7. Bad health.
It’s no surprise to anyone who has spent time in more than a few churches to learn that some are unhealthy. And by that, we do not mean just because they are small, they are sick. You can be small and healthy; behold the hummingbird.
An unhealthy church is known more by what it does than by a list of characteristics and attributes. A church that runs its preachers off every year or two is unhealthy. A church that is constantly bickering is unhealthy. A church that cannot make a simple decision like choose the color of the carpet, adopt the next year’s budget, or accept changes in an order of worship may be unhealthy.
So, what is a healthy church and how do we get from here to there?
Entire libraries could be filled with books written on the healthy church, and consultants abound, ready to assist congregations toward that purpose. But here it is in shorthand….
Romans 12 is God’s blueprint for a healthy church. It divides into three parts: verses 1-2 call for each individual to make a personal commitment to Christ (“present your bodies as a living sacrifice”), verses 3-8 call for each one to find his/her place of service where they can use their spiritual gifts, and vs. 9 through the end of the chapter describes the relationships within a healthy, loving fellowship of believers.
Show me a congregation where everyone is committed to Jesus Christ, each one is using the God-given spiritual gifts in the Lord’s service, and the fellowship is sweet and active–and I’ll show you a healthy church.
