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What is a healthy church?
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What is a healthy church?
(John 10:10 / Hebrews 10:24 / Matthew 22:37 / Mathew 28:19~20)
There are several types of churches with different objectives. There is Pastor Rick Warren’s led “purpose driven church”, Carl George on the other hand is “metamorphosed church”, and lastly of my denomination of Christian & Missionary Alliance which is of “growing healthy great commission church.”
Whatever the form may be, any churches should be healthy.
But how do we achieve it?
First by having a healthy life is the vitality of the church can be discussed.
Having a large increased number in members is not the correct method to see if the church is in good health.
Are the members newly saved by believing in Jesus? Also do they by becoming saved, start another way of making disciples in spirit? Are the main factors of vitality. If the church only has seasoned members and does not have any newly born again Christians, then the church cannot be healthy. Jesus said in John 10:10 the following;
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Also, the vitality of church is through organic interrelationship. A healthy body keeps it through the organic process of helping each other out. The reason why it can be done is through experiencing the sacrificial love that God did through Jesus Christ because of this experience of God’s love, there is agape love. Life should be based on the amount of love being experienced. Life consumes of Love, and grows by also giving out Love. The writer of Hebrews states this in Hebrews 10:24;
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”
Likewise, Jesus said in Matthew 22:37:
“And he said to him. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
The church that acts upon the Great Commandment is a healthy church.
Finally, those who also act upon the Great Commissioning is a healthy church.
As the Resurrected Jesus rose to heaven, he gave the Great Commissioning, the famous Matthew 28:18~20 verses.
“…And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.”
The fundamental core is to raise new disciples. As a church grows healthy in love to one another, growing, raising and building new disciples, and to send out those prepared for the mission of spreading the gospel far and wide, then will this become a truly healthy church.
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What is a healthy church?
What is Christian?