Whether moving or staying put, every Christian should know the biblical principles of church life.
Balanced Biblical Experience
Dynamic Relationships
Freedom in Form
What to look for in a church
Have
you ever heard Christians say they attend a New Testament Church, implying
that their church is what a church is all about?
In fact, "New Testament church" is
really a misnomer. The New Testament describes all shades and varieties
of churches. Some of them were relatively mature, like those at Thessalonica
and Ephesus. Others were incredibly carnal and immature, such as the
church at Corinth. However, one thing is sure about New Testament churches:
They were all in the process of becoming what God intended them to be.
So it is with every church today. Because there
is no perfect Christian, there is no perfect church, nor will there
be until we are personally and corporately glorified at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Don't misunderstand. I do not believe it is
wrong to use the term "New Testament Church." I use it frequently
to describe the churches in the New Testament. But when it comes to
describing 20th century churches, we are more accurate to speak of those
that are committed to discovering and applying New Testament principles
of church life.
What, then should you look for
in a church? What are the most important principles that emerge as we
carefully study all New Testament churches, the mature and immature
and those in between? And how can these principles help you find a church
where you will grow spiritually?
Balanced Biblical Experiences
I believe there are three experiences of church life illustrated again and again throughout the New Testament. Initially, these experiences were a dynamic part of the first church that existed - the church in Jerusalem. I say "initially" because the Jerusalem church became increasingly carnal as time went by. But in its beginning it was a dynamic, growing church not only in numbers, but also, more importantly, in spiritual maturity.
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First, "they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching" refers to the Word of God. What the apostles were transmitting by word of mouth would eventually be written down as the New Testament. Thus, the New Testament is the apostles' teaching in permanent form. Though we cannot listen to Peter teach as he did in those early days of Christianity, we can read the letters that he wrote to the churches. Though we cannot listen to the apostle John, another prominent public teacher in the early days of the Jerusalem church, we can read his Gospel, as well as his three epistles. The letters of the apostle Paul are particularly important because they were written either to New Testament churches or to individuals who were helping establish these churches.
Look for a church where the Word
of God is taught. We, too, must devote ourselves to the apostles' teaching.
It is the most basic experience that produces spiritual growth (1 Peter
2:2; 2 Timothy 2:15).
Second, New Testament Christians "were
continually devoting themselves ...to fellowship" (Acts 2:42).
Luke then described this koinonia with four basic experiences. It involved
eating together, praying for one another, sharing their material possessions
with those in need, and lifting their voices in praise to God. (Acts
2:42-47)
As you trace these four relational (fellowship)
experiences throughout the New Testament, they are clearly two dimensional:
Both horizontal and vertical. Fellowship in the New Testament involved
both relationship with other Christians and a relationship with God.
As they broke bread in their homes and ate together, they were also
remembering the Lord. This is particularly true because communion in
the early days of Christianity involved a full meal. The bread and the
cup with which they remembered Christ's body and shed blood were an
intrinsic part of this meal.
The prayers of New Testament believers were
also intensely relational. The setting was more often a corporate experience
that a private one. They prayed for one another's physical needs, emotional
stresses, and anxieties, as well as spiritual concerns.
Furthermore, the early Christians' giving was
frequently in the context of meeting one another's physical needs. And
as they praised God they were speaking "to one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs," as well as "singing with thankfulness
in [their] hearts to God" (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Their intimate
relationships with one another enabled them to experience an intimate
relationship with God.
Dynamic Relationships with Other Saints
Look for a church that provides dynamic relationships
with other Christians, intertwined with dynamic relationships with God
through praise and worship.
Third, these New Testament Christians shared
their faith through both visible, corporate witness and personal communication
with non-Christians. As "they were continually devoting themselves
to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship," they were "having
favor with all the people." Luke reports that "the Lord was
adding to their number day by day those who were being saved" (Acts
2:42, 47).
This is a direct fulfillment of what Jesus
said would happen: "All men will know you are My disciples, if
you have love for one another" (John 13:35). This is also a direct
answer to Jesus' prayer for His disciples in John 17: "That they
may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send
Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me" (v.23).
Look for a church that provides this third
vital experience, a church that is oriented toward the unsaved world.
Look for a church where regular Bible teaching and fellowship become
the basis for outreach and evangelism.
Have you ever attended a church
where the order of service in the bulletin seems as sacred as the virgin
birth? As predictable as Monday following Sunday? If so, you were probably
in a church that confuses form with function. Cultural patterns have
taken precedence over "supernatural," biblical principles.
New Testament writers never dictated how to
structure a church. When, where, and how we meet are all areas of freedom
- by divine design. Had the Holy Spirit locked Christians into a form,
He would have locked us into the first century, Middle Eastern culture
of the early church. In that form, Christianity either would have withered
and died or, like most of the other major world religions, would have
become fixated on a particular cultural and ethnic setting to the detriment
of its spiritual foundation. Primarily because of its structural freedom,
however, Christianity became a worldwide phenomenon.
Look for a church
where its leaders and people understand the difference between biblical
principles and cultural patterns, between absolutes and nonabsolutes
in Scripture. Look for a church that holds tenaciously to those things
that should never, ever change, but is free to meet the dynamic culture
of the 20th century.
The fact that 20th century churches tend to
fixate in form, abusing their structural freedom, is seen in the way
they often get out of balance by emphasizing or providing only one or
two vital New Testament experiences rather than all three.
There are churches that use their freedom in
form to structure primarily for Bible teaching. These classroom churches
emphasize Scriptural content and intellectual experience. Relational
churches emphasize experience and emotion. And soul-winning churches
structure themselves for evangelism.
You might pick up the emphasis of a church
by the title it gives its primary leader, though obviously this isn't
a hard and fast rule, Bible-teaching churches often identify their leader
as the "pastor-teacher" (with an emphasis on "teacher).
Relational churches often refer to "Brother" so -and-so and
soul-winning churches to the "preacher," primarily because
he is noted for preaching the gospel.
| "Emphasis on Bible teaching that neglects relationship Christianity and evangelism can produce an intellectual approach to the Christian Life." |
When churches use freedom in form to determine their emphasis,
but then fixate on that form, they may "absolutize" their
particular approach to church life. The results often reflect elements
of spiritual immaturity.
Emphasis on Bible teaching that neglects relationship
Christianity and evangelism can produce an intellectual approach to
the Christian life. It can isolate Christians and produce judgmental
attitudes as believers are quick to argue doctrine and defend the "jots
and tittles" of Scripture.
On the other hand, churches that emphasize
relational Christianity and neglect Bible teaching often become experience-oriented
and neglect basic Bible doctrine. These Christians may become more concerned
about what they feel than what they know, and this can lead to all kinds
of deviations from the Bible's actual teachings.
Churches that emphasize evangelism and outreach
and neglect good, consistent Bible teaching and relationships produce
Christians who are very active, but who soon grow "weary in well-doing."
Their own personal Christian experience is often superficial and based
on legalistic effort, and they may be more concerned about "souls"
than people.
To grow spiritually, we need all three experiences
outlined in the New Testament.
We need consistent and dynamic learning
experiences with the Word that are exegetically sound, but intensely
relevant and practical.
We need quality relationships with one another
and with God that are based solidly on biblical truth.
And we need to reach out and touch the unsaved
world. Without this third experience we'll become a church that lacks
the fresh flow of new life, like a river that is dammed up. Nothing
is more unattractive and dissatisfying than ingrown Christianity.
What Should You Look for in a Church?
Look for a church
whose goal is to provide balanced New Testament
experiences.
Look for leaders committed to the
unchanging absolutes of Scripture, yet free to change structures to
provide a balance of experiences as needed in any cultural setting.
If you are looking for a new church, don't be
too quick out the door if you see something less than what we've discussed
here. These are New Testament ideals!
Some Christians are already prone to "church
hopping." It is certainly not my intention to encourage this unfortunate
behavior. Nor do I want to discourage or pile guilt on those sensitive
Christians who should leave a church that is not committed or willing
to become what God wants it to be. Remember, there is no perfect church.
But remember, too, that these ideals should
be goals for every church that claims to be true to Scripture.
Perhaps God is calling you to attend a new church
or stay in your present church to help it become what God intended it
to be. In either case, let Christ use you to build His church.
The following questions will help you select
a church. Use a scale from 1 to 5 to answer each question.
1Do the forms and structure of this church allow for a balance in learning the Word of God, experiencing fellowship with one another and God, and sharing Christ with others?
2Is the Word of God taught clearly and regularly?
3Is the Word taught with variety, throughout verse-by-verse, topical, biographical, and other studies, or is the church locked into one particular approach?
4Is there a balance between teaching from the Old Testament and the New Testament?
5Is the Word applied to 20th century life and practice?
6Does the church teach its members how to study the Bible on their own?
7Do the structures of the church allow relationships with God to grow naturally out of relationships with people?
8Do the structures and approaches allow communion to be a meaningful experience, involving deep relationships with people?
9Is prayer vital and dynamic, based on an awareness of human needs in the body, or are church members locked into approaches to prayer that make it impersonal and meaningless?
10Is giving spontaneous, regular, joyful, and meant to meet the needs of people; or is giving a mechanical process, in which people participate without knowing needs or how the money is used?
11Is the music balanced between songs and hymns that teach and admonish Christians and those that exalt and glorify God? Does the church allow a variety of musical forms, or is it locked into a culturally conditioned style?
12Do church structures allow opportunities to share Christ with others, or are people kept so busy in church meetings and events that they don't have time to build bridges and witness to non-Christians?
13Does the church allow time for members to relate informally to one another outside the church building, or do relationships consist of attending church meetings, sitting, and listening?
14Can families be together outside of the regular meetings of the church, or do the regular church structures compete with the family life?
15Does the church allow for freedom in form? Are the leaders of the church willing to make changes in structure to better apply New Testament principles and meet the needs of people?
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Attend a church at least twice; better yet, attend every Sunday for a month. By all means, don't draw conclusions based on one weekend experience.
Attend the other meetings of the church, such as home Bible studies, Sunday school, and midweek services.
Invite the pastor or one of the staff to your home to ask questions about the church. Ask him to explain the philosophy of the church (and if you have children, the church's perspective on children's and youth activities).
Invite one of the lay leaders to your home to ask questions about the church.
Ask to see a doctrinal statement and any other policy statements.
Consider your children's reactions to a church, but remember their initial responses may be negative because of their insecurity in a new surrounding.
Evaluate the church in light of biblical criteria, but remember there is no perfect church. If your previous church was satisfying, don't expect to find another one exactly like it. In fact, try not to compare excessively.
Remember that you'll not be satisfied with a new church until you develop friendships there, and that takes time.
Gene A. Getz
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