Healthy, Growing Churches (5)

“These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.’” Revelation 3.1

Commentary on the Apocalypse 3.1
Victorinus of Petovium (d. 304)
“This fifth class, group or manner of saint refers to those persons who are negligent and behave in a manner other than what they ought in the world, who are vacuous in works and who are only Christian in name. And therefore he exhorts them so that in some way they might reverse themselves from this dangerous negligence and be saved. ‘Strengthen,’ he says, ‘that which is in danger of death. I have not found your work perfect before my God.’ For it is not sufficient that a tree live but yet not give fruit. Neither is it sufficient that one be called a Christian, confess himself to be a Christian, and yet not do the works of a Christian.”

In our front yard we have a non-fruit-bearing weeping mulberry. But since it bears no fruit, how do I know it’s a mulberry tree? Yes, it grows like a mulberry, and has leaves that look like mulberry leaves. But the real test is the fruit, and, well, there is none. I’ll continue to use the name, but only as a point of reference, not because I expect any real boon to come from this tree. The church in Sardis had become like this. It was a church in name only. It looked like a church, talked like a church, maintained many of the trappings of a church – just like our mulberry tree. But there was no fruit. No shepherding. No equipping the saints for ministry as a way of life. No unity of the faith or of the knowledge of the Son of God. Nothing. Just a sign out front, and a gathering of people who found a measure of comfort in their weekly assemblies. They may call themselves a church, but they’re misnamed. Churches which cannot discern that they are non-fruit-bearing churches are surely children, and need to “watch,” lest Christ come in judgment and “blot out” their name as a church worthy of that name.

What kind of fruit should your church bear in your community?

T. M. Moore

The Work of Shepherds
In case you missed our series on shepherding and the work of shepherds, you can receive a free PDF of 28 morning and evening readings, in which we unpack the Biblical teaching concerning the work of shepherding, guided by great shepherds of the past. Simply write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and ask John to send you a copy of The Work of Shepherds.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Quotations from Church Fathers are from the Ancient Christian Commentary Series, published by InterVarsity Press.