The Character of the Church: The Marks of God's Obedient People

by Joe Thorn

What makes a church a church ? Is it "where three or more are gathered"? Is it songs and a sermon on Sunday? Does it require structure and leadership? How do you know? The Character of the Church dispels confusion by describing the five elements of a biblical church. Concise, accessible, and historically informed, it teaches God’s design for church so you know what to look for in one—or even how to lead one. Useful for training in membership classes, discipleship groups, and elder boards—and even for devotional reading— The Character of the Church is at once theological, practical, and experiential. Readers will not simply be informed, but led to a deeper appreciation of the church of God and its essential This book will bring churches and Christians back to the biblical picture of a local body, perfect for any believer eager to grow and help others do likewise.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living

144 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Joe is the founding and Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, IL, and the author of Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself (Crossway/ReLit). He was a contributor to The Story ESV Bible and The Mission of God Study Bible. Joe is a graduate of Moody Bible Inst. (BA) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv).

Reviews

[Dave Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Helpful.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

[This book was provided free of charge by Moody Publishers.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

For a variety of reasons I find myself deeply interested in the character of the Church [1].  What is it that makes a church godly?  To be sure, we and anyone else we encounter are going to be imperfect, and so mere imperfection alone does not mean that something is amiss.  It does appear, though, that more is necessary than simply having the right belief system, because it is fairly easy to affirm truth and far harder for that truth to be practiced.  It is also--as we see all too clearly from the raft of religious scandals within our times--all too easy to see that even where ordinary members may be working with considerable skill in applying God's ways as they understand them, those in church leadership may not view themselves as accountable to the membership for following God's standards, and may indeed act in a consistent manner in order to avoid showing the extent to which the lives of leaders may fall short of the standard that members are held to.  In that light, therefore, I was interested in seeing what this book had to say, and in general I found myself pleased by its contents.

This short book of less than 150 pages is divided into five parts and fourteen chapters and gives a very concise discussion into various aspects that form a church's character.  After an introduction that sets this book in the context of the author's own religious background, the author begins by discussing how the Word of God is rightly preached (I) in noting that the Bible has authority over believers (1), is sufficient for insight and guidance into any area of behavior for believers (2), and is useful for correction and reproof within the lives of believers (3).  After that the author discusses various ordinances/sacrements rightly administered (II), such as the baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (4), the taking of the bread and wine as part of the NT Passover, although he does not phrase it that way (5), and the way that the bread and wine (strangely, he does not discuss footwashing) should be fenced to encourage that it is taken in a worthy fashion (6).  After this the author talks about leadership in the church that is biblically formed and functioning (III) including the pastorship (7), elders (8), deacons (9), and the congregation as a whole (10).  There are a couple of chapters on church discipline practiced with grace (IV) including private (11) and public (12) discipline to correct those in sin, before the author closes with a discussion of the mission shared by all believers (V) in evangelism (13) and discipleship (14).

There is a lot to appreciate about this book.  For one, the book is quite short, and for another, it is short without leaving a great deal out, although there are clearly some areas where the author does not fully understand the biblical aspects of the laying on of hands or the holy days or the footwashing in association with the unleavened bread and wine of the Passover.  Likewise, there are plenty of disagreements that I have with the author concerning the proper degree of openness of the bread and wine.  Be that as it may, though, the author's efforts to ground his discussion in the Bible is worthy of praise.  This is a book that can certainly be read profitably by those who want to know what the Church provides that is special and worthwhile to the lives of believers, and that alone justifies its price of purchase and the time it takes to read and apply its insights.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...

[Matt Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the first book in the series, The Character of the Church is extremely basic and short. It can be read in less than an hour. The first book introduces readers to a church's primary confession (the gospel). This book takes up the marks of a church as prescribed in the Bible.

There would be a certain benefit to using this book in a discipleship setting as it can be read in less than an hour. Readers would be introduced briefly to the marks of a healthy church and then could use the book as a launching pad for those issues where more is needed or desired.

In some ways, I actually enjoyed this book more than the first one. However, I've rated it three stars because of some typos found in the book (it's a short book!), the authors position on open communion, and (like the first book) it wouldn't be my go-to resource for this topic. I'm also a little surprised that the author didn't defend his position on male-only elders (I agree with him, but he assumed the position rather than explicitly affirming from Scripture).

I very much appreciated the final chapters on evangelism and discipleship, and I thought his chapters on discipline was careful to emphasize the goal of restoration.

[Wesley and Fernie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this is one of three books in a series, this review will also be a shorter one.

I found this book to be a good primer for how individuals in the church can serve and how a church runs. Covering topics like baptism, eldership, the Lord's supper, etc. in a very brief way gives a new believer some background information on what to expect in a church and helps give them a basic foundation for life in the church. I definitely think a book like this would help new believers most. I may get extra copies just in case because it is very easy to read.

[Cale Fauver · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very concise and edifying book on what a healthy church looks like. My only disagreement was Thorn’s view on women as deacons. Other than that, I happily recommend this book.

[Juliana Mulbery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because it gives deep but simple information on the character of the church...how God created it to function. What it looks like to be a healthy church in God's eyes.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Thorn has written three very short but very helpful books.

The Heart of the Church: The Gospel's History, Message, and Meaning

The Character of the Church: The Marks of God's Obedient People

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

Each one is a joy to read. But I would rate them as follows: Good, Better, Best.

Good - The Heart of the Church

Better - The Life of the Church

Best - The Character of the Church

These ratings are not based on agreement or disagreement with the doctrinal content as much as the depth of insight and practical value each book provided.

[Brennan Penner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical

What I appreciate about Joe’s book is it’s direct and simple explanation with good scripture citation. Very helpful for my series on the church in conjunction with Dever’s The Church.

[Aaron Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very concise yet Biblical overview of the marks of a healthy church. Well worth your time.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his first book, "The Heart of the Church", Joe Thorn discusses the essentials of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In this second book of the trilogy, Joe Thorn, who pastors Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, Illinois, discusses what makes a church a TRUE church.

A plethora of congregations gather each week under the guise of being a church.  They boast of spirit-driven worship, enthusiastic speakers, and even communion.  But do those things make a church one that is true and healthy?  In "The Character of the Church", Thorn discusses just what identifies a body of people as a "church", rather than merely a social club.  While Dr. Mark Dever lists what he believes to be nine marks of a healthy church, Joe Thorn boils it down to just five.

Each of the five makes up a single "Part" of the book:
   1) The word rightly preached
   2) The ordinances rightly administered
   3) Leadership biblically formed and functioning
   4) Discipline practiced with grace
   5) The mission shared by all

Within each Part, there are anywhere from two to four chapters that further describe the individual part.  Two of the chapters that had a profound effect on my soul dealt with baptism and communion (chapters 4 and 5).  I grew up in a denomination that merely expressed these two ordinances as observations and "remembrances", rather than as means of grace.  Thorn explains, "Although baptism does not save, it preaches the gospel, announces the truth of Jesus Christ, and as such is a means of grace when received by faith."  He continues, "Baptism is not merely a religious rite with rich symbolism.  It is one of the means that God uses to work in us and make us who we are in Christ" (p.49).  Likewise, "...the Lord's Supper conveys grace as it communicates the truth of the gospel and is received by faith" (p.52). 

I continue to believe that book 1 ("The Heart of the Church") and book 2 ("The Character of the Church") will be good resources for a church's bookstore and in new member classes.  They are simple reading, not requiring much effort or time.  But they inspire the desire to dive deeper into various issues of interest.

RATING: I give "The Character of the Church" 5 out of 5stars.  I look forward to reading the third and last book of the series.

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free of charge from Moody Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review of it.  All opinions are mine, and I was not required to provide a positive review of it.

[Create With Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Character Of The Church is the second book in a three-part series of books by Joe Thorn that explores essential questions about church doctrines such as:

* What makes a church a church?
* What essentials should a church believe?
* What is a church really supposed to do?

In this book, the author moves from the topic of “what does the church believe” to “what makes a church a church”? This volume explores five elements that are essential in any healthy biblical church:

* The right preaching of Scripture
* The proper administration of the ordinances (sacraments)
* The development of biblical leadership
* The gracious implementation of church discipline
* A clear focus on the mission that Christ gave the church

In a day and age where people are leaving traditional churches in droves and non-traditional churches are cropping up in record numbers, The Character Of The Church provides readers with vital information for assessing whether a church really is a biblical church with the core standards necessary for them to grow spiritually,

This book and series should be a vital part of the church’s educational program. I highly recommend it to you!

This review is an excerpt from the original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, based on my assessment of this book.

[Chris Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Thorn, in the second of a three book series, lays out a clear, concise, biblical treatment of what makes up the character of the local church. Thorn offers, again, a much needed clarification on what the church is and the need for Christians to understand the role of the church in their life as believers.

Walking through a right understanding of the Word of God, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, what biblical leadership derived from Scripture looks like in practice, the correct and necessary use of church discipline, and the two components of the church’s mission Thorn offers a brief primer that benefits everyone. Most elders and church leaders would be more effective and less questions from church members would arise if they all familiarized themselves with this work.

I’m starting the final book of this series and I cannot overstate the value of these first two offerings.

[Nathan White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid book, the second in the series. This makes for a great ‘book table’ book, or a handout to new members, new Christians, or young adults. Here Thorn covers the basics of the word, the sacraments, discipline, and mission of the church —the marks of a true church. I thought it was a great overview and intro to the subject, really laying the groundwork for a full doctrine of the church. The chapter on baptism was done very well. His brief treatment of the mission of the church was fair and balanced. Only two complaints: he advocates for women deacons, but doesn’t really put forth a case other than saying that it’s “biblical.” And he short changed worship, which is undoubtedly one of the most central aspects of a church’s character. Perhaps he will say more about it in the next book. Regardless, I am going to recommend this book and hand them out.

[Troy Nevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like my last review for the first book (The Heart of the Church), Thorn excellently talks about the essentials of the church in an easily understood way.

This book easily deserves to be a book for a new member class, or discipleship class. It's not so much an evangelistic book like the first, but it's groundwork for a healthy spiritual life, focusing on the character of a Christian and the discipleship that goes with it.

Thorn is easy to read, practical, straightforward, and insightful. He brings truths forward without pomp and writes as if he was talking to you in the same room (minus any bantering he may do, as evidenced in his podcast, Doctrine and Devotion).

[Josh Broccolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've grown up in the church my entire life so you'd think I'd know all these things by now, but this short book by Joe Thorn really helped to solidify in my mind what the church actually is and its role in the life of Christians.

Once again Thorn stays concise as he barrels through the distinctive marks of what (or rather, who) the true church is and what it does. Perhaps there are better, more in depth books in the subject but I found this one to be an invaluable resource, if for nothing else as a reference to point me towards issues to study more deeply.

[Luke Schmeltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Thorn's work on ecclesiology is one of the most clear and concise, Scripture-saturated, Gospel-centered books I have ever read. I am excited to work through the rest of thos trilogy and pass this book on to other future church leaders looking to grow in the knowledge of the faith. The plain and simple message that Thorn provides is a testimony to the strong foundation the church must be built on. We do not seek to be inventive with God's church, rather, we examine what he has called us to in His Word and obey. This book is a fantastic place to start.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second installment of Joe Thorn's thoughts on the church, this one is less impressive than the first, although subject matter may be part of it. He addresses elders, deacons, church discipline, church membership, sacraments, and church mission. This is far more grounded in Baptist centric theology and on multiple occasions he states speculation as fact (i.e. the first deacons are Acts chapter 6 - where the word deacon never occurs). But all that said, this is still a nice effort in highlighting some key biblical characteristics of the church.

[DeWayne Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about what makes the church the church. I love Pastor Joe's writing style. The church is not meeting around the internet listening to your favorite preacher but there are means of grace and godly leaders. This book is a reminder of what is the church and its mission. I highly recommend this book.

[Angela Colson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing that such a small book can contain so much. Written so that anyone can understand it and apply it. This should be required reading, along with Bible, for discipleship classes, new member classes, and anyone wanting to serve within the church. I particularly liked the section on communion.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best, short treatments I've read on the church. Clarifying, helpful, inspiring. Will give copies away for sure.

[Drew Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to whet your appetite if you've never read any ecclesiology. Short, straightforward and clear.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the marks of the church. It is especially helpful when it comes to explaining the necessity and importance of church membership, and how church discipline works.

[PJ Wenzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succinct, lucid, and edifying. I’ll be recommending this book to many.

[Jake Bissonnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little pithy book on ecclesiology. It's short and sweet, straight to the point, clearly articulated. A good introduction to the doctrine of the church.

[Donna Gabbard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview.

[Brandon Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book on what the church should look like, and a challenge as a Christian on some areas

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Thorn has written a set of resources that the Church desperately needs and from which it will benefit greatly. These are short, approachable books that manage to cover complex and touchy topics with a degree of depth and clarity not often found together. Being able to distill these sorts of issues to a few pages while still presenting them in a thorough manner that even a novice will not struggle through too much is a gift, and Thorn (plus editors!) certainly has that gift.

The first book in the series is The Heart of the Church: The Gospel’s History, Meaning, and Message. Thorn covers the Gospel at its most basic level and dives into some more complex doctrines associated with the Gospel (e.g. justification, sanctification, the role of good works, the atonement, calling, etc.). Again, he does so in a way that will not leave the new believer behind, but he does not shy away from issues that will lead to questions and greater conversation.

The second book is The Character of the Church: The Marks of God’s Obedient People, and Thorn deals here with some more of the day-in, day-out aspects of a local church. Thorn examines what aspects must be present in a local church for the church to be healthy and biblical (Gospel preaching, sacraments, discipline, elders, deacons, evangelism, and discipleship). This volume will prove immensely helpful, especially for Baptists. Some sections may limit its ability to be a resource for non-Baptist churches, but if you just sprint over the baptism section as quickly as possible you won’t get too wet and should make it to the other side relatively unscathed. If you’re familiar with Thorn at all, you know he is firmly convicted of his beliefs and exceptionally gracious and loving with those whom he disagrees. That Spirit-led maturity is on display in this volume especially and makes the set that much more of an asset to the Church.

The final volume of this set is The Life of the Church: The Table, Pulpit, and Square. Thorn dives into some more thorny (huh?, huh? :-D) issues in this book and, again, does so quite well. Thorn looks at fellowship, how we worship as a corporate body, and how we engage the world around us. As if he wasn’t asking for it enough in his previous volume by dropping words like sacrament and excommunicate, this time around he has an entire chapter devoted to liturgy…and a good one at that! The section on how the church can engage the public square through participation, restoration, conversation, and multiplication is especially helpful. The fact that Thorn does not present multiplication as a method of creating a series of spin-off churches but rather as engaging in the process of aiding other bodies of believers in seeking to grow into a biblical and healthy existence is encouraging as well.

But, in fairness, most every line of these three books is encouraging. The topics addressed and the manner in which they are covered make this series a must have, especially for Baptist ministers welcoming new believers and new members into their local bodies. I am praying that plenty of churches will see the benefit of these books and utilize them accordingly. The Church around the world will be blessed for it.

ARCs provided for review

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

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:
"True preaching is not mere commentary on passages of Scripture, but a warning of judgment and a heralding of good news. It convicts and encourages. It not only informs, but also transforms. We cannot preach the Word rightly unless we understand it rightly. And good theology helps us to understand God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. Theology consists of particular truths known as “doctrines.” At the heart of a church, and of Christian theology, is the gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news that the Son of God fulfilled all righteousness, died for sinners, and rose from the dead, bringing salvation to all who believe in Him. Such truths are essential not only to know the Lord, but to know ourselves—a double knowledge that makes for healthy Christians and vibrant churches. A church is not a church if it does not confess “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” ( Jude 3)."

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

"The Bible tell us not only what is true, but also what is wrong."

"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."

[Kyle Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.