The Church Search Part Three

The B-I-B-L-E. That's the book for me.

Many of us sang that little ditty in Sunday School growing up. But the truth is, we need to take a close look at how the churches we visit view the B-I-B-L-E.

It's easy for church to proclaim that holds God's Word in high regard. That it's a "Bible-believing fellowship." But does the rubber really meet the road? Here are a few questions that can help us as we move through Church Search when it comes to how a certain church views Scripture.

1. Is the Bible seen as the inspired Word of God?
If God has truly inspired the Scriptures, they can be trusted as divine and without flaw. Translations can be questioned. Interpretations can be doubted. But with the Holy Spirit as its source and inspiration, the truth of the Bible is perfect.

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2Peter 1:21 NIV)

2. Is the Bible the ultimate standard of truth?
In other words, is God's Word the only truth or is it seen as one of many sources of truth? There is only ONE measure of divine truth: The Bible.

The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight to life. (Psalm 19:8 NLT)

3. Is the Bible used as the basic source of teaching?
It's OK if other curriculum is used, but is the source of that material scripturally based. One of the clear purposes of God's Word is to instruct His people.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. (2Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

4. Is all of the Bible taught?
This might be a little harder to determine in a few short visits, but is the church committed to teach ALL of Scripture. Do they avoid hard or difficult passages? Some churches make a point of preaching and teaching through the entire Bible over a period of time. That's certainly something to consider.

"For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God." (Acts 20:27 NKJV)

When you visit, pay attention to how the Bible is used. Is it used to teach during worship? Is it read aloud? Are the songs based in Scripture? Does the pastor use it as the basis for teaching or simply as a launching pad for expressing his own opinion?

And let me know if they ever sing, "The B-I-B-L-E. That's the book for me."

In Christ,
Jay

The Church Search Part Two

If you're out there "wandering in the wilderness," on the search for a new church, you might wonder what resources might be available to help you.  

Well, here's a list of books that I would HIGHLY recommend.  They have been a great help to me as we've tried to sort through the maze of local churches.

"Church: Why Bother?" by Philip Yancey

Yancey retraces his personal journey through many of his own difficult questions and doubts about the reasons and purpose of joining a local church. 

"Who Moved My Church" by Mike Nappa

In a similar style of "Who Moved the Cheese," Nappa's parable examines how the church is to interact with today's culture.  This one is humorous, entertaining and thought-provoking.

"More Jesus, Less Religion" by Stephen Arterburn & Jack Felton

Arterburn & Felton take a look at the damage of religious legalism and "churchianity."  This is a followup to their book "Toxic Religion."  They call for a return a strong, obedient and grace-filled relationship with Jesus.

"Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" by Mark Dever

Dever examines the characteristics of a healthy and thriving church using nine qualities that are often neglected in today's churches.

I hope these help you in your journey.

In Christ,

Jay

The Church Search Part One

So, for whatever reason, you're looking for a new church.

Where do you start? What do you look for? What's important? How big? How small? What style? What denomination?

The answers to many of those questions are really up to your own personal preferences. Let's call those "the non-essentials." But as we search for a new church, there are a few things that we must not compromise. We'll refer to those as "the essentials."

First of all, do they worship Jesus?

This question is so simple that it may seem obvious. Let's face it, just about every church mentions Jesus' name in some way. But there are often subtle, yet VERY dangerous views of Christ. Maybe the better question is what Jesus do they worship?

We must remember who the Bible says Jesus is.
The one and only Son of God.
The one and only Savior.
The one and only Way to the Father.
Fully God and fully Man.
Lived the perfect life that we couldn't live.
Died the death that we should've died.
Risen to life so that we could attain eternal life.
Ascended to the right hand of the Father.
Ruling and reigning from heaven.
Returning one day soon for His people and judge the world.

Paul describes Jesus in one of the great passages in the Bible...

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see--kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through Him and for Him. He existed before everything else began, and He holds all creation together. Christ is the head of the church, which is His body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so He is first in everything. For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and by Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of His blood on the cross. (Colossians 1:15-22 NLT)

When we visit churches, let's make sure to check out what they stand for and whom they worship. Research their doctrine and theology on their websites. Ask questions of the pastor and folks who attend.

And, first of all, make sure they worship Jesus. Our Jesus.  That's essential.

In Christ,
Jay

George Washington Worshiped Here

George Washington.

Thomas Jefferson.

James Monroe.

All Founding Fathers of our country.  All Presidents.  All worshipers at Bruton Parish Church.

My wife and stumbled into this 334-year-old church during a weekend visit to Colonial Williamsburg.  

This tiny chapel oozes colonial history.  Many of our Founding Fathers worshiped here in the days leading up to the American Revolution.  The bell that once rang to celebrate American independence still rings to call worshipers today.  Reverend Rowland Jones, who served as Bruton's first rector, was Martha Washington's great grandfather.

Bruton Parish Church has certainly seen hard times, but today boasts a membership of 2,000 that meets regularly in the old brick chapel.

As many of my friends continue to search for a new church home, Bruton Parish points me to the Ancient of Days.  The Great I Am.  The One who was and is and is to come.  Compared to our Eternal God, this centuries old church pales in comparison.

Washington worshiped here...and let's not forget WHOM he worshiped!

In Christ,

Jay

In this day of contemporary churches meeting in such places as schools, movie theaters and civic centers, there is something reassuring

119

Psalm 119.

The longest chapter in the Bible.  176 verses.  Considering the psalmist's focus on the power and importance of Scripture, it seems appropriate.  Check out verse 18...

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in Your law.  

The topic probably tested the writer's thesaurus (did they have a thesaurus?).  When he speaks of God's Word, he uses terms like precepts, laws, commandments, judgments, statutes.

I was chewing on 119 this morning, when something hit me like a ton of bricks.  Three verses that spoke to the benefit of God's discipline in my life.  Let's face it, God's good discipline is NOT a real hot topic of sermons and Bible searches.  But here's what I belted me between the eyes this morning...

I used to wander off until You disciplined me; but now I closely follow Your word.  (Psalm 119:67)

The suffering You sent was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your principles.  (Psalm 119:71)

I know, O Lord, that Your decisions are fair; You disciplined me because I needed it.  (Psalm 119:75)

The point is crystal clear.  God DOES disciplines us...and He does it for a reason.  It is good for us.  It calls us back to His Word.  It's fair.  And we need it.

These verses remind me of Paul's words in 2 Corinthians...

For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation.  We will never regret that kind of sorrow.  But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death.  (2 Corinthians 7:10)

When you get a moment, crack open Psalm 119.  You'll find some of the richest and deepest truth about truth anywhere in the Bible.

In Christ,

Jay  

Just as I Am

If you're a recovering Southern Baptist like me, "Just as I Am" conjures up images of emotional, yet interminable altar calls led by hellfire-and-brimstone evangelists.  I can testify to the night I gave my life to Jesus during a summer revival at the age of 12 as Charlotte Elliot's hymn groaned on the church organ.

But over the past week, "Just as I Am" has taken an entirely new meaning.  It's the title of Billy Graham's autobiography.  The book is massive (784 pages!).  But if any person has the material to carry a book of that length, it is certainly Rev. Graham.

The book sat on my shelf for almost ten years (it came out in 1997).  I made the decision to dive in last week.  I have absolutely no regrets.

Although I'm only 200 or so pages in, I would undoubtedly recommend it to anyone.  His stories of growing up on a North Carolina dairy farm are charming.  His call as an evangelist and subsequent education are insightful.  

But the book makes the jump to warp speed when Rev. Graham begins his 1949 Crusade in Los Angeles.  God's obvious hand on Graham's ministry is unmistakable.

Do yourself a favor and read "Just as I Am."  I'm not responsible for any Southern Baptist flashbacks!

In Christ,

Jay

The Search Begins...

Last Sunday was different. Last Sunday was difficult. For the first time in seven years, Deb and I were no longer members of Freedom River. For the first time in seven years, Deb and I were searching for a new church.

We decided to check out Triangle Community Church in Cary (www.tcc.org). We visited there back in 2001 when they were meeting at an elementary school. They’ve since moved into a beautiful new facility.

Honestly, I was fine until we started walking through the parking lot to the front door. Suddenly, I had huge empty feeling in my gut. At first I thought it was a bad bowl of cereal, but soon realized I wasn’t going to FRCC. As a result, I didn’t want to go.

But I did.

Despite the fact that the church is basically in our neighborhood, we didn’t know a soul. Once again, I felt very alone.

The band was excellent. But they didn’t play our songs. And they only played one song that we knew (“Better Is One Day”). And they didn’t play that one our way. Sheesh.

It was hard to get an idea of what their full service was like because they spent most of the hour baptizing folks. Young. Old. Middle aged. It was an excellent example of Christ’s work in their church right before our eyes.

In the end, I was glad to go. David wrote, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD’” (Psalm 122:1 NLT). Despite all of my loneliness, it was good to be with God’s people. We’ll definitely give TCC another shot in a few weeks. But there are other great churches to visit in the coming months.

I realize that it’s going to be hard for many of us to go anywhere other than FRCC. And I write all this to let you know that you’ll probably have some powerful feelings when you do go. That’s OK. It’s part of the process.

It would be very easy for some of us to punt this church thing…at least for a while. Let me encourage you NOT to do that. Keep in mind the powerful words of the writer of Hebrews: “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT).

Can’t wait to hear updates of where you guys have visited.

In Christ,
Jay