What does a healthy church look like? One mark of a healthy church is the ABILITY to REPRODUCE new CONVERTS.
Consider:
In any realm of existence, whether in the plant world or the animal world, or in the human race, a clear mark of being healthy is the ability to reproduce offspring. Sick animals generally do not reproduce well. Diseased plants do not reproduce well. Wherever you see health and fertility you also see NEW LIFE, BABIES, and OFFSRPING.
Let’s apply this to churches:
Healthy churches desire to see reproduction. Healthy, mature believers tolerate juvenile behavior (from spiritual babies) while training their progeny for growth. Healthy churches actually have immature people all over the place because they have the ability to REPRODUCE.
If you are looking for a church where there are no new believers (babes on milk) and everyone there already serves and tithes – you’re not looking for a healthy church - you are looking for a DYING CHURCH. Dying churches DO NOT have the ABILITY to REPRODUCE because they are spiritually IMPOTENT. They are infertile. They are slowly dying. And if they do somehow cling to life it is accomplished only by TRANSFER GROWTH from other churches – that is, they are on “LIFE SUPPORT" from other churches. Need I point out that this kind of existance is unnatural? Dying churches cling to life ONLY through artifical, external sources. They lack "life within."
Consider:
In any realm of existence, whether in the plant world or the animal world, or in the human race, a clear mark of being healthy is the ability to reproduce offspring. Sick animals generally do not reproduce well. Diseased plants do not reproduce well. Wherever you see health and fertility you also see NEW LIFE, BABIES, and OFFSRPING.
Let’s apply this to churches:
Healthy churches desire to see reproduction. Healthy, mature believers tolerate juvenile behavior (from spiritual babies) while training their progeny for growth. Healthy churches actually have immature people all over the place because they have the ability to REPRODUCE.
If you are looking for a church where there are no new believers (babes on milk) and everyone there already serves and tithes – you’re not looking for a healthy church - you are looking for a DYING CHURCH. Dying churches DO NOT have the ABILITY to REPRODUCE because they are spiritually IMPOTENT. They are infertile. They are slowly dying. And if they do somehow cling to life it is accomplished only by TRANSFER GROWTH from other churches – that is, they are on “LIFE SUPPORT" from other churches. Need I point out that this kind of existance is unnatural? Dying churches cling to life ONLY through artifical, external sources. They lack "life within."
There are few things more DISTURBING than a congregation of adult believers standing around COMPLAINING that no one has come to Christ while, at the same time, refusing to do something that might actually result in new life.
So when you come to PCC and you see someone who acts like a “babe” in the Lord, don't complain and don't be surprised. Instead, thank God the mature believers in our church family are busy delivering newborn babies into the family of God.