Church

Bible » Finding the "Right" Church

Question:

Answered on 10/13/06:

The time to look for a new church is when the church is not teaching the Bible, not feeding you the Word of God. When the church is trying to manipulate you or control you or dominate you to try to get you do something that is contrary to the Word of God, or trying to tell you that you're going to hell if you're not in their church or that God's going to judge you if you leave their church. Things like that. When people try to say things that will control you, that's the time to leave a church and to look for a new one.

And what do you look for? You look for a church that's grounded in the Word of God, grounded in worship, grounded in loving people, grounded in faith, grounded in the Bible as the final authority in our lives, and is going to teach that uncompromisingly. We believe in three things in our church, for example, that God has called us to teach people uncompromisingly, to love people unconditionally, and to encourage people unceasingly. If you can find a church like that, then I would say that you're in the right church.

Question:

Answered on 10/13/06:

But the point is, those are two examples when it is time for you to move on. When is it not time for you to move on? Well, you heard something that the pastor said and you didn't like it, it hurt your feelings, it offended you; that is not the reason to move on. You don't want to serve in the church and they're asking people to serve and you don't think you should have to do that; that is not the reason to move on. You don't like the way the ushers operate in the church, or you don't like the way this person does this or that person does that; that is not the right reason to leave a church.

The right reason to leave a church is when God is promoting you to something better and you have the blessing of that church to leave. Now if they are controlling you and manipulating you and telling you, "No, you're going to hell and you will be cursed if you leave this church." Then no, that is obviously wrong. What you need to realize and understand is that if God is promoting you to something and if you have the blessing and affirmation of your existing church, that is the best time to leave the church.

Question:

Answered on 09/15/06:

Now, having said that, just because we’re at a church doesn’t mean that we’re at a good church, so it’s important that we’re in a good church that’s teaching the Word of God as the authority in our live. So, I think that sometimes people don’t go to church because they’re burned, maybe they were mistreated, maybe a situation was mishandled, maybe they feel they were controlled or manipulated in some way. There are a lot of reasons why people feel burned from church, but just because my mother burned the biscuits when I was a kid doesn’t mean I stopped eating. I went back and I found something else to eat. So, we got to make sure that we’re honoring the Word of God and not just doing what’s easy or convenient or withdrawing simply because we don’t like what somebody preaches.

Let’s talk about what a “good church” is for a minute. A good church is number one, a church that believes that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. Now there are a lot of churches that fall into that category, but as we go through a little bit of a list, we start narrowing the choices down. So the next thing that we should make sure that we find in a good church is that that church preaches and teaches the Bible as the final authority in our lives so they’re not just preaching their opinions or their feelings, but they’re teaching what they teach right from the Scripture, right from the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Thirdly, that that church is involved in mercy and believes in teaching people and encouraging them, not coming down on them with legalism and “you better do this or you’re not saved,” or “you better wear makeup or you’re not saved,” or “you better not wear not wear pants.” You know, all these rules that people put in order to be saved. If a church is preaching that, that’s not a good church. So, it’s got to be teaching the grace of God, that God is not judging us just because we fail, just because we make mistakes, just because we fall. And then that church needs to have an attitude of serving other people and that when somebody comes that we don’t treat them as a second-class citizen just because they haven’t been around or they don’t know as much or they haven’t learned their Bible very good.. We’ve got to be willing to help people right where they’re at.

And then another thing that marks a good church is that the Pastor is trying to teach people in a way that will protect them from things that would hurt them, protect them from wrong teaching by teaching them really easily and in an understandable way from the Bible in a gentle and kind way and that there is relationships that are offered. Maybe small groups are provided in that church. I’m just trying to give you a list of some of the things to look for in a good, healthy church.

Question:

Answered on 09/15/06:

You just have to realize that it’s not a feeling that you need to look for, but it is the assurance in your heart that, “Okay, I’m in the right place and I’m being fed.” The Bible says that “My sheep hear my voice”—in John 10—“and they know my voice and they follow me.” So you’re going to know the voice of God.

No, it’s not rebellion if you’re not in the right church. You’ve got to find the right church. If you go from church to church and you never get plugged in and you never get committed, then, yes, I would say there is probably rebellion in your life. But if you’re just not in the right church, and you’re looking for the right one, then by all means you should maybe go on a Wednesday night.

Keep going to the church you’re going to. It’s like a job. I encourage people, “don’t leave your job until you have another one.” Don’t leave your church because you feel like the Lord’s leading you somewhere else. Until you know, until you’ve plugged into that other place and you’re being fed and you’ve tested it and you know that it’s right, stay in the church you’re going to on Sunday. Maybe on Wednesday, go to visit some other churches and see if something else is the place for you, and if it is, kindly and gracefully talk to your pastor or the leaders of your church and let them know you feel like it’s time for you to move on, but it’s nothing against them whatsoever.

Church » General

Question:

Answered on 10/13/06:

The purpose of the church is to reflect and represent the glory of God, to carry out the mandate the great commission of Jesus Christ, to bring the gospel to the world so that the world can see there is a people who are truly experiencing the life of God, the power of God, the love of God. And we are the salt of the earth, to go into the world, to show people the power and the love of God. That's the purpose of the church. And to win people to Jesus Christ before He returns.

The purpose of the church is also to manifest or to reveal the manifold wisdom of God, to show forth the wisdom of God, to show forth the glory of God, to show forth that the community is enhanced and the community is held together, and the community is protected because of the presence of the church. And so, the more prevalent the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ become, the more influence that we're going to have in the communities and the cleaner of a society we're going to have, the healthier of a society we are going to have and we're going to bring other people into the family of God.

So the purpose of the church is to reflect the glory of God. Just like the moon reflects the light of the sun, the church is to reflect the light of God to this world and to this earth and show people that there is a beacon of light, there is a lighthouse, a beacon that people can come running to, a tower that people can come running to and find safety, and find healing and find salvation and deliverance through the church representing Jesus Christ in the earth.

The Bible says the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. The church is called by God to kick in the gates of hell and take dominion back in this earth, take this world back for Jesus Christ, to give Him an earth that He rightfully deserves; an earth that is filled with His people, filled with His glory, filled with His power, filled with His love, filled with His Word and that we penetrate the entire society with the gospel, the salt of the earth.

Question:

Answered on 10/13/06:

Instead it had become a place where they bargaining and a place where there was bartering and a bazaar. It had become a flea market, rather than a place to truly worship God. And so, again, it's not necessarily wrong that some things are sold in a church like books and things that will help people gain further knowledge and insight into a stronger walk with God.

But what they were doing was they had turned God's house into the focus being buying and selling rather than the focus being worshiping and praising God and praying. And so that's why Jesus drove out the buyers and the sellers because they saw the house of God as a place to buy and sell, rather than the house of God as a place to worship and to pray.

Question:

Answered on 10/13/06:

Let's say somebody said, "I really have a word from God for one of my children." Well, they should give that to my child in my presence or give it directly to me for my child, but not give it to my child without me because I'm responsible for my child. In the same way, the elders of a church are responsible for the members of that church and therefore, if somebody thinks they have something from God, they should give it to the person in front of a leader in that church so that that leader can be responsible for the member of the church.

And if that's not happening, then you should bring it to the attention of the Pastor to the leaders of the church. Go to them privately and say, "Here's what I've seen, here's what I've witnessed, and I just want you to know that this is going on." And then it's in their court what they believe they should do about it. But that's what I would do.