In my last article I addressed the reality that many born-again Christians have been thinking and acting too much like the non-Christians around them. I pointed out particularly the willingness of so many to lie, or misrepresent the facts, when it appeared to benefit them.
Sadly, abandoning truthfulness is not the only similarity between many of God’s people and the world.
Christ, in His “Sermon on the Mount,” (found in Matthew chapters five through seven), pointed out that discipleship comes with a cost. In other words, if a person is obedient to Christ, it will irritate people, sometimes to the point of hatred. He stated,
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you , and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven,” (Matthew 5:11, 12 NKJV).
Men of the world will not hate us if we think and act as they do. They will persecute us if our words and deeds expose their sinfulness.
Let me be clear about this: Christians are not better than others, just forgiven. We are all basically the same by birth. The born-again Christian, however, is someone who accepts the reality of his sinfulness and has received the forgiveness of God which is available to any who acknowledge their guilt and trust God’s promise to forgive them.
With that forgiveness, however, come certain expectations naturally placed upon one who has been given such a great gift! How can we not seek to follow and obey the One “who loved us and gave Himself for us?”
If we, as Christians, are to reconfirm our respect for Truth, we are faced with two primary responsibilities: Submit to God’s Word, which is Truth, and get involved in one of Christ’s churches where Truth is proclaimed. They are related, of course, but I will begin with the church.
In simplest terms, one cannot be a faithful follower of Christ while neglecting the church. In I Timothy 3:15, Paul calls the church the “pillar and ground of the truth.”
This does not mean that a quality church is easy to find. One of the greatest tragedies of the last fifty years is the wholesale departure of many churches from truth, and the invasion of the church by a host of wolves and fraudsters. These and other issues, however, do not relieve the Christian of the responsibility to seek out and find a church that remains faithful to the Lord and to Scripture.
It is understandable when the unsaved ignore the church. It is a serious mistake for those who have been saved to ignore it. It is fine for Christians to be like the world in some things, like driving a car, or working a job, but it is not ok for them to mirror the world in their lack of commitment to a local church.
The church (referring here to a congregation near you) is the local representation of the Bride of Christ. I cannot elaborate in any detail regarding the implications of this title but suffice it to say that there are blessings in being part of the Creator God’s “Bride,” and consequences for snubbing Her.
Furthermore , the local group of believers who comprise a church is called the “Body” of Christ, a metaphor of the relationship between Christ, the “Head” of the church and believers. Again, a delineation of this relationship is too complex for a brief article, but the benefits and blessings of church membership are critical to a Christian’s faithful walk.
It was never Christ’s intention that the local church be merely a social club; but it is unquestionably true that the relationships one can build by participating faithfully in a church are vitally important to a Christian’s daily life.
We are relational beings, by creation, and do not function well alone. At the very beginning God noted that, “It is not good for man to be alone.”
However, as wonderful as those social relationships can be, they represent only part of the important benefits of a local church. Among other things, the church was designed to evangelize the lost, to point people to the cross of Christ where they may find deliverance from the bondage and darkness of sin. The church is also intended by Christ to make disciples, aiding new Christians in their growth and walk with God.
The church is designed to be a “hospital” where people go to meet God, the “Great Physician,” who can bring spiritual health and vitality to their lives. We understand that the human body is spectacular in its creation with built-in systems for healing.
Each organ of the body has a role to play in keeping the entire body healthy or restoring it to health following an illness. It is, I suspect, a very rare thing for a surgeon to suggest removing an organ from the body to heal it. Yet so many people have chosen to abandon church only to find themselves beset with more problems. A good church is the BEST place to find spiritual restoration, and a major reason for Scripture declaring, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. . . .” (Hebrews 10:25 NKJV).
As a pastor I am asked on occasion to counsel people dealing with difficulties in their lives. My first question is usually “are you members of a church?” Sadly, the answer is generally negative.
But just as you would not expect an organ or limb severed from a body to be healthy, so also, a Christian separated from the Body of Christ is unlikely to be spiritually strong!
So, how does one find a good church? It is best to begin with what the Bible teaches on the subject, and it is likely that what the Bible teaches is not what many people consider to be their priority.
The list that most people put together of things they want in a church probably looks something like this: Activities and groups for all ages, an energetic pastor with a charismatic personality, entertaining “worship” time, beautiful and accessible facilities, with a large crowd every Sunday, etc.
I am sorry to say this, but none of these things would appear on the Apostle Paul’s priority list for a church!
What is first and central to a good New Testament church is a love for and an adherence to the Truth of God’s word, simply presented, in a spirit of love and authority. The pastor need not be extraordinarily gifted but should love God, the scriptures, and people.
The members of a church will manifest all the strengths and weaknesses that go along with being human. A person may fit in perfectly or find that it takes awhile to get to know the others. It will not necessarily meet all of one’s perceived needs, but it will provide each person with an opportunity to serve others.
If you demand that a church serve you perfectly, you will never be satisfied! The Christian walk is not about being served, but about serving, as Christ Himself stated, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many,” (Matthew 20:28 NKJV).
It is quite ironic that so many people look for a church that will “meet their needs” but miss the fact that they are called upon by Christ to help meet the needs of others! If everyone shared their attitude there would be no one to minister to others! Love is giving, not receiving!
Therefore, in light of the ungodliness of our time and the priority that most people put on pleasure rather than godliness, do not be surprised that there are very few, if any, large, good churches near you. And to complicate matters even more, there are also many “fake” churches and false shepherds dotting the landscape, of which the Christian must beware.
Our culture, and sadly many Christians, have little interest in the Truth of God, so good churches may be so small as to be unknown and unrecognized. Do not let that deter you. It has always been that way! Christ stated,
“wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it,” (Matthew 7:13, 14 NKJV).
God’s crowd has often been a small crowd!
Yet Christ promised us that “the gates of Hell” would not prevail against His church, which means that there will always be good churches somewhere. It may be that it is quite a distance to get to such a church, which means that one would be wise to move closer or help start a new church nearby.
This has been the pattern for the two-thousand years since Christ founded His church.
The important point is this: everyone needs a good, Bible preaching church and every Christian has been called by Christ to be an active part of such a local church. No exceptions! No lone wolves! Every church will fall short of God’s intentions, but it is still God’s will that Christians make membership and participation in a church a life-long practice.
If you have further questions regarding the characteristics of a New Testament church, or how to find one, I welcome your questions. Email me HERE.
