The Tell-Tale Church
November 15, 2009
You might be familiar with Edgar Allen Poe’s gripping story, The Tell-Tale Heart. In that story, a man commits murder and buries the body under a floor. When the police arrive, he begins to hear a terrifying sound coming from below; the sound of a heartbeat. The chilling rhythm reverberates — “thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.” It grows increasingly louder and does not stop until the man finally admits his deed. Of course, there was no actual heartbeat coming from under the floor. The man was simply tormented by his guilty conscience. But this story can be applied to us, West Broad — in a different way, of course. Specifically, do you hear the “thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump” that is the heartbeat of our church? We have not hidden a body under the floor, but we have given our bodies for the work of our Lord (Rom. 6:13)! And there is a heartbeat that pulses at 813 West Broad Street as a result of our action. It is the heartbeat of a healthy church. Now, how can this heartbeat be identified? One expert presents six traits. A vibrant, healthy church is (1) biblically grounded (Matt. 4:4), (2) culturally relevant (1 Chr. 12:32; Acts 17:22-23), (3) working to transform lives (Col. 1:27-28), (4) mobilizing and equipping its membership (Eph. 4:12-16), (5) a community that is built on trust (Eph. 4:25), and (6) structured to grow disciples (2 Pet. 3:17-18). We are working diligently toward all six of these characteristics at West Broad. We are doing so to benefit present members as well as the new members Jesus will send us if we faithfully pursue our work to expand the borders of his kingdom in this city. Listen, friend. Shhhh. Do you hear it? Not the horrible, condemning sound of a tell-tale heart, but the wonderfully encouraging sound of a tell-tale church! —JLNJR (Resource: B. Easum, May/June 2009 Breakout Session, “Leading Your Church to Explosive Growth”)
