Scripture
Why do churches have so many people on their membership rolls who give little or no evidence of Christian commitment or even conversion? Why do many churches find it difficult to motivate members to give, serve, pray and share their faith? The answer is simple. The members were allowed to join with no expectations placed on them. And, therefore, you get what you ask for!
The difference between attendees and members can be summed up in one word: commitment. It’s like the difference between couples who just “live together” and those who get married. While becoming a Christian means to commit yourself to Christ, becoming a church member means to commit yourself to other Christians. It is a commitment to a specific group of believers who make up what is known as the “church.”
Paul mentions two different types of commitment in 2 Corinthians 8:5: “First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God’s will, they gave themselves to us as well.” (Good News Bible). Paul is saying that you first commit yourself to Christ in salvation, and then you commit yourself to other Christians for membership in the church family.
But, which church should you join? Today’s message will be necessarily topical, so I will not be expounding a single text of Scripture. Rather I hope to draw your attention to several texts that will answer the question: “Which Church Should You Join?”
Introduction
Once you have settled the question about why you should join a church, the next question is which church should you join?
The great number of religions in the world today confuses most people. All religions have followers who claim to be right and who endeavor to win converts to their way of thinking. To make matters even worse, within Christianity itself there is a wide divergence of opinion, much division, and strong competition.
Some Christians are so perplexed over what is the true way that they don’t make any choice at all! The purpose of this message is to help you determine which church you should join.
Lesson
Let me begin by saying that you will never find a perfect church. In fact, you may never find a church with which you agree on every belief and practice. So let me point out some basic elements that will guide you to a sound church. If these elements are present, you can confidently join it, work in it, and worship there with enthusiasm and joy.
In determining which church you should join, join a church that has sound beliefs and sound practices.
I. Join a Church That Has Sound Beliefs
First, join a church that has sound beliefs.
Many people who are looking for a church to join have the wrong priorities. Some are drawn to a church by the beauty of its buildings. Others are more interested in its size. Still others are attracted by an outstanding musical program or by a pastor with an impressive appearance, personality, and speaking ability. Many look for a church with a worship service that appeals to them. And there are those who join a church because of its location or the people who attend.
As meaningful as these things may be, however, the most important consideration must be the doctrine of the church. In other words, what does the church believe and teach? That’s the bottom line.
I’d rather be in a church that meets in an old broken-down building with no choir, an out-of-tune piano, and a stammering preacher who faithfully teaches the Word of God than attend a church that’s proud of its beautiful buildings, magnificent choir, or eloquent minister yet denies or ignores the clear teaching of Scripture and lacks the presence and power of the Spirit of God. What is believed and preached in a church is all-important!
So, in determining which church to join, the starting point must be an examination of what that church believes. A good church is sound in the following six vital areas of doctrine.
A. Beliefs About the Bible
A good church will be correct, first of all, in its beliefs about the Bible.
It will believe and teach that the Bible is the inspired Word of the living God. God has spoken. He has not left us to grope helplessly in a blind search for truth. The Lord has given us the Scriptures, his infallible written revelation to man. The Bible says that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The expression “God-breathed” means that all Scripture is breathed of God. That is, as the human authors penned the Bible manuscripts, the Lord himself was breathing (i.e., revealing his message) through them.
The first mark of a good church is its belief that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God.
B. Beliefs About God
The second way to recognize a good church is to examine its theology; that is, its belief about God.
We are told in 1 John 1:5 that “God is light.” This is a reference to God’s absolute holiness. The words “God is love” in 1 John 4:8 explain the reason God gives of himself for the welfare of his creatures. And the declaration in Hebrews 12:29 that “our God is a consuming fire” reveals him as one who punishes the evildoer.
No teaching about God can be called biblical if it fails to recognize his holiness as well as his love. It must acknowledge his hatred and judgment of sin as well as his pleasure of righteousness. A minister who preaches God’s love without ever mentioning God’s wrath is not presenting the whole truth.
The Bible also tells us that God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is without rival or equal. There is no other like him. Although God is one, we also recognize that he is the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – three distinct persons yet one God. The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. And each of these three members of the Trinity is a person. They have always existed. They are equal in power and knowledge. Yet they are so unified in their essence that they are not three gods but one God.
C. Beliefs About Christ
A good church will be correct, in the third place, in its beliefs about Christ.
The Bible teaches that Jesus is truly God and truly man. The deity of Christ, for example, is explicitly stated in the opening verse of the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
Jesus is not only God; he is also man. The fact of Jesus’ deity and humanity is clearly indicated in Philippians 2:5-8. He was born of the Virgin Mary. During his earthly sojourn, he as a man became weary, he was hungry, and he suffered physically. Nevertheless, he was truly God. A mystery? Yes! But we accept that truth by faith.
A church that is correct in its Christology will also believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus. It will teach that Mary was a virgin when Christ was born. After the angel announced to Mary that she was going to “give birth to a son,” she said, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:31-34). It was then that “the angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you’” (v. 35).
A church that is correct in its Christology will also believe in the atoning death of Christ. It will teach that Jesus, the sinless one, died on the cross for the elect. According to Romans 4:25, Christ was “delivered over to death for our sins.” Christ died for us. He took our place at Calvary.
A church that is correct in its Christology will also believe that Christ literally and physically rose from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
D. Beliefs About Salvation
A good church will be correct in its soteriology; that is, in what it believes about the way of salvation. It will proclaim the message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
In stating that salvation is by grace – completely apart from human effort – I am not denying the importance of baptism, church attendance, or living a good life in obedience to the commands found in God’s Word. Not at all! All of these things are vitally important. But they are not done in order to be saved. Rather, they follow as the result, the evidence of a genuine conversion experience. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Jesus became a man through the Virgin Birth. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross to pay the price for our sins, and arose from the dead. And now, because of what he did by dying in our place, salvation is offered to us as a gift. It is received by faith. Church membership, baptism, a moral life, or good works – good as all these things are – can do nothing to save us from our sins. Salvation can be experienced only on the basis of what Jesus Christ did for us as our substitute in life and death. And faith is the link by which the blessings of his provision are received. One poet has written:
Upon a life I did not live,
Upon a death I did not die,
Another’s life, Another’s death,
I stake my whole eternity.
E. Beliefs About the Holy Spirit
A good church will be correct in its pneumatology; that is, in what it believes and teaches about the Holy Spirit.
A good church will recognize the Holy Spirit for who he is and what he does. The Holy Spirit is a person. He is God. And since he is God, he is also co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. So beware of those who deny the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is involved in a number of important activities. The Spirit of God brings conviction of sin (John 16:8), imparts the new birth (John 3:5), baptizes believers into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), indwells individual Christians (1 Corinthians 6:19), restrains sin (2 Thessalonians 2:7), and equips Christians for effective service (Ephesians 5:18). Yes, the Holy Spirit makes his home within every Christian. He dwells within to comfort, guide, sustain, and strengthen us, and to bear witness to the truth. Because of his indwelling presence, we can have victory over sin and we can faithfully serve the Lord.
F. Beliefs About the Church
A good church will be correct in its ecclesiology; that is, in what it believes and teaches about the church.
Acts 2:42-43 gives us a picture of the New Testament church. We are told that “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” A good church will be one that meets regularly for worship, instruction, fellowship, evangelism, and the observance of the sacraments. A good church will recognize that their assembly or denomination is not the only true church. They will not exclude from their assembly Christians who don’t have their particular ecclesiastical label. Rather, they will see all who have placed their trust in Christ as fellow members of his body. They will accept them as brothers and sisters in Christ.
So, join a church that has sound beliefs. Make doctrine a priority. But you should also look for something else.
II. Join A Church That Has Sound Practices
Second, join a church that has sound practices.
Belief must translate into practice. All the right doctrine in the world is useless unless it gets put into practice. Let me suggest at least six practices that are found in a sound church.
A. Practices About Worship
First, a good church will be sound in its worship.
Look for a church where the worship of God is reverent and biblical. Jesus said, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
There are many churches that seek to entertain people and are more man-centered than God-centered. They introduce fashionable elements into worship that the Bible does not allow. Don’t go to church primarily to feel better or to be entertained, but to worship the true and living God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The basic elements of true worship are: the reading and preaching of the Word of God, prayer, singing of psalms and hymns, giving of offerings, confessing the faith, observing the sacraments, and on special occasions taking oaths.
B. Practices About Outreach
A good church will be sound in its outreach.
Jesus said that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). The very fact that the earthly ministry of Christ culminated in his death and resurrection, which made possible our redemption, indicates the great necessity of sharing the good news of the gospel with men, women, boys, and girls. A good church will have an evangelistic mission.
Closely related to evangelism is missions. A good church will have a strong missionary outreach. It will have a global concern. Jesus told His followers to “go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15).
As followers of Christ, we are to spread the glorious news of redemption to men and women everywhere. The last words of the Lord Jesus before his ascension were these: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
A good church will be outreach-oriented. If it isn’t – if it is so self-centered that it’s occupied exclusively with its own interests – it will fail in doing its part in reaching the world with the gospel.
C. Practices About Love
A good church will be a loving church.
Speaking to his disciples, Jesus said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).
True fellowship involves loving with a selfless desire for the good of others. It’s reaching out to those who need the encouragement of genuine love.
In his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul compared individual believers to parts of the human body and expressed this desire: “That there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).
Caring includes such activities as praying for one another, visiting the lonely, ministering to the sick, and comforting the bereaved. Through prayer and the practical demonstrations of loving and caring, we fulfill the biblical admonition, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Sorrows are lessened and joys are increased when others share them. It’s encouraging for a Christian to know that his brothers and sisters in Christ are praying for him. How wonderful it would be if every member of the church felt loved and cared for!
D. Practices About Forgiveness
A good church will be a forgiving church.
This is an important element of a church. Christians should be ready at all times to forgive those who have wronged them. Paul wrote that we must be “kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
To forgive is desirable in all of our relationships. But within the circle of believers, it is especially important. An unforgiving attitude can kill the spirit and stunt the growth of a church.
E. Practices About Patience
A good church will be a patient church.
Paul, writing to the Ephesians, indicated that we are to be “completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). If we are really “bearing with one another in love,” we are patiently making allowance for the weaknesses of others. Irritability and impatience are selfish responses, totally out of keeping with Christian character.
Oh, I know that some church members like to be in the limelight. I’m aware that some folks are overbearing. I realize that some always need a pat on the back and that others wear their feelings on their sleeve. Rather than losing patience, mature Christians will help them overcome their weaknesses.
F. Practices About Submission
A good church will be a submitting church.
Ephesians 5:21 says that we are to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
In all of life there are lines of authority. In the church, members of the church must submit to their leaders (Hebrews 13:17). The key to successful mutual submission can be found in 1 Peter 5:5, which tells us to “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” We must adopt the attitude of Romans 12:10 which says, “Honor one another above yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 exhorts us: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
No one should ever think himself to be above accepting advice from others. No matter what a person’s authority may be, he should manifest a spirit of humility, a willingness to respond graciously, and an openness to receive wise counsel. If a spirit of mutual submission were practiced in our churches, what a difference it would make!
Conclusion
If you have been converted to Christ, you are responsible to become a communicant member of a true church of Jesus Christ. Church membership is a very serious issue for the Christian who wants to be obedient to Christ. In determining which church to join, join a church that has sound beliefs and sound practices such as those I have just described today. Amen.
