Finding a Good Church
Connecting with the Body of Christ
Written by Dan Lee on 09/05/2017
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Church, God, Doctrine
They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread and prayed together... Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.
Acts 2:42, 46-47
Last week’s devotional talked about why every follower of Jesus needs to find a church to be a part of, if possible. In some parts of the world, there is no organized church. But if you live somewhere where there are two or more Christian churches to choose from, here are a few teachings and attributes to look for. Many churches have a “Statement of Faith” or “What We Believe” on their website.
The Authority and Inerrancy of the Bible
When finding a church, you should first find out if the church believes that the Bible is the inspired word of God, containing no errors and is the final authority on every church matter. In other words, is the Bible the main resource for preaching and teaching in the church? (Groups such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, for example, elevate other writings to be equal to, or above, the Bible) This is an important requirement for your church.
The Identity of Jesus
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
Jesus was (and is) God in the flesh, the second person of the Trinity (with the Father and the Holy Spirit). He is fully human and fully God. He lived a perfect life. His death on the cross paid the price for our sins, and His resurrection confirmed His power over death.
Salvation
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
We are saved when we believe Christ’s sacrifice is payment for our sins (see Identity of Jesus above) and by faith accept God’s free gift of grace. We cannot earn salvation by our good works or belonging to a church. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, though important elements of the Christian life, should not be presented as conditions of salvation. Nor should practices such as speaking in tongues.
Worship
“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).
Does this church encourage you to pursue an intimate, life-changing relationship with God, rather than just attending a service and listening to a message? Does the service strive to do more than entertain you?
Growth
“You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food” (Hebrews 5:12).
Written by Dan Lee on 09/05/2017
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Church, God, Doctrine
They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread and prayed together... Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.
Acts 2:42, 46-47
Last week’s devotional talked about why every follower of Jesus needs to find a church to be a part of, if possible. In some parts of the world, there is no organized church. But if you live somewhere where there are two or more Christian churches to choose from, here are a few teachings and attributes to look for. Many churches have a “Statement of Faith” or “What We Believe” on their website.
The Authority and Inerrancy of the Bible
When finding a church, you should first find out if the church believes that the Bible is the inspired word of God, containing no errors and is the final authority on every church matter. In other words, is the Bible the main resource for preaching and teaching in the church? (Groups such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, for example, elevate other writings to be equal to, or above, the Bible) This is an important requirement for your church.
The Identity of Jesus
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
Jesus was (and is) God in the flesh, the second person of the Trinity (with the Father and the Holy Spirit). He is fully human and fully God. He lived a perfect life. His death on the cross paid the price for our sins, and His resurrection confirmed His power over death.
Salvation
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
We are saved when we believe Christ’s sacrifice is payment for our sins (see Identity of Jesus above) and by faith accept God’s free gift of grace. We cannot earn salvation by our good works or belonging to a church. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, though important elements of the Christian life, should not be presented as conditions of salvation. Nor should practices such as speaking in tongues.
Worship
“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).
Does this church encourage you to pursue an intimate, life-changing relationship with God, rather than just attending a service and listening to a message? Does the service strive to do more than entertain you?
Growth
“You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food” (Hebrews 5:12).
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