Recently, I was invited to visit a group of pastors and other church leaders to speak for a training event on church health. The event hasn't happened yet, so I asked the coordinators if there was something specific they would like me to focus on. The essence of their response was, "We'd like you to talk about the factors that cause local churches to die, and how we can turn our churches around if they're headed in that direction." I felt bad that this group of leaders felt like they were in this kind of predicament, but also grateful to know they were interested in doing something to correct it.
Years ago, a large quantity of literature was written about church growth. During the 1980's and 1990's, much of that literature tended to inform the bulk of the discussion many pastors were having with each other. Many of us were highly focused on what we could do to help our churches grow numerically. Some people are critical of that focus now, but I think at its heart, it was typically well-intentioned. Church leaders were looking for ways they could reach new people in their communities, and I think that's something we should still be doing.
But a focus on church growth that doesn't stress church health tends to miss the point. Christ hasn't commissioned us to merely gather a large group together. His mission for us is a mission of discipleship. He wants us to help others become fully devoted followers of Him. Likewise, He wants us to remain invested in each others' spiritual health, and the health of the local church overall.
In 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Paul makes it clear that the young church at Thessalonica was healthy, and growing even healthier. In this passage, he shows us four specific ways a healthy church tends to express its faith in Christ. If we value church health, this is a portion of Scripture that can help us understand what we need to remain focused on.
I. A healthy church is comforted by good news
“But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. ”
Paul made it clear to the Thessalonians that he longed to visit them, but was prevented from doing so. Even still, he wanted to make certain they were headed in the right spiritual direction. So Timothy, a pastor that Paul mentored and treated like a son, was send to check up on the believers in that city. Timothy was very pleased to discover that the Thessalonian church was maturing and growing healthy, even in the midst of local persecution.
Paul was both relieved and overjoyed when Timothy reported the good news of their growth to him. Timothy told Paul about the faith the church exhibited, the love they showed each other, the affection they maintained for Paul and Silas who first preached the gospel to them, and the fact that they were standing fast in the Lord. That's the kind of news you would certainly be grateful to hear if you had risked your life to teach a group of people about Christ, but couldn't personally remain with them to help disciple them further.
Good news is comforting. I imagine there is probably something you're waiting to hear about right now that you're hoping will turn out well. In general, I think the culture of a healthy local church is shaped by its response to good news. When we gather for worship, a large percentage of our time is focused on the direct teaching of the good news of the gospel. As we hear it proclaimed, we're given the opportunity to respond to it. Does it prompt us to rejoice? Does it inspire us to grow? Does it facilitate gratefulness in our hearts as we reflect on what Christ has already done for us and what He has in store for our future?
I think a healthy church also longs to hear the good news of what Christ is doing through the missionaries we commission, support, and send. There are missionaries we support locally, nationally, and internationally. It's a privilege to join with them in their efforts, and it's also a joyful thing to hear about how the Lord is building up His universal church through the work He has called them to do. When they write to us, we're also inspired to uphold them in prayer.
We see each of these responses to good news in the ways in which Paul interacted with the believers in Thessalonica. Healthy believers, and a healthy church are comforted by good news.
II. A healthy church prays with thanksgiving
“For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?”
I observe people I respect. I'm always looking for aspects of their faith, attitude, and behaviors I can adopt into my own life. That's a pattern I've practiced for much of my life, as I'm sure many of us have. Many years ago, I remember looking up to a group of pastors who were at or near retirement. One particular evening, they sat down together and began chatting. As they spoke, they began sharing various concerns they wanted others to be praying about. Before they knew it, they were all praying for each other, and they stayed up most of the night doing so. The next day, they were certainly tired from the lack of sleep, but also seemed to be exuding the joy that comes from spending time before the Lord in prayer.
As Paul took the time to write to the Thessalonians, he wanted to let them know that he had been fervently praying for them. As he prayed for them, he did so with great joy. He also expressed genuine thanksgiving for what the Lord was doing in their lives. That's a great mindset and attitude to cultivate in prayer. Coming before the Lord is a genuine privilege. Our confident access to the throne of God was secured for us through Christ who atoned for our sin. Now we have the privilege to come before the Lord boldly, regularly, and joyfully.
As we pray, I think it's wise for us as individuals, and as a church, to come before the Lord with thanksgiving. Paul didn't hesitate to express his thankfulness to the Lord, and neither should we. Prayer isn't just a time to make desperate requests of the Lord. It's also a time to thank Him for the work we've already had the privilege to see Him do.
This is a pattern Paul encouraged the church in the city of Philippi to follow as well. They were also a group of people that he regularly rejoiced over, and he advised them to bring their requests to the Lord with thanksgiving.
"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
When we pray, what does it sound like? What do we express when we come before the Lord? Do we make demands of Him? Do we run through a checklist of perceived wants and needs? Or do we spend time thanking Him for what He's already been doing, the perfection of His timing, the preciseness of His plan, and the control He has over the future? Healthy Christians and healthy churches pray with thanksgiving.
III. A healthy church abounds in love
“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, ”
What do these activities have in common; a group of men building a back porch, a family babysitting a child so the parents could enjoy a date night, a hospital visit, a food delivery, a drive to the airport, and the donation of a car? Each of these are examples of ways I have recently observed people in our church family tangibly show love to each other.
A healthy church abounds in Christ-centered love that expresses itself in action. Paul prayed that the Lord would cause the Thessalonians to increase and abound in that kind of love. That's something we should request of the Lord as well. In fact, Jesus made it clear that our love for one another would be one of the most powerful tools He would use to show the world that we are His disciples.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
IV. A healthy church increases in holiness
“so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”
In December 1994, the Washington Post ran a story about Joe Theismann, the former quarterback of the Washington Redskins. The article was about Theismann's upcoming divorce from his second wife, and the legal action she was taking against him to obtain half of his estate. At the time, Theismann was having an affair, and he didn't deny the fact that it was going on. When his wife asked him why he was cheating on her, he replied, "God wants Joe Theismann to be happy."
What do you think about that logic? Is happiness, regardless of the consequences, what God has called us to devote our lives to, or does He want more for us than that? Can we justify doing whatever we want, whenever we want, with the statement, "God just wants me to be happy?"
God wants more for us than mere circumstantial and momentary happiness. His true desire for us is that we walk in holiness. Paul desired to see the Thessalonians established in holiness, and that's something our lives should be invested in as well.
When Jesus came to this earth, He lived the perfect life on our behalf since we were incapable of doing so. He went to the cross to atone for our sin, and He offers us new life through faith in Him. Through Christ, we are declared holy and righteous in the eyes of God the Father because He sees us as men and women who have been cleansed by the shed blood of Christ. Being that we're cleansed, He doesn't want us to make lame excuses for returning back to the sin we've been set free from. He's paid too steep a price for us to embrace destructive wickedness all over again. We're called to live a life, empowered by Christ, that's set apart sin and ungodliness.
A healthy church expresses its faith in Christ with prayer, thanksgiving, love, and holiness. We do this all with great appreciation for who Christ is, and what He has accomplished on our behalf to unite us as one body under the banner of the good news of His gospel.
© John Stange, 2020
