A ChurchShoppers Guide

1
A Church-Shoppers Guide

• Matthew 1618, And I also say to you that you
  are Peter, and on this rock I will build My
  church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail
  against it.

2
One Church

• In Matthew 1618, Jesus introduces the concept of
  the church (EKKLESIA).
• The term church refers to a group of people
  assembled for a common purpose.
• In the New Testament, it referred to those
  individuals who gave up a life of sin to serve
  Jesus Christ (Acts 247).
• From the Scriptures, it is clear God only
  intended to have one church.
• Jesus says it is My church (singular).
• Paul declared there was one body and that
  body was the church (Ephesians 122-23 44).
• With that in mind, finding the right church can
  be a very daunting task.

3
One Church

• A quick look at a phone book will reveal a
  variety of churches in our area.
• So, how do we go about choosing the right one?
• This question is one of the most important
  questions you will ever ask!
• It is on the same level, if not above questions
  like
• Who will you marry?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• It may take quite a search, but we need to be
  serious about finding the church Jesus died to
  save (Acts 2028).
• So, consider this brief guide, based on
  Scriptural principles, to help you find the right
  church.

4
Not Just Any Church

• Some have the idea that just any church will
  do.
• Was this your attitude when you picked out your
  husband/wife, college, job?
• Was the girl next door the right one for you or
  did you search a little harder?
• Gods Word taught Christians to be on the lookout
  for false teachers and their hearers (2 Timothy
  43-4).
• Jesus threatened to reject the church in Ephesus
  for failing in the Lords work (Revelation 25).
• Choosing just any church can easily lead to
  choosing a church Jesus considers illegitimate
  and counterfeit!

5
Not Just the Biggest Church

• Some people have the idea that the biggest, most
  popular church must be the right one.
• Popularity and size is no reason to assume
  Scriptural authenticity.
• Jesus once said,
• Enter by the narrow gate for wide is the gate
  and broad is the way that leads to destruction,
  and there are many who go in by it. Because
  narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which
  leads to life, and there are few who find it
  (Matthew 713-14).
• The basis of an authentic church has nothing to
  do with the size of its membership.

6
Not the Family Church

• One of the main factors which motivates many in
  choosing a church is family and tradition.
• Yet, this should not be a determining factor for
  choosing a church.
• Friends and family must come after the Lord.
• He who loves father or mother more than Me is
  not worthy of MeAnd he who does not take his
  cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me
  (Matthew 1037-38).
• Family tradition should be rejected if it
  conflicts with the church of the Bible (Matthew
  159).

7
Not for Aesthetic or Social Reasons

• Another common reason for choosing a church is on
  the basis of architecture.
• A church is not merely a building, it is a group
  of people (Acts 81-3).
• If those people do not stand for the truth,
  despite the fancy building, you have an empty
  religion.
• After the resurrection, the Jews still met in the
  temple, but without Christ it meant nothing!
• Those interested in material things may also
  choose a church for its recreational facilities.
• Big gymnasiums, fancy classrooms, good food and
  holiday entertainment are major appeals in
  pop-culture Christianity.
• Yet, Jesus rebukes those drawn to the material
  over the spiritual (John 626-27, 44-45 Matthew
  633).

8
A Church that Respects the Bible

• It is important to choose a church that respects
  all of the Bible and the Bibles authority alone!
• Most churches claim to believe in the authority
  of the Bible (2 Timothy 316-17).
• Yet, if that is so, why do they
• Ignore some of its teachings?
• Add their own creeds, manuals, catechisms to it?
• Allow practices not authorized in the New
  Testament?
• If you do not respect all of the Scriptures,
  you do not respect the Scriptures at all!

9
A Church that Respects the Bible

• Luke 811 says,
• The seed is the word of God.
• Tampering with this seed results in a
  denomination (something other than what God
  intended).
• Bible catechismCatholic
• Bible Methodist Book of DisciplineMethodist
• Bible Baptist ManualBaptist
• Bible Book of MormonMormon
• The Bible alone will make a Christian and a
  Christian only
• Notice some ways we might be able to tell if a
  church truly believes all of the Bible, as we
  should (Col. 317).

10
By The Name

• One of the ways we can tell if a church belongs
  to Christ is by the name of the church.
• The church in Corinth was rebuked for becoming
  followers of other men besides Christ (1 Cor.
  110-13).
• Many times, the name of the church is a dead
  giveaway the church follows a doctrine besides
  Christs.
• The name of ones church should reflect the
  churchs belonging to Christ (Eph. 523 Matt.
  1618 Rom. 1616).
• The names of the following churches are not used
  to describe the Lords church in the Scriptures.
• Presbyterian (originated in 1560).
• Baptist (originated in 1608).
• Methodist (originated in 1740).
• Adventist (originated in 1830).
• Mormon (originated in 1830).

11
By the Name

• It was prophesied in Isaiah 622 that Gods
  people would wear a new name.
• The name they were called first in Antioch was
  Christian (Acts 1126).
• They did not go around calling themselves
  Peter-ites or Barnabas-ians or
  Pentecostals.
• Nor should we call ourselves Lutherans or
  Wesleyans or Nazarenes.
• If we believe in all the Bible, why call
  ourselves by descriptions not found in the Bible?

12
By the Worship

• Another way you can determine a church does not
  believe all of the Bible is by their worship.
• Worship is important to God and was to be at
  Gods direction, not ours (John 424).
• Notice the term must in verse 24.
• Notice the coupling of spirit and truth.
• Gods plan for worship was not to be changed at
  our own devising.
• The New Testament sets a pattern for how God
  desired to be properly worshipped.

13
By the Worship

• This worship included
• Heartfelt singing (Colossians 316).
• The New Testament does not authorize the playing
  of instruments in worship.
• Some claim the Old Testament does, but if we
  believe all the Bible we believe O.T. law was
  nailed to the cross.
• Praying (Acts 242).
• Giving on the first day of the week (1 Cor.
  161-2).
• The money used by the church was not created by
  gimmicks, fundraisers and bake sales but by a
  weekly offering.
• Churches that are run like businesses are not
  worshipping Gods way!

14
By the Worship

• This worship included
• Teaching and preaching (Acts 242 2 John 9-11).
• If a woman gets up to preach in the church
  assembly, you automatically know youve got the
  wrong church (1 Corinthians 1434).
• The teaching must be sound, over the years many
  changes have occurred within the churchs
  teaching.
• Latin Mass (394 A.D.).
• Purgatory (593 A.D.).
• Transubstantiation (1000 A.D.).
• Celibacy of priests (1015 A.D.).
• Indulgences (1192 A.D.).
• Auricular Confession (1215 A.D.).
• Sprinkling as a mode of baptism (1311 A.D.).
• Communion every Lords day (1 Cor. 1123-29 Acts
  207).
• Some churches only partake monthly or yearly.
• The communion of the church was a weekly
  observance on the first day.

15
By the Churchs Work

• The work of the local churches in the New
  Testament included
• Evangelism, preaching the gospel (1 Thess. 18).
• Edification, building up the local body by
  respecting Gods organization and roles within
  the church (Eph. 411-16).
• Benevolence, helping needy saints (Acts 1127-30
  Romans 1525-26).
• Many churches have gone beyond the work God
  assigned and into other areas like
• Political causes (world relief, global warming,
  presidential campaigns).
• Entertainment (hiring comedians and bands,
  planning parties, organizing festivals and
  fairs).
• Secular (creating schools and day cares,
  sponsoring colleges and scholarship programs).
• There is a difference between the role God
  assigned to the church and the individual in the
  Scriptures.
• The church should stay out of these lesser works
  so it can easily perform its primary mission
  (Matthew 2818-20).

16
By the Plan of Salvation

• A church is not truly Bible-based if they do not
  hold to all God teaches in His plan of salvation.
• God has a plan of salvation that should be
  respected in every regard
• Hearing Gods Word (Romans 1017).
• Believing in Jesus Christ (Matthew 175).
• Confession of this belief (Romans 109-10).
• Repentance (Acts 238).
• Water baptism for the remission of sins (Mark
  1616 Acts 238).
• A church with an alternate plan (confirmation,
  infant baptism, sinners prayer) is not teaching
  Bible!

17
Conclusion

• If you are seeking for the one church built by
  Jesus Christ you should not
• Choose just any church.
• Think it is the biggest church.
• Assume it is your family church or one with the
  longest tradition.
• Look for a church building with architecture or
  be interested in material and social attractions.
• Instead, look for a church that upholds the truth
  of the Bible by observing their
• Adherence to Bible names and descriptions.
• Worship designed according to the New Testament
  pattern.
• Work and its similarity to the early churchs
  mission.
• Plan of salvation and its exact conformance to
  the Bibles plan of salvation in every way!
• Now, youve taken a crash course in church
  shopping.

18
This is our plea as the church of Christ.

• We try to prove our claim to be Bible believers
  by our practice.
• We use Bible names, worship by the New Testament
  pattern, perform the same work as the early
  church and teach the same plan of salvation
  taught to the first Christians.
• We invite you to challenge these claims or
  participate in this work with us in full
  obedience to Christ!