The Marks of a Healthy Church
Notes
Transcript
Handout
We know the marks of Good Physical Health.
We go to the doctor for a physical and he/she will verify the evidence. The doctor will check your weight, your height, your blood pressure… The doctor will check your Cholesterol, your blood sugar, He or she will check your vision and hearing… The good doctor will check to see if you have any aches and pains… if you do he run more tests… x-rays, MRIs, CT scans to see what’s causing the pain and give you crutches or a brace.
Our bodies are amazing and if we are healthy physically, then we will be able to do more with more strength, more alertness, more endurance, more mental quickness.
We know that physical health is important to our body, the same is true as the Body of Christ… Church health is a lot like physical health.
Here we see the evidence of a healthy church in the Book of Acts.
We know what an unhealthy church looks like… weak, lazy, powerless, inward focused, negative, judgmental, lifeless, unattractive, boring, disconnected from real life. Those are the adjectives that the de-churched or un-churched describe the church as because they are victims of an unhealthy church.
However, we see that the early church in the Book of Acts, and we see a healthy church with a simple model that can be applied to the modern church of today.
This church became a “mega-church” overnight… In one day, the church grew from 120 to over 3,000 and continued to grow.
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The unbelievable quantitative growth was one of the signs of church health but we know that anybody can draw a crowd of people.
This crowd of people who were confused and cynical responded to Peter’s message.
This bold, Holy Spirit inspired message came on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit empowered the church to be witnesses for Jesus.
This crowd had just encountered the power of Pentecost, they learned about the significance of Pentecost…
This crowd realized that Jesus, the one they murdered, was and is the long awaited Messiah. Even though Jesus’ death was all a part of God’s perfect plan Jesus conquered death just like King David prophesied, HIS body would not see decay…
Not wanting to be enemies of God, they fell under deep conviction. This crowd asked, “what must we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
This wasn’t a one a done thing.
It didn’t just fizzle out but the crowd responded.
Their response is our text…
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
PRAY
Healthy Churches prioritize the 4 pillars of worship.
Healthy Churches prioritize the 4 pillars of worship.
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
The 4 Pillars of Worship
They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching
Fellowship
Sharing meals including the Lord’s Supper.
Prayer
They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching.
From the beginning the early church was devoted to hearing, studying, and learning what the apostles had to teach.
The Holy Spirit would remind the followers of Jesus of the crucial truths by which the church would be directed.
Jesus talked a lot about the Holy Spirit in HIS farewell message to his disciples.
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
This teaching was led and empowered by the Holy Spirit through the apostles.
When teaching and preaching in any capacity, we must be ready, prepared and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Regardless of leadership position or title, we must always be learning and always be teachable.
Fellowship
The fellowship (koinonia) means association and close relationships. This was more than just getting together, certainly more than just a religious meeting. It involved sharing goods, having meals together, and praying together.
They spent time with one another… they did life together… share meals… walking through the good times as well as the tough times.
Sharing meals including the Lord’s Supper.
It refers to communion services that were celebrated in remembrance of Jesus and patterned after the Last Supper.
It likely included a regular meal shared together.
Prayer.
Prayer joins “sharing in the Lord’s Supper” to explain the word “fellowship.” These are at least two of the activities that were part of their regular meetings. Prayer has always been a mark of the believers’ gatherings.
43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
The word “awe” is the Greek word phobos, literally translated “fear.”
This awe was partly caused by the many miraculous signs and wonders performed by the apostles.
The “wonders” (terata) were fabulous miracles that evoked awe in those who saw them.
The “miraculous signs” (semeia) were given to authenticate the message and the messenger, pointing people to the divine source of the miracle.
Here these signs and wonders authenticated the apostles’ message, identifying this message as divine truth.
Healthy Churches are full of Joy and Generosity.
Healthy Churches are full of Joy and Generosity.
The people were generous with there resources.
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
The shortened word of “fellowship” koinonia appears here: “common” is the Greek word koina.
Of the thousands of Jews who had made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Pentecost, many may have come as early as Passover (fifty days earlier).
Now they were extending their stay in Jerusalem and so many would likely need financial or physical help from those who lived in Jerusalem.
So when a need arose these new believers would sell their possessions to help the needy person. This practice of having everything in common was likely a response to that specific need.
We see that after the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira, there is no further mention of this particular practice of sharing everything, at least to the extent that it was practiced in the first few weeks of the church’s life.
However, freely and generously giving to those in need is still a mark of a healthy church.
The people were generous with there hospitality.
Acts 2:46 (ESV)
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
Luke pointed out that the believers were gathering both in the temple (in large groups, possibly for apostolic teaching) and in their homes, where they celebrate the Lord’s Supper, for fellowship, the sharing of needs, and for prayer.
At first the Jewish believers did not separate from the rest of the Jewish community. They still went to the temple and synagogues for worship and instruction in the Scriptures. But their belief in Jesus created great friction with Jews who didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah. That’s when the believing Jews were forced to meet in private homes for communion, prayer, and teaching about Christ. By the end of the first century, many of these Jewish believers were excommunicated from their synagogues.
So many wonderful things happen in our homes. It marks a point of close relationship that God wants to bring to the body of Christ.
Small groups, hospitality, sharing meals in homes… that’s where barriers are broken and a beautiful openness can take place.
We see throughout the book of Acts that homes become places worship, places of prayer, places of gathering, laughter, and joy.
The People were full of Joy
Wherever the gospel message went, it brought joy to those who believed.
Joy is a theme that followed this theme through the book of Acts.
Acts 5:41, 8:8, 8:39, 11:23, 12:14, 13:48, 13:52, 14:17, 15:3, 15:31, 16:34
46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—
Acts 5:41 “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”
Acts 8:8 “So there was great joy in that city [Philip in Samaria].”
Acts 8:39 “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.”
Acts 11:23 “When he [Barnabas] arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.”
Acts 12:14 “When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
Acts 13:48 “[In Iconium] When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
Acts 13:52 “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 14:17 [Paul speaking in Lystra] “Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
Acts 15:3 “The church sent them [Paul & Barnabas] on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad.”
Acts 15:31 “The people read it [the letter from Jerusalem] and were glad for its encouraging message.”
Acts 16:34 “The [Philippian] jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.”
As followers of Jesus, we are not exempt from struggle. We still face challenges but even when the pressure is up what ought to come out is joy.
We should be marked by joy… we should be identified as people who have supernatural joy. Because our joy is made complete in Jesus… our joy is made known because the Holy Spirit lives within us… our joy is encouraged by people within the body of Christ.
Joy, not because of our circumstances, is the mark of a healthy church.
These believers had glad and sincere hearts, praising God. The early church was marked by joy.
Healthy Churches are growing churches
Healthy Churches are growing churches
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Two final statements reveal two significant results of the presence of this regularly meeting, money-sharing, miracle-working, Bible-studying, God-praising group:
1. The watching community was favorably impressed (the believers were enjoying the favor of all the people).
2. The watching community was coming to faith (and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved).
The Jerusalem church experienced both qualitative and quantitative growth.
The nature of a healthy organism is to grow.
When a church body emphasizes strong worship and solid biblical teaching in an atmosphere of true fellowship mixed with consistent evangelism, it will be healthy. And a healthy Christian community will attract people to Christ.
Take Away:
Is our life attracting others outside of our church to Jesus?
Are joy and generosity characteristics that define us?
Are the 4 Pillars of Worship highlighted as a church and personally lived out as simple priorities for life?
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.