I am SO glad you asked this because I thought I was the only one that ever asks this, and am usually looked down upon for doing so. I think it's a very loving thing to ask if you care about people's souls and where they will end up. For the bible says Christ has only one true church (bride), and that you must be in that body of believers.
So, I will answer for myself... "Yes, I am in a biblical church- the Church of Christ."...
SINGING OF PSALMS...
Yes, Colossians 3:16 says to sing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs. We do this in the worship assembly, and I do this at home. And even though I don't have the best voice I will sing even one portion of a lyric in a conversation with a brother or sister in Christ to remind them, or encourage them.
TEACHING....
Yes- whether by preaching or teaching, our church teaches the bible to others both in and out of the worship assembly. I come here to teach others the truth (go into all the world), I am an on again off again bible school teacher, I have taught my children, and continue to teach my children and whatever family and friends who are willing to hear, and as the bible says, the older women should teach the younger women. As a woman I will not teach over a saved man in our congregation or preach in the pulpit- as this is biblical. But yes, our church teaches. And in one way or another, I personally teach God's word every day, most of the time.
TONGUES and INTERPRETATION...
Yes- I often speak in groans that words cannot express lol, but the Spirit intercedes for me (Romans 8:26). We believe in a sermon everything must be interpreted in real languages because of Acts 2:8. If we have deaf people a man will stand off to the side in the front and put into sign language what the minister is saying in his sermon. We have purchased a bible for a member from Russia who did not understand English as well as the others, but she did understand most English like 90%. As a bible-school teacher both I myself and another have taught a deaf child with sign language. And if any other language situation comes up we would be sure to address that issue. After the minister reads a scripture in his sermon he interprets what that scripture means and how it effects us today. I have used visual aids and hands-on techniques to teach children the meanings of scripture- such as showing the light of a candle in a dark room. And when talking online I often give a parable illustration of what I am saying.
PROPHESY...
Yes- I, and my church prophesy all the time that Christ will return, among other things.
ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER...
Yes- We encourage one another by being in the assembly (Hebrews 10:25). We encourage one another with smiles, hugs, and handshakes, and sometimes with tears as if to say "I also feel your pain, you are not in this alone." We encourage one another with letters or cards in the mail. I personally encourage those who come forward because of a sin in their life by going up to them afterwards and letting them know I've been there and that I will pray for them, and that they can call me if they need to talk. I teach my children to use words that build others up instead of tear them down (Ephesians 4:29).
LORD"S SUPPER/LOVE FEAST...
Yes- We partake of the Lord's supper every first day of the week in the assembly of the saints. And I have personally gone with the minister to take the Lord's supper to those who could not make it to the assembly- whether they were sick at home, in the hospital, or in a nursing home. We take of the unleavened bread / cracker (without yeast which represents Christ's body without sin). We take of the pure fruit of the vine (grape juice only with nothing added in order to be pure- which represents Christ's pure innocent blood without sin). Right before hand we sing a song which has lyrics that take our minds to the purpose of the Lord's supper to promote self-examination of rightful intentions (1 Corithians 11:27).
SCRIPTURE READING...
Yes- Our church (no matter which congregation of it) always uses much scripture- both in and out of the assembly. Matter of fact, we have a reputation of knowing and using more scripture than other religions. The guy that wrote the book "Muscle and a Shovel mentioned that during his search for the one true church of the bible, while comparing many pamphlets, that the Church of Christ gave way more scripture to back their teachings than any other religion. Whether teaching others or reminding myself, I truly believe I can say that I use and go by scripture every single day of my life. Hebrews 8:10 "
This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
PRAYER...
Yes- of course. Jesus said His church shall be a house of prayer (Matthew 21:13). Every single church gathering includes prayer. We pray for our sick, for our sick nation, for those in leadership to make Godly decisions, for growth, for understanding of the scripture, and for many other things. We pray both in and out of the assembly. I believe that when Jesus says to pray continually that He means that literally. Instead of thinking "What should I do today" I pray "God what do You want me to do today."
EXERCISE OF DISCERNMENT AND JUDGEMENT...
Yes- Although some have this talent more than others, we should all discern between spirits and judge between right and wrong. But we are not to judge someone's soul- to judge whether or not they should go to hell- that's God's job. But bad company corrupts good character (1 Cor. 15:33)- therefore we need to discern which spirits we should yoke with and which we should not. To discern between spirits Jesus tells us to know someone by their spiritual fruit- do they have the fruits of the Spirit? (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control) (Galatians 5:22,23) or the fruits of the evil one (
sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like). (Galatians 5:19,20).
REPORTS AND BUSINESS...
YES- We make sure the church is following the bible, and correct each other in love if we are not. And report to the assembly if we find a congregation that we are involved with that is not following the bible. And we know we are to correct in private, if they don't listen we are to take a witness, if they still don't listen we are to bring it before the congregation.
WATER BAPTISM BY IMMERSION...
Yes- We know that sprinkling is "Ramteso" and immersion is "Bapteso" in the original language. And that also there is other evidence that shows that baptism was not sprinkling- there had to be much water (John 3:23) if sprinkling were the case you could just carry water with you. They went into the water- why is this necessary unless immersion was necessary? During baptism Jesus came up out of the water (Matthew 3:13-17) and immediately the Holy Spirit hovered LIKE a dove (it was not a dove, but hovered like a dove hovers) and this shows us we get the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism (also backed by Acts 2:38)- again same point. We believe baptism saves (1 Peter 3:21). We believe that baptism is how we get into Christ and therefore into His life-saving blood (Romans 6:3,4).
LAYING ON OF HANDS...
Yes- I have seen the elders of the church lay their hands on a man in front of the congregation when they announced him to be a new elder or deacon. I have seen them lay their hands on someone's head in the hospital while praying for them. I have seen them lay their hands on someone's shoulder or shoulders while saying encouraging words to them.
PREACHING...
Yes- Every first day of the week we hear the minister preach scripture and interpret a sermon. The same minister teaches on Sunday night and Wednesday night.
SENDING MISSIONARIES...
Yes- We send missionaries, we have some out right now even as we speak. We also go into all the world via TV with our program "In Search of the Lord's Way" which airs on television and is streamed online through their website (searchtv.org) and through youtube, and through CD audio copies sent through the mail, and through mail correspondences in which viewers can answer biblical questions and receive feedback.
COLLECTIONS....
Yes- As commanded, we give each first day of the week according to how much we prospered that week, and according to the percentage that we decided to give in our hearts (1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 9:6).
REASONING AND PERSUADING OTHERS....
Yes- We evangelize to those who are willing to accept the message, and 'dust off our feet' to those who do not accept it (Matthew 10:14).
CONFESSIONS...
Yes- We publicly confess that we believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of the Living God right before we get baptized. We confess our faults one to another. We confess to God when we sin. We confess to everyone that we are not perfect, but are made perfect in Christ.
CHURCH TRIALS...
Yes- We go according to Matthew 18:15-17.
ADDITION of MEMBERS...
Yes- Christ adds members to His church- they are not voted in- because mankind is not the head of Christ's church- Christ is. Christ decides who is part of His church and who is not- we go only according to what He says.
FELLOWSHIP...
Yes- We have potlucks. We sometimes get together in each others homes. Sometimes members will meet a restaurant after church service. We have a phone directory with pictures of members so that anyone in the congregation can call anyone else in the congregation.
EXERCISE OF OTHER GIFTS...
Yes- 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11...
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
James 5:16 "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." In this way we believe wondrous things happen, but we do not believe 'miraculous' miracles still occur- such as walking on water, and healing the crippled, deaf, and blind instantly. We believe that miracles had a purpose and that that purpose has been fulfilled. Miracles were to show that the old testament prophets were truly from God- otherwise who would believe them? That miracles were to show that Jesus truly was the prophesied Christ, and that His 12 apostles were really who they claimed to be. But now we have the complete word of God and no longer need miracles to prove anything.
ARE YOU IN A BIBLICAL CHURCH?...
Yes- How do I know? I studied the scriptures to make sure that what I believe and practice matches the bible. I follow Christ's doctrine undiluted. In the new testament Christ's church was called "The Way" (Jesus is the way the truth and the life (John 14:16) and it was also called the Church of Christ- and that is where i go- to the Church of Christ. (Romans 16:16)
WHAT YOU DID NOT MENTION...
And some that you didn't mention. We believe that Christ taught us what to do not only by words but by actions. For example, Christ did not get baptized for the remission of sins- He had no sin. He did it to show us what we must do- because He is our leader and we are to follow Him. Therefore, since there was no mention of a choir while He did His sermon on the mount, we do not have choirs- we believe it is division to separate a group of people, and wrongful for anyone to think, "God likes my voice better than yours," and that Jesus was against any kind of uniforms in His church (Matthew 23:5)- that we should be recognized by our love and good works. Since every time Christ sang with His disciples there were no instruments, we do not use man-made instruments. We are to commanded to use the "fruit of our lips" and "sing and make music in your hearts (Ephesians 5:19).
