“Anatomy of a Healthy Church”
Acts 11:19-30, 13:1-3
Introduction: Welcome to this last worship service of 2017. As I begin my preaching and teaching ministry here at Thayer Church my prayer is that that Lord will use me to be a blessing to you and your family. Sis. Judy and I are excited about this new ministry opportunity and look forward to what God has in store for 2018.
For a good part of my ministry the focus been on church growth and I have had the opportunity to see growth in the ministries that we have been blessed to be a part of. The emphasis in our denominational ministries has been on church growth. Our departments have sought to provide training and materials to help our churches to grow. But in the last few years I have come to realize that church growth cannot exclusively be measure in numbers. Numbers are important but many now believe that there are other standards of measurement; other ways to determine if a church is going to grow or not. I’m referring to church health, for a healthy church will grow in a sustainable way, that is the fruit will remain while an unhealthy church may grow in number but not be healthy. Long term growth is determined by church health. For my first official message as your senior pastor I want to focus our attention on a NT church that is a model for what I’m speaking about.
Let’s see what is revealed in the text:
Acts 11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. 22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. 23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. 25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: 26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. 27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: 30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
I. A Healthy Church is distinctly Gospel Centric
a. The Character of the Gospel they proclaimed
Tim Keller nuances the narratives in today’s culture by saying that there are two lines of thought today in the church. One is “religion” and the other narrative is “Gospel”. He goes on to say the difference between Gospel and religion is religion says if you obey, you are acceptable; but the Gospel message says you are accepted, therefore you obey. There focus was on relationship and not religion.
The early church was distinctly a “gospel preaching” and teaching church. They preached the word; they exhorted them and taught them the word. The Gospel was the center of everything that they did.
“The Gospel (the Good News) of Jesus Christ tells us…We are more sinful and weak than we ever cared to admit; AND…We are more loved and accepted than we ever dared to hope.”
b. The centrality of Christ in the Gospel
Verse 20 tells us that the Gospel that they preached was Christocentric.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
JESUS IS THE GOSPEL.
"Fundamentally, our Lord’s message was Himself. He did not come merely to preach a Gospel; He himself is that Gospel. He did not come merely to give bread; He said, "I am the bread." He did not come merely to shed light; He said, "I am the light." He did not come merely to show the door; He said, "I am the door." ...He did not come merely to point the way; He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."--J. Sidlow Baxter, pastor and theologian
c. This Gospel was life changing
Verse 21 tells us the results of preaching a Christocentric gospel.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
Our text tells us that Barnabas left Antioch, went to Tarsus and found Saul (Paul), and brought him to Antioch and that they stayed for a year teaching and discipling the new converts.
In Saul of Tarsus we have one of the greatest examples of the power of the Gospel in the history of the church.
Point #1 then is; Healthy Churches are distinctly Gospel Centric
II. A Healthy Church displays the effects of Grace
Look at verse 23 with me; 23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
There was evidence on display of the effects of the grace of God in the lives of these believers. Just exactly what did Barnabas see?
a. Their fruits
A good translation of Galatians 5:22-23 is found and the ESV.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of (that the Spirit produces) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
One of the peculiarities of the American church is that there is much emphasis of the gifts of the Spirit but very little on the fruits of the Spirit. Yet, Paul makes it plain that the evidence of genuine faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is fruit! Not everyone has spiritual gifts but all may have spiritual fruit! Spiritual fruits begins with love.
SOURCE: Donald Grey Barnhouse writes:
Love is the key. Joy is love singing. Peace is love resting. Long-suffering is love enduring. Kindness is love's touch. Goodness is love's character. Faithfulness is love's habit. Gentleness is love's self-forgetfulness. Self-control is love holding the reins.
b. Their fellowship
In spite of the fact that the church was birthed in Jerusalem it was not until the Gospel was embraced by both Jew and Gentile alike in Antioch in Syria that the disciples were called “Christians.”
In Vincent’s Word Studies we find this quote: The disciples were called this, they did not assume the name themselves. It occurs in only three passages in the New Testament: here; Act_26:28; and 1Pe_4:16; and only in the last-named passage is used by a Christian of a Christian. The name was evidently not given by the Jews of Antioch, to whom Christ was the interpretation of Messiah, and who wouldn't have bestowed that name on those whom they despised as apostates. The Jews designated the Christians as Nazarenes (Act_24:5), a term of contempt, because it was a proverb that nothing good could come out of Nazareth (Joh_1:47), The name was probably not assumed by the disciples themselves; for they were in the habit of styling each other believers, disciples, saints, brethren, those of the way. It, doubtless, was bestowed by the Gentiles. Some suppose that it was applied as a term of ridicule, and cite the witty and sarcastic character of the people of Antioch, and their notoriety for inventing names of derision; but this is doubtful. The name may have been given simply as a distinctive title, naturally chosen from the recognized and avowed devotion of the disciples to Christ as their leader.
Point #2 is; Healthy Churches display the effects of Grace
III. A Healthy Church is Generous
A barber in a small town was busy cutting hair one day when the local cop walked in to get a haircut. And the barber was feeling a bit generous that day, so he said to the cop... "Since you do such a good job protecting us, and watching over us... today’s haircut is free." The cop said he appreciated that, and the next day when the barber showed up at his shop, there were a dozen donuts waiting for him. In walks a local florist. The barber tells him how much he appreciates all the work that he has done around town, planting bushes and flowers and making the town look real nice, so he gives him a free haircut. The next day, the barber shows up at his shop and there are a dozen flowers waiting for him. In walks the local preacher, the barber tells him how he is feeling generous that day, and how much he appreciates all his hard work with the children and taking care of the needs of the people, so the preacher gets a free haircut. The next the barber shows up at his shop, and there are a dozen preachers waiting there for him.
Generosity is a characteristic of healthy churches. It is when we are generous that we are most like our heavenly Father is give “…every good and perfect gift,” and who “…gives us all things richly to enjoy.” Jesus had more to say about this subject than any other thing that he preached and taught about. We notice three things about their giving:
a. The prompting
There was a prophet by the name of Agabus who prophesied a famine in Palestine during the reign of the emperor Claudius. This famine was at its height during the year A.D. 45 so the disciples were giving in advance of this need. There is an admonition to Scripture to “…do good unto all men, especially those who are of the household of faith…”
b. The proportion
The text indicates that all of the disciples shared in this offering “…according to his ability…” indicating that rich and poor alike took part in this special love offering.
1 Corinth 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
c. The performance
Verse 30 tells us that their good intentions were accompanied by action. They “…sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul…”
2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 10 And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
One of the most interesting words in the NT is this word “cheerful.” Robertson’s Word Pictures states: For God loveth a cheerful giver (hilaron gar dote¯n agapa¯i ho theos). Our word “hilarious” comes from hilaron which is from hilaos (propitious), an old and common adjective, only here in N.T.
Point #3 is; Healthy Churches are generous
IV. A Healthy Church is Missional
a. The saints
Notice the collection of believers. It was truly a model of what a healthy church ought to be. We are familiar with Barnabas who is a co-laborer with Paul; Simeon Niger is thought to be the individual who carried the cross of Christ; Lucius in not thought to be Luke of the gospel that bears his name but is numbered among the prophets and teachers in Antioch and Manaen who was a foster brother to Herod Antipas. A healthy church is a collection of different individuals from all walks of life, of every demographic and background who have one thing in common, they have all trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
b. The selection
During the natural course of ministry and under the direction of the Holy Spirit the church is led to commission Barnabas and Saul for “…the work…” How rare it is today to here of someone yielding to the call of the ministry as a preacher, evangelist or missionary. Could be that our churches are so unhealthy that they do not serve as an incubator for the Holy Spirit to stir and call folks into His “work?” I am convinced that a healthy church will produce an spiritual atmosphere where it will be natural and normal for believers to surrender to God’s call on their lives. Another aspect of this type of spiritual climate is that we have to be willing to “let them go” is they are called. Parents have to be willing to give up their children to the Lord’s work no matter where it may lead them. I remember the day that we took our daughter Christi to Free Will Baptist Bible College. I remember driving away from the college, looking in the rearview mirror and seeing her standing out on the sidewalk in front of the girl’s dorm. Judy and I cried till we got to Dixon, Tennessee, almost 40 miles away!
c. The sending
A very important part of the ministry of a healthy church is its “sending” ministry. Missionaries need support; young people attending our Bible Colleges need support! I have had a lifelong commitment to higher Christian education. My daughter, son-in-law and my oldest grandson are alumni of Welch College. When we arrived in Dothan 10.5 years ago there were not any college age young people in the church but we believed that God was going to call someone to go and we started preparing but taking up a small offering on Wednesday night which soon became several thousand dollars. In my 4th year at Dothan a young man named Zach Vickery surrendered to preach and went to Welch College. We were able to give him $1,000 per semester for his entire 4 years of undergraduate work, his two years in the first Master’s Degree program and now he is in Cambridge, England pursuing his doctorate with plans to one day teach at Welch College! The point is we asked God to select someone and then we got ready in advance to send them. If you are going to pray for rain, take an umbrella to work!
Points #4 is; Healthy Churches are Missional
Conclusion: Rick Warren the pastor of one of the largest churches in America, states, and I agree, that the key issue for churches in the 21st Century will be church health, not growth. Because when a congregation is healthy it will grow. God wants his church to grow, and to the extent that we are healthy, to that extent we will grow naturally. The church at Antioch is a model for us today. Every church needs a spiritual “check-up.” Four things need to be examined; Four questions need to be asked.
#1 Is it Gospel Centric?
#2 Does it display the effects of Grace?
#3 Is it generous?
#4 Is it missional?
If all of these can be found then we can say that the patient is healthy. If they are absent they there is work to be done to bring the patient to health!
