1. HOW IS GOD'S WORD HANDLED? The church must believe in the perfect inspiration, preservation, and inerrancy of the Bible. But not only must they believe rightly, there must be an honest effort to live rightly. There must be an earnest effort from the man serving as pastor to preach expositionally. Is he presenting the text? Is he seeking to explain the text? Is he faithful to seek accurate application from the text? He may not be the most dynamic speaker nor the most intellectual presenter but the word of God must be handled with reverence.
2. DO THEY EXPRESS GENUINE LOVE? I know that every church thinks they are a loving church but often that really means they only love those they know are just like them. There must be a welcoming presence and there must be a genuine love for those who are being damaged by sin. I want a church that is willing to roll up some sleeves and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Jesus loved and embraced the undesirables of society (although still requiring their repentance), so should we.
3. IS PRAYER A PRIORITY? As the temple of the Holy Spirit we are to be a "house of prayer". A praying church is a staying church and a non-praying church is a straying church. The power we need to raise our children, to love one another, to love our enemies, to love our wives as Christ loved the church, to be salt and light comes through prayer. Prayer is an essential that must not be neglected.
4. IS THERE PASSION FOR THE GREAT COMMISSION? The last words Jesus gave His disciples before He ascended are the summary of what He had been teaching and the emphasis of what they (we) should be doing. "Preach the gospel (Mk. 16:15), make disciples (Matt. 28:19), be my witnesses (Acts 1:8)" are very clear commands. A healthy church will be seeking to grow in their involvement in missions for the sake of the lost and for the sake of God's glory.
There are other things to consider but if these four are right everything else will fall into place. It will require some crucifixion of our preferences and not all things will be as we may like or want, but better to sacrifice some comfort in this life and be right in the next than to be entertained in this life and wrong in the next.
CONCLUSION: Take up your cross, deny yourself, and follow Jesus. There is no perfect church. Preferences must be placed aside at times. Not everything will be just the way I like it. This is actually part of the beauty of church life, that great diversity comes together by the bond of Christ's redemptive work and loves one another sacrificially. In the midst of a consumer driven culture with way too many options on the grocery store shelves and menus with countless considerations, churches have bought in with their own marketing campaigns in order to present themselves as the church that will make all of your dreams come true. "Great music, relevant messages, exciting children's programs, relaxed atmosphere, comfortable environment" are just a few of the claims offered in order to grab one's attention and offer a dream-fulfilling church experience. In these days it needs to be said, "Take up your cross, deny yourself, and follow Jesus." (see Matt. 16:24)
Here is my marketing campaign:
- I spit when I preach and I am at times broken by sin but I thank God for the resurrected power of Jesus Christ in which there is no condemnation for all who believe.
- Our music leader is very faithful and although he is a very gifted musician, most importantly he wholeheartedly loves Jesus.
- Our Youth Minister loves Jesus and loves people and although he may be cool, he is not the coolest guy in town.
- We have many faithful servants of Christ who seek to share God's word with children but we are not here to entertain your children.
- The Bible has been relevant for thousands of years and will be when you and I are gone. So learn the Bible.
- If you come to our church you will find conviction first and then comfort only as you repent and submit to God's word.
- Reverence for God is more important than your relaxation.
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