How do you keep the church healthy in an unhealthy world? The local church is the Body of Christ, and great attention must be given to the matter of maintaining a healthy body.
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III John 1:2
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
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In these days of the coronavirus pandemic, the subject of health is almost universally discussed. Everyone is concerned about temperature checks, face masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing as we try to protect ourselves from the virus. Regardless of whether you agree with the way things have been handled, we all agree that the Covid-19 virus is something we do not want to contract!
Just as there is the reality of physical health, there is the reality of spiritual health.
John wrote to his friend Gaius in 3 John 2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
When the Lord addressed the Laodicean church in Revelation 3, He explained the reality of their spiritual condition by pointing out to them exactly how unhealthy they were. “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” In the next verse He told them to apply eye salve to heal their blindness.
It is as important for Christians and churches to be spiritually healthy as it is for individuals to be physically healthy! Sadly, the statistics show that the average person takes little care of his or her health until suddenly something goes wrong. People eat junk food, drink sodas and sugar-filled drinks, dine at fast food joints, spend hours on the couch watching television, and spend very little time in exercise.
Before they know it, they have high blood pressure issues, diabetes, heart problems caused by too much weight, and a host of other health problems. Sometimes the diagnosis jumpstarts their awareness that they have to change their lifestyle, sometimes drastically, or they will not survive! The same things are true of our churches!
The local church is the Body of Christ, and great attention must be given to the matter of maintaining a healthy body!
The church of Laodicea was cruising along, convinced that because they were financially sound that they were just fine. In reality, they were so unhealthy that God was almost finished with them!
The Lord actually told the church of Sardis that they were dead in spite of the fact that they had a reputation for
being a great church! (Revelation 3:1- 2) How many of our churches today are spiritually unhealthy but totally unaware of our condition? While this is undoubtedly a subject upon which an entire book can be written, it would be wise for us to consider a few matters that can help us discern the spiritual health of our church.
1. Is There A Fervent Spirit?
“Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”
Romans 12:10
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
I Peter 4:8
The Saviour condemned the church at Laodicea because their works were accomplished with a lukewarm heart. There was no fire, no zeal, no passion,
and no love. They were just going through the motions and assuming that because their bills were being paid that they were a blessed church. We should take a step back and watch the singing, the testimonies, and the countenances of our people as they serve. We must be far more concerned with the spirit of our people than we are with the size and scope of our property!
2. Is There A Scriptural Focus?
The church of Laodicea found out that they were spiritually blind. They could not see what they were or what they should have been. Peter challenged his readers to continue to add to their faith constantly lest they be ”blind, and cannot see afar off.”
It is unsettling to count how many times the Old Testament prophets describe God’s people as having eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear.
Today, churches are under pressure to provide more entertainment, more activities, and more drama to keep people. That is a sign that the focus is wrong and spiritual blindness is rampant.
3. Are There Steps Of Faith?
When the Lord tried to correct the Laodicean church, He told them to buy of Him, “gold tried in the fire.” Peter used a similar expression as he talked about the “trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold…” When a church is first starting, the pastor and people have dreams and visions of a day with a bigger building filled with people.
They dream of starting a Youth Ministry, a Mission Program, a Bus Route, a Nursing Home Ministry, and many others to reach people for Christ. But sometimes, when a church obtains those things, they no longer have a vision for a new step of faith. They get comfortable and content with things as they are and feel no compulsion to step out in faith and do more for God. There should always be a sense that God has something more for us to accomplish!
4. Are New Souls Being Added To The Family?
The Scripture says in the first church at Jerusalem, “that the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” In the human body, our cells have finite life-spans, and are they are constantly being replaced! Generally, all of our cells are finally replaced every seven to ten years! Without the new cells, we would die!
A church that does not see souls saved, baptized, and added to the church will not survive more than one generation! If we only rely on getting new members who transfer from another church, whether local or out of state, we have stopped growing!
Thirteen years ago, my health totally collapsed.
Pneumonia ravaged every system in my body, and during the painfully long recovery, I was diagnosed with cancer. I realized that I only get one body, and it is with that body that I serve the Lord, so I embarked on a radical change in my life. My diet and my daily routine have been revolutionized. I have gotten rid of the wrong foods and habits and have replaced them with healthy ones. I spend time every single day working out with weights and resistance bands to increase my strength and endurance. It takes a lot of work and a ton of consistency, but the results are so worth it!
In like manner, we must take a close look at our churches and move beyond false contentment. We must keep a constant check on the pulse and vision of our church. Promotions and giveaways serve their purposes, but they don’t make a church healthy! Prayer and the ministry of the Word have always been God’s Way!
If New England is going to be reached for Christ, our churches must be healthy and strong and vibrant! A storefront church can be as healthy as a well- established one. A church plant can be spiritually healthy while the church with all the buildings and properties and programs can be on spiritual life support in God’s eyes. Let us take the time to strengthen the things that remain!