Pray for Your Church: Ministries (6)
“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Revelation 2.2-4
Great expectations
Even a cursory reading of Revelation 2 and 3 will convince us that Jesus has expectations for His churches. He has in His mind a template and pattern for how a church should be built and what it should look like as it takes on its calling as the Body of the Lord in its community. The seven churches Jesus singled out in these chapters represent the Church in every age and place. His assessment of these churches puts us on notice concerning how we should assess the state of our church at any time and what we must do to bring our expectations into line with His.
We’re not very good at this. Counting noses, tallying up contributions, and reporting on baptisms and new members—these are the criteria at which we typically aim and to which we point in determining the health of our churches. But these criteria appear nowhere in Revelation 2 and 3. Jesus is looking for more.
He is looking to determine the state of truth in a church—in the teaching, preaching, and lives of the people (Rev. 2.2, 3, 14, 15). He examines the works of a church and the way it bears up in times of trouble (2.9). Do they follow the example He set or merely go along to get along? Jesus considers the moral and spiritual purity of a church, whether it harbors any evil influences, suffers any false teachings, or whether any false winds of doctrine are filling its sails (2.14, 20). He looks to see if His churches are steadfast over time and persevering in His work of making disciples (2.25, 26). Jesus is seeking good works from His churches (3.2), perseverance in faith (3.10), spiritual vitality rather than complacency and status quo ministry (3.15, 16).
Jesus has expectations, and we must embrace those expectations and work to ensure that, in all aspects of our church’s ministry, we are aiming at Jesus’ thoughts and plans and not just our own.
Historically, theologians have grouped these various expectations into a series of marks. Year-in and year-out, as we examine the state of these marks in our church, we will have a better sense of the overall health of our congregation and where we need to focus for improvement.
The marks of a church
Churches especially should concentrate on knowing the state of three marks: faithfulness in the proclamation and hearing of the Word; right and consistent exercise of church discipline; and the proper administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Here we can only be brief.
The ministry of the Word must be faithful to the teaching of the Word—the whole counsel of God in Scripture—and to the needs of the community. Preachers, teachers, shepherds at all levels, and household heads are charged with knowing God’s Word, making it clear, and urging obedience to all that God teaches throughout the Scriptures. All believers are responsible for feeding on the Word of God so that they may be nourished into Christlikeness by its milk and meat. All who hear the Word must be diligent in receiving and applying it, bearing the fruit of the Word which comes from their own reading and study as well as the teaching of the church. This is the first mark of a healthy church.
Second, church discipline is for the edification of the church and its members. The most common and necessary form of discipline is that which members exercise toward one another through prayer, encouragement, example, exhortation, and confrontation. Higher levels of discipline—suspension from the Lord’s Supper and excommunication—come into play to help believers overcome sinful practices and to keep the congregation pure of sin. These aspects of discipline are brought to bear only when the first and most consistently active form of discipline fails to achieve the end of repentance. All church discipline is to be practiced in love with the aim of preserving the honor of Christ in the members and the congregation.
The final mark of a healthy church is the proper administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Careful preparation, clear and consistent explanation, appropriate encouragements and warnings, and an overall attitude of solemnity and joy should characterize our use of these glorious institutions.
Pursuing these marks faithfully will help churches keep from coming under the disciplining eye of the Lord and will allow them to overcome adversity, distraction, compromise, faithlessness, complacency, spiritual lethargy, misdirection, and false teaching.
The greatest expectation of all
But overarching and laced throughout these marks is the one defining mark of a church and of every true believer: the Presence of and love for our Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 2.4). In a healthy, growing church, all members are striving to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus by submitting to His Word, yielding to His Spirit, and following in His path (2 Cor. 3.12-18; 1 Jn. 2.1-6). A healthy, growing church becomes the Presence of Jesus, incarnated throughout its community, bringing near the Kingdom of God by word and deed in a wide variety of ways. Love for Jesus pervades all church activities and ministries—worship, equipping, mercy ministries, and more. Everything in a healthy, growing church contributes to that church growing up into maturity in Jesus (Eph. 4.12-16). Love for Jesus must be the mark and hallmark and benchmark of every believer and every church.
Here is a prayer you can use for your church as it lives and works to incarnate the Lord in your community:
Thank You, Jesus,
that You examine us continually,
encourage us unfailingly,
and show us by Your Word and example
how we must grow to maturity in you
as believers and a church.
Give us clear understanding, Lord,
of what You expect.
Fill us with the desire
to fulfill Your expectations.
And grow us into the joy
that comes with increasing in
knowledge and love for You.
For reflection
1. Does your church regularly evaluate the state of its life and ministry? What criteria does it use?
2. What is your own practice of examining yourself to see where you need to grow?3. What problems can arise from failing to examine ourselves and our churches according to the Lord’s criteria?
Next steps—Preparation: Develop a means for daily and weekly evaluation of your walk with and work for the Lord. Listen to the Spirit (Ps. 139.23, 24) as He leads you through this discipline.
T. M. Moore
Give thanks
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: We continue reading excerpts from the book, Revived! in our Read Moore column. Why not listen in? Last week’s Crosfigell letter called us to make sure we have the right priorities.
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting Crosfigell and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
