Book Recommendation: Nine Marks of A Healthy Church by Mark Dever

Book Review and Recommendation: Nine Marks of A Healthy Church by Mark Dever

I know this one's been around a while with several printings.  Still I highly recommend this book for all pastors and church members (I've personally read it several times).  This book has dipped into nearly every category churches need to carefully consider and evaluation in their own local church ministries and how to really focus on becoming a healthy church. Honestly, what preacher/teacher of the scriptures whether he be of any stripe can't gain immensely from this challenging chapters.

I am including a list from the table of contents for your knowledge. My copy was published in 2004 by Crossway Books and the forward was by Joshua Harris.

Mark One: Expository Preaching
Mark Two: Biblical Theology
Mark Three: The Gospel
Mark Four: A Biblical Understanding of Conversion
Mark Five: A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
Mark Six: A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership
Mark Seven: Biblical Church Discipline
Mark Eight: A Concern for Discipleship and Growth
Mark Nine: Biblical Church Leadership

Consider a quick summary of each chapter based a rewording of the summaries of each chapter. 

Mark One (Expository preaching): The word of God must be the center of our preaching, not just a topic filled with the preachers ideas. The scriptures bring life, they sanctify, and the preacher himself has a unique responsibility directly to it. What preacher whether he be 

Mark Two (Biblical Theology): preaching who the God of scriptures truly is in his character: creating, holy, faithful, loving, and sovereign.

Mark Three (The Gospel): focuses on four negatives of what the gospel is not--is it not that we are okay, or God is love, Jesus wants to be your friend, or that we should live right. This chapter closes with a right response to the gospel of repentance and faith.

Mark Four (Conversion): Change is needed and it is possible. The challenge is more than just mental acceptance or moral resolve.  The point must be reached where a sinner relies on Christ for everything. This change has alternative extremes to be avoided: we do nothing and its opposite we do everything, both problematic.  The final solution: God works this saving faith in us. 

Mark Five (Evangelism): Focus is on who should evangelize, How we should evangelize, what evangelism is, and finally why we should evangelize. Several good pointers: evangelism is not imposition, a personal testimony, social action, or apologetics. 

Mark Six (Church Membership): We join a church to assure ourselves, evangelism, exposure of false gospels, edification, and God's glory. At CHBC specifically, membership entails the following: service attendance, communion, members meetings, pray and giving regularly.

Mark Seven (Church Discipline): The plethora of NT texts teaching its necessity. There are five significant reasons mentioned to practice church discipline: good of the person disciplined, good of others in church, health of church as whole, corporate witness of church, and God's glory reflecting his holiness.

Mark Eight (Discipleship and Growth): Practicing Biblical based Growth includes the understanding the following: the Gospel, conversion, evangelism, church membership, church discipline, and church leadership.

Mark Nine (Church Leadership): Four principles form the basis for this chapter. Church leadership exists in a congregational context, they have specific qualifications, a certain charismatic nature, and should exemplify Christlikeness.

Appendix One: Tips for Leading the Church in a Healthy Direction
Appendix Two: The Numerical Nineties and Beyond
Appendix Three: Medicines from the Cabinet

Extremely valuable text for finding and creating a healthy local church.

Read. Comment. Enjoy.