As we get to know each other, you’ll realize that I love patterns.
I suppose it comes from my science background. This includes:
• the periodic table of elements in chemistry;
• the organization of species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, and domain in biology;
• the organizations of stars into constellations in astronomy;
• the incredible organization of the human body into 11 organ systems — even Jesus grew physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially.
Patterns confirm our belief in a Creator God!
All that has carried over into my ministry. Our church is organized around the pattern in Ephesians 4: 11-13 and the five gifts Jesus gave us — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
We have five ministry positions — missions, worship, evangelism, visitation, and education.
The goals for our church are organized around Jesus words in Matthew:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations (help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always (remaining with you perpetually — regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion), even to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28: 19-20
We’re called as a church “to make disciples by helping people to learn about, believe in, and obey God.” Ray Stedman tells us there are three levels of obedience.
Learning is “intellectual obedience.” It begins with the Bible and learning the principles of the kingdom of God. The Christian life is not a system of rules enforced by a dictator god, it is a life of grace and forgiveness and mercy and transformation leading into the kingdom of God.
And as you learn and live by those principles, “intellectual obedience” grows into “trustful obedience.” Children quickly learn who they can and can’t trust.
We all know people we trust completely and others we wouldn’t trust as far as we could throw an anvil. And we believe in and obey the God we trust.
Finally, “intellectual obedience” and “trustful obedience” mature into “persistent obedience.” Having become familiar with the principles of the kingdom of God and having come to believe in and trust the God who rules that kingdom, we make a complete and timeless commitment to faithful, persistent obedience “regardless of circumstance and on every occasion — even to the end of the age.”
Charles “Buddy” Whatley is a retired United Methodist pastor serving Dawson Street Methodist Church in Thomasville, Ga. With wife, Mary Ella, they are missionaries to the Navajo Reservation.
