Formula For A Healthy Church

Formula for a healthy church and suggestions for new church members by Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick, used here with his permission:

1. Keep your eyes on Jesus; do not begin to measure yourself by other people.

2. Realize that the church is made up of people who are still growing; don’t imagine that everyone else has arrived.

3. Get to know a variety of members in your new church family.

4. Attend the meetings of the church, all of which are intended to strengthen you.

5. Beware of anyone who’s energy seem to be invested in forming cliques and alliances, or who warns you about groups nameless or not within the congregation who are unfair or fighting for fairness.

6. The church exists to help its members grow in their experience with Jesus Christ, to instruct in present truth, and to organize for reaching out to others. While the church can assist, admonish,and encourage, most often the best source of help is to go directly to the Lord. God does not intend for His church to be distracted by personal agendas or unresolved psychological baggage people carry around with them.

7. Scripture urges us to pray for all who are in authority, and this includes the pastor. At the same time, the pastor is not to be a dictator; he is to work in harmony with the congregation for the advance of Jesus’ distinct end-time message committed to the remnant church. Most pastors will be glad to see in you an ally in helping the church be a healthier place.

8. Now that you’ve joined the church family, keep your experience healthy by maintaining your devotional life, studying daily from the Bible, reading carefully through the many Spirit of Prophecy books, and sharing your new found faith with others!

9. Neither the pastor nor the church board define truth; they are only supposed to report it. The Bible and Spirit of Prophecy writings are the measure of truth.

10. We are part of a world church and we should work in harmony with our brethren, ever seeking unity while never compromising principle.

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Please feel free to add your own suggestions for a healthy church. [Smile]

Here are the last few statements:

Quote: posted by Daryl

I think good and loving non-judgmental relationships with one another is an important part of a good formula for a healthy church.

Quote: posted by DrD

Not everyone who grows will be like you when grown, in actions, beliefs or relationships.

Quote: posted by Will

Encourage the brethren to be an active church, by going out and witnessing to people to come to know Christ, and do this by Word and in deed.

Quote: posted by Redfog

Don't criticize those who might not dress, eat, use adornment or play music the way you feel is right.

I don’t see anything in Daryl’s or Will’s statements that needs to be clarified. Perhaps DrD could have been more clear with the scope of his comments. Perhaps Redfog needed to define the terms “criticize” and “right”.

Jeff

Posted By: John H.

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 03/29/05 07:23 AM

DrD posted,

quote:
LK is right on, there is no good reason to keep people in the world church that act like Mary Magnaline.

Sarcasm intended, evidently.

Have you lost sight of the fact that Jesus told her, "Go, and sin no more"? John 8:11. See also John 5:14.

Posted By: DrD

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/03/05 02:43 AM

Did you forget that she did not take the direction 6 times? How many times would we allow a lady of the evening to "slip" back into business?

Posted By: John H.

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/03/05 09:17 AM

Six times? Where do we find that?

Posted By: DrD

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/03/05 07:16 PM

I'm not going to spoon feed you. Read your Biblical History.

Posted By: Will

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/03/05 11:25 PM

Yet Jesus did not cast out Mary magdalene. We need to follow Christ's example. Peter denied havgint anyhing to do with Christ 3 times. Do we remove people who are having troubles with their faith?
God Bless,
-Will

Posted By: John H.

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/04/05 04:25 AM

DrD,

quote:
I'm not going to spoon feed you. Read your Biblical History.

No spoon feeding required. It's just that I find no hint in either the Bible or the SOP that Mary Magdalene returned to her former behavior six times, so I'm wondering where you think you've found that.

Posted By: John H.

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/04/05 04:44 AM

Will,

quote:
Do we remove people who are having troubles with their faith?

That depends. Jesus allowed Judas to be among His 12 disciples, though He knew Judas' heart. He accepted Mary in spite of her past; when we repent and turn our lives over to Him, He accepts all of us in spite of our pasts!

Yet look also at the case of Ananias and Sapphira. Some actions, some motives, indicate that the person(s) isn't (aren't) fit for fellowship with God's church.

Look also at what Paul said in Titus 3:10,11:

10 "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself."

Different actions are indicated in different circumstances. One size doesn't fit all.

Posted By: vastergotland

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/04/05 08:48 AM

Matthew 13
24Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27“The owner's servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”

Posted By: John H.

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/04/05 04:19 PM

Thomas, that parable deals with situations where we can't tell whether people are true Christians or not; it doesn't deal with those who openly sin.

"Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be separated from the church, but He has not committed to us the work of judging character and motive. He knows our nature too well to entrust this work to us. Should we try to uproot from the church those whom we suppose to be spurious Christians, we should be sure to make mistakes."
{COL 71.3}

We can't judge motives, but we're commanded to judge according to actions where open sin is involved, and to act accordingly. One example:

1 Corinthians 5:11-13
11 "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person."

Another:

Matthew 18:15-17
15 "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."

One of the reasons the church is so feeble at present is that sinful behavior is, by and large, tolerated by too many in leadership positions.

Posted By: vastergotland

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/05/05 06:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by John:
Thomas, that parable deals with situations where we can't tell whether people are true Christians or not; it doesn't deal with those who openly sin.

May I object that both the servants and the owner of the field where quite clear that there where weeds and wanted to uproot them. The objection doesnt seem to be that they would pull the wheat but that the wheat would follow unintended while rooting up the weeds. As with any weeding, pulling up one root loosens the earth around it and if it grows tangled with other roots both would be pulled up.

1 cor 5:1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
...
6Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

Matt 18:10“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

12“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninetynine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninetynine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
...
18“I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be[d]bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventyseven times.

23“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

30“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

These are some great bible chaptes John, thanks for bringing them up.

/Thomas

Posted By: Larry Kirkpatrick

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/05/05 04:41 AM

Would you want to live in a town with no laws and no law enforcement? No church discipline, no church. But then some today would prefer exactly that. LK

Posted By: Daryl

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/05/05 05:42 PM

Let's go a step further:

Would you want to live in the New Earth with no laws?

If there had not have been any laws, then Lucifer could have done what he had done without any consequences from God, Eve and then Adam could have done what they had done without any consequences from God, and today we all could do whatever we are doing without any consequences from God. I stress without any consequences from God as look what man is doing to man, and even amidst imperfect man-made laws!

Posted By: vastergotland

Re: Formula For A Healthy Church - 04/05/05 11:05 PM

Larry and Daryl

Where did you pick up the idea of lawlessness in this thread? Was it the quotes from Matthew 13, Matthew 18 or 1 Corinthians 5? Was it somewhere else?

/Thomas