Sermon Tone Analysis

sermon || lead pastor || Joe Brantley

message: Healthy Church: By Design & Call

main text: , ; ; ;

“...it’s easy to want the benefits but not the responsibility of belonging-”

We

We live in a culture (Western Culture) that affects all of us.

Movie stars, Music, Netflix, has more control on shaping culture than the local church.

Advertisers appeal explictly to our narcissism: we are a “Burger King” culture… “have it your way!” and “You’re in the driver’s seat.”

We live in a culture (Western Culture) that affects all of us.

Movie stars, Music, Netflix, has more control on shaping culture than the local church.

Advertisers appeal explicitly to our narcissism: we are a “Burger King” culture… “have it your way!” and “You’re in the driver’s seat.”

“With all this in the air...

it’s easy to want the benefits but not the responsibility of belonging—friendships, marriages, where we work, and certainly church… ‘Quick and easy’ has beaten ‘tried and tested.’

...Rapid growth and numbers has [set the new bar for success and is] counted more than slow growth in grace —Jonathan Leeman, Church Membership

Healthy local churches are people who gather often and increasingly reflect the character of God. - (paraphrased quote) Mark Dever

our probing question: What is a Healthy Local Church?

1. Healthy vs. Unhealthy: The Body  

The church is a body of believers.

Ultimately, the individual members (Spirit-filled, baptized-converts, who have repented, and follow Jesus) make up the body and are held accountable by God and each other for the healthy or unhealthy way (culture) in which they represent Christ to the community and the outside world. 

1 Cor 12:12-2

:12-25

prayerfully consider: If you are a Covenant Member, what does this mean for how you and your family represent Christ and His local Church?

Have you considered how your lack of faithfulness affects the  body of Christ?

Have you considered what your faithfulness to the local church communicates to other members and unbelievers?

Do you promote health in the body, or do you hurt the body?

prayerfully consider: If you are a Covenant Member, what does this mean for how you and your family represent Christ and His local Church?

Have you considered how your lack of faithfulness affects the  body of Christ?

Have you considered what your faithfulness to the local church communicates to other members and unbelievers?

Do you promote health in the body, or do you hurt the body?

“Church Membership begins  when we commit to a particular body.

Being Christian means being joined to a church…Church membership is not simply a record of a body we once checked.

It’s not  a sentimental feeling.

It’s not an expression of affection toward a familiar place.

It’s not an expression of loyalty or disloyalty towards parents.

It SHOULD be the reflection of a living commitment [to Christ and His people], or it is worthless.

Indeed it’s worse than worthless; it’s dangerous…” — Mark Dever, What is a Healthy Church?, 95

Healthy local churches are people who gather often and increasingly reflect the character of God. - (paraphrased quote) Mark Dever

2. Healthy vs. Unhealthy: The Design

2. Healthy vs. Unhealthy: The Design

  The design of a healthy church is given to us in the Scriptures.

First to be a “Covenant Member” one must belong to Christ.

Devoted Christians make up the Church.

A Christian is someone who has been reconciled to God through Christ’s finished work; have been convicted by the sin against God and become repentant to God by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ ().

A Christian has also been reconciled to God’s people.

Everyone else who has also been reconciled to God (). ; The Apostle’s Creed

The design of a healthy church is given to us in the Scriptures.

First to be a “Covenant Member” one must belong to Christ.

Devoted Christians make up the Church.

A Christian is someone who has been reconciled to God through Christ’s finished work; have been convicted by the sin against God and become repentant to God by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

.

A Christian has also been reconciled to God’s people.

Everyone else who has also been reconciled to God (). ; The Apostle’s Creed

A Christian has also been reconciled to God’s people.

Everyone else who has also been reconciled to God.

Ephesians 2

Col 3:9-17

The Christian Life is marked by devotion (to God and his people—the church)

; The Apostle’s Creed

The Apostle’s Creed

prayerfully consider: Do you consider yourself a Christian?

If so, are you devoted to Christ and His church?

If not, how have “Christians” you know represented what following Christ looks like to you? Are they committed?

By this definition of devotion would you even consider them Christian?

I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.

Amen.

prayerfully consider: Do you consider yourself a Christian?

If so, are you devoted to Christ and His church?

If not, how have “Christians” you know represented what following Christ looks like to you? Are they committed?

By this definition of devotion would you even consider them Christian?

“If you are an orphan, you don’t adopt parents; they adopt you” (Dever, 25).

If you are Christian you have been adopted by Christ and bear the name of who adopted you ().

“Now you’re part of the whole family of God []." — Mark Dever, What is a Healthy Church?, 25

Healthy local churches are people who gather often and increasingly reflect the character of God. - (paraphrased quote) Mark Dever

3. Healthy vs. Unhealthy: The Call

Christians have been called by the Scriptures to "assemble regularly so that we can regularly rejoice in our common hope and regularly spur one another on to love and good deeds” (Dever, 95).

prayerfully consider: Do you “assembly regularly” with other believers of the local church?

What do you consider regular?

If you don’t “assemble regularly” as the Scriptures call us as Christians to do, what is the reason?

Business?

Busyness?

Family commitments?

Sports?

Hobbies?

Seeking personal rest?

Do any of these reasons hold up as a proper excuse to Christ and His Church?

If you are Christian what sacrifices do you need to make to answer God’s call to be the Church?

If you are a Covenant Member of Concord, based on your devotion to our local church, is Concord healthy or unhealthy?

What must you do to help make Concord healthy; what must you repent of?

Would you consider repenting (turning from your sin and excuses today) and commit yourself to being part of Christ’s local Church?

“The practice of church membership among Christians occurs when Christians grasp hold of each other in responsibility and love.

By identifying ourselves with a particular local church, we are telling the church’s pastors and other members not just that we commit to them, but that we commit to them in gathering, giving, prayer, and service.

We are telling them to expect certain things from us and to hold us accountable if we don’t follow through.”

— Mark Dever, What is a Healthy Church?, 95”

I believe in GOD THE FATHER Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth.

And in JESUS CHRIST his only (begotten) Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell [Hades, spirit-world];2 the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the HOLY GHOST; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body [flesh];3 and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Healthy local churches are people who gather often and increasingly reflect the character of God. - (paraphrased quote) Mark Dever

Now ask yourself…does this define you and the impact you are making with other’s in the Church in which Christ died for?

Many claim they are saved…yet it you are not devoted to Christ’s Bride, you must ask yourself, am I truly?