What kind of Church would Jesus approve of

[Ralph-]

To answer your question from Scripture, we must go to Acts chapter 2.

THE TRUE GOSPEL MUST BE PREACHED IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

THE SPIRIT MUST CONVICT SINNERS WHEN THEY HEAR THE GOSPEL
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

REPENTANCE AND BELIEVER'S BAPTISM MUST BE PREACHED CONSISTENTLY
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

THE GOSPEL MUST BE FOR ALL SINNERS AND THEIR CHILDREN
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

THE FULL AND TRUE GOSPEL MUST BE PREACHED WITHOUT COMPROMISE
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

SINNERS MUST BE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH AND BE BAPTIZED
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

SAINTS MUST ASSEMBLE TOGETHER FOR ALL THAT IS INCLUDED HERE
42 And they continued stedfastly in [1] the apostles' doctrine and [2] fellowship, and [3] in breaking of bread, and [4] in prayers.

THE WORLD MUST SEE THAT GOD IS AT WORK IN THIS CHURCH
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

THE CHURCH MUST BE IN UNITY IN EVERY WAY
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

THE CHURCH MUST BE A CARING AND SHARING CHURCH
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

EVERY BELIEVER MUST BE IN WORSHIP DAILY WITHIN THE HEAVENLY TEMPLE
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

THE CHURCH SHOULD BE IN THE BUSINESS OF SAVING SOULS FROM HELL
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Now it is up to you to examine the Statement of Faith as well as the actual functioning of the evangelical and fundamentalist churches in your neighborhood to see which one is doing these things.

As important as it is, don't attend a church that pigeonholes evangelism. The church does not exist for the sole purpose of evangelizing the lost. They will make you think it does, but it does not.

 

[Ralph-]

And just because one can not find a local church that is 100% faithful is not an excuse to not assemble.
We search out the best we can find and try to make it better.

Unless you want to invite a beating and make the church look more worldly and unattractive than it already does, do not do this.

Churches either change or they disappear. And churches don't change.

 

[tourist]

If anyone responds, their answer will probably be the denomination they associate with..

I agree with your estimation.

 

[tourist]

Thanks, that's a very helpful Biblical summary of what to look for in a Church.

I will carefully read the Churches confession of faith and see what they stand for before I even waste time attending.

Our new pastor seems more keen to have a good band and an expensive coffee machine to attract people but his sermons only last for like 20 mins and the rest of the time is spent on announcements and music. I go home from a service with my ears ringing from the loud music which is mostly noise pollution.

I'd like to find a conservative Church that preaches the whole counsel of the Lord, even if it offends some people. Our current pastor is very careful not to offend anyone, he only preaches about the love of God. He wants everyone to feel comfortable, so his preaching is all inclusive and he believes in ecumenical-ism.

Expensive coffee machine? What's the pastor's take on donuts? There was a time when the best part of going to church was the coffee and donut fellowship afterward. My favorite was powdered. Nowadays, there are probably some politically and nutritionally correct churches that would only serve decaf and gluten-free donuts. Not my type of place for sure.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

As important as it is, don't attend a church that pigeonholes evangelism. The church does not exist for the sole purpose of evangelizing the lost. They will make you think it does, but it does not.

The constant overbearing focus on witnessing and getting everyone saved is a distraction to keep Christians from having to face the hard reality of living holy lives, and to ensure a steady source of tithe income.

 

[preston39]

I was raised in a non religious Catholic home, we only attended Church at Easter and Christmas usually. So I was never a good Catholic.
I ventured out with a friend as a teenager to a Pentecostal Church where we spoke in tongues and had a good band, it was fun for a while. Then I got involved with the Seventh Day Adventist and got out of there after a short while as well, then I went Church shopping again.
I changed many Churches, they all seemed to be OK in the beginning then I'd find something wrong and leave. I'd like to find a Church where the Bible is preached faithfully.
Now for the hard question, which denomination is the most Biblical. I dread going Church shopping again but it must be done, the new pastor is a very progressive guy and I'm a conservative so we need to part ways.

D....,
It is truly a challenge today. Worse...yet...to come.
We attend a different church almost every Sunday. We find a church reasonably teaching scripture, not long until pasture is changed and back to hunting.

 

[preston39]

The constant overbearing focus on witnessing and getting everyone saved is a distraction to keep Christians from having to face the hard reality of living holy lives, and to ensure a steady source of tithe income.

H...,
Lordy...isn't that what a church is also for? Don't they go together?

 

[Danny1988]

The Church whose existence can be traced to 1st century AD.

the candidates are Roman Catholic/Orthodox/Coptic Church (choose choose and investigate for yourself if you are an intelligent or thinking man okay?)

it is impossible for newly founded Born Again groups to be God's real Church which I know that most if not all are only created by greedy preachers who want to milk their members' money because they had used religion as form of legal scamming that the police will never persecute. in fact some policemen and even politicians will join these religious scams.

no wonder why some people especially in the States became atheists or agnostics because of these greedy pastors.

The name of the Church is not important to me, it's just a label that identifies that particular congregation.

The most important thing to me is that it preaches and teaches the things that Jesus taught. He did warn us that many false prophets would come in His name, He said we shall know them by their fruits.

The fruits of a true Christian Church should evident, it should treat everyone the same just as Jesus did. He was found in the company of all kinds of people, who the religious people looked down on as unworthy sinners yet Christ accepted them and healed them and forgave them.

The Church should be in the business of reaching out to a lost world and sharing the Gospel with them and feeding them if thy're hungry, but most Churches stay within their four walls and entertain themselves.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Jesus approved of the nt church

It had no denomination, and it was local in nature, it does not represent prety much any denominational church you may go to.

That said, find a church that teaches truth, and is not swayed by men, if your looking for perfect church, you wont find it.

 

[Danny1988]

Jesus approved of the nt church

It had no denomination, and it was local in nature, it does not represent prety much any denominational church you may go to.

That said, find a church that teaches truth, and is not swayed by men, if your looking for perfect church, you wont find it.

Yes, the NT Church was local and independent so it wasn't controlled by some hierarchical organisation like the Pope controls from the Vatican. A Church should be autonomous and free to teach the Scriptures without outside pressure to do it their way.

I know that I will have to settle down in a less than perfect Church but that's OK, I'm not perfect so I can't expect perfection. Every human institution is bound to make mistakes, the main thing is that it seeks to serve the Lord faithfully.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Yes, the NT Church was local and independent so it wasn't controlled by some hierarchical organisation like the Pope controls from the Vatican. A Church should be autonomous and free to teach the Scriptures without outside pressure to do it their way.

I know that I will have to settle down in a less than perfect Church but that's OK, I'm not perfect so I can't expect perfection. Every human institution is bound to make mistakes, the main thing is that it seeks to serve the Lord faithfully.

and you do not forsake the assembling together. as is the manner of some

 

[pjharrison]

I was raised in a non religious Catholic home, we only attended Church at Easter and Christmas usually. So I was never a good Catholic.
I ventured out with a friend as a teenager to a Pentecostal Church where we spoke in tongues and had a good band, it was fun for a while. Then I got involved with the Seventh Day Adventist and got out of there after a short while as well, then I went Church shopping again.
I changed many Churches, they all seemed to be OK in the beginning then I'd find something wrong and leave. I'd like to find a Church where the Bible is preached faithfully.
Now for the hard question, which denomination is the most Biblical. I dread going Church shopping again but it must be done, the new pastor is a very progressive guy and I'm a conservative so we need to part ways.

If you are really looking to find Jesus, you won't find him in a church. That's why you keep finding problems in the church. Pray to him and seek him with all of your heart. Thirst for him like a drink of water. You will find him. It's not a bed of roses. It's hard. Because he will break you from a lot of things. It's like a child reaching into a fire. He will pop your hand every time, and you will think that your having a hard time. If you want him he has to change you and bring you out of the world , taking you from glory to glory. Being a believer in Christ is not prospering in this world.

 

[DDDo]

Most modern Churches seem to accommodate and affirm many lifestyles, that the Bible called sinful. We have a gay couple in our Church, they are very nice people but I don't think the Church can affirm their relationship while remaining faithful to the Bible's teaching. I believe the pastor should encourage them to repent and ask God to do a work in them to liberate them from that lifestyle, I've heard testimonies of former gay people who God changed and they are now married with children.

The Bible tells us to "expel the immoral brother". I sincerely hope that your church hasn't extended membership to a proud homosexual couple. And, I also wonder why they fell comfortable attending.

Most churches don't approve of homosexual couples. Most Catholics do, but the domination doesn't. Most Protestant churches don't. The vast majority of churches, though, are very soft, or ignore, the issue, though.

Sodomite leaders insist homosexuals can't change. But, they can change.

 

[oldethennew]

He has already told all who are being called of Him, EXACTLY what is 'required of us'...

 

[Danny1988]

If you are really looking to find Jesus, you won't find him in a church. That's why you keep finding problems in the church. Pray to him and seek him with all of your heart. Thirst for him like a drink of water. You will find him. It's not a bed of roses. It's hard. Because he will break you from a lot of things. It's like a child reaching into a fire. He will pop your hand every time, and you will think that your having a hard time. If you want him he has to change you and bring you out of the world , taking you from glory to glory. Being a believer in Christ is not prospering in this world.

I am a believer in Christ, so I have no doubt about my salvation. I would just like to settle down in a Church where I can worship the Lord in a way that's pleasing in His sight.

The Lord has revealed His word to me and every believer through the Holy Scriptures, so we are obliged to join a body of believers where we can grow and serve Him in Spirit and in truth. The more I study the Bible, the more it exposes the Churches which fail to preach the whole counsel of God. So it's not that they preach false doctrine, it's the fact that they fail to preach about sin and judgement. Their whole focus is on Gods love and mercy and long suffering, that's only half of the Gospel.

Jesus said that we would suffer persecution for His name sake. If a Church makes everyone who walks in, comfortable and doesn't challenge them to strive against the sin in their life, then it's not living up to it's responsibility. I think most Church leaders are too afraid to confront people, with the difficult issues like sin and judgement.

 

[Danny1988]

The Bible tells us to "expel the immoral brother". I sincerely hope that your church hasn't extended membership to a proud homosexual couple. And, I also wonder why they fell comfortable attending.

Most churches don't approve of homosexual couples. Most Catholics do, but the domination doesn't. Most Protestant churches don't. The vast majority of churches, though, are very soft, or ignore, the issue, though.

Sodomite leaders insist homosexuals can't change. But, they can change.

The gay couple have been attending for around 6 weeks, they haven't heard anything about sin or judgement so they feel comfortable there. We also have a guy who has recently come out of prison after serving a long sentence, he swears a lot, the pastor hasn't said anything about his swearing.
I had to remind him that there are children around, he apologized and said he would try not to swear. He said everyone swears in prison and it becomes a second nature.

If the pastor preached that every professing Christian must fully submit their lives to the will of God and their lives are no longer theirs and that everything they do and say must conform to His will. These people would quickly realize that they need to repent and change the way they live. They would either leave or change, but they wouldn't continue to willfully sin.

 

[pjharrison]

I am a believer in Christ, so I have no doubt about my salvation. I would just like to settle down in a Church where I can worship the Lord in a way that's pleasing in His sight.

The Lord has revealed His word to me and every believer through the Holy Scriptures, so we are obliged to join a body of believers where we can grow and serve Him in Spirit and in truth. The more I study the Bible, the more it exposes the Churches which fail to preach the whole counsel of God. So it's not that they preach false doctrine, it's the fact that they fail to preach about sin and judgement. Their whole focus is on Gods love and mercy and long suffering, that's only half of the Gospel.

Jesus said that we would suffer persecution for His name sake. If a Church makes everyone who walks in, comfortable and doesn't challenge them to strive against the sin in their life, then it's not living up to it's responsibility. I think most Church leaders are too afraid to confront people, with the difficult issues like sin and judgement.

I believe if you are really seeking God in the churches. You will feel a void. I did. Something was missing. It was because the churches put a covering over your head that is not Jesus. It's a religious spirit. It's counterfeit. That's what it means in the bible when it tells the husbands not to cover their heads. It's not talking about a hat. And for the women to wear a covering on her head, which is her husband. When they cover their heads with these churches, they can't be taken into all truth. You can only go so far. And when you die an give up that old man. Then you have to give up everything that's yours. So you have to give up your religion too. Then live by faith. And let the spirit of God lead you. It won't be easy.

 

[pjharrison]

I am a believer in Christ, so I have no doubt about my salvation. I would just like to settle down in a Church where I can worship the Lord in a way that's pleasing in His sight.

The Lord has revealed His word to me and every believer through the Holy Scriptures, so we are obliged to join a body of believers where we can grow and serve Him in Spirit and in truth. The more I study the Bible, the more it exposes the Churches which fail to preach the whole counsel of God. So it's not that they preach false doctrine, it's the fact that they fail to preach about sin and judgement. Their whole focus is on Gods love and mercy and long suffering, that's only half of the Gospel.

Jesus said that we would suffer persecution for His name sake. If a Church makes everyone who walks in, comfortable and doesn't challenge them to strive against the sin in their life, then it's not living up to it's responsibility. I think most Church leaders are too afraid to confront people, with the difficult issues like sin and judgement.

Well maybe you will find one you like. Everyone has a right to worship God however they want too. I haven't been to church in about 20 years. I'll never attend church again. Church is not an option. That's like lighting a candle then putting it under a glass.

 

[Danny1988]

Well maybe you will find one you like. Everyone has a right to worship God however they want too. I haven't been to church in about 20 years. I'll never attend church again. Church is not an option. That's like lighting a candle then putting it under a glass.

But the Bible tells us not to forsake the asembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some. As a Christian I must obey the Bible's teaching, it would be easy to ignore it but that's not an option for the true Christian.

Jesus said, if you love Me you will obey Me. He said you will know false professors by their fruits, a true Christian is actively involved in building Gods Kingdom. We can't be involved if we isolate ourselves like the useless Catholic Monks.

 

[MattforJesus]

If the Church teaches the death, burial, and resurrection, of Christ, and He is Lord, and God manifest in the flesh, and believe they can receive the Spirit and have the power to abstain from sin if they hate sin, and do not want sin, that would be a good Church, and most everything else should fall in to place, for with teaching that the Spirit should be working in that Church.

And if there are hypocrites, it will be low in number, and their sins very minor, and majority would be sincere to do what is right, and be Christlike, for if not they would not attend such a Church, for the pastor is not watering down the word to please the congregation, so obviously the people attending like what they hear.

Maybe hearing the word with no water added might be more popular among small groups that gather but do not attend any denomination, and sometimes some people of the world understand some things of the Bible, and a Christlike attitude, better than some that confess Christ, for the world does not have to misinterpret the word of God to suit them, for they do not abide by it anyway, where it may not suit some that confess Christ for they like some things of the flesh, and do not want to give them up, so that is the way they like to hear the Bible.

The world does not care that the Bible proclaims a strict lifestyle of abstaining from sin, for it does not take any toll on their life, for they do not abide by it and are going to sin believing in no repercussion, so what do they care about the strict morality of it, so many people of the world can see the truth of God's word better than many that claim Christ who want to enjoy sin, so that is how they want to hear it, and misinterpret the Bible that way.

And we know the world does understand the strict morality of the Bible, and what Jesus represented, for they call many Christians hypocrites testifying that the world does understand.

And then you wonder why can't many people that claim Christ understand the Bible like the world when it comes to morality, and it is strange that the world believes the Christians can abstain from sin if they want for if they believed they could not abstain from sin they would not call them hypocrites, which testifies the world knows they can abstain from sin, but they do not because they enjoy sin being of the flesh.

Things that make you go hmmmm.

2Ti 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

If a Church and pastor do preach the truth, and there is some hypocrites do not let that deter you from abiding in that Church, for God said there would be hypocrites, but it is still a great house for the foundation, pastor, is of the truth according to the Bible.

The big thing of a good Church is to believe if they hate sin, and do not want sin, by the Spirit they can abstain from sin, for if they believe that everything else should be on point, for then they are not afraid of hearing anything of the Bible to do with a strict moral lifestyle, like some Churches, and a strict moral lifestyle is what is pleasing to God.