Ten Marks of a Healthy Church Member
by Thabiti Anyabwile
1. IS AN EXPOSITIONAL LISTENER
What Is It?
Expositional listening is listening for the meaning of a passage of Scripture and accepting that meaning as the main idea to be grasped for our personal and corporate lives as Christians.
What Are The Benefits Of Expositional Listening?
It cultivates a hunger for God’s Word (Psalm 119:103–104)
It helps us to focus on God’s will and to follow him (John 10:27)
It protects the gospel and our lives from corruption (2 Tim. 4:3–4)
It encourages faithful pastors (1 Tim. 5:17)
It benefits the gather congregation (1 Cor. 1:10, Rom. 12:16; 2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Pet. 3:8)
How Can Church Members Cultivate The Habit Of Expositional Listening?
Meditate on the sermon passage during quiet time
Invest in a good set of commentaries
Talk and pray with friends about the sermon after church
Listen to and act on the sermon throughout the week
Develop the habit of addressing any questions about the text itself
Cultivate humility
2. IS A BIBLICAL THEOLOGIAN
What Is It?
Every Christian is meant to be a theologian in the best and most intimate sense of the word. They must be committed to being a biblical theologian in whatever capacity they can.
What Is Biblical Theology For The Church Member?
To practice biblical theology is to know God himself
To practice biblical theology is to know God’s macro story of redemption
How Does Biblical Theology Work To Promote Health In A Church Member ?
It helps us grow in our reverence for God (Gen. 3:15; 17:15–19; 21:1–2; 29:31; 30:22; Isa. 7:14; Matt 1:20–23)
It helps us to overcome our wrong ideas (Heb. 1:1; Isa. 45:22–24; Rom. 14:10–12; Phil. 2:9–11)
It helps inoculate (protect) the church against doctrinal controversies (1 Cor. 10:11)
It is necessary to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19–20)
It deepens our understanding of and facility with the gospel (Luke 24:27; 44–45)
How To Become A Healthy Church Member By Becoming A Biblical Theologian
Read a good book on Biblical Theology
Study the scriptures thematically
Adopt the New Testament’s attitude toward the Old Testament
Study the Old Testament with Jesus and the New Testament in view
Study the books of Prophecy in the Old Testament
Know and agree to support your Church's Statement of Faith
Seek doctrinal unity and avoid needless disputes
3. IS GOSPEL SATURATED
What Is It?
The gospel is absolutely vital to a vibrant, joyous, persevering, hopeful, and healthy Christian and Christian church.
How Can Church Members Become Gospel Saturated?
Know the Gospel
Desire to hear the Gospel and preach the Gospel to yourself
Take the Gospel to its conclusion
Order your life around the Gospel
Share the Gospel with others
Guard the Gospel
4. IS GENUINELY CONVERTED
What Is It?
A healthy church member must know the work of God’s grace in his or her own soul
How Does A Church Member Understand Biblical Conversion?
All suffer the illness of sin and are sinners by nature (Rom. 8:5–8)
All are guilty and desperately need a new heart (a radical conversion)
Conversion takes place only by the power of God through the intervention of the Holy Spirit through the genuine conviction of sin that leads to repentance and relying only on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation (faith).
How Can Church Members Know Their Own Souls?
Do they walk in the light or the darkness? (1 John 1:6–10; 3:5)
Do they love God the Father? (1 John 2:15; 2:22–23)
Do they love other Christians? (1 John 5:1; 3:14b–15; 3:18–19
Do they have the testimony of the Spirit that they are children of God? (1 John 3:24b; Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15; 1 John 4:13–14)
Are they persevering in the faith? (1 John 5:4–5; Eph. 1:13–14; 1 Pe. 1:3–5)
Do they understand that evangelism is a matter of relying on the Spirit of God to bless the Word of God to effect spiritual rebirth and the radical change of conversion?
5. IS A BIBLICAL EVANGELIST
What Is It?
A Biblical evangelist is one who makes the message of the Gospel central as they seek to be a faithful evangelist by making more disciples.
How Does A Church Member Have A Biblical Understanding Of Evangelism?
They are faithful to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the people God places in contact with (1 Cor. 4:1–2)
They are content specific by presenting the truth about who God is, who men are, what sin is, who Jesus is, what Jesus has done about sin, and what we must do about what Jesus has done.
They include the notion that Christ is the exclusive way of salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
They call the hearer to repentance and faith in Jesus
How Does A Church Member Do The Work Of An Evangelist?
Tell people with honesty that if they repent and believe they will be saved—but it will be costly.
Tell people with urgency that if they repent and believe they will be saved—but they must decide now.
Tell people with joy that if they repent and believe the good news they will be saved. However difficult it may be, it is all worth it!
Use the Bible.
Understand the importance and beauty of the local church in evangelism
6. IS A COMMITTED MEMBER
What Is It?
A committed member is someone who understands and takes seriously God’s intent that the local church be central to the life of his people—that their commitment is precisely how God intends his people to live out the faith and experience Christian love.
How Is Church Membership A Biblical Idea?
Church Leadership—Qualifications of leaders who shepherd the flock (1 Tim. 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–13) and for Christians who submit to their leaders (Heb. 13:17)
Church Discipline—In order to have clear distinctions between God’s people, the church, and the surrounding world. (Matt. 18:15–17; 1 Cor. 5:9–13)
Keeping Lists and Voting—Electing leaders, submitting to them, regulating membership, keeping lists, and voting only make sense if a know, identifiable, and distinct body is recognized. (1 Tim. 5:9; 2 Cor. 2:6)
What Does A Committed Church Member Look Like?
Committed love (John 13:34–35)
Attends regularly (Heb. 10:24–25)
Seeks peace (Rom. 14:19; James 3:18)
Edifies others (1 Cor. 12, 14; Eph. 4:11–16; Mark 10:45)
Warns and admonishes others (Heb. 12:11)
Pursues reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18–21; Matt. 5:23–24)
Bears with others (Matt. 5:5, 18:21–22; Gal. 6:2)
Prepares for the ordinances
Supports the work of the ministry (Rom. 12:6–8; 2 Cor. 8–9
7. SEEKS DISCIPLINE
What Is It?
A member who embraces discipline as one means of grace in the Christian life.
What Is Discipline?
Church Leadership—Qualifications of leaders who shepherd the flock (1 Tim. 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–13) and for Christians who submit to their leaders (Heb. 13:17)
Church Discipline—In order to have clear distinctions between God’s people, the church, and the surrounding world. (Matt. 18:15–17; 1 Cor. 5:9–13)
Keeping Lists and Voting—Electing leaders, submitting to them, regulating membership, keeping lists, and voting only make sense if a known, identifiable, and distinct body is recognized. (1 Tim. 5:9; 2 Cor. 2:6)
What Does Discipline Look Like In The Life Of A Healthy Church Member?
They joyfully seek discipline
They receive the word of God with meekness (James 1:21)
They learn to recognize chastisement as evidence of God’s love (Heb. 12:5–10)
They humbly accept correction from others (Prov. 27:5–6, 1:7)
They take seriously their responsibility to discipline others
They don’t forget to rejoice (Matt. 5:4; 1 Cor. 5:2; 2 Cor. 2:6; James 5:19–20)
8. IS A GROWING DISCIPLE
What Is It?
A member who continues to have personal spiritual growth and discipleship.
What Are Some Problems We Face In Thinking About Growth?
The performance trap—our sense of growth and worth become wrongly tied up with our “stats”
Judging by the wrong standards—the tendency to judge our well-being by comparing ourselves to others
Depending on personal strength or effort in spiritual growth—the reliance on our self-effort and strength to see maturity.
What Does A Growing Church Member Look Like?
They abide in Christ (John 15:5–8)
Use the ordinary means of grace (John 15; Titus 2:11–12)
Participate in the local church (Heb. 10:25; eph. 4:11–16)
Look to Jesus’ coming (Matt. 25–26; Titus 2:13–14; 1 John 3:2–3)
9. IS A HUMBLE FOLLOWER
What Is It?
A member who humbly reflects both healthy attitudes and actions by following the leadership of the church.
What Is A Healthy Church Members Attitude Toward Church Leadership?
Honors the elders (1 Tim. 5:17–19)
Shows open-hearted love to the leaders (2 Cor. 6:11–13, 7:2–3, 8:5, 12:15)
Is teachable (2 Tim. 2:24–26)
What Are Healthy Church Members Actions Toward Church Leadership?
Patiently participates in the selection of leadership (Acts 6:1–6; 1 Tim. 3, 5:22a)
Obeys and submits to leaders (Heb. 13:17)
Follows the leaders’ example (1 Tim 4:12; 1 Pet. 5:3; Phil. 3:17, Titus 2:7)
Prays for leaders (Col. 4:2–4; Eph. 6:19–20; Luke 18:1)
Supports outside ministry and interaction of leaders (2 Cor. 9:13, 10:15–16)
10. IS A PRAYER WARRIOR
What Is It?
A member who prays constantly and prays in the Spirit.
How Should A Church Member Pray?
Constantly (1 Thess. 5:!7; Rom. 12:12; Col. 4:2, 12, 3:1–2)
In the Spirit (Rom. 8:26–27, 14–17; Ephs. 6:18)
What Does A Prayer Warrior Church Member Pray For?
Pray for laborers and shepherds (Matt. 9:36–38; Phil 1:19–20; Eph 6:19–20; Col. 4:3–4)
Pray for all the saints (Eph. 6:18; 1 Thes. 4:3; Matt. 26:41; Gal. 5:16–25)
Pray for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1–13; Rom. 13:1–2; Eph 6:1–3)
Pray for those who abuse and persecute them (Luke 6:28; Matt. 5:46–47, 10:12, 18:21–35)
