8 Signs of a Healthy Ecclesia – Part 2
May 22, 2005
Dear Friends:
Last week we gave the first two signs of a healthy ecclesia – love and truth. These two signs are unique in that they rank above the rest. Without love and truth, you really don’t have an ecclesia as Christ intended. It may look and act in some semblance of an ecclesia, but without truth and love it is only a facsimile.
Sign #3 – Preaching: The third sign of a healthy ecclesia is preaching. One of the metaphors for an ecclesia in the Scripture is a lampstand. God gives us the metaphor to show us what we are to do – shine our light before men. This ecclesial light should not be hid but shone forth in truth, Godly conduct and public proclamation. There have been a few that have suggested that we really have no obligation to preach as the original command to go forth and spread the Gospel was only to the Apostles. A quick survey of Scripture should be able to answer this satisfactorily. First of all, Jesus preached and we are to mimic our Savior in word and deed. Secondly, the ecclesias preached in addition to the Apostles (e.g. Acts 8:4; 11:19, Phil 1:15-16). Other individuals who were not apostles preached such as Philip (Acts 8:5, 12-14, 40), Mark & Silas (Acts 15:36-41) to name a few. We will preach in the Kingdom age, so why would we not do it now? (Rev. 14:6) Finally, we are commanded to do it (2 Tim. 4:2). The real question we need to ask ourselves is why wouldn’t we preach? If you had the cure for cancer and didn’t share it with anyone, what sort of person would you be to all of those around you? Yet, here we have the answer to the greatest evil of all, death, and we hold it to ourselves. This ought not to be either individually or collectively.
One of the side benefits of preaching for ecclesial health is that it keeps us balanced. While constantly focussing on the first principles of the faith, we are not as easily entrapped in arguments about non-fundamental issues. Much harm has been done by ecclesias and individuals who have failed to preach, lost touch with the fundamentals of the faith and thus become embroiled in controversy. Another side benefit of preaching is that it strengthens your own faith. When you have to defend your faith and familiarize yourself with the Gospel well enough to teach it, you cannot help but strengthen yourself.
Sign #4 – Service: James tells the brethren to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22) A healthy ecclesia will be a service-oriented ecclesia. Paul says “let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10) This passage does not say, as some have taken it to say, “ONLY unto them who are of the household of faith.” Service to the household comes first and then service to all mankind. If we are fulfilling our preaching obligation, we are doing one important service to all mankind. Service comes in many forms from feeding the poor to helping the elderly.
It is far too common in ecclesial life to follow the Pareto’s Principle (also known as the 80/20 rule). An example of this principle is where 20% of the people do 80% of the work. The healthier ecclesias will have a more even distribution of the labors. In other words, the healthier ecclesia will promote involvement from all of its members and not just depend on the efforts of a few. As everyone knows that has been involved in the Lord’s service, the greatest beneficiary of serving in the ecclesia is the server himself. It is an exercise in faith-building to serve so if everyone is involved, everyone’s faith will increase.
We will pick up here next week, God willing.
Have a great week!
