Church family

Quick post today - what I'm learning - spiritual growth and what church "family" is all about...enjoy!

The following is a brief selection of excerpts from “9 Marks of a Healthy Church” by Mark Dever. Not only has it helped me to identify things to look for in the church I choose to attend, it has also helped me figure out where I, as an individual can fall short and how I need to take on some personal responsibility for my spiritual growth too…but more importantly, how “I” fit into the church community as a member, how God wants us to operate as a healthy family and body together.

A church full of growing Christians is the kind of church growth I want as a pastor. Some today seem to think that one can be a “baby Christian” for a whole lifetime. Growth is seen to be an optional extra for particularly zealous disciples. But be very careful about taking that line of thought. Growth is a sign of life. Growing trees are living trees, and growing animals are living animals. When something stops growing, it dies.

Growth may not mean that you negotiate this rapid in half the time you negotiated the last; it may simply mean that you are able to continue in the right direction as a Christian, regardless of the adverse circumstances. Remember, it is only things that are alive that swim upstream; the dead things all float along with the current.

Good influences in a covenanted community of believers can be tools in God’s hand for growing His people. As God’s people are built up and grow together in holiness and self-giving love, they should improve their ability to administer discipline and to encourage discipleship.

If we are to grow as individual believers and as churches, we must sit under the Word. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to plant and to weed the gardens of our hearts. This spiritual growth is not optional; it is vital, because spiritual growth indicates life. Things that are truly alive, grow.

There are only two types of people – those who serve Christ as LORD in their life, with Him on the throne, and then non-Christians. There are no “middle-category” carnal Christians – that would be an oxymoron like hot ice. It just doesn’t make sense. You can’t live your life in a manner that is different from what you profess.

Consider what it means to be a Christian. It’s not that you’re perfect, but that your heart does intend to seek the Lord. If you are a Christian, it is because GOD, by His own gracious actions in your life, has grown a desire in you to live a life that pleases Him more and more. Such growth is a sign of true spiritual life.

For an individual, this means that you are to take an ACTIVE part in your church, not simply by attending, by praying, and by giving (though you SHOULD do all those things); more than such things…

you should be ACTIVELY getting to know your church family, you should be praying through the list of those other people with whom you have covenanted to serve God.

You should listen as other members of the body tell about what God is doing in their lives or about their concerns – and then PRAY WITH THEM.

You must realize that part of your obligation and privilege as a member of the church is to get to know other believers and to make yourself known to them. Study God’s word together! Learn to think as a church about God’s Word! You should be growing in grace yourself, and in the knowledge of God’s Word, in the knowledge of your own heart and of the hearts of your brothers and sisters, and in awareness of the opportunities God is putting in front of your church!

I do pray that you're all finding yourselves immersed within a healthy, vibrant, loving church community. It's so sweet! Praise the Lord that we don't have to, can't go at it alone!

Grace and peace to you.