A “thriving” community is one which is growing or developing, being successful qualitatively and/or quantitatively as it moves towards its intended purpose.
One picture of a thriving congregation of Christians is when it is described as a mustard seed which grows into a large tree the branches of which have many birds on them (Matthew 13:31-32). How does it get to be that way?
The end or primary purpose of a Christian’s faith is the salvation of his soul (1 Peter 1:9) when the righteous judgment of God will render “eternal life to those who by patient continuance of doing good seek for glory, honour and immortality” (Romans 2:7). However, awaiting his appointed physical death, judgment and salvation (Hebrews 9:27-28), he must live in the world of challenges in which he is hated (John 17:14-21). Thankfully, in this world, he has God’s word as a guide to final victory and he lives as a member of the church of Jesus Christ, both of which should help him remain faithful and thrive in his fleshly existence.
As a community of God’s “called-out”of the world’s influence, the church’s chief duty is to sustain the faith of its members by edifying them to observe all things commanded by their Lord (Matthew 28:18-20), including the doing of good works taught in the Divinely-inspired scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17) to bring God glory (Matthew 5:16). The church does this by preaching and teaching God’s word at every opportunity to convince, rebuke and exhort the Lord’s disciples (2 Timothy 4:2) so that both teacher and learners stay within the “narrow gate and difficult way” which leads to life (Matthew 7:14). Without such sharing of “the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), there will not be “growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesian 4:16), which is the “thriving” of the church as a community.
The edifying (i.e “building-up”) of the brethren must address their faith, hope and love,- the three dimensions of human beings which remain in our age beyond the cessation of miracles and until our Lord comes a second time (1 Corinthians 13:13). “Faith” has to do with our “head”, of reason and intellect, the realm of understanding and believing truth, specifically, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). People are helped in their growth in faith by the supply of a steady diet of scriptures (Romans 10:17) and instructions on correctly handling them (2 Timothy 2:15), including those hard to understand (2 Peter 3:16). Brethren show growth in the faith when they are able to use God’s word to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:12-14). Strong faith, especially concerning the non-visible (such as the characteristics of God), can also be deduced from the creation of.God around us (Romans 1:19-20).
“Hope” is a matter of the “heart” or emotion, motivation and passion related to what is anticipated. Hope is built upon faith (i.e. knowledge and reason) because hope is based on the “substance” or foundation of faith (Hebrews 11:1). When we apply the truth of God’s word to the evidence provided by God’s world, we can have hope for the future which remains non-visible. Jesus reasoned, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12). If we have been persuaded of the truth of scripture when it talks about earthly things, we can believe those same scriptures when it declares things which are yet to come,- things to hope for (Romans 15:4). Paul says in Romans 8:24-25, “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” So we encourage Christian growth, and thereby the thriving of the church, by ensuring a steady flow of correct scriptural teaching and its application to life’s realities.
“Love” has to do with our “hands” (and “legs” and our whole human body),- the realm of our works, action and conduct. Faith (and, by extension, hope) is dead without ,- that is, unaccompanied by,- appropriate works (James 2:26). Faith alone,- by itself,- is dead (James 2:14-17). Love for our Lord must be evidenced by works of obedience of His commandments (John 14:15), just as love of God is shown by the keeping of His commandments (1 John 5:3). If we are called “friends” of Jesus because we do His commandments, we will thrive by bearing fruits (John 15:14-16).
Personal thriving (or “growth”) as members of the community of the faithful must also include the Christian duty to evangelise or make disciples by persuading the lost to obey the gospel (Mark 16:15-16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). Thriving is when God gives the increase to our work of planting the seed and watering it (1 Corinthians 3:6). Of course, mere numerical growth of the number of members of the church as a community is not the sole indicator of the growth of the church as Christ’s body (Ephesians 1:22-23) but it is such an indicator when every member of the church takes it upon himself to preach the gospel because he himself is persuaded that the gospel is God’s power to save sinners (Romans 1:16)
In the final analysis, a congregation “thrives” when all its members are engaged in the good works man was created to perform (Ephesians 2:10), preaching, teaching and learning God’s word and practising the same, ultimately in obedience to the two-part “Greatest Commandment” (Matthew 22:35-44). Bonds between brethren are strengthened when each member understands his and others’ role in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27), appreciating the contribution of the various roles towards God’s intended purpose for the church.
Brother Jonathan Burns will expound God’s word on this important topic in his lecture, “Strengthening Our Bonds: Building A Thriving Church Community” at the Klang Valley Year-end Seminar 2024 to be held at the Klang church of Christ assembly premises, 1.30pm to 5.30pm, Saturday, 16 November 2024. Do join us in this feast of God’s word!
Ephesians 2:10 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.