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4 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A LOCAL CHURCH

By Sean and Sandra Estill 1 Comment

Photo credit: m’sieur rico (CC)

Teaching the Bible, God’s Word—Not Someone Else’s

2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV) For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Essential to the function of a church is its exhortation from and study of God’s word, the Bible. Going to a church that preaches its soapbox will detract from God’s message and ultimately His glory. Also, be careful of the church that consistently uses scripture out of context to make its point.

Evangelism, Spreading the Gospel, Missionary Work, Mercy

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The primary means by which the salvation and glory of Jesus find their way into broken and needy hearts is through evangelism. While the complete work of salvation in an individual’s heart is done by the Holy Spirit, the church should be intentional in its work of sharing Jesus Christ and making His life and love known.

Small Groups, Life Groups, Connecting, Community

Acts 2:42 (NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The church that meets weekly all together in one place but does not meet in smaller groups throughout the week misses out on building deep community. While the unified, large-group setting has its place, the smaller, more personal meetings often offer additional opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment. It is there that the things of life are experienced together. Look for the basics of the church to be alive in smaller gatherings as well: worship, instruction, fellowship, and evangelism.

Prayer and Worship

James 5:16 (NIV) Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

John 4:23-24 (NIV) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Find a church that prays and worships God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In a fundamental sense, we exist for the glory, honor, and pleasure of God. In prayer, we talk with God and find out what he is doing in and around us; in worship, we focus our attention on the Lord, doing what he has asked us to do. Be sure that the church is engaged in these practices.

Remember that no church is perfect, and even if there were a perfect church, it would be imperfect just as soon as you stepped in the door. So, don’t forget to exercise grace and understanding when checking out a church.

Purpose of the Church

(from Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem)

Ministry to God – Worship

Ministry to Believers – Nurture

Ministry to World – Evangelism and Mercy

Keeping The Above Purposes In Balance

4 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A LOCAL CHURCH - New Identity Magazine

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Filed Under: Community, Connect Tagged With: Issue 1

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Comments

  1. Raeger Wynchester says

    November 21, 2017 at 3:19 pm

    It really got to me when you said that although the work of salvation is inside an individual’s heart, the church is one of the ways to get close because it chares the life and love of Jesus Christ. I’m not much of a churchgoer, but I am very much religious. Now I’m thinking that it might be for the best that I start going to church and be more open to the love of Christ. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply

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Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on ou Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on our own is in vain. We can never hope to achieve the same level that Jesus was on while we are still here on Earth. We’re like little kids, struggling just to walk. But that’s why Jesus gave us an example of redeemed followers in the form of the Apostles, who were his close group of students here on Earth. He chose a group of broken, sinful men, and ultimately shaped them into the group responsible for continuing his ministry here on Earth. ⁠
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If you desire to serve, seek to form groups withou If you desire to serve, seek to form groups without age distinction. Maybe you want to form a group in your church. Avoid just inviting members from your age group. Seek out people older and younger than you to invite to meet together. Find that person who sits alone and talk to her or him. Instead of a focus on building groups that have the same characteristics to “relate” with one another, you center your discussion in the work of Christ. He will bring the group together. ⁠
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Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” There is yet another parallel between the Christian story and The Matrix, simultaneously the most foundational and the most captivating. It’s that something which is missing, something which is not quite right with the world. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know that it’s there. At the outset of the first film, Neo is searching for it. Trinity asserts that “it’s the question that drives us.” Morpheus claims that “you can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes.” The question is: What if I’ve only ever scratched the surface of all that life has to offer? What if there is a deeper, truer current of reality, ever-present behind all of my life’s experiences, to which I might awaken at any moment?⁠
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"I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because "I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because we all struggle with temptations to sin. And we all struggle to live in a way that honors God. Like Augustine we all feel the tug of our past sins that say, 'Don’t you want to enjoy us?' And Augustine’s story relates to Galatians 5:16-26 where Paul tells us about how the Christian life is like a walk. In a way, walking is a metaphor for the Christian life." ⁠
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