Majority of the church goers attends their local church under acute ignorance and enslavement of tradition. Their decisive factor for selection is due from unimportant influence of people under personal biases and prejudices. The basis for choosing the local church is always poles apart from biblical standards. The preference of the crowd is based on the visible and tangible things that provide false satisfaction from religious life.

According to a survey conducted by the American Conference of Evangelical Churches (The Christian Herald - January 2003) people go to church because of good music, charming and dynamic preachers, comfortable, classy, or fine facilities, popularity of the local church, social status of the people in attendance, and social services offered by the local church. It is alarming that people are not concerned about the doctrinal stand of the church to where they belong. Not more than one percent (1%) of those who were surveyed considered the teaching of the church as important factor for selecting their church.

Majority of the church goers regarded the genuine Bible doctrine as divisive and intimidating to others. Churches that defend Bible doctrine are considered as hostile people who reject the divine mandate to love one another. They ignorantly advocate the ecumenical love, accepting the human viewpoint that Bible doctrine separates people. In reality, only true Bible doctrine can unite people of any race, culture, background and differences. The church doctrines invented by men are the divisive factor and not the Bible doctrine.

ACEC listed the top twelve reasons for selecting local church in 50 countries in Europe and Asia:

  • Popularity of the church
  • Popularity of the preacher
  • Celebrated singers & musicians
  • Contemporary music
  • Good facilities
  • Popularity of members
  • Social services
  • Church programs
  • Ecstatic worship
  • Humanistic ministries
  • Big attendance
  • Miracles & healing oriented church

A new trend in selecting local church has arise not based on doctrinal position but for many humanistic reasons. People hop from one church to another looking for their most perfect church. People go for modern and contemporary style of worship that satisfies their carnal senses, emotion and ego. They ignore the theology of worship as long as it exalts the worshipers rather than exalting God. The name, denomination, doctrines and leadership are not important to many ignorant churchgoers. They go for church with sensational worship.

People go for a church that promotes unity of all churches. In the late 70s the compromise of many churches was in the area of  world evangelism.. In the 80s,  the point of compromise was in the matter of world mission. Churches then joined and cooperated with the task of soul winning and mission regardless of their doctrinal stands. Today the compromise is in the aspect of ecumenism.. Churches today are all unified in church style of worship that leaves out Bible doctrine and God.

Churches today are man-centered as well as music centered. The so-called music ministers have dethroned God and have taken away the role of the preachers, while pastors are now taking the role of praise and worship leaders. People go for church where the only acceptance is attendance.  

The gauge of success in the churches today is big attendance. Big crowd is the bait that keeps people coming back. Big attendance is the center of their success. The gimmick is how to make the attendance  continuously increasing regardless of doctrinal errors and leadership abuses. They care less about Biblical rejection and doctrinal heresy or on-going corruption.

People go for easy to understand Bible teachings, easy to understand messages that are always out of context. Such people have been hypnotized and does not think or search the validity of their teaching. People go for church that entertains rather than edify the body of Christ. They sacrifice the Truth for performances centered worship. People go for the church with multi-social programs for everyone. They have something for everybody. There are endless activities for the whole year like slimming class, photography class, basketball team, and many others.

. People go for church where they do not understand what they are doing. They are sincere and faithful but they are sincerely and faithfully wrong. If only they will come to the point of realization that what they are doing is wrong. They are not taught to think but rather trained to follow blindly without thinking. They believe every teaching of their leaders without careful examination of its truthfulness.

People go for church that give way to the clamoring, demands and requests of the people. The leaders listens and accepts the biased demands of those who are contributing big amount of money to their ministries. People go for the church where the preaching is always man-centered and pleasing to the ears. People go for the church with dynamic man-pleasing pastors who pamper their members with complementary remarks.

Nominal Christians falls prey to these local churches. The greatest weapon of Satan is deception and lies. Satan has promoted pseudo-Christianity wrapped in liberalism or legalism. He is making the fake churches look like genuine, and he is making the true churches either liberal or legalistic.

The universal Church is unique (Ephesians 5:25-27) because it is the only institution founded by God through the spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the a cross. The Head of the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ and He alone is responsible for its founding and establishment. There was no contribution or collaboration from any human being. No imperfect contribution from imperfect men were involved.

The universal Church is composed of all believers from the time Christ bestowed the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost until the Rapture of the Church prior to the Great Tribulation. Every Church Age believer is uniquely under the divine system of privileges bestowed by the grace of God. Such believers belong to a highly superior position of great opportunity being the nobility of heaven temporarily residing on earth. They hold the rights and privileges of heaven because of Jesus Christ.

The only legitimate members of the universal Church are the regenerated believers regardless of color, race, status and social background. An individual may legitimately belong to a local church but not a member of the Body of Christ (universal Church). The local church, in biblical perspective is composed of regenerate believers from all walks of life. The local church is not a building, not an organization but a composite of believers redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.

Christ designed the local church (Ephesians 4:11-14) as the classroom for the Bible doctrine not a stage for entertaining people. The priority of every local church is the proclamation of the Gospel and the communication of the Bible doctrine. God designed the local church as a venue for knowing Him and His perfect will through systematic, progressive, consistent, and diligent intake of Bible doctrine.

The devil has been diverting the spiritual purpose of the local church by making it as a circus of entertainment with religious connotation. God has ordained the local church for the purpose of evangelization and building-up of the members through doctrinal studies.

Religion have tagged various ministries that were not ordained by God, such as school sponsored by the church, scholarship aids, day care center, and numerous social ministries. Religion have gone beyond what is written by inventing ministries not mandated by God.

Majority of believers today shun away from genuine Bible doctrine and despise those who diligently pay attention to it. Bible doctrine is the only spiritual food of the soul and genuine Christians will search for Bible doctrine (1 Peter 2:2). The local church must constantly provide the believers with Bible doctrine since this is divinely designated responsibility. The church is commission to preach the Gospel of salvation and to proclaim Bible doctrine in season or out of season.

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries 

 

How Does A Person Choose A Local Church?

 

 

The Word of God has always been and must always be our norm and standard for decision making. Our decisions must be made upon the basis of the word of God not the basis of convenience.

 

Some precaution in selecting a local church:

 

  • Never choose a local church because of what it can give (Rev. 3:17) other than Bible doctrine.
  • Never choose a local church that communicate ear-tickling messages
  • Never choose a local church by its atmospheric environment
  • Never choose a church because your friends go there.
  • Never choose a local church because you appreciate some personality
  • Never choose a local church because yours or some respectable families has been attending for years
  • Never choose a local church because of tradition or sentimental motivation.
  • Never choose a local church because you follow the leader of your family.
  • Never choose a church because it offers a good youth program for the children.

Consider how they view the authority of the Word of God:

 

  • Does the local church stay true to all the central doctrines of the Christian faith?
  • Does the church believe in the historical faith passed down by the apostles given to us through our forefathers?
  • Does the church accept the inherent, infallible teaching of the Word of God?
  • Does the church believe that all Scripture is God-breathed?
  • Does the church believe in the absolute authority of the Bible in all matters related to spiritual life?
  • Does the church believe that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20-21)?
  • Does the church proclaim pure Bible doctrine apart from man-made doctrines (Isaiah 8:20, Proverbs 30:5-6)?

Consider the church emphasis:

  • Does the church focus on Christ and the objective Word of God?
  • Does the church put so much weight on the importance of Bible doctrine rather than on their programs, activities, and ministries?

Consider the church norms and standards for decision making:

  • Does the church decide on the basis of biblical norms and standards and not on popularity vote?
  • Does the church reject the concepts of corporate system of decision making?

Consider the pastor ministerial training:

 

  • Does the pastor equip himself with spiritual preparation before God in doctrinal study using the Isagogic, categorical and exegetical approach (2 Tim 2:15, Col 1:10, Phi 1:9-10, 20-21, Eph 3:16-19)?
  • Does the pastor present himself approved unto God who accurately handle the Word of God (In 2 Tim 2:15)?
  • Does the pastor continue to increase his knowledge of Bible doctrine (Col 1:10) while progressively and systematically feeding the congregation.
  • Does the pastor operate base in virtue love and continue to do exceedingly by means of metabolized doctrine to spiritual discernment (Phil. 1:9-10)?
  • Is the pastor a spiritually mature believer, skillful in the Word of God, and able to communicate Bible doctrine effectively?

Consider the pastor-teacher ministry:

 

  • Does the Pastor Teacher preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27)?
  • Does he preach the Word in season and out of season, (2 Tim  4:2)?
  • Does he reprove, rebuke, exhort with divine, delegated, legitimate authority, (2 Tim  4:2)?
  • Does he communicate doctrine with authority?
  • Does he let his statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; (Mat 5:37). He should not be wavering in his communication of doctrine nor fearful of the congregation’s reaction?
  • Does his message lose its sting because he’s a coward in the sense that he is not willing to declare the whole counsel of God?

Consider the music ministry of the church:

  • Does the church concern more with its musician’s talent than spirituality?
  • Does the church train the singer in Bible doctrine more than in singing?
  • Does the church involved in entertaining rather than imparting Bible doctrine to the congregation.
  • Doe the church emphasis that Christians should love the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God more than music?
  • Does the church worship center on teaching the Word of God and not in music?
  • Does the church sing songs that are doctrinally corrupted and heretical?
  • Does the church sing songs that minister to the souls and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

Consider the church structure:

  • Does the pastor serve as the chief administrator and communicator of Bible doctrine (Eph 4.11-16, Titus 1:5,7)
  • Does the church have an executive body that governs and rules the church?
  • Does the church operate with deacons that function rather than rules (1 Tim 3:8-13, Act 6:1-6, Phi 1:1).
  • Does the church practice the delegated authority of pastor to deacons?
  • Does the church produce an atmosphere where people know that God loves them in adversity, tribulation, persecution, as well as when they sin?
  • Does the church teach the Word of God in a loving atmosphere so that everyone experiences that God loves each individual with the same kind of love?
  • Do the church members love each other with unconditional love?
  • Do the members who belong to God’s royal family love one another with God’s unconditional love or are they petty, indifferent, judgmental, resentful and reactionary?
  • While they practice this beautiful love of God, does the ministry also take a stand against sin, and unrighteousness?
  • Do they live by the conviction that Christians are ministers of grace and love?
  • Does the ministry teach that faith is the only way to please God?
  • Does the local church practice the importance of being members of the body of Christ, (1 Corinthians  12:12-14)?
  • Do the believers in the church lay down their lives to bare one another’s burden fulfilling the law of love, (Gal 6:2, 1Jo 3:14)?
  • Do they practice divine order in church discipline?
  • Do they practice accepting an accusation only when there are two or three witnesses, (Deut 19:15)?
  • Do they totally forgive and forget? What happens if the person repents?
  • Divine forgiveness always forgives and forgets, (Mat 6:12, Eph 4:32, Col 3:13)?
  • Do they love one another?
  • Do they make a practice of repeating a matter to others, (Prov 17:9)?

Consider the principle of the vision and the goals of the local assembly.

  • Do they have a vision in word only or in power of application?
  • Does that local ministry seek God’s kingdom first, (Mat 6:33), or do they seek to build luxurious edifices with diverse programs?
  • Are they after people for themselves or are they after people for God? Do they use people or do they love people?

These pointers on how to choose a local church are provided in order to make a mature choice before God. Just as the wrong choice for a life-time partner produces an unhappy marriage, a wrong choice of a local produces miserable, bonsai, unfruitful, loser believers.  

 

Majority of Church Age believers will stand before the Bema without receiving any reward because they chose the wrong church with a wrong pastor. Spiritual passiveness and ignorance is costly!

 

 

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Minitries

 

 

  12/08/06

 

Copyright ©2003-2007   J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries