Discovering a Healthy Church

My desire for The Church at Grace Point is to be a church that seeks Biblical wisdom in order that we can be the body of believers that God has called us to be. So, in that vein I will be writing a series of post reviewing two outstanding books that take an in-depth look at what the Bible says a God loving, God fearing, God worshiping, God serving church looks like.

As part of the introduction to this series I have included a few comments from notable Christian leaders regarding the importance of these two works.

The first book is Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever and is described by a few heros of the faith as follows.

“Books that affirm the priority of the church are rare. Books that define the practice of a the local church from the pages of Scripture rather than from cultural trends are even more rare. Mark Dever has given us just such a book.Written by a pastor and theologian who has built a strong local church in Washington D.C. , this is the best book I have read on the topic of critical importance.”

-C.J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“In a day when a church is most likely evaluated on her cosmetics, it’s vital to know how to assess her true health. They put cosmetics on corpses! Mark Dever gives the biblical criteria for discerning the spiritual well-being of a church, not what it looks like on the outside before the world, but what is is on the inside before God. This is a foundational work which I highly recommend.”

-John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher

“Postmodern Amercica is awash with spirituality-but not with authentic Christianity. Clear evidence of this fact is seen in the loss of a biblical ecclesiology in so many sectors. Reformation is always directed to the church-and we must pray to see the church reformed in our age. Mark Dever points toward a truly biblical recovery of the New Testament church in his manifesto, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Every page is loaded with thoughtful analysis and careful consideration. It belongs in the hands of every faithful pastor and all those who pray for reformation in this age.”

-R. Albert Mohler President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

It is astonishing that the apostle Paul describes the local gathering of Christians as ‘the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood’ (Acts 20:28,ESV). That raises the stakes of church life and health and mission about as high as it can be. We are dealing with a blood-bought body of people. I do not want human ideas. I want God’s word about the church. I turn with hope and confidence to Mark Dever’s radically biblical commitment. Few people have thought more or better about what makes a church biblical and healthy. I thank God for the book and Nine Marks Ministries.”

-John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

“Books on the church are a dime a dozen. This one is different. Only rarely does a book on the church come along that marries responsible biblical and theological reflection to godly, experienced, good judgment and practical applications. This book is one of them. If you are a Christian leader, be careful of the work you are now holding in your hand: it may change your life and ministry.”

-D.A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

The second Book is a work by John MacAthur, The Master’s Plan for the Church, and is best described as it is written on its back cover.

“It is absolutely essential for a church to perceive itself as an institution for the glory of God, and to do that, claims John MacArthur, the local church must adhere unfaltering to biblical leadership principles. Christ never intended church leadership to be earned by seniority, purchased with money, or inherited through family ties. He never compared church leaders to governing monarchs, but rather to humble shepherds; not to slick celebrities, but to laboring servants, this updated edition guides the church with crucial, effective lessons in leadership.”

“This book is pertinent not only for pastors and elders, but for anyone who wants the church to be what God intended it to be.”

My heart hurts for the church, as we are the bride of Christ living often not in obedience but in oblivion to his will . We have no excuse, we have the word of God which clearly shows us how to best imitate his glory for his renown. I look forward to learning with you as we take this in-depth look at God’s plan for his people.

-Matt