[Ref. Sermon-Witness in Jerusalem: The New Covenant Community, Acts 2:43–47, January 22, 2023]
What are principles of a healthy church?

This question is different than what is the Church?  The universal Church is made up of all those called out from the world and united into the body through faith in Christ. The local church is where this is made visible through the ordinances, public worship, the preaching of the word, regenerate membership and discipline, pastoral care and discipleship, the ‘one anothers,’ evangelism, etc. True churches may be weighed as more pure or less pure depending on their faithfulness to the Scriptures.

There are many principles we might ascertain from Scripture as to what a healthy church is (vs. the human intuition and wisdom many church growth specialists rely upon [though this has its place]). However, an excellent near one stop shop is to find the principles of a healthy church is Acts 2:43–47. Luke provides a cameo of life in the early New Covenant Community that provides measurable principles by which later generations of the Church may fairly be tried. So, how does our/your church compare to the early Jerusalem church?

​After reading this passage take the following test to find out.

A DEVOTED COMMUNITY, v. 42
The Church was devoted, committed, to the Lord, each other and the things He had ordained for church life.

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AN APOSTOLIC COMMUNITY, v. 42, 43
The teaching and practice of the church was that of the Apostles and Jesus Himself as we find faithfully recorded in Scripture.
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A FELLOWSHIPPING COMMUNITY, v. 42
The Church was committed to the fellowship (membership) and to fellowship (sharing in the bond of the Spirit).
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GATHERING COMMUNITY, v. 46
Day by day, in formal and in informal ways, the church met together.
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A LEARNING COMMUNITY, v. 42
Topping the list the church studied together and grew spiritually.
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A WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY, v. 42, 46, 47a
The church was marked by gladness and expressed this in personal and public worship.
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A PRAYING COMMUNITY, v. 42b
They not only prayed, they prayed together (“the prayers”).
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A GENEROUS COMMUNITY, vv. 44–45
Related to fellowship, the church met one another’s needs as the family of God. Living as God would have them live as redeemed humanity.
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AN EVANGELISTIC COMMUNITY, implied in v. 47b
Since ‘faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God’ (Ro 10:17) they had to share the Gospel in order to grow. There good works adorned the Gospel (Tit 2:10).
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A GROWING COMMUNITY, v. 47a
Just as healthy organisms grow the Church grew as they did what they were supposed to do.
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Out of 100, how did you do? What areas must you devote your attention to become a healthier Church/Christian?

In a recent blog I noted statistics regarding the visible decline of Christianity in Canada. This raises the question, ‘What Happened to Christian Canada?’
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In a book by this title historian Mark Noll reached the conclusion that we exchanged a Christian vision of Canada for a multi-cultural one. This is true. Canada was a bi-lingual, Anglo-European, Protestant-Catholic nation. Our identity, while different (and sometimes divided), was also one in heritage. While multi-culturalism (language, ethnicity, religion, etc) is not all of itself wrong, this new vision for Canada was an intentional subversion of the existing Christian vision by cultural Marxism (e.g. the thoughts of Antonio Gramsci [1891–1937]). Christian values were assaulted and a Christian vision was replaced by a vision that divided, and accelerated by individualism, made Canada far easier to control to ideological ends.  
 
While Noll is correct, his social theory is not the whole story as he alludes in his conclusion.

One must recognize that even at its height all of Canada was never truly Christian, there was much nominalism, of people buying into the Christian vision or attending church culturally but not truly and spiritually. One must believe the Gospel to be a Christian.

Still, many denominations faithfully preached the Gospel and so it could be assumed that many Canadians truly were Christian. However, with the arrival of theological liberalism in Canada (which accelerated in the 1920s), countless Canadian denominations, pulpits and churches became arid wastelands that gave the appearance of Christianity yet without Christ. Long before an assault from without can an attack from within. William Booth of the Salvation Army foresaw this shift in the 1800s when he said of the 20th Century:

“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.”[1]

If truth is not presented it cannot be trusted and it therefore does not transform.

There is nothing less attractive than nominal Christianity, no meaning, no joy, no fruit of faith, no substance. As more and more Canadians became nominal Christians is it any wonder ‘Christianity’ was spit out? Like the story of the Return of the Unclean Spirit in Mt 12:43–45 Canadians spit out nominal Christianity only to embrace other isms far worse than the first.

People began to look to the old worldly isms of materialism, commercialism and individualism in increasing degrees. (A corporatism in Christian Canada gave way to the extreme individualism of today).

Christianity was also beset by other isms such as Darwinism, Communism, atheism, the Sexual Revolution and post-Modernism. (It is interesting to note how a decline in the number of children necessitated an immigration policy that supported multi-culturalism).

While the full answer is even more complex than this some major contributors to the decline of Christian Canada were recasting our identity (cultural-Marxism), liberalism, nominalism along with various other isms.

No doubt some genuine Christians of the past bear spiritual and social responsibility for allowing us to drift away from orthodoxy and slip into nominalism as a nation, thus allowing this shift to take place (a giant can only be toppled if it blindly believes itself unstoppable).

 The faithful remnant in Canada (e.g. the Church), now often bolstered by new Canadians who are already Christian, must rise to be the vanguard of society’s wellbeing (salt and light, Mt 5), do honour to our Christian heritage and offer a bright hope and alternative vision for the future. However, this will not be done through worldly means (2 Cor 10:4) but by the faithful preaching of the Gospel and lives lived to the glory of Christ. This is how the early Church began and transformed the Roman and European landscape. This is how we must win Canada today; one soul at a time.


[1] https://caringmagazine.org/the-best-18-quotes-from-william-booth/

Christmas of 2022 was unusual for many congregations, we had a blizzard that closed roads and forced many churches to suspend their Christmas Day services. The second thing that was unusual was that Christmas Day and the Lord’s Day coincided, something that only happens every few years.
For our culture Christmas (without the Christ) is the high holy day of the year. On Christmas even the shops are closed, family is a focus (which in itself is good), the pagan myths are brought out and of course there is the worship of self through materialism. For our culture Christmas is paramount.
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For Christians, it is not wrong to remember the Incarnation, but our high holy day, a New Testament ordinance, is the Lord’s Day. It is the day we remember the Resurrection. It is the day we express our dependence upon the Lord, and that our lives revolve around Him. It is His day through which we honour and worship Him in a special way. It is the day on which the church gathers. Every Sunday, including when it is Christmas Day, we do not neglect to meet together (Heb 10:25). This is because Christians believe God’s will for the church is set forth in the New Testament. We do not get to choose how to live and worship, He does. 

As many who know me will attest I love the local church because Jesus loves the local church. It is the primary vehicle through which the Lord works. It is the visible expression of membership in the universal church. Acts spends 16% of the time talking about the universal church and 84% speaking about the local church. Local churches are autonomous, or independent bodies; that is with Christ as the head over the Elders and congregation there is no organization or denomination that ultimately force a congregation to do or believe X,Y or Z, though many congregations choose to affiliate with other likeminded believers.

We may be independent but really we should exist independency with other Gospel churches. Independency is seeing independent churches working together for the cause of Christ. All too often local churches can exist as silos as if the rest of the church did not exist. This is surely to the detriment of Christianity.
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We see the principle of independency well illustrated in Baptist history and the Bible:

• Bible: the example of the churches taking up an offering for the church in Jerusalem (1 Cor 16:1); the tight network as seen in Ro 16; missionaries and apostles from different churches intermingling (1 Cor 4:17).
• Baptist History: The earliest Baptists of our DNA were the Particular Baptists of London. Coming into being in the early 1640s in 1644 they published a joint statement of faith (in large part to show that they were orthodox). One belief was to be critical to the explosion of the Baptist cause as they worked together to further the Great Commission, XLVII (47)- “And although the particular congregation be distinct and several bodies, every one a compact and knit city in itself; yet are they all to walk by one and the same Rule, and by all means convenient to have the counsel and help one of another in all needful affairs of the church, as members of one body in the common faith under Christ their only Head. (1 Cor. 4:17; 14:33, 36; 16:1; Mat. 28:20; 1 Tim.3:15; 6:13–14; Rev. 22:18–19; Col. 2:6, 19; 4:16).”

This is why, for example, MBC is partnering with the Blue Water Association of Fellowship Baptist Churches to launch a discipleship ministry called Barnabas. While a larger church might be able to resource an initiative like this by itself for small and medium size churches it will allow us to share our pastoral and teaching resources to equip the saints in the region for the work of the ministry.

This is why we already partner in Association pastors’ gatherings and New Life Camp, why local pastors meet for Bible study and prayer, exchange pulpits and why MBC holds Christian events of interest for other churches.
Independent; yet independency. 

Reading through the opening chapters of the Book of Acts reveal some key marks of the early Church. These are helpful to recognize to see what ought to be the marks of the Church today:

• Christ centred and exalting (ch. 1)
• Affirming Christ’s Death, Resurrection and Ascension (chs. 1 & 2)
• Missional (1:8)
• Spirit Empowered (1:8, ch. 2, 4:8; 7:55)
• Scripture Saturated (chs. 1, 2, 4, 7)
• Organized (ch. 1 and 6)
• Lead by Officers (apostles/elders, deacons) (ch.1 and 6)
• Awareness of their Place in God’s Plans (ch.2)
• Gospel Focused (2:21, 38; 3:19; 4:12; 5:20, 31, 42; 6:2)
• Baptized and Growing (2:41; 3:47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7)
• Devoted and Active in the Essentials of the Faith (2:42+)
• Worshipping (2:47)
• Proclamatory (2:11)
• Transforming Lives (ch.3; 5:12; 6:8)
• Bold (ch. 3; 4:13; 4:28, 31; 5:29, 33)
• Baselessly Persecuted (chs. 4, 5, 5:41, 7)
• Trusting of God’s Providence (4:25–8)
• Prayerful (4:31)
• Generous (4:32–7; 6:1)
• Fearful and Disciplined  (ch.5)
• Sought After (3:47; 5:16)
• Filled with Wisdom (6:10)
• Holy (6:15)
• Obedient (ch.7)
• Loving of Enemies (7:70)

Can you think of others?
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May we pray that the Church of today will reflect our glorious beginnings! 

In this wider series we’ve been exploring the nature of the Church and membership in it. This post seeks to answer the following question: if church membership visibly expresses my invisible membership in the universal church, should my membership be of a geographically local church?

*Note: I am writing this post in response to someone who lives in a community without an evangelical church about my views on being a part of a local church. This post comes from my heart. It in no way seeks to drive away our own members who travel nor compel members of other churches who are closer to our church than their own to switch their membership. It is, rather, an expression of an ideal which I believe has Biblical support and which I wish Christians near and far would seriously consider as their approach to membership for the bolstering of the local church’s witness.

Nowhere in the Bible is there a “thus saith the Lord” verse to command us to be members of a faithful Gospel church within our own local community. There are, however, many principles and practical considerations, which if taken collectively provide a compelling case to this end.

Historically, until modern modes of transport made this possible, worshippers were constrained by geography to worship locally. Whether that was in ancient times or the 19th Century, one could only go as far as their feet or horse would take them (though in exceptional circumstances the faithful would travel great distances to be with fellow believers and worship). If you lived between churches then you had to make an informed decision. This, and sometimes demographics or denominational affiliations, is why historically there were many more centres of Christian worship.

But was this or is this question purely practical? I believe the closest Bible verse to a command on this subject suggest, “no.” Acts 1:8 says, “And you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem [local], Judea and Samaria [regional and national] and to the ends of the earth [international].” Yes, this is a key structure in Acts regarding the outward spread of the Gospel. Yes, it is likewise a direct commission to the 11 disciples. However, indirectly it is still a command for missions which directs us to be involved in local missions, the chief vehicle of which is the local church.

Enter the automobile, which revolutionized so much in our culture, including the Church. Now if you were of this faith and order you didn’t need to worry about relying on another church or starting one in your community, you could just drive to the next. If you got in a fight with someone you didn’t need to be reconciled, you could just drive to the next town. If something didn’t suit you or you got bored at this church you could simply drive along to that church. Transportation enabled us to defy geography but with it we also succumbed to many temptations to put self ahead of the interests of the local church.

The American President JFK said, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” That quote may be changed to say, “Ask not what your church can do for you but what you can do for your church.” Churches are fundamentally not service providers but equipping centres for discipleship (and mission). I’ve even know some Christians to be so selfless they’ve collectively moved into a community with no church in order to reach it for the Gospel. We ought not to see the church as simply a service provider to meet our needs but to contribute to its spiritual vitality so it might bring a Gospel blessing to our community. Christians are inherently other focused just as Christ Himself was selfless. We honour the head of the body by doing what it best for the local manifestation of it.

Now, there are legitimate reasons to be part of a church outside of your local community: maybe there is no Gospel church; no church of your faith and order; maybe the local church is orthodox but dead (perhaps you could be the Lord is calling to fan its flame?); maybe your temporarily seeking to bolster another church; maybe language or ethnicity is an issue (perhaps you could learn the local language?). However, I know far too many Christians who travel past several Gospel churches to arrive at their church of choice, thus wasting time and resources that could be better spent elsewhere (it also means you cannot be as involved in your church in areas like fellowship, events, outreach, etc).

What might drive this? Well, rather than a principled commitment to the ideal of the local church what about the great ways of thinking that shape our society and which have sadly infiltrated the church: individualism, consumerism and materialism. The individualistic church seeker does what they want rather than what Christ is calling them to (Is there self-will, die to self; Is there conflict, seek to resolve it even if it may be difficult or uncomfortable). This feeds over into consumerism. The consumeristic seeker is driven by personal preference: that church doesn’t have good music (Is music all a church is about? Might you be called to use your gift of music to help that church?); they don’t have any children’s programming (Might your family be called to be the seed to help initiate a children’s ministry there?); It’s tradition, it’s my family church (While that’s wonderful, there are other ways to meaningfully support a church  you have strong ties to); I’d have to leave my family or friends and make news ones (yes, what a joy—to meet new brothers and sisters in Christ that is!). The materialistic seeker likes to boast in how big or wealthy or physically beautiful or gifted their church is (Is this not pride knocking? May the Lord be calling you to devote your gifts and giftings to the support of some needy cause?).

Even though the Bible stands opposed to such “isms” in our culture, these alone are not the primary principle to illuminate this reflection. The foundational principle is Act 1:8 and how we can be part of Christ’s local mission if we’re not a part of His local body? I believe once a church has a sizable contingent coming from one community, we shouldn’t make our building bigger, but instead partner with other area Gospel churches to do a church plant (I dream of planting an evangelical church in Durham, Chatsworth, Flesherton (?) and Dundalk). If you don’t have a local church, ask your church about considering a church plant.

This is a vast subject and as such I cannot cover every consideration. It’s an area which may raise many questions and I hope will fuel further reflection.  

If you feel led to relocate what should you do? First, tell both your Elders and the Elders of the prospective church about your considerations. Ask them to pray with you. It can be difficult to the present church in terms of tithes and offerings, rotas, responsibilities and friendships to simply up and move, so if a move is decided lay out a timeline that best serves your present church and enables you to transition to your local church. Slowly get involved in the local church; seek to maintain meaningful ties with the old. Let people know why you are doing what you are doing. Godly ideals are always laudable to follow so let’s love Christ by loving the local church.

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.—Galatians 6:10

I “discovered” this verse several years ago when reading through Galatians. Since then it has become one of my favourites. Let’s break it into three parts and consider what it teaches us:

1. Let us do good to everyone

Earlier Paul had mentioned the “Law of Christ.” While Christians are free from aspects of the Law of Moses this does not mean we’re free from all God’s moral requirements. Specifically Paul probably has in view the 2nd half of the Great Commandment, to “love your neighbour as yourself.” We do good to everyone when we love them as ourselves. When we love others in the way Christ desires we fulfil all of God’s moral requirements of us to others.

1. (Qualifier) As we have opportunity

While some could use a bit of godly guilt or inspiration to perhaps spur them on to good works, many Christians labour under the opposite, guilt of not being able to do enough. As well intentioned as this is, it is idolatrous to seek to do that which God alone can do and doesn’t allow us to live with the peace the Lord desires us to have as we follow Him. Could you literally do good to everyone, in your community, municipality, province, country, world? No, it would be impossible! How are we to do good then without burning out by trying or through anxiety? As we have opportunity. We don’t have to necessarily seek out opportunities to do good, rather, we need to be open to doing good when the Lord affords such an opportunity. In this way we won’t be guilt ridden yet at the same time fulfil this verse (Paul said to Titus, be ready for every good work [Tit 3:1a]).

1. (Signifier) especially to those who are of the household of faith

When we think of doing good our mind can immediately think of serving in soup kitchens, volunteering at the hospital, helping a neighbour, etc. These are all commendable examples of doing good, yet Paul prioritizes our good works. Our priority is to be the local Church! You might say (in human logic), but aren’t we trying to reached the unsaved? Wouldn’t it make more sense to do good to them? Certainly, there is evangelistic and loving merit in such ventures, however, God has a better way.

God first loved us and so we love Him in return. This is our act of love in worship in response to His grace (1st half of the Great Commandment). As He loves us we are then enabled to love others. However, again, our first port of call to display such love—contrary to popular belief—is not the world but the Church. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “by this shall all men [the world] know that you are My disciples, that you [Christians] have love one for another [the Church].” (Jn 13:35). God’s plan is that the Church be an example of renewed humanity to this end, that when unbeliever’s see our good works done in love to fellow believers: it validates God’s love and the Gospel, makes wonderful our adoption into God’s family so we’ll praise Him more, and is a powerful means to cause unbelievers to want to be renewed themselves and join God’s renewed humanity called the Church.
Gal 6:10 is an ingenious truth and plan!
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In our renovations and move to the new house—during Covid-19—it is a verse I’ve seen lived out by many brothers and sisters as they’ve helped us in unbelievable ways.

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Below is a visual representation of what has been presented above:

To God all glory, praise, and love
be now and ever given
by saints below and saints above,
the Church in earth and heaven.
(Charles Wesley, “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”)
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It can get lonely thinking you are all alone. That is why a big perspective on what the Church is vitally essential. It reminds us that if we are in Christ we are part of a great cloud of witnesses.

The Church militant describes believers who are still alive and still battling on for the Lord in this life.

The Church triumphant describes those who’ve won the battle, fought the fight and finished the race, those whose spirits have gone to be in the presence of the Lord and who await the final Resurrection. Here are all of those whose faith was in the promises of God, which point to Christ and are Christ: Abel, Noah, the Patriarchs, Gideon, David, the disciples and all believers since.

We pick up this distinction from places such as Rev 7 where John witnesses fellow believers worshiping the Lord in heaven.

How encouraging a thought it is to know that we are not alone. Not only is Christ with us in Word and Spirit, but what is more, we are part of a great company of believers, far greater than our isolated geographic distribution allows us to fathom, not only here on earth, but in heaven above. In the words of Heb 12:1 the Church triumphant grace the side-lines of our race and cheer us on as it were.
May we be encouraged that as a Christian we are part of the Church militant and triumphant!
 
It can get lonely thinking you are all alone. That is why a big perspective on what the Church is vitally essential. It reminds us that if we are in Christ we are part of a great cloud of witnesses.
The Church militant describes believers who are still alive and still battling on for the Lord in this life.
The Church triumphant describes those who’ve won the battle, fought the fight and finished the race, those whose spirits have gone to be in the presence of the Lord and who await the final Resurrection. Here are all of those whose faith was in the promises of God, which point to Christ and are Christ: Abel, Noah, the Patriarchs, Gideon, David, the disciples and all believers since.
We pick up this distinction from places such as Rev 7 where John witnesses fellow believers worshiping the Lord in heaven.
How encouraging a thought it is to know that we are not alone. Not only is Christ with us in Word and Spirit, but what is more, we are part of a great company of believers, far greater than our isolated geographic distribution allows us to fathom, not only here on earth, but in heaven above. In the words of Heb 12:1 the Church triumphant grace the side-lines of our race and cheer us on as it were.
May we be encouraged that as a Christian we are part of the Church militant and triumphant!
 

This might sound like a very perplexing statement but I believe it is true; allow me to explain.
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The Church, made up of baptized believers in Jesus Christ, ought to be an inclusive welcoming community, yet it is at the same time an exclusive, or distinct, body.

Too often Christians fail to appreciate this paradox and opt for one extreme (inclusivity) or the other (exclusivity). Let’s see how this paradox is true, and ought to naturally flow from who we are, taking as our example the teachings of Jesus:

INCLUSIVE
Jesus was inclusive, if by that definition we mean welcoming or not embracing a judgementalism. He didn’t care if the person was the vilest sinner, He sought to be inclusive of everyone, for He had come as the Saviour of the world (in fact He said that He came to save not the “self-righteous” but sinners, Lk 5:32):

• Unwanted children: Let the little children come to me (Mt 19:14)
• The Infirm (A leper): And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” (Mt 8:3, emphasis mine)
• Tax Collectors: Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today. (Lk 19:5)
• The Sexually Immoral (The Woman at the Well): The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (Jn 4:17–18).
• The list could go on…

Jesus met people and sought to provide them welcome and love just as our churches ought to be places where people feel safe, welcomed, unjudged and loved.

EXCLUSIVE
Yet, just as Jesus met people where they were, He didn’t desire them to stay there. In fact in the same breadth in which He displayed an inclusive spirit He made some very exclusive statements. His inclusivity serves to build trust for He wants us to exclusively trust in and follow him and there find true inclusion in the exclusive body of Christ, an entry that can only come through trusting in Him alone:

• I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me. (Jn 14:6)
• Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (Jn 3:16)
• So, therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Lk 14:33)
• Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” (Jn 4:13–14)
• The list could go on…

Do you see the paradox in Jesus’ ministry? The Church has carried on this paradox. We care for the needs of all, minister to others, yet the family dividing line, the local church body, those who we believe represent Jesus is distinctly maintain through evidence of regeneracy, the gift of the Holy Spirit, baptism, membership, discipline, etc. The Church is an exclusive community that is inclusive.
In an age that champion’s unbridled inclusivity this paradox is a paradox indeed.

In an age where Christian writers speak of people needing to “belong before they believe” the call to “believe before you belong” sounds harsh. Yet when it is matched by the inclusive spirit Jesus displayed, the latter loses much of its apparent harshness. We do need to help people feel like they belong, but through that honest welcome, to help them see they must believe if they are to truly belong, belong to Christ and be members of the local body.

That is the paradox of the Church and it is the paradox of her Lord.