A Healthy Church

The physical health of our population is a major concern in the media and in popular culture. Diets, nutrition, and exercise occupy our national attention. This is all well and good. We should all aspire to take care of the only body we will have in this life. But is not the spiritual health of the church of Jesus Christ a greater concern to Christians? It ought to be. There are metaphors that help us to understand what it means for the church to be healthy. Christians are nourished on the words of the faith (1 Tim. 4:6). Sound teaching is of paramount importance if a church is to function as it should (2 Tim. 1:13; 1 Tim. 1:10; Tit. 1:9). When the Bible is taught as it should be and lived out in daily life, the result will be a properly functioning church, i.e., a healthy church. My prayer for Berachah Bible Church is that it will possess strength and vigor in all that it is and does. But, specifically, what would this kind of church look like?

A healthy church is driven by a deep desire to please God and live under the authority of His Word in all its work. A well-fed church is one that is served generous portions of the whole counsel of God. It is like eating nutritious food. All the spiritual vitamins and minerals needed are found in Genesis to Revelation. Therefore, Bible exposition is vital to a healthy church. We must hear the Bible taught regularly. The congregation must sit down at the table of truth and eat what is put before them. Are you doing this? Do you bring your Bible to church? Do you take notes? Do you pray in preparation for the sermon? Do you discuss it with your family? Are you living it and passing it on? The daily Bible reading schedule provided for our church is another way of eating right. Do you have a consistent time of reading and studying the Bible or are you attempting to get by on spiritual “twinkies?”

A healthy church is made up of believers in Christ who are growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. As new born babies we are to crave the milk of the Word so that we will grow (1 Pet. 2:2-5). Each of us must take personal responsibility for spiritual maturity. This requires both dependence and discipline. If there is going to be God-honoring change in our lives, there must be dependence upon the Holy Spirit. It takes time, ample amounts of Bible truth, suffering, soul searching, and repentance to experience heart and life change. Are you able to trust God more today than you did a year ago? Does suffering make you angry at God or does it draw you nearer to God? What about that temper? Is your self-control evident to the people who know you best?

A healthy church develops godly leadership. The organization of the church is actually rather simple. There are two primary offices, elders and deacons (1 Tim. 3:1-13). God has established the office of elder in the local church to rule, pastor/shepherd, guard the truth, feed the flock, and exercise general spiritual oversight over the congregation. Deacons are to serve the church by assisting the elders in the care of the flock. They do whatever kinds of service are delegated to them. One is not the varsity and the other the junior varsity. They are complementary team members working together for the spiritual good of the sheep. Aspiring for leadership in the church is a worthy goal.

A healthy church meets regularly in order to worship, to become spiritually equipped, and to stimulate encouragement (Heb. 10:25). We meet primarily on Sundays in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It can be a very full day if one attends both the morning and evening services. We don’t exist merely to meet, but coming together for corporate worship is vital to the well-being of the church. There is a kind of legalism that measures commitment to God by how much time one spends at church. That is wrong. Holiness of life does not come by merely spending time at church, but by transformation that takes place in the heart. However, there is another problem. There are those who treat the church like a grocery store. They drop in from time to time to get what they think they need and then disappear into the traffic of life. May God deliver us from that cavalier attitude that treats the church thoughtlessly by minimal involvement in the household of God.

A healthy church will meet in order to observe the ordinances given by Christ. New converts will want to be baptized as a public confession of their faith in Jesus Christ. This is an occasion of stupendous importance for it communicates a repudiation of the idols of the culture and identification with the Lord of the church. In its meetings the church will fellowship around the communion table to celebrate the redemptive work of Christ. The bread and the cup symbolize the significance of the forgiving power of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

A healthy church will exercise the ministry of systematic, faithful, and generous giving (1 Cor. 16:1-4). It is the responsibility of every believer to set aside part of their income for the support of the church they attend. It is to be proportionate to the way one is prospering. No percentage is mandated. The church has bills to pay, a staff to support, ministries to fund, and missionaries to support. Therefore, our giving is not to be sporadic, impulsive, and seasonal. It is to be a joyful offering for the glory of God.

A healthy church burns with zeal to spread the gospel throughout the world (Matt. 28:19-20). The church exists in this world to evangelize the nations. As a band of brothers and sisters in Christ we are to look for ways to penetrate our communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Are you praying for the salvation of your neighbors? When was the last time you shared the good news of God’s forgiveness in Christ with an unsaved person? At the same time world missions is essential to our health as a church. Raising up and sending out our own people to cross cultural boundaries must ever be our passion.

A healthy church is composed of believers who are spiritually gifted and who joyfully serve the living God (1 Pet. 4:10). A spiritual gift is a God-given ability to serve the body of Christ in some special way. God in His sovereign wisdom has distributed all the necessary gifts among us. There are no ungifted Christians. You say, what is my gift? The best answer is to start serving and see what happens. Others may recognize your gift before you do. Develop your spiritual gift. Fan it into a flame. If you have the gift of teaching, fill up on what the Bible teaches and look for opportunities to pass it on to others. If you have the gift of mercy, you will see who needs comfort and care. There is much to do. Sunday school, the nursery, the youth ministry, the missions team, women’s ministry, worship in music, and a host of other service roles are available. Don’t fail to show up.

A healthy church is committed to purity of doctrine and life (1 Cor. 5:1-11; 1 Tim. 6:3). Jesus Christ as the Head of the church holds us responsible for what we believe and how we conduct ourselves as Christians. There is foundational truth upon which Christianity rests. That truth must never be compromised. Do you know what those core truths are? Know them. Teach them. Live them. Tolerance has become the darling virtue of our culture. But it is a spiritual virus when we look the other way while doctrinal error wants to take a seat in the church. And it is equally imperative that the church not ignore the church member who continues in unrepentant disobedience to God’s Word. We must discipline ourselves. If we do not, then we must be disciplined by the church.

A healthy church will breathe and walk by earnest prayer (Eph. 6:18). The church of Jesus Christ gives witness to its dependence on God as it seeks Him in prayer (1 Tim. 2:1ff.). Prayer should saturate all of our meetings and we must be incessant in it in our personal lives. Do you get up in the morning and seek God in prayer. It was Charles Haddon Spurgeon who guided a guest to the basement and showed him the source of power in his church. It was scores of people on their knees praying. No finer compliment can be given a church than to call it a praying church.

A healthy church will work hard at maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). Christ’s church is to be comprised of peacemakers. “Blessed are the peacemakers.” All churches have conflict, but the church that is functioning in a biblical manner handles conflict God’s way. The Scriptures do not leave us to ourselves when it comes to clashes between believers. There is Christ-centered protocol. It is the responsibility of the leadership and every member of the congregation to put obedience to God’s Word above all other allegiances. A church with biblical blood flowing in its veins practices the truth that love for one another is a powerful argument for the Christian faith. Are you running away from problems and differences with fellow believers? Are there people to whom you will not speak? Jesus prayed for unity among believers, then died for it. Let’s do what is necessary to reflect that.

Lord, we pray that you would infuse our church with spiritual health so that we will have the strength and endurance to bear the weight of the world and walk the road into your heavenly presence.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church

Berachah 2007

A hand held GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) has worked its way into the comings and goings of our modern world. Several years ago while some of us were working our way down the Mulchatna River in Alaska a GPS device proved to be useful. We could see where we had been, where we were going, and, most importantly, where we were. GPSs have found their way into automobiles, boats, and wherever hunters hunt. Perhaps we could think about our coming year at Berachah from the standpoint of a GPS.

Let’s begin with the more obvious. Something is happening on our property. The construction site is a promise of a new building. It will contain a fellowship hall and classrooms. And do we ever need the classroom space. Thankfully, God has provided over $600,000, but more funds will be needed. Keep praying and giving. Our builder is working hard at getting the building finished as soon as possible. Let us remain patient and joyful. And speaking of money the Lord has provided us with the most generous Grace Promise commitment in our church’s history. Over $195,000 has been pledged for world missions for 2007. Rejoice in God’s provision through the generosity of His people. Pray for the Missions committee as they work on the budget for the coming year. This will be done at the Sunday, January 21 dinner meeting. There are already some special opportunities for world mission’s work this year. For the past week Frank Pass has been in Novosibirsk, Siberia teaching a course on Romans 1-8 in the seminary. We have been praying for traveling mercies for Frank since he set out on his trip with a cold and headed for what can be one of the coldest places on this planet. In February Beth and I plan to go to Iasi, Romania (pronounced Yash) where I will be teaching the “Peacemaker” course in the Bible Institute where Karl Kosobucki serves with CrossWorld. Later this year we also plan to visit the Heinz family in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Preparations are already being made for another Bosnia team mission’s trip June 25 to July 6. Chuck and Jan Bennett left this past week for another special time of ministry in Costa Rica. Steve and Kim Reitz are with us for several weeks while on a brief furlough from their work with CrossWorld in Bosnia. This is a lot of coming and going, but it represents one of many reasons God has for our existence as Christians in this world.

The Pine Mountain Chalets will be the location of the Ladies Retreat January 25-27. Rachael Sherwood, wife of John Sherwood the international director for CrossWorld, will be the featured speaker. There is great value in the women of our church sharing time together worshiping God, renewing relationships, and visiting the springs of the heart with the living and powerful Word of God. The ladies will be prepared to begin their Bible Study on Tuesdays beginning February 6. Our church is rich in women who love God and have an appetite for His written revelation. Such a treasure enriches the entirety of our church life and fills homes with Christ’s presence.

On April 13-15 Trevor Craigen, professor of theology at The Master’s Seminary, will be our annual Bible Conference speaker. Dr. Craigen will be speaking on “The Nation of Israel in the Plan of God.” Make your plans now to hear these messages. There are hundreds of doctrinal themes in the Scriptures. That is why we are always mining the truth-rich sixty-six books of the Bible to strengthen our faith and sharpen our perspective. Justin will be alternating between Sunday mornings and Sunday nights with his series on the Gospel of Matthew. I will be doing a five-part series on the Book of Job beginning Sunday, January 28. A special four week Sunday School class will begin on February 4 on “Creativity in Preaching and Teaching.” This will be a study in how to take the truth of Scripture and deliver it to the minds and hearts of the hearers. For those men who are able to squeeze a Monday morning Bible study into their schedule (see Sunday’s bulletin for time and location) you will find encouragement and an excellent way to begin each new week. We are finishing up I John and soon begin a study of the Ten Commandments. The Elders are continuing their search for an additional staff member. Please pray that we will find the man who is most suitable for work with the youth, worship, and the wearing of other “hats” as well.

As we set out on our journey through the coming year there are social, cultural, and political winds that will be blowing. Stem cell research (Is it right to destroy an embryo for the purpose of experimentation?), the war in Iraq (Should we abandon Iraq and let radical Islam take over?), Sunday blue laws (Does it really take another day to buy all the alcohol you want?), the economy (slower growth but not recession?), the airline industry (Does Delta want to shift to the west?), health care (whose responsibility is it to provide health insurance?). These are a few of the issues that will dominate the headlines. Christians should not stick their heads in the sand and ignore the moral and ethical implications of such matters. Part of our purpose as a local church is to instruct our young people in a Christian world and life view. James Sire in his book, The Universe Next Door, tells us that “Refusing to adopt an explicit worldview (a set of presuppositions which we hold about the basic makeup of our world)….We are caught. So long as we live, we will live either the examined or the unexamined life…. The examined life is better.” If we are to be salt and light in this world our Christianity is to be lived out in humble and loving wisdom.

We have the year 2007 before us. Let’s not waste our time. There is a lot of good work to be done. Some of us may go on to heaven this year. But most of us probably will not. Redeem the time you saints of God. Christ is with us. We have His word on it.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church