I get asked all the time about what church you should choose. That is a very important question because Jesus instituted the church so we could all come together and support one another and get closer to Him. Jesus wants the church to be that safe haven in a world of chaos.
The problem is there are so many places that call themselves a church, but are they? The book of Revelation begins with Jesus talking about 7 churches, and 6 of them are not the church Jesus wanted them to be. It is important to be at a church that Jesus calls a church.
What are the characteristics of a good church?
The church is based on God’s Word. It is not changed, deleted, or shied away from. If God says this is right or this is wrong, then that is the final word. Does the place believe everything in the Bible is true? Do they believe the Bible is the authority on how to live. Without a solid basis then things can change and become unstable. Matthew 24:35 is key.
The church loves everyone. This means the people there are devoted to helping everyone get closer to Jesus. This also means tough love can be employed when necessary to help someone. Showing someone where they are wrong is love. Love is also accepting everyone who comes as a person God loves and then accepting the mandate from God to help that person come to Jesus so they can be the masterpiece God always wanted them to be by choosing to get involved in their life and allowing others to be involved in yours. Love requires being involved.
Is the church a family? Does everyone truly care about each other? We are to be there to help one another when there is a need without passing judgment. Just like in any family, a member can do something dumb. It can be totally their fault. But they are still family, and we will choose to help them because they are family. Jesus never turns His back on us, so we should not do that to one another. This is important because we can all do something dumb, and we need someone to be there for us to help us, not put us down.
The church deals with conflict well. Until we get to heaven humans will have conflict, even the best of us who love one another. Always follow Matthew 18:15-17. Three steps: (1) when someone offends you go to that person in private (2) If that does not work bring another with you to help see both sides (3) if that does not work then go tell the church or the public. The world does step 3 first almost all the time and disaster is the result. I have found that when we do it Jesus’ way almost every problem is solved with no one getting hurt.
The church should be free to worship God as you see fit. We are all different and that is OK. When we come together, we should be allowed to express our love for God that means something to us. Everyone experiences God in different ways. Some people are quiet, and others are very expressive. Why can’t you have both and everything in between because we are all made different by God and that is good. Too many times a church or a ministry emphasizes one way over another and that is wrong.
The church needs to have programs to reach the lost and fulfill the mission of the church. We see that in how the church developed in Acts. Acts chapter 6 speaks directly to this and why there is a leadership structure in the church. Programs are necessary in a church because you have to win the right to be heard. It is foolishness to think people will just come to Jesus for no reason. Now the church should not be program driven, but the programs should come out of a desire to fulfill the great commission and be led by the Holy Spirit. The programs are not just for the lost, but also for those in the church. Programs for discipleship, but we will always have needs, and Jesus says the church should step up and be there to meet the needs of those in the church to show the world there is something different about this place. A reason to belong. There are real benefits. We find this theme expressed over and over in the book of Acts.
This is what you should look for in a church. It says in Mark 16:17-18 that these signs will follow those who believe. That means that will just happen. We will not have to go search for them; they will just naturally happen in the life of the church because it is where God wants to be because we are doing it as God asks.
It is important where you choose to go to church because if you choose poorly, it can lead you away from Jesus instead of to Him. Not every place that says it is a church is really a church.
I talk to many people about church, and many don’t go because they tried it and did not like it. The reason is simple the church they tried was not a place Jesus approved of (see Revelation chapters 2 and 3). If Jesus approves, He will be there and if He is there people will experience that in a way that is meaningful to them.
Jesus created the church with purpose and with a strategic plan in mind to bless you and to share the Gospel. There should be a tremendous balance between these two.
When you find the right church, you will be fulfilled beyond your wildest imaginations because that was Jesus’ purpose with giving the church. One more thing, for that to happen, once you find a real church, it is up to you to get immersed so you can receive all God has for you!
Remember Jesus loves you; I love you, and you are awesome!
Did you know it cost $7 million dollars to purchase an ad for the Super Bowl this year. Many people said that money could have been used to help the homeless and the hungry. People say if God is all powerful why does he allow people to be poor, hungry, and homeless in the first place.
The answer is God has already solved every problem. Let’s take food for example. 2.5 billion tons of food goes to waste every year in the world. That equals 4.656 trillion meals. According to the Global multi-dimensional poverty index by the World Bank there are about 1.1 billion people who are really in need around the world. There is enough food just in waste to feed each person in poverty 4233 meals a year. To put that in perspective, 3 meals a day a person needs 1095 meals a year. God has provided enough food to feed everyone almost 4 times over. The problem is not God, it what humans do with what God gave us. God has provided all that we need and then some.
Jesus said in Matthew 26:11 you will always have the poor with you in response to the disciples criticizing the woman who used expensive perfume on his feet saying it could have been used for the poor. Jesus said that if you are just concerned with taking care of needs you will go crazy and you will never really make a difference. You need to make a difference that lasts.
Bringing someone into a relationship with Jesus solves every single problem in a person’s life. When a person truly comes to Jesus their life will change for the better. Jesus says the righteous are never forsaken and are never begging bread. Now the key here is righteous. Not just saying you are a Christian but saying Jesus I want to have a real relationship with you. Relationships take a commitment from both sides, or you are not in a relationship. Jesus is looking for that. When you do Jesus has to change your life for the better because He made a commitment to you.
It is also why Jesus created the church to be a vehicle to help people who come to Him. The early church had everything in common. They sold all they had and brought it into the church thinking that is what God meant. That is not what God intended, what God means is in a true church we realize that Jesus is our source for everything, and we have the attitude, “Jesus if you need anything I have you can have it.” It does not mean God will ever ask for that, but if He did would you be willing to help. That is what having all things in common means. It does not always refer to money or material things, sometimes people need your time, or your ear, your compassion, etc.
When we have this attitude no one in the church family will ever be in want. That means if a new believer comes in and needs help, we help them as Jesus’ hands and feet. What if you, who are already a member of the family, are in need, this means you too will be taken care of.
Jesus designed it to be that way to show others why it is important to be in a committed relationship with Him. When you are in a committed relationship real change that lasts can be achieved.
Some will say that is a club. It is, but the difference is ANYONE can join the club at any time and reap the benefits because God already has provided all we need.
Jesus is asking for a commitment. That is fair. It does not mean you have to be perfect, but that you are trying to make your relationship with Jesus better. That is all He asks of you to reap all the benefits. We will not always be perfect in our commitment, but God will always be committed to us.
Jesus is not in the hand-out business; He is not in a business at all. Jesus is all about loving those who want to be in a relationship with Him. There should be a marked difference between those in a relationship with Him and those who are not. Not to put anyone down, but to show them why they should choose to be in a relationship with Jesus.
One last thing, people often criticize Christians who help people saying they have an agenda. They are right we do. We want to earn the right to be heard so we can introduce them to Jesus, so all their needs are taken care of for all time. What is wrong with that?
Without an agenda you are just fixing a problem temporarily. When that temporary fix is over the person you helped is usually worse off because they had hope for a while and not it is crushed. With Jesus He says there is not only hope for right now, but also for a future Jeremiah 29:11. And Jesus also says His hope never disappoints Romans 5:5.
For those who criticize Christians who help with an agenda, did you know that 78% of all charity work is done by a Christian organization. If you take that out of the equation no one would be helped at all, because without a reason people don’t help. It has been proven time and time again.
That is why the world needs Jesus. Jesus solves every problem when you have a true relationship with Jesus. Introduce someone to Jesus first and the rest will take care of itself because God never fails to keep His promises.
Jesus even says in Malachi 3:10 to “try Me”. Have a relationship with me, a real one, and see if I don’t take care of all your needs because I love you.
Remember Jesus loves you; I love you, and you are meant to be so AWESOME!
What is the biggest mistake believers make? Answer: we fight among ourselves. Last weekend there was a super bowl commercial from the people who produce He Gets Us. A lot of controversy surrounded it from the Christian community. The problem is not so much the discussion itself but the fact it was done in a way that goes against the teachings of Jesus. When we do that Christianity looks foolish.
It does not matter what you think about the commercial. You can think whatever you want. God gave you a brain. However how you use your brain is what is in question.
Jesus gives instructions on how to handle this perceived situation in Matthew 18:15-17.
I have looked into the He Gets Us campaign website. I see their heart. I think it is admirable what they are doing. Can they make a mistake, sure, so can you. Matthew 18:15-17 says when you think something is wrong follow these three steps. Step 1 is going to the person. Step 2 bring someone else with you (who has no skin in the game), and step 3 go public.
I cannot stress this enough THESE MUST BE DONE IN ORDER!
Step 1 is so important because of three possible outcomes. (1) Maybe that person was wrong and did not know it, now they have the chance to fix it. (2) Maybe what they said did not come across as they intended, they were not wrong, just did not execute it well, now they have the chance to correct it. (3) And then there is another possibility many do not take into account. What if when you talk to them and they explain themselves, you find out you were wrong?
This is the wisest advice ever given to humans and yet we ignore it all the time. By going to the person or the organization FIRST you keep it all in house and all can be worked out. When we go to the masses, we allow people to become “experts” on what they think the other person did, said, or meant to say. No one is ever an expert on what someone else thinks. It is impossible.
Jesus asks us to do this, so we do not have a mess. This is why Christians leave churches, why churches have fights, and this precisely why the world does not trust Christianity because we do not handle things like Jesus, and we look crazy.
Yes, we have to point out what is wrong and right in this world, but we do not have to do it in public. I think a very strong case can be made that when we do this in public the results are always negative on those who matter most to Jesus, those who have not accepted Him.
When done correctly, privately, real change can happen because the person is not embarrassed. When in public the natural reaction is to defend yourself, when done in love privately introspection can happen and change one’s life for the better!
Jesus is saddened by the harm done to his people. We get upset with one another and allow the devil to break us apart from the inside. Jesus wants us to all walk together and love one another. We will all have different opinions on things, we are human. Unity is not ageing on everything, but saying we will walk together on this journey no matter what because Jesus loves you, so I love you, and you are awesome! And be genuine about it.
Why don’t Christians follow this more? It takes work. It can also take time, and we want things now. For example, the He Gets Us website has a place where you can sign up. Then you can contact them. I am pretty sure they would respond. It may take time to respond, but why not give them, or anyone, the time to respond instead of letting something blow up in the wrong way.
It is much easier to just jump on each other and go that is wrong and tell everyone about it. However, Jesus says this is wrong because it never produces a good result. This is why Christian’s stop being friends, change churches, why church splits happen, and the devil loves it, and we should not allow this to happen.
We cannot do Matthew 18:15-17 backwards EVER. This situation may seem trivial in this commercial. But how many are being turned away from Jesus because of the discussion about the commercial. How many Christians who fellowshipped together are not rethinking that? We cannot make the devil’s job easier!
God gave us simple rules to follow so His mission, His love comes shining through. Yes, Jesus gets us, but most importantly He wants us to find Him!
Remember Jesus loves you; I love you, and you are awesome!
I do not want to go to church because they are hypocrites. I hear that a lot. What is a hypocrite? A hypocrite is a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. A person who says one thing and then does something different on purpose. The key is on purpose.
Should people at church actually do what Jesus says? Yes.
Should they do it all the time? Yes
Will they? No, because we are all human. We make mistakes.
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This verse is written to believers, because they will make mistakes and will need to be forgiven again and again. Then you have this famous verse often quoted.
2 Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Once again this is written to people who are with the Lord, and says they too will make mistakes.
What makes a hypocrite a hypocrite? It is not making a mistake but doing it on purpose. An example is a person who calls themselves a Christian and says you need to stop lying, but at the same time lies in their business to get ahead. That person is a hypocrite. They are doing the opposite of what they say they believe.
It is true that many Christians in churches make the mistake of doing something they say they should not do. The true believer then will repent of that and work to change.
Another reason people think churches are full of hypocrites is because they preach against this but allow the same thing to happen. A church that does that is a Hypocrite. But there is also a right and a wrong way to do that. To just point that person out and tell them how bad they are is also being a hypocrite because Jesus is about love, and love works to help the person change to be something amazing.
Churches should preach the Bible, stand on the Bible, do as the Bible says, and when some fall, do not crush them but help them get right with the Lord, and at the same time not accept the sin as OK.
This takes guts on the people in the church to really look to help one another no matter what, and it takes great humility on the part of those in the church to accept this, knowing it is for their own good that the issue came up.
Yes, the church is full of people who still make mistakes. It does not mean they are all hypocrites. It just means they are all still learning. That is what Jesus asks for. When you go to a church look and see if this is actually what is happening. If you see something amiss bring it to the attention of the Pastor and see what happens. Sometimes things slip through the cracks that need to be addressed. We are all human. If nothing is done, call the church hypocritical, but if something is happening or something does happen, then they are following the teachings of Jesus.
One last thing about people who say the church is full of hypocrites and that is why I will not go. Doesn’t that by definition make you a hypocrite? You know God wants us to go to church. God asks if we will. The concept of church in almost everyone’s minds is that this is a good idea. Yes, there are churches out there that do not do the right thing (Just because a church says it is a church does not mean it actually is) God gave you a brain to figure that out. God also needs you there to help others grow close to God, sometimes by pointing out their mistakes and then helping them, and then lastly, you too make mistakes like all of us, and yet God still wants you to come. If God does not expect perfection, why should you?
Seeing that we all still makes mistakes actually shows us how much God loves all of us, and that truly no one is better than anyone else. We are all equal, all sinners, and all saved by grace (God’s love is a gift and you do not deserve it, but Jesus gives it to you just because you ask, wow!).
If you are looking for a perfect church, you will never find one on this planet. If you are looking for a church filled with people just like you, that is what the church is. And we all need one another to help us along this journey so we can please Jesus and be blessed and then be rewarded in heaven by the One who has it all, and can’t wait to share it all with you, yes you, even though you messed up on earth over and over again, but you were humble enough to try and do better every time He forgave you.
What a deal!
Remember Jesus loves you all, I love you all, and you are all Awesome!
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