What Constitutes a Sound Church?

Articles

Bryan Garlock
06/25/17 - Church

When we travel or move to a new area, we begin searching for a “sound church.” Oftentimes what we mean is: Do they exclude mechanical instruments from their worship? Do they use the Lord’s money for things unauthorized? For example, do they have dining halls? Playgrounds? Baseball fields? These are things that typically run through our minds, and rightfully so.

Oftentimes churches of Christ think they are scriptural and sound because the “right name” is on the sign, they pattern themselves after the right organization (elders, deacons, preacher, members), and the worship service is scriptural in the acts of worship engaged, yet they hardly introduce themselves to visitors, there is no evangelistic effort on their part, their concern for one another is lacking, there is no joy and emotion in their worship, they are not abounding in love and faith, and they tolerate and accept sin and unruly brethren. Can one honestly say these churches are sound churches?

The Bible instructs Christians, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1.13, ESV). To be sound is to be in good health; metaphorically, it is to be free of any mixture of error (Thayer and Vines). Simply put, to be sound in the faith is to be spiritually healthy and free from the contamination of sin. Therefore, sound, biblical words formulate sound doctrine and sound doctrine builds sound churches.

If sound words help to create sound churches, then perverted words help to destroy whatever soundness a church enjoys. Paul wrote, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1.6-8, ESV). If the churches of Galatia were believing and obeying a twisted, perverted gospel, they were not observing the pattern of sound words. Therefore, we find the Galatians doing things contrary to God’s word (see Gal. 4.10-11; 5.1-4, etc.). This affected their spiritual health and well-being.

Once the gospel is perverted with additions or subtractions, it no longer saves (Rom. 1.16); any church that accepts an unsound or unhealthy word is not a church that holds fast the pattern of sound words. Therefore, a church that receives unsound words “does not have God” (2 John 9-11) and if they do not repent will not enjoy fellowship with Him (Rev. 2.5). Additionally, once a doctrine is tested (1 John 4.1; Acts 17.11) and found wanting, we are not to receive it “but rather expose” it (Eph. 5.11). Thus, a church that stands for the truth and exposes error is a patterned church (see Rev. 2.2).

Standing for the truth and exposing error does not only include the church’s position on treasury use or mechanical instruments, etc., but her position on prayer, love, sin, etc. What we mean is this: while searching for a church that does not have the things mentioned in our introduction, do we also search for a church that is abounding in love, diligent in prayer, enthusiastic in worship and evangelism, and that has a hatred for sin, will not tolerant it and therefore engages in church discipline?

Additionally, Jesus spoke of a time when true worshippers would worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4.23-24). We look to the New Testament for how our worship is to be conducted. Luke recorded that the church at Jerusalem “devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching [preaching] and the fellowship [giving], to the breaking of bread [Lord’s Supper] and the prayers” (Acts 2.42). To the church at Ephesus and Colossae, the Holy Spirit instructed singing also (Eph. 5.19; Col. 3.16). The assembly on the Lord’s Day, therefore, must be patterned after true worship. Subsequently, a sound church is full of true worshippers engaging in true worship. Unfortunately, any deviation from sound doctrine, including the addition of human traditions, causes true worship to become only lip service to our Savior (Matt. 15.8-9). That’s unhealthy!

What is the measure of a sound church? It is not its size. It is not its location or its building. It is not merely the absence of mechanical instruments from its worship or the rejection of subsidizing organizations foreign to scripture. Instead, a sound church is a united body of believers as Jesus prayed (John 17.20-21), without division as Paul pleaded (1 Cor. 1.10), and kind and loving to one another, believing and practicing right attitudes and doctrines (Eph. 4.1-6). Additionally, these believers are following the Scripture’s pattern and never digressing from it (1 Cor. 4.6; 2 John 9, etc.) by recognizing Christ in His authoritative role (Matt. 28.18; Col. 3.17) and subscribing to the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2.42).

Consequently, if a church is diligently studying and observing sound words, they can truly say they are a healthy church. Brethren, are we striving to be sound individuals and together, a sound church? BG