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Jesus gives us a different way to measure health: look at the fruit. Just like you can't judge a tree by how tall it is or how impressive it looks, you can't judge a church—or a Christian—by external appearances. A healthy tree produces good fruit. An unhealthy tree doesn't. It's that simple.

Many church tend to measure success by attendance, budgets, and buildings. But do those numbers really tell us how well a church is following Jesus? What if instead of asking "Is our church successful?" we started asking "Is our church healthy?" Jesus gives us a completely different way to measure what truly counts.

This is the work of the church in its fullest expression. It's not something we do for a few hours on Sunday morning—it's a way of living that encompasses every aspect of our lives. When we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and when we love our neighbors as ourselves, we become living demonstrations of what God's kingdom looks like.

The work of the church includes loving the unlovable, forgiving the unforgivable, and showing grace to the ungracious. This isn't easy work, but it's transformative work—both for us and for the people we encounter.

The work of the church doesn't just happen during special ministry events or on mission trips. It happens in the most ordinary moments of our lives—in conversations with coworkers, interactions with cashiers, responses to family members, and reactions to daily frustrations.

Love isn't about having warm feelings toward everyone—it's about choosing to treat people this way regardless of how we feel about them or how they treat us.

The church does so many different things that it can feel overwhelming to define what we're actually supposed to be doing. But what if Jesus boiled down all our responsibilities as his followers into just two simple commands that cover every situation we'll ever face? In this sermon, we'll rethink what the work of the church really is.

Jesus's answer to the questions, "What is the greatest commandment?" is simple enough for a child to understand, but comprehensive enough to guide us through every situation we'll ever face. We don't need a theology degree to know what the work of the church is. We don't need to memorize hundreds of rules or study complex doctrines. We just need to love God and love each other.

Some of the most important ministry happens behind the scenes, in one-on-one conversations, in acts of service that no one else notices, in prayers that no one else hears. These ministries aren't less important because they're less visible—they're the supporting ligaments that hold the whole body together.

You don't need a seminary degree to have a ministry that matters. You don't need to be a professional speaker to share your faith effectively. You don't need to have your life completely figured out to help someone else who's struggling. What you need is a real relationship with Jesus and the willingness to let that relationship transform how you live and serve.