Series: Marks of a Healthy Church Text: 1 Thessalonians Message #2 Introduction
1.We got a good start last week concerning what constitutes a healthy church. It is not really about the number of people who attend or the amount of money in the bank or the number of programs functioning or the number of volunteers or the number of conversions, etc. This is not to say that there is no value in any of these statistics, but in and of themselves, they do not provide us a reliable criteria in which to measure the spiritual health of the church.
2.The question has arisen, “Who has the right to set the standard and thus set up the criteria for judging the health of the church?” I believe we would agree that God has already done that and it is found in the Scripture. A good place to see these marks in a practical setting in the pages of Scripture are in the letters Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. Various commentators have referred to the church in Thessalonica as “the ideal church.” It was ideal for no other reason than it was spiritually healthy.
3.I suggested last week that rather than reinvest the wheel, I would be drawing from a resource written by Pastor Mark Dever in his book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Here is his list of those nine marks:
a. Expositional preaching
b. Biblical theology
c.The Gospel
d.A Biblical understanding of conversion
e.A Biblical understanding of evangelism
f.A Biblical understanding of church membership
g.Biblical church discipline
h.A concern for discipleship and growth
i.Biblical church leadership (When these are functioning correctly, the church is healthy).
4.I am not suggesting (nor was Mark Dever) that these nine marks are the only marks that characterize a healthy church and they may not even be the most important, but they are significant and are probably the most overlooked. As we study the Scripture carefully we might come up with a different list, adding things Dever did not include, but a serious Scriptural look at this concern ought to include these marks of health.
5.For today, a healthy church is a church that is given to expositional preaching. What exactly is that?
I. WHAT EXPOSITIONAL PREACHING IS
A.Expositional preaching is what God has called pastors to do – This is what pastors need to give themselves to and what churches should demand of them. When Paul talked to leaders he made it clear what his practice had been and what he expected of them. I would suggest two passages of Scripture that make the point.
1. Acts 20:18-27, 31-32. The best protection against error is a solid understanding of the truth. (Paul’s instruction to Timothy, “Preach the Word”, was given in relation to the church at Ephesus. The context involved the warning that so many around him would not be preaching the Word. Expositional preaching was what Paul was speaking about. The warning is relevant today.
2. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13. This is about the Word of God being proclaimed to them. Paul went out of his way to make sure they understood what he gave them and why he gave them the Word. The power of God to change people, as we will see later today, is not found in pleasing people or flattery or a veiled Gospel, veiled to mask its real content concerning sin and judgment and a call to abandon all for the cause of Christ. Paul gave himself to making clear the Word of God to all to whom he preached. God would bring the increase. Paul was to be faithful to the message.
B.Expositional preaching is what God has declared preaching to be (Negative and positive looks at this)
1. Expositional preaching is not just a discussion of a topic (Topics are often chosen and then Scripture is sought after to support those ideas/topics. One of the challenges for this particular series is not to fall into that trap. On the other hand, expositional preaching is dealing with a text, often not sure where that will lead, but assuming that all Scripture is relevant for us. It is not superimposing the meaning on the text, but it is drawing the meaning from the text).
2. Expositional preaching is not “Fairy Tale Preaching” (Old Mother Hubbard). What we must remember is that the Word of God is His Word to us. It is not enough to honor the Word. And frankly it is not enough just to read the Word. God expects us to know the Word as we study the Word. He has called pastors and preachers to make known the Word. Warning after warning is given concerning what people want and what they need. Itching ears are to be ignored. Empty hearts are to be filled with the Word of God!
3. Expositional preaching is not just a running commentary on a passage – There is a proclamation of the Scripture, the point of the passage, not just what we wanted to share. Preaching involves both explanation and exhortation. (Preaching has come on hard times. It has been replaced with conversations, dialogues, drama, etc. The pulpit has been taken away and exchanged for a drama stage and a video screen. A solid exposition of the Word has been replaced with story time. Anecdotes have replaced careful analysis. The cry from the pew is we don’t like meat. Give us milk – make it skim! The Scriptural indictment is pretty harsh – Hebrews 5:11-14). Expositional preaching is foundational to the health of any church. The rest of the marks flow out of that. If expositional preaching is flawed or absent, regardless of what the church looks like on the outside it is not healthy within. It can’t be.
II. WHAT EXPOSITIONAL PREACHING DOES (The Bible should be central to preaching, directing the content of such preaching).
A.The role of God’s Word in bringing life –
1.It was by God’s word that everything was brought into being, that life began (Genesis 1). God’s word was heard even after Adam and Eve sinned. He sought them out.
2.In Genesis 12, God called out Abraham. Abraham received the promise of God by God’s word to him. In exile in Egypt, again the Israelites heard God’s Word, as He first spoke to Moses (through the bush).
3.God gave His Word to His people (Exodus 20).
4.Throughout the OT God led His people by His Word. (Note Ezekiel 37:1-10)
5.Note now the NT (John 1:1, 3-4). It is in Christ that the Word has fully and finally come to us. Note also Mark 1:38. Note also Romans 10:17 and Hebrews 1:1-2. Our very life in Christ came from the Holy Spirit and the Word. The Word brings life. If we want life in the church, the Word must be central to all we do. When we read the Scripture throughout the service it is with this conviction that we do so.
6.That was exactly Paul’s message to the Thessalonians. Listen to 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, 9-10.
B.The role of God’s Word in Sanctifying - Not only does the Word bring life initially, but it is the Word that makes us grow. Note Matthew 4:4, quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3. Also see Psalm 119:105; 2 Chronicles 34; John 17:17; Ephesians 5:25-26. A healthy church hears the Word of God and keeps on hearing the Word of God. God makes us more like Him through the washing, refreshing, reshaping ministry of His Word.
1. We are not preaching opinions or trends, but the Word (2 Timothy 4:2), which is able to sanctify us through and through.
2. We are not to get sidetracked by good things forgetting the most important things (Acts 6:4).
3. Since the Word is the Word of life (Philippians 2:16), we must proclaim it. (See Dever, pp. 39-40).
4. The Thessalonians understood that it is the Word of God that sanctifies us. Note 2:13 and 5:23-24. And how does God do this? He does it by His grace through the Holy Spirit in conjunction with His Word!
CONCLUSION
1.In spite of persecution and some theological misunderstandings and a dozen other issues, the Thessalonian Church was a healthy church because they had been given the foundation of expositional preaching.
2.I wish to conclude this morning with a series of quotations from one of the finest leading evangelical spokesman of our day, Albert Mohler. Listen as I summarize an article written this past month. (The three articles are available at www.AlbertMohler.com August 9, 10, 11).
3.If we are to be a healthy church it will be because of our commitment to the Word of God as we prepare and preach and listen and obey expositional messages from the Scripture! |
