The New-Testament Church

In the midst of many `churches' in your locality, you should look for one that conforms most closely to the New Testament, as you have understood it thus far. As time goes on, and you understand more of the New Testament, you may feel that you have to leave that 'church' and join another which is more in line with God's Word.

That will only be natural for one who is growing spiritually and who is determined to press on to God's highest and best for His life. Never settle for anything less than God's best in every area - and then you won't have any regrets in eternity.

A New Testament church will not have any denominational label. It is a fellowship of people who have been gathered by the Holy Spirit into the Name of Jesus Christ. The Lord has promised to be present only in the midst of such a gathering (Matt. 18:20).

The church that you become a part of, should be one that accepts the Bible as God's Word and as the ONLY foundation for faith and life. Many cultistic groups, though claiming to accept the Bible alone as their authority, are often found quoting the writings of their leaders with equal authority. As you get close to them you'll find that they are more bound to the teachings of their leaders than to God's Word. There may be many good things in them. But if you join them, you will soon find that their cultistic attitudes enslave you.

In God's church, all believers are equally priests of God - for God has made us all priests (1 Pet. 2:9). A `church' that has a special class of priests or `pastors', who alone are considered qualified to minister the Word, is contrary to the will of God.

God has ordained the leadership of the church to be in the hands of elders (always more than one). But these elders need not be `full-time workers' (Acts 14:23; Tit. 1:5).

In the meetings of a New Testament church, the main emphasis will be on preaching God's Word. All believers will have freedom in such a church to share God's Word according to their maturity and their spiritual gift.

If the Word spoken is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit, you'll find that it comforts and challenges and builds up and exposes `the secrets of men's hearts' compelling those who hear to acknowledge that God is speaking (1Cor. 14:3, 24-31).

The main thrust of a truly New Testament church will be to make disciples and to teach them total obedience to Jesus' commandments (Matt. 28:19,20). The distinguishing feature of such a church will be mutual love between its members - as Jesus stated in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Such a church where the Word is spoken powerfully, and where the love of God reigns and where the presence of the Lord can be sensed, is the church that you should be a part of, in your locality.