My car broke down the other day and the little shop I normally brought my car to that gave me a lifetime warranty on my transmission, was all of a sudden nowhere to be found. Doors closed. Business closed. I was kicking myself thinking I should’ve done more research on this mechanic to know how legit he was, instead of simply going to him out of convenience, since his shop was around the corner from from our home.
Then it got me thinking, when choosing an expert in a certain field like a mechanic, a dentist, or a lawyer, most people go out of their way to make sure he or she is accredited, or in other words, certified.
But when choosing a church to go to or a preacher to listen to, what kind of criteria do people have? Almost none.
So how does one even begin to see which one is the true Church as described by Christ that He will save? Here are three simple questions to ask to see if the Church you currently belong to is indeed the Church that Christ will save.
1. Let’s start with the name. Is the name of your church in the Bible?
Everyone has seen signs of unusual church names such as these that have certainly stopped you in your tracks.
Now, if you already belong to a church, chances are, it’s a church you may have been born into. And we can certainly understand why people may prefer to stay with what’s comfortable and familiar. Choosing a church may not be so simple.
There are about 350,000 religious congregations in the US.
So how does one even begin to see which one is the true Church as described by Christ that He will save? Start by asking, “is the name of my church found in the Bible, and is it the church Christ referred to in Matthew 16:18 when he said ‘I will build my Church?” And if the name of your church is in the Bible, are ALL its teachings and doctrines Biblical, or are some man-made practices?
2. Next question to ask is, “ is the Church I belong to prophesied in the Bible? And does its history coincide with prophecy?”
3. And lastly, ask yourself this question, “are the preachers and ministers in my Church recognized and sent by God to preach?” Or are they self-appointed preachers?
Well, they may have all theological degrees and have gone to bible college but is that God’s standards of preachers he has “sent”?
Ask these same questions back to your ministers and pastors – because you, as a member of their church, deserve to know.
So how can we really know if the one preaching to us is really sent by God to care for our souls? We’d like to help you find out.
Let’s set up a one-on-one conversation to talk about it.
About the Writer:
Bob has been an ordained minister in the Church Of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) for over 30 years. He grew up a Catholic in Upstate New York. After joining the Air Force in the 1970s, he found himself wondering if there was more to life than motorcycles and scuba diving. It was at that time he was introduced to the Church Of Christ, where the clear and definite bible-based answers in the worship services caught his attention.
After getting baptized, he and his wife moved to Florida where he was later called into the ministry. Since then he has been assigned to lead congregations of the Church Of Christ around the world.
