Church Shopping

Over the past few months, I've been doing some church shopping in my surrounding area. I'm usually bothered with the idea of believers hopping from one church to another rather than committing and staying committed through thick and thin - because of the flakiness usually involved behind it: like the concept of jumping ship whenever things get heated in a church to a place to cool down in comfort - or to avoid growth and feed a social club status. Although I believe that this happens in way too many believers - I've come to a place in my own spiritual walk where I'm doing the very same thing, but for entirely different reasons.

When there are legitimate reasons for searching for a new church body to link in spirit and life with (like moving to a new area, or your church leadership begins taking over the church from Christ and chases after their own desires and leaves God behind), we all tend to look for churches that 1. teach what we agree with (or want to hear); 2. cater to our own personal style; 3. provide the ministries that will minister to us and our families; and 4. are within a rational driving distance from our homes. People choose a church like they choose a new dentist - recommendations, phone books, look online, and then attend a few times and research it to see it they have everything we are looking for. If the church passes all the tests, we commit and if not, we keep looking. Isn't that pretty much how it is in American churchianity? There's so many churches to choose from here, in all different shapes and sizes, colors and styles and prices - all we have to do is try them on one by one and see which one we like the best that fits.

These past few months have been very different for me, though. I've been researching churches while on the hunt for a church within my realistic driving distance that actually doesn't hold to any denominational doctrines or even necessarily agrees with what I believe... but rather - holds to the entire Word of God led by the Holy Spirit alone. A church that sets up it's administration according to Biblical teaching, with 5-fold ministers in overseer and deacon positions, all under the Head of Christ Jesus Himself. I've been looking for a church that actually ministers out to the community as well as the body ministering inward to the body - whether or not it ministers to me personally. A church that operates in Spirit and in Truth - that is growing up each new convert to be powerful ministers, and is a church entrusted with God's power to back up His name. I've been looking for a church that caters to Jesus' personality, not mine or any human's; and a church that doesn't have it's roots in Catholicism (a one man show with additional scheduled performing artists lined up for the audience - whoops I mean congregation - to either watch as inspirational entertainment, or participate in to feel apart of). I'm looking for a church that only has it's roots in Christ. For a church that doesn't "pass the plate" but simply has an offering box at the door; a church that doesn't rush through the Lord's Supper without pause for refection and self-examination first. For a church that worships free, ministers to the Lord, and seeks His honor and glory above all else. This church is very well described in God's Word - but hard to locate in the world-wide body of believers in America - much less in my area.

I know I am not the only one who can plainly see the extreme difference between what God's Word instructs, explains, and expects from true believers and what Christians are actually doing almost universally instead. It's got to be frustrating to more people than just myself. It's enough to bewilder the purest soul who loves God with all they are, not to mention the world outside the church! Instead, we have broken church up into camps and made God and His Word into our image, serving us rather than serving Him and His will! If we took one person who has never attended a church or has never even seen one on TV or heard of them, and then gave them the Word of God to learn and study and they became a mature believer and an expert in the Word, and then we sent them out on their own to start a church - I'll bet what they set up would look radically different from the majority of churches in America now, and surprisingly close to the image Christ draws of His body in the Bible! Is it so hard to break from the traditions of mankind in order to simply obey God's Word? We who know better - should be doing better. How odd that we have all these freedoms and choices in America, but very few believers use their freedom to choose to do church strictly by the Book, in total obedience to God's will - doing the work Jesus did when He was physically on the earth Himself. Somehow it's too much to ask church leaders to relinquish total control to Jesus alone through God's Word and Spirit, and do what He did. I know that there are true believers, at least a few, in just about every local church, and I know that there are entire churches out there who are living as the true body of Christ, but my own search has gotten more and more broad as the weeks go on, and still I've found only pieces of the true church scattered and hidden within separate and vastly different churches instead. We're forced to attend 4 or 5 different churches from across the board of denominations and Messianic congregations, just to experience all of God's Word within a community of believers. We aren't even supposed to have denominations as true believers - we are all supposed to be striving towards a unity of faith and purpose (John 17:20-23; Ephesians 4:10-16).But look how far we've gotten from God's Word and will. A local expression of the true church is hard to find, and if there's one in your neighborhood or city, you are very blessed.