For many years I have been receiving and reading "The Berean Call" snail-mail newsletter. From their "About the Berean Call" web page, I found this information:
Over the years I have not always agreed with them on some points of discussion - but I have gained a great deal of spiritual knowledge and understanding through reading their monthly newsletter. The article below, from the latest issue, April 2018, is of special interest to me - for over the past 35+ years I have found myself in each of the situations described in this article. I suspect I am not the only person who can admit to that truth. That is why I am sharing this article with my Friends. It might be a bit long, and made even a wee bit longer by personal comments I have inserted. But I believe the article contains thoughts we all can relate to, in one way or another.
In sharing this article, I have reformatted it somewhat to highlight issues and points of interest which I feel we must give special consideration. I pray that Tom McMahon will forgive me for this slight alteration. The URL links are given below so you might know more about The Berean Call and confirm that I have not changed the wording or thoughts in this article - only changing the format to highlight some issues.
About the Berean Call: https://www.thebereancall.org/about-berean-call
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Can't Find A Church?
T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call, April 2018 Issue
https://www.thebereancall.org/content/cant-find-church
“Dear Brothers and Sisters at The Berean Call, I’m at wit’s end. We recently moved to a new community, and we can’t find a church that is teaching God’s Word without adding to it or subtracting from it. Do you know of any good churches in our area?”
This is the most common request we receive here at The Berean Call, and it has been for more than two decades. Sadly, we’ve been reluctant to recommend any specific churches, and it’s not because there aren’t any good Bible-teaching churches around. It’s because doctrinally we don’t know where they stand today! We’ve seen even good churches change overnight.
The hope of this article is to give those who are presently seeking fellowship with believers who love God’s Word - and who want to grow in “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3) - suggestions that we believe will be helpful in their circumstance.
Before I begin with some "suggestions" regarding what to do when looking for a church, let’s start with the qualities of a church worth seeking - in general.
1. The most important attribute is a church’s view of the Bible. Do the leaders believe that Scripture is God’s inerrant communication to mankind, which was received and written down by God’s chosen prophets? Do they believe that all the words of the Bible are inspired of God, with nothing added to them by the Scriptures’ original transcribers?
Any deviation from the belief in the inerrancy of God’s Word, no matter how small, is akin to a puncture in a life raft. At some point, sooner or later, the raft will deflate, ceasing to preserve life.
2 . A fellowship that teaches the Scriptures expositionally, i.e., verse by verse, offers a more effective situation for learning God’s Word than a church that features only topical preaching. Certainly both approaches can be abused, but topical preaching has many inherent problems that are difficult to avoid. Too often, topical preaching substitutes what God has said - with man’s thoughts - no matter how sincere the intention.
How does that happen?
3. Bible study programs are important. Sometimes, when I’ve inquired among some as to whether or not they were involved in a Bible study at their church, the enthusiastic response is, “Yes!” When I ask what book they’re studying, an all-too-common response is that they are using the latest book by a popular Christian author.
To call that a “Bible study” is more than a misnomer, no matter how edifying the book might seem. We need to make sure that the Bible is what’s actually being studied (in a Bible study).
4. Does a prospective church have a youth program that has the teaching of God’s Word as its primary objective? Entertainment used in youth groups has ruled for decades, all but eliminating true discipleship of young people. Paul’s words to Timothy should show us what’s valuable as a church’s youth-oriented objective:
5. The vital qualities of worship and the importance of serious collective prayer should also be a consideration in joining a fellowship.
6. Outreach is another significant characteristic to be weighed when selecting a church, whether that means supporting missionaries abroad or believers within the community, and sharing the witness and love of Christ in serving.
Some, especially those who’ve been actively seeking to find a “good church,” may be thinking at this point, “Great! Point me to the church with the qualities you mentioned, and I’ll be there next Sunday!” I have little doubt that there are churches that even exceed the few things that I’ve outlined, but I also know that most don’t measure up.
When Jesus addressed the seven churches in the first three chapters of Revelation, only two of the seven were commended without reservation. The rest had issues that needed to be corrected, and if they didn’t comply, Jesus said, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelation:2:5
). The “candlestick” is the church that is to represent the light of God’s Word, and that light is getting dimmer. On the other hand, there are many churches today that are at least maintaining a flicker of God’s light. But what good is that?
Someone might respond, “I’m not interested in attending a church where God’s light only flickers!” That would be my first inclination as well. But then, as the old saying goes, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” In other words, all the wishing in the world won’t turn the majority of churches into what has been described above. The reality of the situation for many church-seeking believers today is that they have only “flickering churches” available to them.
Let me define what I would refer to as a flickering church. It’s one that has overloaded its fellowship with the debris of man’s programs and practices. But beneath that spiritually-adulterated and doctrinally-confused pile - there’s a spark of the light of Christ (the biblical Jesus) and the true Gospel. As a veteran camper, one thing I know is that a spark found buried in the ashes of a recently used fire pit can sometimes be fanned into a flame.
With that in mind, here are my further suggestions when the churches in one’s community reflect little or almost none of the criteria mentioned at the beginning of this article. When the only reasonably close churches seem repugnant to one’s Biblical sensibilities, sometimes the reaction is, “No way, Tom! I’m not setting foot in any of those churches. I’ll just stay at home, read my Bible, and listen to you on your Berean Call broadcasts.”
Okay, I just threw that last comment in to underscore what a bad option that is. Reading the Bible is okay, but not doing what it says is completely counterproductive. The Bible tells us, “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews:10:24-25).
Why would I encourage someone to set foot in a church that has multiple issues, that are of man’s making and his delusions, some of which are deceptions and seductions of the Adversary, and, all things considered, have led to much unfruitfulness as a body? I can hear someone saying, “Dave Hunt would be rolling over in his grave if he could read this!” I think not. Hear me out as I give some reasons why I know Dave would support what I’m saying.
In my forty years of observing Christendom, I have witnessed the activities of the church at large (including both nominal and true believers) devolve into what is essentially a consumer operation. Whether through the covetousness that pervades the hearts of individuals - or methods like the church-growth movement (spawned by a worldly marketing scheme), church seekers have been making decisions based primarily upon a “feed me” mentality.
Yes, believers need to be fed, especially the Word (Luke:4:4
). But a believer’s approach to church life that’s primarily a one-way “serve me” process loses sight of the necessity of one’s own service to the body - and is missing what the Christian life is all about, not to mention the loss of the fruit and blessings that are won by selfless ministry. It doesn’t take a terribly deep personal evaluation for any of us to recognize our own self-serving culpability. If in doubt, check your “complaint gage” and service record concerning your involvement in your present fellowship.
What I’m getting at here - what is really necessary - is having a heart to serve. It shouldn’t require a huge transformation for any honest person who claims to be a Biblical Christian, but fails to support the service ministries in one’s church. If this isn’t happening in your life, you need to get back in line with what a Christian’s life in Christ is all about. Apply that to the person (who asked the question and started this discussion) quoted at the top of this article - who doesn’t have a church and is crying out for help to find a good one.
Now, let’s consider a scenario that’s more difficult and distressing and is becoming more and more common for believers. They have no church and no fellowship, period. Why? Because they disagree with all the churches they’ve visited.
If a church "holds to the Biblical Gospel and the Biblical Jesus" - even if those are buried beneath a heap of worldly teachings and programs - my recommendation is to attend that fellowship. What? Wouldn’t such a church lead a believer into teachings and programs that aren’t Biblically sound? It could, but those who are struggling to find a good church very likely have enough Biblical discernment to recognize what doesn’t match up with sound doctrine.
It’s also very likely that they could be a blessing to such a church if they were to attend with a servant’s heart. I know of a very discerning person who, when questioned as to why he decided to attend a church that offered programs that weren’t supported by Scripture, replied, “I was thinking that I might be able to help the church Biblically.”
I also know a young couple who are making a wonderful contribution to a church that probably wouldn’t allow me (Tom McMahon) to teach - given the number of programs they endorse about which I’ve written unfavorably. Yet this couple’s ministry to young adults (involving a Bible study and personal discipleship) in the church has been praised by the leadership. They established right up front with the leaders that when they serve within the body, the Word of God would be their guide and authority.
Their heart’s desire is to encourage young adult believers (their own peers) to learn and to apply the Scriptures in their own lives. They don’t address the programs in the church in which they’re not in agreement, unless asked. When that happens, their response is, “We just want to go by what the Bible says and to teach what it teaches” - and they’ve yet to receive a complaint. They don’t want to compromise their beliefs - or be regarded as divisive.
Others like them have this in common: they simply want to serve the body of Christ in any capacity they can, and wherever they can. They believe that the Holy Spirit will help them to strengthen their brothers and sisters in Christ no matter how much a church has been weakened by unbiblical programs and practices.
There’s another situation regarding seeking a church, or rather not seeking, that we hear about more and more these days. The claim is that the seekers can’t find like-minded believers in a community, so the individual or family makes the choice to isolate themselves due to their circumstance. They end up with no church, no fellowship with other believers, no one outside themselves to serve, or with whom to pray.
They’ve shut themselves off from the diverse gifting of fellow believers for the edifying and building up of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians:12:12-27
, 14:2-5, 12, 26; Ephesians:4:11-16
; 1 Peter:4:10
). They rely mostly on preachers who teach over radio, TV, or other communication devices for Biblical instruction. For these, servanthood and fellowship are among the most important components that are lost.
For believers in that detached condition, I have a few questions and thoughts. Is it possible for the Lord to help you to find other believers? My guess is that, among all the people attending churches in a community, there must be a potential believer, or perhaps even a true believer, or two or three. Maybe they’re not mature in the faith but are genuinely seeking to know God in truth. Churches, therefore, would seem to offer the best opportunity for meeting other believers in Christ. Finding another believer (who seeks the same level of Biblical study as you) could lead to fellowship that begins by simply praying for one another. Or it could lead to helping one another out by meeting a need.
Eventually, it might even open the door for a Bible study. I believe that Jesus will help those who are actively seeking fellowship to find fellowship - by His grace. Fellowship doesn’t involve merely the comfort of being with like-minded believers, but it is the setting to best carry out the Lord’s instructions for living out the Christian life.
The last scenario is the most extreme, yet some believers are in this situation today. It may be that, should the Lord not return soon for His bride, true believers won’t have the option of assembling together in churches. Nevertheless, they won’t stop gathering together privately. Why? That’s the exhortation and the instruction for believers that is given continually throughout the New Testament. Believers desperately need fellowship, especially as the days grow darker the nearer we get to Jesus’ return for His bride, His body. “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Corinthians:12:27
).
One among a host of instances of instruction related to the necessary interaction of the saints is 1 Thessalonians:5:11-14
: “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”
All those things are best - and perhaps only - accomplished as we assemble ourselves together with brothers and sisters in obedience to our Lord and Savior. That’s what Christ commands for our good, and for His good pleasure.
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I pray that in this blog you have found some "golden nuggets" of information and guidance which will help you find a local church home - or confirm that the local church home you have is where God would have you.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Circa 1992, Dave Hunt (promoted to glory several years ago) and T.A. McMahon jointly founded The Berean Call organization, under the direction of Dave Hunt, for the purpose of encouraging spiritual discernment among those who regarded themselves not just as "evangelicals" but as Biblical Christians.
The primary vehicle for this endeavor was through the publication of the newsletter "The Berean Call." Behind every article is the exhortation to believers to get back into the Word of God instead of being “carried about by every wind of doctrine” - and to equip them with materials to help their walk in the truth. The ministry and newsletter name is taken from Acts:17:11, where the apostle Paul admonishes us to be like the Bereans, testing the teaching and the teacher against Scripture.
Over the years I have not always agreed with them on some points of discussion - but I have gained a great deal of spiritual knowledge and understanding through reading their monthly newsletter. The article below, from the latest issue, April 2018, is of special interest to me - for over the past 35+ years I have found myself in each of the situations described in this article. I suspect I am not the only person who can admit to that truth. That is why I am sharing this article with my Friends. It might be a bit long, and made even a wee bit longer by personal comments I have inserted. But I believe the article contains thoughts we all can relate to, in one way or another.
In sharing this article, I have reformatted it somewhat to highlight issues and points of interest which I feel we must give special consideration. I pray that Tom McMahon will forgive me for this slight alteration. The URL links are given below so you might know more about The Berean Call and confirm that I have not changed the wording or thoughts in this article - only changing the format to highlight some issues.
About the Berean Call: https://www.thebereancall.org/about-berean-call
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Can't Find A Church?
T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call, April 2018 Issue
https://www.thebereancall.org/content/cant-find-church
“Dear Brothers and Sisters at The Berean Call, I’m at wit’s end. We recently moved to a new community, and we can’t find a church that is teaching God’s Word without adding to it or subtracting from it. Do you know of any good churches in our area?”
This is the most common request we receive here at The Berean Call, and it has been for more than two decades. Sadly, we’ve been reluctant to recommend any specific churches, and it’s not because there aren’t any good Bible-teaching churches around. It’s because doctrinally we don’t know where they stand today! We’ve seen even good churches change overnight.
The hope of this article is to give those who are presently seeking fellowship with believers who love God’s Word - and who want to grow in “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3) - suggestions that we believe will be helpful in their circumstance.
Before I begin with some "suggestions" regarding what to do when looking for a church, let’s start with the qualities of a church worth seeking - in general.
1. The most important attribute is a church’s view of the Bible. Do the leaders believe that Scripture is God’s inerrant communication to mankind, which was received and written down by God’s chosen prophets? Do they believe that all the words of the Bible are inspired of God, with nothing added to them by the Scriptures’ original transcribers?
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians:2:13).
Any deviation from the belief in the inerrancy of God’s Word, no matter how small, is akin to a puncture in a life raft. At some point, sooner or later, the raft will deflate, ceasing to preserve life.
2 . A fellowship that teaches the Scriptures expositionally, i.e., verse by verse, offers a more effective situation for learning God’s Word than a church that features only topical preaching. Certainly both approaches can be abused, but topical preaching has many inherent problems that are difficult to avoid. Too often, topical preaching substitutes what God has said - with man’s thoughts - no matter how sincere the intention.
How does that happen?
(1) Rarely is the correct context of the verses explained.
(2) The preacher has leeway to avoid difficult and even controversial words or passages by skipping over them.
(3) Due to the first two points above, it’s more difficult for the listener to follow the message in a Biblically discerning way as a Berean (Acts:17:10-11).
(4) It can readily take the listener away from what should be the main focus of any sermon, which is, “What is God Himself telling us directly through His Word?”
Bill Gray Note: In my opinion, there are two reasons for a church, or pastor, to choose to avoid expositional messages (verse by verse) and use only topical messages in sermons and in Bible studies. First, it could be that the pastor is too impatient to teach expositionally, verse by verse, through a book. Second, and most likely the most accurate, is that the church, and/or pastor, started their ministry with a predetermined theology - which was chosen by cherry-picking specific verses/passages - and will exclude any Scripture which does not support that prechosen theology.
Teaching topically, a pastor/church, can avoid God's condemnation of specific issues, i.e., homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortion, hell, etc. Also, a "seeker-friendly" church might have a greater desire to fill the pews, than to share the whole truth on issues such as sin, hell, and why some folks seem to condemn themselves to hell - by denying God.
When a church/pastor teaches expositionally through the Bible - there is no way to avoid controversial issues raised in specific verses. So those issues must be addressed honestly in the sermon message or Bible study.
3. Bible study programs are important. Sometimes, when I’ve inquired among some as to whether or not they were involved in a Bible study at their church, the enthusiastic response is, “Yes!” When I ask what book they’re studying, an all-too-common response is that they are using the latest book by a popular Christian author.
Bill Gray Note: That became a major problem about 15 years ago when Rick Warren's 40 Weeks of Purpose Seminars were being touted in churches across America. There was even an organization on the East Coast whose main purpose was to travel around to different churches and help organize those "40 Weeks Of Purpose" studies in the local churches.
The leader of that organization even threaten me with a lawsuit if I did not stop posting my thoughts against the "40 Weeks of Purpose" books being used in place of the Bible, in Bible studies. Even though I did not stop speaking out, he did not follow through, but the threat was made.
In many churches and Bible study groups across the country - the Bible was replaced in those "Bible studies" with Rick Warren's "40 Weeks of Purpose Workbook" and his "Purpose Driven Life" book. So, in groups who followed Rick Warren - for 40 weeks there was no reason to bring a Bible to Bible study - for it had been replaced by the Rick Warren Purpose study books.
Dory and I were in Bible study group which we helped start in a friend's home. One evening the leader/home owner informed us that, for the next 40 weeks (almost a year) they were going to be doing the Rick Warren "40 Weeks of Purpose" study, in lieu of the Bible study. We left that group and found another Bible study group. And, it happened again - twice in one year - that the Bible study we were attending decided to become a Rick Warren "40 Weeks of Purpose" study - and we had to leave once again.
Unfortunately there were even churches where the congregation split over the "40 Weeks of Purpose" activity in local churches. Some church leaders decided to bring the Purpose Driven Program into their church studies - and that action caused the church members to divide, finally causing many to leave those churches - dividing the local church fellowship.
According to one lady who felt the need to leave her Arkansas church fellowship, the church leaders were told by the "40 Weeks Of Purpose" Study Training Seminar team to, "Let them go. They are just trouble makers." Really? Who or what brought the dissension into that church - the fellowship members who felt the need to leave - or the "40 Weeks Of Purpose" program?
To call that a “Bible study” is more than a misnomer, no matter how edifying the book might seem. We need to make sure that the Bible is what’s actually being studied (in a Bible study).
4. Does a prospective church have a youth program that has the teaching of God’s Word as its primary objective? Entertainment used in youth groups has ruled for decades, all but eliminating true discipleship of young people. Paul’s words to Timothy should show us what’s valuable as a church’s youth-oriented objective:
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy:3:15).
5. The vital qualities of worship and the importance of serious collective prayer should also be a consideration in joining a fellowship.
Bill Gray Note: Beware of church fellowships which promote Contemplative Prayer and other Emergent Church, New Age, and Eastern Mysticism teachings, i.e., yoga, self realization, etc. Let me offer you excerpts from two insightful articles:
Calvary Chapel 'Parson to Parson' Position Paper
By Pastor Chuck Smith, Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowships, Inc. (CCOF Ministry), May 2006
http://www.spiritual-research-network.com/calvary-chapel-parson-to-parson-position-paper.html
We see a tendency toward this in what is commonly called the "Emergent Church" teachings. Some of the concerns that we have are with the speculations and positions they are suggesting:
1. That Jesus is not the only way by which one might be saved. It seems that they are postulating a broader gate and a broader path to heaven, a sort of "all roads lead to heaven." (They teach) That good people of every religious persuasion may be received into heaven.
2. The soft peddling of hell as the destiny for those who reject the salvation offered through Jesus Christ. There are suggestions of Universalism in their teaching - that all will ultimately be saved.
3. We have difficulty in their touchy-feely relating to God. Where the experience of certain feelings become the criteria for truth - rather than the Word of God.
4. We have great problems with the use of icons to give them a sense of God or the presence of God. If they want to have a tie with the historicity of the church, why not go back to the church in Acts - which seems to be devoid of incense, candles, robes, etc. - but was filled with the Spirit.
5. We do not believe that we should seek to make sinners feel safe and comfortable in church. Is it right for me to speak comforting words to a man who is going to hell unless he turns from his sin?
6. Should we seek to condone what God has condemned, such as the homosexual lifestyle? Should we tell them that their problem is a genetic disorder - rather than a blatant sin that God condemns over and over in the Bible?
7. Should we look to Eastern religions with their practices of meditation through Yoga and special breathing techniques, or repeating a mantra - to hear God speak to us?
8. The great confusion that exists in the divergent positions of the Emergent Church results from their challenging the final authority of the Scriptures.
There are those who say that Emergent (Church) movement has some good points, but so does a porcupine. You are better off if you don't get too close!
So, let us not turn to our own understanding, but rather return to our own first love - and teach that the Bible is indeed the true word of God - and teach it in its entirety, nothing less and nothing more.
And,
Calvary Chapel and Purpose Driven by Roger Oakland, Understand The Times
http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c48.shtml
2. The Emerging Church
Pastor Chuck has been very outspoken regarding his concerns about the Emerging Church. In fact in May of 2006, he sent out a letter to all Calvary Chapel pastors (Parson to Parson) stating that no Calvary Chapel pastor heading down the Emerging Church road movement would be permitted to use the name of Calvary Chapel. In this statement he wrote:
We have great problems with the use of icons to give them (the Emerging Church) a sense of God or the presence of God. If they want to have a tie with the historicity of the church, why not go back to the church in Acts, which seems to devoid of incense, candles, robes, etc., but was filled with the Spirit.
The letter was not only sent out to Calvary pastors to clarify the Calvary Chapel position, it was also followed up by action. Several Calvary Chapels that were once on the list of Calvary Chapel Fellowships have been removed from the list.
On the other hand, it can be documented that Rick Warren’s view of the Emergent Church is different than Chuck Smith’s view. Warren has endorsed the Emerging Church movement. He wrote a foreword for a book written by Dan Kimball titled "The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations" (Kimball is a leader in the movement).
6. Outreach is another significant characteristic to be weighed when selecting a church, whether that means supporting missionaries abroad or believers within the community, and sharing the witness and love of Christ in serving.
Some, especially those who’ve been actively seeking to find a “good church,” may be thinking at this point, “Great! Point me to the church with the qualities you mentioned, and I’ll be there next Sunday!” I have little doubt that there are churches that even exceed the few things that I’ve outlined, but I also know that most don’t measure up.
When Jesus addressed the seven churches in the first three chapters of Revelation, only two of the seven were commended without reservation. The rest had issues that needed to be corrected, and if they didn’t comply, Jesus said, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelation:2:5
). The “candlestick” is the church that is to represent the light of God’s Word, and that light is getting dimmer. On the other hand, there are many churches today that are at least maintaining a flicker of God’s light. But what good is that?
Someone might respond, “I’m not interested in attending a church where God’s light only flickers!” That would be my first inclination as well. But then, as the old saying goes, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” In other words, all the wishing in the world won’t turn the majority of churches into what has been described above. The reality of the situation for many church-seeking believers today is that they have only “flickering churches” available to them.
Let me define what I would refer to as a flickering church. It’s one that has overloaded its fellowship with the debris of man’s programs and practices. But beneath that spiritually-adulterated and doctrinally-confused pile - there’s a spark of the light of Christ (the biblical Jesus) and the true Gospel. As a veteran camper, one thing I know is that a spark found buried in the ashes of a recently used fire pit can sometimes be fanned into a flame.
Bill Gray Note: Food for thought. Go back and reread that paragraph above. Is that local church more concerned with "man's programs and practices" instead of sticking to what God desires: Worship, Fellowship, Outreach Evangelism, Prayer, Bible study - fulfilling His Great Commission?
With that in mind, here are my further suggestions when the churches in one’s community reflect little or almost none of the criteria mentioned at the beginning of this article. When the only reasonably close churches seem repugnant to one’s Biblical sensibilities, sometimes the reaction is, “No way, Tom! I’m not setting foot in any of those churches. I’ll just stay at home, read my Bible, and listen to you on your Berean Call broadcasts.”
Okay, I just threw that last comment in to underscore what a bad option that is. Reading the Bible is okay, but not doing what it says is completely counterproductive. The Bible tells us, “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews:10:24-25).
Why would I encourage someone to set foot in a church that has multiple issues, that are of man’s making and his delusions, some of which are deceptions and seductions of the Adversary, and, all things considered, have led to much unfruitfulness as a body? I can hear someone saying, “Dave Hunt would be rolling over in his grave if he could read this!” I think not. Hear me out as I give some reasons why I know Dave would support what I’m saying.
In my forty years of observing Christendom, I have witnessed the activities of the church at large (including both nominal and true believers) devolve into what is essentially a consumer operation. Whether through the covetousness that pervades the hearts of individuals - or methods like the church-growth movement (spawned by a worldly marketing scheme), church seekers have been making decisions based primarily upon a “feed me” mentality.
Bill Gray Note: In the past 30+ years I have been a believer in conservative Christian churches in Southern California - I have seen many young pastors come out of seminaries supporting some level of a "church marketing program" brought from their seminary. And, I have often wondered why they do not just let God be the "Marketing Manager" of their fellowship ~ and just concentrate on doing what He tells us in the Great Commission: Be His witnesses, teach His Gospel, lead His local church in Godly worship and fellowship? I believe if the pastor and the fellowship will concentrate on growing the church spiritually - God will take care of growing it numerically.
I recall a story I read some years back about two Southern California churches planted about the same time, ten miles apart. Both churches grew quickly - and then one of them began to falter, shrinking instead of growing. The two pastors were talking one day and Pastor Falter asked Pastor Growing, "What marketing plan have you used to build and grow your church? I had a great marketing plan which I learned in seminary. It worked for a while, but now it does not seem to be working. We are losing more members than we are gaining."
Pastor Growing told him, "I have no marketing plan. One day I was driving down the freeway and the Holy Spirit put into my heart to plant a church in that neighborhood. So I got off the freeway to check out the area. We started with a Bible study - and the Holy Spirit grew it from there."
There should be a lesson in that for all churches, pastors, and especially young pastors just beginning their adventure with God.
Yes, believers need to be fed, especially the Word (Luke:4:4
). But a believer’s approach to church life that’s primarily a one-way “serve me” process loses sight of the necessity of one’s own service to the body - and is missing what the Christian life is all about, not to mention the loss of the fruit and blessings that are won by selfless ministry. It doesn’t take a terribly deep personal evaluation for any of us to recognize our own self-serving culpability. If in doubt, check your “complaint gage” and service record concerning your involvement in your present fellowship.
What I’m getting at here - what is really necessary - is having a heart to serve. It shouldn’t require a huge transformation for any honest person who claims to be a Biblical Christian, but fails to support the service ministries in one’s church. If this isn’t happening in your life, you need to get back in line with what a Christian’s life in Christ is all about. Apply that to the person (who asked the question and started this discussion) quoted at the top of this article - who doesn’t have a church and is crying out for help to find a good one.
Now, let’s consider a scenario that’s more difficult and distressing and is becoming more and more common for believers. They have no church and no fellowship, period. Why? Because they disagree with all the churches they’ve visited.
If a church "holds to the Biblical Gospel and the Biblical Jesus" - even if those are buried beneath a heap of worldly teachings and programs - my recommendation is to attend that fellowship. What? Wouldn’t such a church lead a believer into teachings and programs that aren’t Biblically sound? It could, but those who are struggling to find a good church very likely have enough Biblical discernment to recognize what doesn’t match up with sound doctrine.
Bill Gray Note: If you find yourself in the situation described in the paragraph above - follow the apostle Paul's advise in Acts 17:11 and be a good Berean: "Test the teaching and the teacher against Scripture." And always follow Scripture.
It’s also very likely that they could be a blessing to such a church if they were to attend with a servant’s heart. I know of a very discerning person who, when questioned as to why he decided to attend a church that offered programs that weren’t supported by Scripture, replied, “I was thinking that I might be able to help the church Biblically.”
I also know a young couple who are making a wonderful contribution to a church that probably wouldn’t allow me (Tom McMahon) to teach - given the number of programs they endorse about which I’ve written unfavorably. Yet this couple’s ministry to young adults (involving a Bible study and personal discipleship) in the church has been praised by the leadership. They established right up front with the leaders that when they serve within the body, the Word of God would be their guide and authority.
Their heart’s desire is to encourage young adult believers (their own peers) to learn and to apply the Scriptures in their own lives. They don’t address the programs in the church in which they’re not in agreement, unless asked. When that happens, their response is, “We just want to go by what the Bible says and to teach what it teaches” - and they’ve yet to receive a complaint. They don’t want to compromise their beliefs - or be regarded as divisive.
Others like them have this in common: they simply want to serve the body of Christ in any capacity they can, and wherever they can. They believe that the Holy Spirit will help them to strengthen their brothers and sisters in Christ no matter how much a church has been weakened by unbiblical programs and practices.
There’s another situation regarding seeking a church, or rather not seeking, that we hear about more and more these days. The claim is that the seekers can’t find like-minded believers in a community, so the individual or family makes the choice to isolate themselves due to their circumstance. They end up with no church, no fellowship with other believers, no one outside themselves to serve, or with whom to pray.
They’ve shut themselves off from the diverse gifting of fellow believers for the edifying and building up of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians:12:12-27
, 14:2-5, 12, 26; Ephesians:4:11-16
; 1 Peter:4:10
). They rely mostly on preachers who teach over radio, TV, or other communication devices for Biblical instruction. For these, servanthood and fellowship are among the most important components that are lost.
For believers in that detached condition, I have a few questions and thoughts. Is it possible for the Lord to help you to find other believers? My guess is that, among all the people attending churches in a community, there must be a potential believer, or perhaps even a true believer, or two or three. Maybe they’re not mature in the faith but are genuinely seeking to know God in truth. Churches, therefore, would seem to offer the best opportunity for meeting other believers in Christ. Finding another believer (who seeks the same level of Biblical study as you) could lead to fellowship that begins by simply praying for one another. Or it could lead to helping one another out by meeting a need.
Eventually, it might even open the door for a Bible study. I believe that Jesus will help those who are actively seeking fellowship to find fellowship - by His grace. Fellowship doesn’t involve merely the comfort of being with like-minded believers, but it is the setting to best carry out the Lord’s instructions for living out the Christian life.
The last scenario is the most extreme, yet some believers are in this situation today. It may be that, should the Lord not return soon for His bride, true believers won’t have the option of assembling together in churches. Nevertheless, they won’t stop gathering together privately. Why? That’s the exhortation and the instruction for believers that is given continually throughout the New Testament. Believers desperately need fellowship, especially as the days grow darker the nearer we get to Jesus’ return for His bride, His body. “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Corinthians:12:27
).
One among a host of instances of instruction related to the necessary interaction of the saints is 1 Thessalonians:5:11-14
: “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”
All those things are best - and perhaps only - accomplished as we assemble ourselves together with brothers and sisters in obedience to our Lord and Savior. That’s what Christ commands for our good, and for His good pleasure.
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I pray that in this blog you have found some "golden nuggets" of information and guidance which will help you find a local church home - or confirm that the local church home you have is where God would have you.
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, . . ." (Hebrews 10:24-25).
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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