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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

“Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)”

 

 

 

 

BIBLICAL MARKS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH

(Acts 2:42-47)

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    We have discussed how to spur on spiritual growth in ourselves and others from He 10:24-25. In that study, we have understood that the Scriptures, in order to spur on spiritual growth, admonish the believer not to forsake assembling together. In fact, the Scriptures reason that assembling together is an evidence of salvation (1Jn 2:19).

B.    We know then, that a true believer must and will regularly assemble together in the local church. But we are still left with a final question. Which church? In other words, how do you find the right church? What are the marks that exemplify God’s criteria of a healthy church? What kind of church is a church that will spur on spiritual growth? What kind of church should you be looking for so that you and your family can grow spiritually? What are the biblical marks of a healthy church? Are you attending such a church?

C.    We once again turn to Acts 2:42-27 to find out what are the marks of a healthy New Testament Church. I would like to suggest that there are at least five marks of a healthy church.

 

MARK #1 – WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH

 

A.    The first mark of a healthy church is worship of God in spirit and truth. Just to be clear, worship is not just the exercise of singing. People often incorrectly equate worship to strictly music. “Praising God” (Ac 2:47) and worship is having a reverence for God that expresses itself not only in singing praise songs, but in every aspect of the worship service and every aspect of life. Worship (proskunéō – bow down and kiss the hand) is exalting God by bowing down our hearts in adoration toward Christ as well as submitting every aspect of our lives to Him in obedience.

B.    Music styles change with time and culture. To say that a particular kind of music must be sung in order to worship is incorrect. Worship is the believer’s responsibility no matter what the music. The mark of a healthy church is not based on a style of music played, it is worshipping God because we have trusted Christ as our Savior and we are growing in the knowledge of His grace toward us. A healthy church will worship God no matter what style of music is preferred by the church. In addition, music in worship is not akin to a pep-rally to incite emotions, rather it is the believer’s response to God’s revelation about Himself in His Word.

C.    Jesus qualified worship for us in that it must be exercised in spirit and in truth. To worship “in spirit” (en pneúmati – no article) means that worship is not to be dead and ritualistic but spiritually alive with sincere and joyous reverence. This can only be accomplished by a true believer who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and has been made alive spiritually.

D.    To worship “in truth” (en alêtheía – no article) means to worship not in our own opinion of God, but in correlation to what He has revealed about Himself in His Word. The believer truly worships God as He grows in knowledge of Him through the Word.

E.    Worship includes all of the aspects mentioned in Acts 2:42-47 (including giving), which encompasses church life, home life, and every aspect of life. Note that there is no place in this passage where music was one of the aspects to which they were continually devoted (though we know that the early church used singing to enhance its worship, cp. Col 3:16). However, the apostle’s teaching is the first priority to which a church is to be devoted. In fact, worship and the Word are inseparable. Furthermore, the Word is the only sufficient worship manual to tell us what are the aspects of worship and how to worship.

 

MARK #2 – BIBLICAL TEACHING

 

A.    The next mark of a healthy church is going to be the emphasis of biblical teaching. The early church was “continually devoted to the “apostles’ teaching” (vs. 42a). What did the apostles teach? We have their teaching for us in the Bible. When Paul wrote a letter to the Romans it was for the purpose of teaching them.

B.    I would even suggest that the teaching of the early church was expository teaching. What is expository teaching? Expository teaching is expounding the meaning of a particular passage of Scripture. It is accomplished through studying the text in its original language, its context, cross references, and historical background. It extracts God’s intended meaning and truths, which must be the authority for the believer’s beliefs and behavior.

C.    Where do you find that in the Bible? For one example, look at Proverbs 2:1-6.

1.     The Bible student must first receive and saturate His mind with Scripture (Pr 2:1)

2.     God’s principles from His Word must be extracted and then applied to life (Pr 2:2)

3.     Understanding of the Scripture comes through the Holy Spirit’s illumination (Pr 2:3).

4.     Understanding of the Scripture come through prayer and diligent study (Pr 2:3-4)

5.     The result is that God will give wisdom and understanding through His Word so that the believer can fear and obey Him in every aspect of life (Pr 2:5-6)

a)    The Word of God cannot be or taken lightly, watered-down, or taken lightly.

b)    The ministry of the apostles and the early church was centered on the biblical teaching of the Word of God (Ac 6:4; 2Ti 4:2).

D.    A healthy church is going to emphasize biblical teaching, sound doctrine, and principles to live by.

 

MARK #3 – SPIRITUAL FELLOWSHIP

 

A.    Another mark of a healthy church is its spiritual fellowship. The Greek word for “fellowship” is koinōnia and means to have “something in common.” Believers have Christ and His salvation in common. They have His Word in common and have the desire to worship together in church in common (He 10:24-25). They also have the desire to share, give, and be hospitable toward one another.

B.    But they also share a common service to the body of Christ. Every believer has spiritual gifts and a church becomes healthy when the use those gifts are encouraged. If a church is filled with those who do not exercise their spiritual gifts, not only is the church unhealthy, but the believers in it are unhealthy.

C.    A healthy church is seen as assembling together, growing together, and using our spiritual gifts together so that the body is edified.

 

MARK #4 –DEVOTED TO PRAYER

 

A.    Another mark of a healthy church is a church that devotes itself to prayer. If there was ever an activity that is to be done continuously, it is prayer. The present participle of the word (proskarteréō – attend constantly) could actually be translated, “They continued in being continually devoted to prayer.” The same word is used with prayer and is a present active imperative in Col 4:2 (lit. “You must keep on devoting yourselves to prayer”). In 1Th 5:17 we are commanded to pray without ceasing. The Bible tells us that there are two activities that are to be done continuously; Bible meditation and prayer.

B.    The elders of the early church took prayer very seriously (Ac 6:4). They continually devoted (same root as in Ac 2:42) themselves to the ministry of prayer. In the same way, all believers of the early church took prayer seriously (Ac 1:14 – same root as in Ac 2:42).

C.    A healthy church is a church that relies upon God through prayer. Prayer is the foundation for communion with God, intercessory prayer, and ministry.

 

MARK #5 – EVANGELISM TO THE WORLD

 

A.    A final mark that we see in Ac 2:47 is evangelism. A healthy church does not sit on a pillar in the desert; rather it fulfills the Great Commission by sharing the message of the Gospel with the world. People were “being saved.”

B.    It was the Lord who was saving them and the Lord who was adding them. But, He was doing it through the evangelism of a healthy New Testament church.

C.    We are commanded to evangelize to the world while in the world (Mt 28:19-20; Jn 17:11, 15). A healthy church has ministries to evangelize, missions, and ministries to grow new Christians. That is God’s plan for healthy churches.

D.    I like Young’s Literal Translation on this verse, and the Lord was adding those being saved every day to the assembly. When a church is healthy because it has all of these marks, the church will grow. It will grow because true believers will be attracted to a biblically healthy church.

 

OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

 

A.    If you are looking for a church, are you looking for these marks first and foremost? If you are putting your preferences first and not these biblical marks you could find yourself in a church that is not following God’s biblical marks and is consequentially unhealthy.

B.    If you are a part of a healthy church, are you seeking to make it healthier? Are you safeguarding it from not drifting away from these marks? Are you teaching the church and making sure that everyone understands these are God’s marks for a healthy church? Are you building up those areas that your church seems to be the weakest? Are you making sure that teaching God’s Word is your greatest strength?

C.    If you are in a healthy church, are you ensuring the health of your church by personally getting involved in all these areas? Are you ensuring your own spiritual health?

1.     Do you come prepared to hear God’s Word and apply it to your life?

2.     Do you come prepared to make worship in spirit and truth a priority over preferences and biases?

3.     Do you initiate fellowship, hospitality, and the use of your spiritual gifts?

4.     Do you have a healthy prayer life?

5.     Do you regularly look for opportunities to share Christ?