The Life of the Church: The Table, Pulpit, and Square

By Joe Thorn

What should a church do?

Look at your church’s calendar and you will learn something of its mission. But how do you know it’s the mission Jesus gave?

In The Life of the Church, Joe Thorn explains the mission of the church and the three rhythms for fulfilling it. The result is a simple, memorable model for church life and ministry, grounded in Scripture and aligned with historic practices.

Useful for training in membership class, discipleship groups, and elder boards—and even for devotional reading—The Life of the Church is at once theological, practical, and experiential. Readers will not simply be informed, but led to a deeper conviction about their role in the body of Christ. Pastors will be equipped to refocus their ministries, and Christians to fulfill their purpose: be and make disciples.

If you wonder what it means to be saved into a body of believers, why the various parts of a worship service matter, and how to engage in the world as a citizen of heaven, then The Life of the Church is for you. It answers this critical question: “Why does the church exist, and how does it shape my life?”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moody Publishers
• Release date: Mar 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9780802494672

Joe Thorn

Joe Thorn (MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the founding and lead pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, Illinois. He is an active blogger at JoeThorn.net, a contributor to The Story ESV Bible and The Mission of God Study Bible, and the author of Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself and Experiencing the Trinity: The Grace of God for the People of God. He and his wife, Jen, have four children.

Book preview

PRAISE FOR THE SERIES

In three short books, Pastor Joe Thorn offers a helpful treatment on the local church that is biblical, baptistic, and Calvinistic—and simultaneously fresh and practical. This is ideal for those who desire a better understanding of what the church is designed to be and do as a community of faith seeking to follow Jesus into the world with the gospel.

In The Heart of the Church, Thorn walks the reader through the gospel and related doctrines, demonstrating how what we believe forms who we are as God’s people. In The Character of the Church, the essential components of a church are laid out in a clear and practical way, showing what is needed for overall church health. In The Life of the Church, Thorn offers a fresh perspective on how the church can live on mission for the glory of God and the good of others in tangible ways.

ED STETZER

Billy Graham Distinguished Chair, Wheaton College

I’d like to pass out The Character of the Church to every one of our church members. It’s that good! It’s a simple yet profound primer on the nature of the church. It gives a brief overview on the authority of the Bible, the ordinances, matters of church membership, and church discipline. These are essential for all believers to know and understand.

DAVE FURMAN

Pastor, Redeemer Church of Dubai, and author of Being There: How to Love Those Who Are Hurting

The Life of the Church is a helpful treatise on worship that will edify the church. Joe is careful to ensure his exhortations spring from Scripture itself, which makes this book applicable for Christians everywhere. It was a joy to read about the many aspects of the life that Christ has purchased for us with His own blood.

GLORIA FURMAN

Cross-cultural worker and author of Missional Motherhood  and Alive in Him

The Heart of the Church is a brief and accessible theology of the gospel. It is simple, but not simplistic. It offers profound truths in everyday language. This book will help new Christians and serve as an encouraging reminder to mature ones.

RICHARD C. BARCELLOS

Pastor, Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Palmdale, CA, and author of The Lord’s Supper as a Means of Grace

© 2017 by

JOE THORN

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Edited by Kevin P. Emmert

Cover and interior design: Erik M. Peterson

Author photo: Anthony Benedetto

All websites listed herein are accurate at the time of publication but may change in the future or cease to exist. The listing of website references and resources does not imply publisher endorsement of the site’s entire contents. Groups and organizations are listed for informational purposes, and listing does not imply publisher endorsement of their activities.

ISBN: 978-0-8024-1469-4

We hope you enjoy this book from Moody Publishers. Our goal is to provide high-quality, thought-provoking books and products that connect truth to your real needs and challenges. For more information on other books and products written and produced from a biblical perspective, go to www.moodypublishers.com or write to:

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To the members of Redeemer Fellowship, who have demonstrated love, faith, sacrifice, and service in the life of our church.

Contents

Introduction

PART 1: THE TABLE

Chapter 1: Our Need for Community

Chapter 2: Smaller Groups

Chapter 3: Hospitality

PART 2: THE PULPIT

Chapter 4: Corporate Worship

Chapter 5: The Word in Worship

Chapter 6: Worshiping in Spirit and Truth

Chapter 7: Liturgy

PART 3: THE SQUARE

Chapter 8: The Church in the World

Chapter 9: Participation

Chapter 10: Restoration

Chapter 11: Conversation

Chapter 12: Multiplication

Conclusion

Notes

Acknowledgements

More from the Series

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INTRODUCTION

Achurch is not what most people think it is. As I explained in The Character of the Church, the Greek word in the New Testament from which we derive the word church is ekklesia, meaning assembly. That term can be used to describe any kind of assembly. But when applied to a local church, it denotes something unique. A local church is an assembly of believers in Jesus who are united together by a common confession, are gathered in one localized body, are ruled by Scripture, and work together for the mission given to them by their Lord.

But even with a clear definition of a church, more must be said. How will a church live? What must it do? For a united group of Christians to be a healthy church like that modeled in the New Testament, it must possess five essential characteristics: (1) Scripture must be rightly preached; (2) the ordinances must be rightly administered; (3) leadership must be formed by and function in accordance with Scripture; (4) discipline must be carried out with grace; and (5) the mission of the church must be shared and embraced by all. But what is the main work of the church, and how should a congregation go about carrying out those responsibilities?

The church can do many things, but there is one primary responsibility given to the church by our Lord: to make disciples (Matt. 28:18–20). Many churches seek to do the work entrusted to them by Jesus through the careful implementation of programs and teaching supported by well-developed systems for assimilation. Others opt for a more organic approach to disciple-making,