Where are all the churches?

[LightBright]

So we all know, should know, that church is simply God's people but they usually gather at a building on the Lord's day.....Icant find one. Most of the churches here are all carnal and honestly just disgusting its all fake fske Christians, fake preacher's, bad preaching, and overall just lost people being religious. I want a church a biblical one but i cant seem to find one around me. Im only 17 don't have a car atm so it's not super easy to get to a church anyway but if i could find one I'd try my best lol. Anyway i was wondering how do you find a biblical church what are the signs? What to look for? And how do you know? Any help would be appreciated thanks and God bless.

 

[mar09]

Hi LB,

I was not sure how to reply exactly, but on searching on ur question, the 7 churches of Asia came up. Here, fyi.

The seven churches are

(1) Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) - the church that had forsaken its first love (2:4).

(2) Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) - the church that would suffer persecution (2:10).

(3) Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) - the church that needed to repent (2:16).

(4) Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) - the church that had a false prophetess (2:20).

(5) Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) - the church that had fallen asleep (3:2).

(6) Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) - the church that had endured patiently (3:10).

(7) Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) - the church with the lukewarm faith (3:16).

Search for the philadelphia church.

 

[FenceMan]

I'm familiar with your situation. It's amazing how many "churches" there are and so few actual Biblical churches. It seems silly to say you're having a hard time finding a church when there are tons of places around called "churches"! But, no, I don't agree that we worship the same god as the Muslims, and no, I don't believe people can just marry anyone they feel attracted to, and no, I don't really want to join a quilting/golfing club if that's all you have to offer, and no, I don't want to be just one person amidst 2,000 other "Christians" in a warehouse sized "sanctuary"...

As far as how to know what a church is like, just ask around. Ask Christians you know what their pastor's last sermon was about, and that might give you a clue how deep or shallow the rest of the people there are. Certainly, look at denomination affiliations as there are many worth avoiding almost homogeneously. If there is a cross on the building, sometimes that will give a clue. The Methodist churches usually have a red flame wrapping around it, the Presbyterians have a cross made of an altar and a dove with fire on both sides, the Orthodox churches have a cross that has a slanted bar across the middle. Reformed churches often have a narrow dome on their steeple rather than a point.

Look up local churches in the yellow book or on your phone and see what their websites are like, if they have one. From that, you can tell what their priorities might be and how alive the congregation is. If it hasn't been updated in two years, I'd look elsewhere probably. If there are tons of pictures of charitable work but almost no reference to the Bible, I would be cautious.

Transparency and humility is important, too. So many churches focus so much energy on keeping up appearances even if it's mostly a dead place. I came across one church's website which impressed me because in their About section they openly admitted that their congregation almost dwindled away to nothing at one point, but that they had rebounded with God's help. I think that shows a healthy perspective of their relationship with God and dependence on Him. So if I were looking for a new church, I would definitely try there first.

Maybe some of that helps.

 

[maxwel]

So we all know, should know, that church is simply God's people but they usually gather at a building on the Lord's day.....Icant find one. Most of the churches here are all carnal and honestly just disgusting its all fake fske Christians, fake preacher's, bad preaching, and overall just lost people being religious. I want a church a biblical one but i cant seem to find one around me. Im only 17 don't have a car atm so it's not super easy to get to a church anyway but if i could find one I'd try my best lol. Anyway i was wondering how do you find a biblical church what are the signs? What to look for? And how do you know? Any help would be appreciated thanks and God bless.

Ok, you're only 17, so I'm going to go easy on you.


You sort of accidentally said some stuff that doesn't make any sense.
We all do that sometimes.
When we do that, we need to "rethink" things.

1. You said you can't find a biblical church.
2. Then you asked HOW TO KNOW if a church is biblical...
showing you don't really know how to tell whether a church you've already found is biblical or not.

So... if you don't know how to tell if a church is biblical, it's entirely possibly you've already found one and didn't know it.
Maybe.
Maybe not.

* The first thing for you to do is get some good information about WHAT constitutes a biblical church.
* THEN... you can go back to looking.
* But, you should reserve judgement until you get more information.

 

[LightBright]

I'm familiar with your situation. It's amazing how many "churches" there are and so few actual Biblical churches. It seems silly to say you're having a hard time finding a church when there are tons of places around called "churches"! But, no, I don't agree that we worship the same god as the Muslims, and no, I don't believe people can just marry anyone they feel attracted to, and no, I don't really want to join a quilting/golfing club if that's all you have to offer, and no, I don't want to be just one person amidst 2,000 other "Christians" in a warehouse sized "sanctuary"...

As far as how to know what a church is like, just ask around. Ask Christians you know what their pastor's last sermon was about, and that might give you a clue how deep or shallow the rest of the people there are. Certainly, look at denomination affiliations as there are many worth avoiding almost homogeneously. If there is a cross on the building, sometimes that will give a clue. The Methodist churches usually have a red flame wrapping around it, the Presbyterians have a cross made of an altar and a dove with fire on both sides, the Orthodox churches have a cross that has a slanted bar across the middle. Reformed churches often have a narrow dome on their steeple rather than a point.

Look up local churches in the yellow book or on your phone and see what their websites are like, if they have one. From that, you can tell what their priorities might be and how alive the congregation is. If it hasn't been updated in two years, I'd look elsewhere probably. If there are tons of pictures of charitable work but almost no reference to the Bible, I would be cautious.

Transparency and humility is important, too. So many churches focus so much energy on keeping up appearances even if it's mostly a dead place. I came across one church's website which impressed me because in their About section they openly admitted that their congregation almost dwindled away to nothing at one point, but that they had rebounded with God's help. I think that shows a healthy perspective of their relationship with God and dependence on Him. So if I were looking for a new church, I would definitely try there first.

Maybe some of that helps.

Thanks for the advice or whatevs man

 

[LightBright]

Ok, you're only 17, so I'm going to go easy on you.


You sort of accidentally said some stuff that doesn't make any sense.
We all do that sometimes.
When we do that, we need to "rethink" things.

1. You said you can't find a biblical church.
2. Then you asked HOW TO KNOW if a church is biblical...
showing you don't really know how to tell whether a church you've already found is biblical or not.

So... if you don't know how to tell if a church is biblical, it's entirely possibly you've already found one and didn't know it.
Maybe.
Maybe not.

* The first thing for you to do is get some good information about WHAT constitutes a biblical church.
* THEN... you can go back to looking.
* But, you should reserve judgement until you get more information.

Poor guy xD let him liveeee

 

[88]

So we all know, should know, that church is simply God's people but they usually gather at a building on the Lord's day.....Icant find one. Most of the churches here are all carnal and honestly just disgusting its all fake fske Christians, fake preacher's, bad preaching, and overall just lost people being religious. I want a church a biblical one but i cant seem to find one around me. Im only 17 don't have a car atm so it's not super easy to get to a church anyway but if i could find one I'd try my best lol. Anyway i was wondering how do you find a biblical church what are the signs? What to look for? And how do you know? Any help would be appreciated thanks and God bless.

***I can recommend three websites with good ministries: Glory of Zion in Dallas; Revival Ministries International in Tampa; and Morningstar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina***check out there websites and contact them for a good Church in your area***Grace and Peace...

 

[Ugly]

So we all know, should know, that church is simply God's people but they usually gather at a building on the Lord's day.....Icant find one. Most of the churches here are all carnal and honestly just disgusting its all fake fske Christians, fake preacher's, bad preaching, and overall just lost people being religious. I want a church a biblical one but i cant seem to find one around me. Im only 17 don't have a car atm so it's not super easy to get to a church anyway but if i could find one I'd try my best lol. Anyway i was wondering how do you find a biblical church what are the signs? What to look for? And how do you know? Any help would be appreciated thanks and God bless.

A big part of this issue is pastors no longer see the church as a place to grow Christians. Church used to be a place of fellowship, an escape from the world and a place to learn more about God and the bible. And also how to be a witness.
Now pastors tell you to invite people to your church, rather than witness to them, and he simply does messages for the unsaved. This increase in unsaved not only stops teaching Christians but invites the world in. It's about filling seats, not souls.
If a church falls under any if this then avoid it.

 

[Willie-T]

So we all know, should know, that church is simply God's people but they usually gather at a building on the Lord's day.....Icant find one. Most of the churches here are all carnal and honestly just disgusting its all fake fske Christians, fake preacher's, bad preaching, and overall just lost people being religious. I want a church a biblical one but i cant seem to find one around me. Im only 17 don't have a car atm so it's not super easy to get to a church anyway but if i could find one I'd try my best lol. Anyway i was wondering how do you find a biblical church what are the signs? What to look for? And how do you know? Any help would be appreciated thanks and God bless.

What, exactly, is it you think a real church is going to look like? What do you feel has to be going on? What are they supposed to be doing? What are the words you want to hear a preacher say up there?

 

[PJW]

So we all know, should know, that church is simply God's people but they usually gather at a building on the Lord's day.....Icant find one. Most of the churches here are all carnal and honestly just disgusting its all fake fske Christians, fake preacher's, bad preaching, and overall just lost people being religious. I want a church a biblical one but i cant seem to find one around me. Im only 17 don't have a car atm so it's not super easy to get to a church anyway but if i could find one I'd try my best lol. Anyway i was wondering how do you find a biblical church what are the signs? What to look for? And how do you know? Any help would be appreciated thanks and God bless.

If your want of a good "church" is valid, God will provide it.
Trust Him.
What city do you live in?

 

[Willie-T]

A big part of this issue is pastors no longer see the church as a place to grow Christians. Church used to be a place of fellowship, an escape from the world and a place to learn more about God and the bible. And also how to be a witness.
Now pastors tell you to invite people to your church, rather than witness to them, and he simply does messages for the unsaved. This increase in unsaved not only stops teaching Christians but invites the world in. It's about filling seats, not souls.
If a church falls under any if this then avoid it.

Ouch! You don't want to invite the world to join you?

 

[Adstar]

So we all know, should know, that church is simply God's people but they usually gather at a building on the Lord's day.....Icant find one. Most of the churches here are all carnal and honestly just disgusting its all fake fske Christians, fake preacher's, bad preaching, and overall just lost people being religious. I want a church a biblical one but i cant seem to find one around me. Im only 17 don't have a car atm so it's not super easy to get to a church anyway but if i could find one I'd try my best lol. Anyway i was wondering how do you find a biblical church what are the signs? What to look for? And how do you know? Any help would be appreciated thanks and God bless.

If you cannot find a Biblical church then spend your time growing in the knowledge of salvation by reading the Bible and finding avenues to access other Bible believing Christians.. There are a number of online Christians sites you can search out to see if you can find Bible believing Christiasn to fellowship with..

Later on when you gain some independence ( and a car ) you will be able to expand your area of searching and you may find a Bible based church within your range..

But not having a church does not exclude you from growing in the knowledge of salvation and finding Christians to fellowship with..

May the LORD guide you and may you be willing to follow Him..

 

[Adstar]

Ouch! You don't want to invite the world to join you?

I think he means the worldly into churches.. Worldly people who then tend to affect the congregation in a negative way and affect the pastor to become more worldly in his preaching and thus stifle the Word of God..

 

[Willie-T]

***I can recommend three websites with good ministries: Glory of Zion in Dallas; Revival Ministries International in Tampa; and Morningstar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina***check out there websites and contact them for a good Church in your area***Grace and Peace...

Careful! If some people here knew that you are recommending Rodney Howard Brown, you would get flamed. ☺

 

[Willie-T]

I think he means the worldly into churches.. Worldly people who then tend to affect the congregation in a negative way and affect the pastor to become more worldly in his preaching and thus stifle the Word of God..

I'm pretty sure worldly people aren't really thinking too much about going to church on a Sunday morning. And if you are depending on the 40 minutes out of the entire week you listen to a preacher on a Sunday morning to somehow instruct you in the Word of God, you have a big problem.

 

[MattforJesus]

So we all know, should know, that church is simply God's people but they usually gather at a building on the Lord's day.....Icant find one. Most of the churches here are all carnal and honestly just disgusting its all fake fske Christians, fake preacher's, bad preaching, and overall just lost people being religious. I want a church a biblical one but i cant seem to find one around me. Im only 17 don't have a car atm so it's not super easy to get to a church anyway but if i could find one I'd try my best lol. Anyway i was wondering how do you find a biblical church what are the signs? What to look for? And how do you know? Any help would be appreciated thanks and God bless.

I would want to go to a Church that preaches holiness to be Christlike,and stresses that point.

But as far as a perfect Church there probably is not one.

God said in a great house there is some to honor,and some to dishonor,so He said there will be some rascals running around,but it is still a great house.

So do not be discouraged by a few hypocrites,but if the Church has hypocrites a plenty,and they basically want to all act like that,then I would say forget that Church.

I will not go to a Church unless the preacher is stressing be Christlike,and not relaxed in holiness standards,for God said,be ye holy,for I am holy,and God said He does not sin,so what does that mean the saints should strive for,to strive to abstain from sin,and Jesus said,God's will be done on earth,as it is in heaven,and the angels up there are not sinning,and the ones that did are not there.

I would not go to a Church that did not preach holiness standards,and to strive to abstain from sin,and be Christlike,for I would not respect the preacher.

For it is the tree of good and evil,so we have a choice,and we sin because we want to sin,not because we cannot abstain from sin,so to go to a Church that is relaxed in holiness standards would not be tolerable for me.

I will not listen to a preacher that acts like sin is no big deal,especially when we can have the Spirit.

Jesus is Lord and Savior,God manifest in the flesh,is definitely a requirement.

Mormons,and Jehovah's witnesses,do not confess Jesus correctly,and the Roman Catholic Church has so many added extra curricular activity going on they are like the Pharisees,with their commandments of men,and traditions.

Love is the fulfilling of the law,so a Church that is bogged down with things that are not required by God is a Church to not go to.

 

[Adstar]

I'm pretty sure worldly people aren't really thinking too much about going to church on a Sunday morning. And if you are depending on the 40 minutes out of the entire week you listen to a preacher on a Sunday morning to somehow instruct you in the Word of God, you have a big problem.

Well you would be surprised how many worldly people will attend a church and use it as social advancement vehicle... They attend church to social network and get ahead in the local community.. They are not really interested in the Word of God..

 

[Willie-T]

Well you would be surprised how many worldly people will attend a church and use it as social advancement vehicle... They attend church to social network and get ahead in the local community.. They are not really interested in the Word of God..

Boy, would they get a rude surprise at our place. They would probably be immediately recruited to help make some of the 200 P,B,&J sandwiches we make right after Worship.

 

[PHart]

So we all know, should know, that church is simply God's people but they usually gather at a building on the Lord's day.....Icant find one. Most of the churches here are all carnal and honestly just disgusting its all fake fske Christians, fake preacher's, bad preaching, and overall just lost people being religious. I want a church a biblical one but i cant seem to find one around me. Im only 17 don't have a car atm so it's not super easy to get to a church anyway but if i could find one I'd try my best lol. Anyway i was wondering how do you find a biblical church what are the signs? What to look for? And how do you know? Any help would be appreciated thanks and God bless.

What you are longing for but can't quite put your finger on is an open fellowship. Instead of the pastor lecturing a group of bored people who have come to church because that's what they're supposed to do, in an open fellowship the pastor leads a discussion about a Biblical topic and it's practical application to life in a question and answer type format. In addition, there is group prayer, and praise and worship, inspired by the discussion of the Bible. The one I was a part of for five years in the late 80's/ early 90's was the one and only one I've been a part of. I haven't been able to find another one since.

 

[Willie-T]

What you are longing for but can't quite put your finger on is an open fellowship. Instead of the pastor lecturing a group of bored people who have come to church because that's what they're supposed to do, in an open fellowship the pastor leads a discussion about a Biblical topic and it's practical application to life in a question and answer type format. In addition, there is group prayer, and praise and worship, inspired by the discussion of the Bible. The one I was a part of for five years in the late 80's/ early 90's was the one and only one I've been a part of. I haven't been able to find another one since.

Sounds like a good Home Church.