What the church is determines what the church does. Unless we grasp what and how God has designed His church to be and function, we are likely to find ourselves moving farther and farther away from what we should be and what we are called to do.

The text is designed to teach what makes a healthy and true church.

1)The right preaching of the gospel
2)The proper administration of the ordinances
3)The development of biblical leadership
4)The gracious implementation of church discipline
5)A clear focus on the mission that Jesus gave

Right preaching is the foundation of any true and healthy church and is most misunderstood. Most people attending their church would claim that their teaching is the gospel. True teaching makes God known from the scriptures and reveals to us the sin that hinders our relationship with the creator. The teaching always ends with the hope of the gospel. Is the preaching done with the authority of the word? Is the word sufficient or do we add to it. Does the preaching try to make God relevant? In doing so, we make God small and the preaching is not done in the authority of God's word.

With the ordinances baptism and the taking of the bread can be misunderstood. These ordinances do not save us but are used to worship God more fully. I loved this quote Baptism is not a picture of potential salvation, but of salvation received. It is a testimony, not of ones's future faith, but of Christ's accomplished redemption and an individual's union with Him. Baptism is for those the Lord has called to Himself and who have received the Word (Acts 2:38-41) The ordinances are used to display the gospel for all. The ordinances preach the gospel and should be used as an opportunity for the body to receive the gospel.

Is the church run like a business? Churches are meant to care and shepherd the flock. The pastor should know the members and the health of the church that they are leading. Shepherding is not about managing an organization but about serving and leading a people. It demands that people be known.

Church discipline is a means to help those in serious sin, to have accountability, and the church as a whole is protected. A church that takes sin and the consequences of sin seriously. It is also an opportunity to experience the Gospel. In discipline, it is an opportunity to love.

The mission of Jesus can also be misunderstood. The text says it best. Jesus calls the church to preach the gospel and teach the scripture in such a way that people are conver5ted and then matured in the faith. Conversion is not the mission. Indoctrination is not the mission. The mission is to make disciples. Conversion marks the beginning of discipleship, and instruction and indoctrination are means of discipleship. But disciples are made in the context of community, where our doctrine and teaching are put into the realities of everyday life through mentoring and peer to peer to gospel relationships. The mission is to make God known by proclaiming the truth of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

With clear focus and just the gospel please, obedience becomes like breathing. We are compelled by the spirit and not of our own efforts.

A Special Thank You to Moody Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

The Character of the Church by Joe Thorn is the second book in Thorn’s trilogy on the church. The marketing copy says each book can be read in an hour. I didn’t test that claim, but they are short and easily read. Thorn avoids theological jargon and explains everything in everyday language, so the series is great for new and mature believers alike. The Character of the Church addresses the question of what makes a church. What are the defining elements of a biblically-sound church?

When I hear longtime believers rave about “cool, relevant” churches and see people drawn to churches with productions rivaling broadway, I think this book isn’t just for new believers. There are essential elements that make a Christian church. We need to all remember and be concerned with those elements first and foremost. Thorn writes:

What makes for a true and healthy church can be boiled down to five essentials: (1) the right preaching of Scripture, (2) the proper administration of the ordinances, (3) the development of biblical leadership, (4) the gracious implementation of church discipline, and (5) a clear focus on the mission that Jesus gave the church.

The Character of the Church is structured around those five essentials. Thorn carefully explains what each means and looks like in a healthy church. Some of the finer details around these topics can be controversial. Thorn’s approach is never heavy-handed. However, he doesn’t back away from difficult topics. He delivers clear answers backed by scripture. Granted, he is Baptist and his explanations are from a Baptist perspective. For example, not everyone will agree with his explanation of why he doesn’t practice infant baptism or why he practices immersion.

“Fencing the table” is another example of a difficult topic that I think is explained really well in the section on the Lord’s supper. A family member recently asked me about this, which made me realize a lot of people don’t understand the warning that is given before the Lord’s Supper. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it explained before now. Thorn writes:

“Fencing the table is protecting people from partaking of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. This includes receiving it as an unbeliever, an unrepentant believer, and a member of the church currently under restrictive church discipline… Fencing the table is done primarily through public exhortation and warning.”

This concept comes from 1 Corinthians, and the book goes on to give an example of what an elder or pastor may say before delivering the elements of the Lord’s Supper.

I greatly appreciate the chapters on biblical leadership and church discipline as well. I don’t think I have seen those two topics explained this clearly and concisely anywhere else. Overall, I think this series and The Character of the Church, in particular, is a great resource for believers. I think Baptist churches would do well to use these books in new members and new believers classes.

The Character of the Church is published by Moody Publishers and For the Church. You can pick up a copy here: Amazon. If you haven’t heard Joe Thorn and Jimmy Fowler’s podcast Doctrine and Devotion, you should check that out as well.

After reading Thorn's first installment in this series it was clear that he is passionate about Christ and preaching Him crucified. This installment goes more inside the framework and make-up of the church body. Thorn states "What makes for a true and healthy church can be boiled down to five essentials: (1) the right preaching of Scripture, (2) the proper administration of the ordinances, (3) the development of biblical leadership, (4) the gracious implementation of church discipline, and (5) a clear focus on the mission that Jesus gave the church."

He urges churches and pastors to stay away from inspirational or motivational speeches and focus on the written Word through expository preaching. The two ordinances Jesus gave us - Baptism and the Lord's Supper - are discussed in detail. Then he discusses biblical leadership as it is presented in the Bible, including elders, deacons, and the congregation as a whole. There is a whole section devoted to church discipline, stressing the biblical practices to carry it out with grace and concern. The last section is about the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, evangelism, discipleship, and edidication.

Thorn is thorough in his presentation and careful to remain biblically sound at all times. I highly recommend this book to all Christians as a guide to maintain good character in the church. I received this as a free ARC from Moody Publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved reading Joe Thorn's The Character of the Church. In this lovely little book, Thorn examines what makes a local church a a true church--a healthy church. Essentially, his answer is that in a true church: the Bible is rightly proclaimed and preached, the ordinances are rightly administered, biblical leaders keep it functioning, discipline is actually practiced (with grace), and an evangelistic mission is shared by the whole church or congregation.

The book is short. The chapters are short. It's worth reading cover to cover. IT is concise, precise, packed with biblical truth. Definitely readable theology!

Favorite quotes:
"To rightly preach the Word is to make known the truth of God from Scripture by exposing men, women, children to the curse of sin and the hope of the gospel. Scripture is not rightly preached unless the law of God exposes our corruption and condemnation, the grace of God shows us the offer of forgiveness and eternal life, and the ways of God are encouraged in faith and repentance. There are different ways in which the Word can be rightly preached, but it should always be expository—meaning that the truths contained in a particular passage are communicated by the preacher, emphasizing relevant implications and applications, while ultimately drawing the congregation to see the gospel of Jesus Christ more clearly."

"Every time we open Scripture to read it, we must recognize that God has spoken, and that He is speaking today—to us."

"Theology is often said to be the study of the God, but I think a better way to explain theology is to say that it is the understanding and communication of the knowledge of God. The term theology itself literally means “a word about God.” So the task of the theologian is not merely comprehending the truth of God, but also communicating the truth of God."