How To Find A Good Church Part 4
Submitted by Ted Mock
September 4, 2024
Mt 16:15-18 ... But whom say ye that I am? 16 ...Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered... Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
In a world that is ever changing and everything is built on a foundation of sand, the first important thing to look for in a church is the foundation upon which it is built.
I have had the privilege to preach at Buffalo Ridge Baptist Church in Gray, Tennessee, the very first church started in the state back in 1779. This church has weathered the test of time and remained true to the Word of God in getting the gospel out to the world.
Most churches today will not last more than fifty years before straying from doctrinal moorings, declining influence, or just dying. What makes a church like this one survive and even thrive for 245 years. The answer is simply that it was founded and stayed on the right foundation, The Rock of our Lord Jesus Christ.
A church may have a rich heritage and influence that has reached around the world with the gospel, but it is not by might and power of their own, but by God’s Spirit. Jesus says in John 15 that without Him, we can do nothing. Paul wrote in Philippians that all things can be done through Christ. When looking for a church, look first to see if it is founded on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not only look for the right foundation in a church, but look to see if it is moving forward with the gospel. Growth is the natural outcome of any living organism. I don’t mean growth by moving fish around different aquariums. I mean growing by catching new fish. Look for a church that is seeing souls saved throughout all their ministries, missions, children’s ministries, and witnessing.
Look for a church that has its eyes on the future. Jesus, in John four, told his disciples to look on a field that was freshly plowed and planted. He told them to see it as it would be, white unto harvest. Look for a church, not through your eyes, but through the eyes of Christ.
Consider – Jesus is the Chief Corner Stone and litmus test—All doctrines and churches crumble which are not laid upon Him.
