Let me pose a hypothetical, though it is hardly that…this happens everyday somewhere. Suppose you are travelling and happen upon a conversation with someone which turns into them admitting that they used to go to church as a child, and no longer do…but after meeting you and seeing the love of Christ flowing through you, they say, “I really need to find a church. How can I find a church close to where I live that would inspire me like you do?”
You have five minutes, what do you say? I asked several people this question and enjoyed the responses. I followed up by asking, why was this person asking you to help them find a church? We all know there are a 100 churches within a 30 mile radius of where they live, so why not simply say, “pick one.” Or, give them a denominational name or whatever? By them asking you the question, they are already conceding the point that 1)churches vary in their faithfulness and 2)not all churches are faithful. First, this is a very sad point, surely it is not the Lord’s will. Second, since it is the reality, we are fools to be blind to it or act as if ‘all churches are serving the same God, blah blah blah. By extension, it would also be foolish as a Christian to act as if all Christians are faithful…that the rock band who labels themselves as Christian, the private school that labels itself as Christian, or the church that labels itself as Christian should be wholeheartedly embraced.
So, what makes a faithful Christian or a faithful Church might be the real question. What sets some apart from others? Remember, you have five minutes to point them on the way without the time to google their home towns and try to sort through the 100. Instead, you need to give them advice that provide the guidance for them to make God-led decisions.
It goes without saying that your first piece of advice is: Read the New Testament from cover to cover, praying earnestly to God that He would lead you into the paths of righteousness. If one is to find a faithful church, one must begin, at least, to know what the New Testament teaches.
But, should a person wait the 3 months to find a church until they have the New Testament well-digested? Maybe. Paul was in the wilderness for three years. Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days. The children of Israel were in the desert 40 days then 40 years. There are worse things than hungering for fellowship….namely, prematurely accepting comradery at church potlucks where spiritual life is missing.
Perhaps there is a short cut to identify churches that are likely to be faithful. Are there key doctrines or practices that you could share with the seeker that would narrow their search quickly? They are asking you, by the way. They see something differently in you, after all.
How about the holy kiss? If a church’s membership majority practices the holy kiss, is this a shortcut to finding a few churches that are more likely to be a faithful church? The covering? Loving your enemies? I suggest that there might be quite a short list of Biblical ordinances to quickly reduces the church options from 100 to 5 or less. If a church takes seriously these, it likely has a high esteem for the word of God, a love for Christ, and a tight-knit fellowship (birds of a feather flock together).
Should you interview the pastor of each church? I think not. Should you interview the oldest member or the newest member?
I’d advise my friend at the rest area in the following way:
- Read the New Testament and seek Christ for full understanding. Be broken on the Rock, surrender in full repentance. Be converted. Don’t look for a church….BE the church (thanks Marcus for this insight)
- The Lord will lead you toward like-minded followers (ask my friend Elizabeth) as you understand what a New Testament church acts like
- These believers take the whole Bible seriously – especially the unpopular parts. A majority of their church is like the Bereans and who do the things like holy kiss, covering, and no jewelry.
- You speak with the newest members about their conversion experience and learn that the newest members have a HIGH estimation of the cross of Christ, evidenced by their brokenness in repentance, picking up their own crosses of self-denial. They don’t ‘grow up in the faith’ through a cultural experience like many Amish circles or are confirmed at some age like in Catholic or Lutheran terms, or repeatedly come to the altar call to be renewed again unto salvation as many other churches teach. They don’t accept Christ as if Christ is just begging to be let into their hearts. Rather, these newest members give testimony and evidence that, though they kept all the commandments like the rich, young ruler, they were miserable sinners who came to a point in their lives that they were broken, stopped living in the natural ways, and now hate those things which they once loved.
And, my five minutes would be up. What would you say in your five minutes?