By Adam Dooley
What would you do to avoid going to church? Years ago, 7-year-old Preston Scarborough was so desperate to bypass the Sunday morning gathering that he stole his family’s white Dodge Intrepid in order to skip town. His actions led to a 40-mph car chase across Plain City, Utah where the boy ran a stop sign, circled a high school parking lot, and nearly hit a motorist. Eventually, he drove home, jumped out of the car, and ran inside.
When authorities asked why he did it, Preston offered a remarkably simple explanation, “I didn’t want to go to church.” The local news anchorman summed up the public’s sentiment, “What jury would convict him for running from a long sermon?” While most would never take such drastic measures, plenty of Americans no longer see the value of congregating with other believers. Somewhere along the way, Christians have lost the sense that belonging to a local church is a sacred privilege.
In a world of constant comparison and criticism, people have stopped asking “How can I contribute to God’s kingdom?” and focused more on “What can this church do for me?” Evaluating the music, critiquing the preaching, scrutinizing the programs and measuring everything according to our personal preferences is par for the course in an age where people change churches almost as frequently as they change clothes.
Contrary to these trends, however, the New Testament pictures the church as a family that serves, encourages, teaches, gives, prays, worships and carries the Gospel into the world. The Apostle Paul’s description of the ekklesia in Thessalonica casts a biblical vision of how a healthy assembly will function (1 Thessalonians 1).
First, a healthy church will demonstrate consistency in its membership. The Thessalonian Christians bore at least three tangible evidences of genuine salvation. Paul remembered their work of faith, their labor of love,and their steadfastness of hope (1 Thess. 1:3). In other words, their walk matched their talk. These descriptions serve as the reminder that the best church members are the saved ones (shocker, I know)!
Though God saves us by grace through faith, good works are the visible fruit of life-change. According to James, faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Though we do not work in order to earn salvation, we do strive to obey God with a deep sense of gratitude for His forgiveness (Romans 6:1-2). Genuine love will consistently motivate the people of God to serve strenuously with an abiding hope that enables perseverance in the faith (2 Cor. 5:14-15). Healthy churches have members who do more than occupy pews. God works among and through transformed people whose lives demonstrate the reality of their confession.
Second, a healthy church will possess conviction about its message. The earliest congregations preached the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and with great conviction (1 Thessalonians 1:5). In a culture that foolishly celebrates the value of every individual’s “truth,” the mandate of the church is to proclaim “the truth.”
Christ’s death on the cross, along with His burial and resurrection, does not represent a way, or even the best way to know God. No, according to the Scripture Jesus is the only way and the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Churches do not exist to entertain, preserve tradition, or push political agendas. We cannot improve upon the Gospel, and we dare not replace it in our efforts to be relevant. Simply put, biblical content matters.
Houses of worship that shy away from or stubbornly deny what the Bible openly declares do more harm than good. Those that promise forgiveness without repentance, laud material prosperity over eternal reward, and jettison scriptural teaching on marriage, gender, and sexual morality may draw large crowds, but their buildings will not house biblical churches (Romans 16:17-18; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Peter 2:1-3).
Third, a healthy church will display confidence in its ministers. Granted, no pastor is perfect and every servant makes mistakes (1 Timothy 1:15). Spiritual leaders have no right to demand blind loyalty or to abuse their God-given authority. Yet, Paul reminded the Thessalonians how he and his companions lived among them, remembering that they became imitators of the apostle and the Lord (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Similarly, the apostle Peter instructed pastors to be “examples to the flock” as they serve (1 Peter 5:3).
For every wolf in sheep’s clothing who exploits those under his care, there are dozens of faithful shepherds who do not lord over their congregations but daily impart both the gospel and their very lives to the people they minister to (1 Thessalonians 2:8). Every leader who carefully watches over the souls of those whom he oversees deserves the support and cooperation of his people (Hebrews 13:17). Thriving churches understand this.
Finally, a healthy church will maintain commitment to its mission. Despite tremendous persecution, the Thessalonians refused to remain silent and “the word of the Lord sounded forth” from their midst (1 Thessalonians 1:8). The vivid description depicts a trumpet blasting its message so clearly that everyone hears it.
Taking the Gospel to the “highways and hedges” is the core assignment for those called to be Christ’s witnesses (Luke 14:23; Acts 1:8). Evangelism seldom happens accidentally. Compassion ministries and social efforts have their places, but the main business of the church is to make disciples who make disciples through the spread of the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). Our primary goal is to help people turn from idols to serve the living God (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).
May the Lord bless you with a healthy home church to worship, serve, and spread the Gospel!
Dooley is pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, Tenn. He writes at adamdooley.org.
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