JOHN 4:23-24
"A time is coming—and now is—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers.
"God is spirit—and His worshipers MUST worship in spirit and in truth."
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How to choose the right church—Tip #1
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RELIGIOUSLYINCORRECT.org
If you've ever thumbed through the church section of your local yellow pages, you've probably noticed what I have:
a befuddling selection of seemingly endless choices.
Practically every flavor of "Christianity" imaginable is available to you.
Like to have fun? A plethora of choices beckon.
Desire to be "gay Christian?" No problem, a slew of churches await your contributions and support.
Prefer the impersonal, college classroom feel? They're everywhere to be found.
Want an inactive group that'll never involve you in mission work, benevolence, or the like? Need I say more!
I even heard of one bunch who catered to motorcycle enthusiasts; they drove in on their cycles and never had to dismount so long as nature
didn't call.
This wide selection of "customer-oriented" congregations gives people the ability to choose just the right fit for their traditional
up-bringing, social desires, and comfort zones. Indeed, even internet "virtual churches" are available if low self-esteem plagues you, or you
don't feel comfortable in crowds, or prefer to keep hitting the alarm on Sunday mornings, or can't sacrifice your NFL football, or...
Yes, with many people, finding a church is a lot like buying an HDTV: just
look for the one that suits your particular taste.
Sadly, modern Christianity has morphed into an "anything-goes" atmosphere—so much so that people have
lost complete sight of Who they're supposed to be pleasing and worshiping: God—and our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you really want to make a responsible church choice, it's imperative that you take the time
to "do your homework"—for your decision will likely affect you, and your family, far more than you'll probably ever
know—until the Judgment Day, that is.
So, to help you make this important choice, the following 3 tips have been assembled...
Tip #1: Never forget Who you're trying to please: God and Christ—not yourself
As mentioned, when selecting a church, never lose sight of what you're trying to accomplish.
You're trying to find a group of faithful, Bible-practicing Christians with whom you can worship your Creator and Savior
(not simply so-called "Bible-believing" Christians; these days, everything thinks they are). The Bible says:
"Fear God—and give Him glory—because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heaven, the earth,
the sea, and the springs of water."
(Revelation 14:7)
You're not—or shouldn't be—trying to find a church that caters to your family, your traditional upbringing, or even
necessarily yourself. You are—or certainly should be—attempting to seek a church that is pleasing to God,
and your Lord Jesus Christ.
One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 5:10: "Find out what pleases the Lord." It's really that simple.
You should, in other words, "do your own homework" and find out what GOD and CHRIST want in a church, and how GOD and CHRIST want
to be worshiped. After all, THEY are the ones you are seeking to worship! It makes no sense to invest a great deal of your life
worshiping God how MAN instructed and not how GOD instructed. Your eternal destination will also likely be affected.
That means, naturally, going to God's word to find out how He instructed men—via His Holy Spirit of truth—to
worship Him.
And by the way: when you read descriptions of how first century "Biblical" churches operated, please realize they were operating
often under the direct instruction and training of Christ's apostles themselves. Obviously (except in cases of their disobedience and
correction), that means we should be patterning our churches today accordingly.
Unless, of course, you believe modern preachers
know more about how Christ should be worshiped than His apostles—who were tutored by Christ Himself!
That's a tough logical argument to swallow.
Please also bear in mind that God's "New Covenant"
is everlasting (Daniel 2:44; Hebrews 13:20)—meaning, it doesn't change with time. In other words, we don't change it today just because men
and women have decided to do so to fit modern political-correctness, religious-correctness, or self-correctness. What
we're after should be God-correctness.
Thus, we should seek to find out how God wants to be worshiped, and follow that pattern—along with the many commands surrounding
proper corporate worship to God.
So, if you're choosing a church to please your family, to have fun with friends, and/or to keep your
teenager engaged with better company—believe it or not you've missed the point.
PART 2
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