That is the goal! That is what every church should be concerned with. When it comes down to what “should be” and what “ought to be” it matters not what man thinks but what God has said. The hallmark of every healthy church is that it has the highest view of Scripture and seeks to obey it above all else.
Far too often we see the same trends in every dying church…
Constitution & Bylaws are obeyed, and in some cases, worshiped over God and Scripture.
Elders/Pastors are treated like employees or elected officials whose sole job is to keep the constituents or “those who pay his salary” happy instead of focusing on what God has called them to do.
Power groups have seized the reigns of power and have manipulated everything to their advantage.
There is zero accountability for anyone regarding holiness, attendance, participation in discipleship, etc.
Any change not approved by a certain few is met with fierce resistance.
This is not an exhaustive list but it conveys the main point. The above list represents what is a completely man-centered church. God will not bless anything that robs Him of His rightful glory and the elevation of man in the church is one of the worst sins a church can commit.
Let’s contrast the above man-centered list with what a God-Centered and healthy church looks like…
Sola Scriptura – Scripture ALONE is the sole and infallible rule of faith for Christians and the Church. The local church should be focused on obeying God and His Word above all else. Items like Constitutions and Bylaws exist solely for American legal purposes and to legally protect a church from a hostile takeover from unregenerate sinful people who mean harm.
Elders/Pastors are biblically qualified and hold each other accountable to ensure these qualifications. Elders oversee the church and if one is compensated for the time they commit to the church it is never seen as an employee status. The shepherd leads and directs the sheep. Not the other way around. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and utilizes His under-shepherds to oversee His flock. Thus, a good Elder remembers that they are not his sheep but belong to Christ.
Any hint of a member or group seeking to usurp the Elders will be disciplined biblically. At the same time, any Elders abusing their oversight and acting in a sinful or dictatorial manner should be disciplined too. This is why a plurality of biblically qualified Elders is vitally important for accountability among the Elders.
There is a focus on expositional preaching and teaching of God’s Word to grow in holiness and maturity. The goal is to make disciples and be discipled. The Elders through the consistent preaching of the Word and personal discipling of members equip them for the work of ministry.
Change is a natural part of life and is a natural part of the church’s life. This does not mean the message of Scripture changes, the gospel changes, or God changes. However, when we speak of change, we speak of adapting methods to disciple and evangelize better as needed.
As one can see from the list above contrasted with the earlier list there is a distinction between a man-centered and God-centered church. The latter list will produce a healthy and biblical environment while the former will only bring death to a local body of believers.
The key indicators of a healthy and God-Centered church are found in the default disposition of its members regarding decision-making. If the first notion is to ask “so-and-so,” look at the bylaws, make sure a particular group is happy, or ask if that is how they have always done it, then one is likely in a man-centered church.
However, if the primary goals are to look to Scripture, devote the matter to prayer, ask for wisdom, consider if the decision is in keeping with God’s directives for His church, etc. then that is indicative of a God-Centered church and a healthy one.
Andy Cain is a Bible teacher for the Kingdom of Christ. He preached his first sermon on January 4, 2009, and resides with his family in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.
