Attending church and belonging to a church are two different things. As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ it is important that you belong to a group of believers. Why? As with any "team", it is only effective when it is banded together as one unit. A Christian on their own will not be as effective for God compared to a Christian within a body of believers. Christians need to be held accountable to one another and that can't be done outside of a church. So, don't just attend a church----belong to one, get involved and serve Christ with the gifts He's blessed you with.
Ask God in prayer right now to lead and direct you to a good Bible teaching church as you begin your relationship with Jesus.
Finding a good Bible teaching church that will feed you spiritually is not easy. Not all churches actually preach the gospel and teach from the Holy Bible like they should, therefore leaving you spiritually hungry. If you do not understand things while at your church, or if Jesus Christ is not preached at every service, you are most likely at the wrong church.
Go and find a church where Jesus Christ is preached every week!
We recommend you look and compare at least 3 large national church organizations, churches that are equipped for the new believer. There churches organizations are:
Calvary Chapel
Sovereign Grace
IFCA International
Even though we recommend these church organizations, we realize there are many more good churches out there, yet we trust you will check each particular church individually. Like anything in life, the quality of the individual church can vary and will depend on the leadership of the particular church. Below are some questions designed to confirm you are at the right church. The list of questions below were developed by "The Way of the Master" ministry at:
How to find a good Bible teaching church
Looking for a good church? Join the club. Church--shopping can be a long and painful process. To shorten your search, call the pastor of the church before you visit and ask the following questions. This might save you a lot of Sundays.
1. What is man's biggest problem, sin or self--esteem?
Seeker sensitive and felt-needs churches focus on man's hurts and problems. The Bible says that mans biggest problem is sin.
2. What must a man do to inherit eternal life?
Repent and trust is the Biblical answer. If the word is never used, say "Tank you."
3. How do you deliver the salvation message?
Ask the pastor to describe specifically what he says. Does he encourage people to simply say a prayer? Does he tell people to ask Jesus into their hearts? The salvation message should include: God's holiness, man's sinfulness, God's response (hell))), God's kindness (Jesus on the cross), man's response (repentance and faith).
4. How hard is it to become a Christian?
The formula is simple, doing it is not. It is not easy to believe.
5. How often do you talk about sin, righteousness and judgement?
Balance is key. This should not be the only emphasis, but it should be a regular emphasis.
6. How seeker sensitive is your church?
It is okay for a church to be seeker aware but seeker sensitive means that they learn toward seekers and not the saved.
7. Who do you do church for, seekers or members?
Both is not acceptable. Church should be done for members and the unsaved are welcome to attend.
8. Do you dumb down your sermons?
If he says yes, he is probably not trying to wean his members from milk to meat. Answers like, we try to make our sermons accessible to everyone are sermons that are not meaty.
9. What is your mixture of topical vs. expository preaching?
...to be continued...
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