What A Healthy Church Looks Like

Introduction

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Transition

Tonight I want us to look at Three Characteristics of a church that is healthy.

The Congregation Is Unified (v. 1-10)

Unity in Doctrine (v. 2-6)

What word do you see repeated several times in those few verses? ONE!

The unity that’s spoken of in these verses was centered around the church and its teachings. One body consisting of the saints of God. One Spirit, recognizing the ministry and role of the Holy Spirit in their personal and corporate life.

One hope, in understanding that since the Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, or the down payment of what is to come, we look forward to a heaven to gain.

One Lord, meaning that Jesus is the only Savior. That He is the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father, but through Him. One faith, the faith once delivered to the saints. Truth that is upheld by the church.

by the church.

One baptism, the baptism of the Spirit of God. Not in a charismatic sense of a second blessing, but meaning we are placed into the Spirit of God at salvation and His part in our regeneration.

One hope of your calling, that is, what is to come.

One God and Father, reminding us of the fact that we have a heavenly Father that we have a very personal relationship with.

These doctrines, these beliefs, were issues that brought unity to this congregation. While each of them came from different walks of life, and had different backgrounds, and maybe even different nationalities, what brought them together as a congregation was doctrine.

It was what God’s Word plainly said. If there will be unity within the church, there must be an agreement to core doctrines that cannot be compromised, such as what is listed in these verses.

As we’ve examined the pastoral epistles on Sunday nights, we have looked at this church, the church of Ephesus, deal with people within the congregation who have veered away from what truly was important. This brought division in the church. We get in trouble when we make other issues more important than Jesus and the Gospel.

May we as a congregation make much of Jesus! May we as a congregation make much of God! May we focus on the issues that bind us together, and stay away from issues that really won’t matter for eternity’s sake or the gospel’s sake.

Unity in Serving (v. 1)

The book of Ephesians is divided up into two main sections. The first part of this book reflects on what God has done for these people. It talks about how the Gospel changed their lives and how God’s grace was shed on them.

In the second section of this book, starting in chapter 4, Paul addresses how the church should react to this reflection that was just given to them. This is evidenced by the transitional word “therefore.”

Any time you see the word “therefore” in Scripture you need to see what it’s there for. This word refers to the previous three chapters and what has been told to them.

“Because of what God has done for you. Because of the grace that’s been shown to you. Because of God’s goodness in your life. Therefore, walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”

Paul reminds them of the doctrine in verses 2-6 that they hold to as a body, and because of what they believe it should determine their behavior. What you believe about Jesus should cause you to have a desire to love Him, serve Him, and grow in Him.

Ephesians 4:6 KJV 1900

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Since they know Jesus, and God is working in and through them, serving Jesus should just be natural.

This vocation, or act of service, is further explained in verses 7-10 as it says:

Ephesians 4:7–10 KJV 1900

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

In verse 7 it explains that the spiritual gifts we receive from the Lord are by His grace. The implication in these verses is that Jesus has given these gifts to every one of us.

Why verses 8-10?

If you are in this room and you know Jesus as Savior, you have been given a gift from God to exercise within the context of the local church. Your gift may not be my gift, and my gift may not be the person next to you’s gift.

Nonetheless, all of us have been given spiritual gifts. All of us have been given something by God to help build the body of Christ up.

Can I challenge you to use your gift?

Illustration

We just got done with Christmas. How many of you all like Christmas? I love Christmas. I love the birth of Jesus. I love the Christmas movies. I love the decorations. I’m not so keen on the music, but we won’t go there.

I love presents! Have you ever received a gift you didn’t open? You leave it in it’s wrapping under the tree and it’s been there for years unopened and unused.

That’s pretty bazaar isn’t it? If I see a present with my name, I want to unwrap it and put the gift to use immediately.

I wonder if some of us have a gift tucked away some where, that’s ready to be exercised, that’s ready to be used, we just haven’t unwrapped it yet. We haven’t been serving the Lord with our talents.

How sad it would be for us to miss out on the joy of serving the Lord with the gifts He’s given to us. Just as there is joy in unwrapping a gift and using it. There is joy in using the gifts Jesus has given to us.

And furthermore there is joy in serving Jesus alongside others. Some of the most edifying moments I’ve had in church life has not just been in the sanctuary, it has been working alongside brothers and sisters in Christ.

I recently had a friend of mine who was moving locations for his church, and they had to get the new location ready. There was a lot of work that needed to be done, and the people in the church helped make it happen.

Each of them were serving and doing their part. He told me, “What was happening was sweeter than any sermon he could have preached at the moment. God’s people unified, using their gifts and talents, working together for the glory of God.”

When every member finds their purpose in the body, and they function as such, there will be unity among the members, and the body will be healthy.

I have found that often the most divisive people in church are the ones who are sitting idle, contributing very little, if nothing to the health of the body. The ones who complain the most, the ones who have little joy, the ones who don’t want to move forward, are usually the ones who aren’t invested in the first place.

The ones who are the most heavily invested are usually your most joyful people. They’re the ones who complain the least. They are the most unified in the body.

You know why that is? They serve with the right motive and have the right goal. The goal is God’s glory and their fuel is the love of Christ. They understand that they are part of the body.

It’s not about them as a member of the body, getting what they want, but it’s about taking the whole body into consideration. It’s not about them getting their way or having things the way they’ve always been.

No, it’s about Jesus being high and lifted up, and whatever they can do to make that happen, and whatever they can contribute, they will do it!

Because it’s about the whole body being healthy and growing, and not about their member being comfortable.

For a body to be strong it must be stretched. If it’s never stretched further, it will stay the way it’s been or get weaker. Is church life always comfortable? Let me rephrase that, should it always be comfortable? No.

Is serving always easy? No. Will there be sacrifice? Yes. Will there be moments where you feel stretched beyond your power? Yes. But understand that if you never exercise, you’re never going to get stronger.

What we need in this body is for each member to do it’s part, and exercise it’s gift so that we can be stronger for it. When we as members decide to all collectively serve the body and one another, we will be stronger because of it, and unity will be produced in our church like never before.

A Healthy Church is a Congregation who Is Unified around doctrine and utilizing their spiritual gifts.

The Leadership Fulfills Their God-Given Roles (v. 11-13)

They Equip the Membership for Works of Service (v. 11-12a)

We are told in verse 1 that we need to serve. In verses 7-8 we are told we have all been given gifts of service. How do we know how we should serve? How do we know how we can contribute to the body?

Paul tells this church that God gave the church those who would equip the members for those works of service. In this pattern we see that the members carry out the duties of the church, while the pastors equip them so the work can be accomplished.

We’ve talked about this several times in the series on Sunday night of “Order in the Church,” but God has given distinct roles to pastors. This is often evidenced by the terms given to those in this type of leadership.

He is known as a pastor. This signifies his care of the flock. He cares for their needs. He, in this case, is to be a teacher and preacher of the Word. He feeds the flock of God the Bible.

The term bishop is also used as overseer. This means the bishop oversees the church and the direction of it under the direction of God. He may not be directly involved in every ministry, but he is the established leader of the church.

The term elder is displayed through the decision making process of

(Look at pastor sermon 1/5/20 evening)

I think a great verse to sum up the duties of a pastor are in :

1 Peter 5:2 KJV 1900

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

1 Peter 5:1–2 KJV 1900

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

Feed the flock, oversee the ministry, not because you have to or in a grudging way, but do it with eagerness

1 Peter 5:1–4 KJV 1900

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Feed the flock, lead them, love them, be an example to them, and look to Jesus. This is what a pastor must focus on. The works of ministry is to be done by the membership.

Don’t get me wrong, the pastor is to serve. But his serving is outlined through what we just looked at.

The Church Is Edified through Times of Equipping (v. 12b-13)

a body cannot grow if it’s never fed, if blood does not flow to a certain part it will die out

The Congregation Grows in the Lord (v. 14-16)

They Grow in Knowledge of the Word (v. 14)

1 Timothy 3:15 KJV 1900

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

They Grow As A Functional Body (v. 15-16)

Conclusion

Three Things to Have a Healthy Body

Eat Healthy

Exercise

Make Life Changes

https://www.wikihow.com/Have-a-Good-General-Healthy-Body