“What Church Should I Attend”
Introduction:
A. May 19 issue of Tupelo Daily Journal “Choosing a Church”. This expresses the idea of how we have the “Burger King Philosophy—Have it your way”.
B. We do not have the right to choose “a” church (Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 1:10-13; Eph. 4:4, 1:22-23).
C. A person cannot join or place membership at any church (Acts 2:47; Acts 11 & 13—identified with, terms of pardon).
D. What is the church? It is not the building (Acts 7:48-50). It is the ekklesia, called out people of God (1 Cor. 12:27).
E. This lesson is designed to biblically ask/answer the question “which church should I attend?”
F. As we enter into the lesson we need to say that we are not here to anger anyone or call names (Eph. 4:15, Gal. 4:16). Our one desire is to find the truth (Prov. 23:23, Jn. 8:32).
I.
Wrong Reasons for attending a church.
A. First couple said they were searching for a church with relaxed and liberal views (women preaching, women leading, homosexuals accepted openly, etc.,).
1. God has a standard for religion (Jn. 12:48, Jn. 4:24, Col. 3:17).
2. Man cannot follow his own thinking in religion (Prov. 16:25, Jer. 10:23, Prov. 3:5-7).
B. The second couple went to a certain church because their children wanted to (Prov. 22:5, Eph. 6:4, who’s the parent and who’s the children??)
C.
The third couple chose to go to a certain church
because they wanted the right music (Eph. 5:19,
D. The fourth couple went to a church because the Lord lead them there. This is both true and untrue in some senses.
II.
Right reasons for choosing a church.
A. Choose a church because it is the “the” Scriptural church. (example of 2,000 year old seed)
B. Here are some Bible characteristics of the true church:
1. Scriptural TIME of origin (Dan. 2:44, 4 kingdoms)
2. Scriptural PLACE of Origin (Isa. 2:2-3).
3. Scriptural FOUNDER (1 Cor. 3:11, Matt. 16:13-18, Acts 20:28).
4. Scriptural NAME (1 Cor. 1:3, Rom 16:16, 1 Tim. 3:15, Heb. 12:28-29).
C. Choose a church because it is a loving church (Jn. 13:34-35).
1. Love for the Lord (Mk. 12:30, Jn. 14:15, 15:14, Lk. 6:46).
2. Love for the Bible (Ps. 119:97, Ps. 19:6ff, Jn. 6:68, Ps. 119:113).
3. Love for one another (Jn. 17:20-21, Heb. 13:1, 1 Jn. 4:7.
4. Love for the Lost (Mk 12:29, Good Samaritan—Lk 10).
D. Choose a church that is goal-oriented.
1. Goal to glorify God.
2. Goal to grow spiritually.
3. Goal to have good Bible classes.
4. Goal to take care of sick and widows.
5. Goal to be faithful to the Bible.