another receives knowledge, another faith, another healing, another the gift of prophecy, another discernment, another tongues, and still another the gift of interpretation of tongues.
Now why does God give all of us different gifts? Because no one of us can be all things to all people. No one of us can be Lord, Savior, or Jesus to others. But all of us together, with everyone using their gifts, with everyone contributing, can reflect something of the beauty of Christ.
A kaleidoscope is only beautiful when the blues contribute blue, the reds contribute red, the greens green, the yellows yellow, the whites white, and the purples purple. If you regularly contribute your time, talents, and resources to the common good, you are a bright spot! But if not, you are a dark spot. God wants all us of to make the deepest contribution of our time, talents, and resources in the Church, not in corporate America. A great church has contributors. A weakened church has consumers, complainers, critics, vampires, and mosquitos who suck away life instead of contributing.
A Great Church Feels Called
In 1 Corinthians 12:12 we're reminded how all of us are members of one another. We're part of something bigger than ourselves. In 1 Corinthians
12:13 we're reminded that our baptism actually meant something. Our baptism was our ordination. It was the moment we stopped regarding one another from a worldly perspective, and became a vital part of the body of Christ! In baptism, through the Spirit of God, we were knit into the tapestry of the Church. We were given a role, a new identity, and a spiritual calling to serve Christ.
In a great church every believer understands that he is called to serve, not to be served. In a great church people take the initiative, not because they're prodded or guilted, but because they are motivated. You take initiative because you're answering the call that God put on your life! You don't need permission. You don't need special training. You don't need a title, or office, or budget, or red carpet laid out for you. In a great church, people sense God's call and they act according to the Spirit. The day you accepted Christ's baptism was the day you accepted God's call to serve. The call to serve doesn't come later. It's been there the whole time.
There are three things that will destroy a great church. You can see these in 1 Corinthians 12:14-30.
Comparison Destroys Great Churches
We all have this annoying tendency to compare. If I let someone else preach, inevitably someone will say one of two things. They will say, "I'm glad you're back. I didn't like the way so-n-so preached." Or they'll say, "Watch out, so-n-so did so much better than you." Don't worry, I do the same thing to myself. If I go to another church sometimes I think, "I preach better than that guy." Or sometimes I think, "Compared to that guy I have absolutely no business preaching." Nothing demoralizes a person or a church more quickly than comparison. But actually, that might not be true. See the next point.
Criticism Destroys Great Churches
There are always people saying, "Why is the church doing it that way? We should be doing it this way." Critics are all talk and no action. They always say that there is a better way, but they never lead, they never take responsibility, they never take any risks, and they never pay the price. One stumbling, bumbling, faithful servant on the field accomplishes a hundred times more than a bunch of critics in the stands. The cure for armchair quarterbacks is to suit them up, put them on the field, and see how well they throw with three hundred pound linemen chasing them.
An Uncaring Attitude Destroys Great Churches
It's obvious in 1 Corinthians 12 that everything we do ought to be for the common good. It's wrong for us to take advantage of people. This isn't a place where we step on others to get ahead personally. This isn't a place where we seek first to be served. The church doesn't exist for you. It exists first for the glory of God, and second for the common good, as each part contributes and serves.
A great church is Christ-centered. A great church is filled with creativity as people use their gifts, serve, and engage in activities. A great church is filled with contributors, not spectators. A great church is full of people who answer Christ's call on their lives. And a great church avoids the comparison trap, extinguishes criticism, and tenaciously takes care of its own.
You weren't created to be part of a corporation! You were created to be incorporated into the body of Christ. God's dream is to build a great church, not a great corporation. Next week I want to talk about what church does. What is our "business model"?