Choosing the Right Church for You

Choosing the Right Church for You

I. Introduction

A. Ephesians 2:19 (NLT) So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.

B. Two truths about the local church:

1. The church is a .

a. You become part of a when you begin to follow Jesus!

2. A Christian isn’t just a “believer.” He/She also needs to be a “”!

a. Romans 12:5 (NAS) So we, who are many, are one body in Christ and individually members one of another.

b. The word “” is a biblical term!

c. When you become a of a church, it means you’re !

II. How Do You Choose the Right Church for You?

A. Make sure the church helps you stay

1. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NAS) ²⁴And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

2. Galatians 6:2 (NAS) Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.

B. Make sure the church helps you develop

1. Hebrews 6:1a (NAS) Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity.

2. Nobody grows spiritually without being a !

C. Make sure the church helps you discover your

1. Fulfillment in life comes as we begin to what created us to do!

a. Ephesians 2:10 (NAS) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

b. I Peter 4:10 (NAS) As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

2. At VCNP, every member is a “”!

3. Take the discovering my for ministry class

4. I Corinthians 12:5 (NAS) There are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.

5. If you’re not fulfilling your ministry, you’re other Christians!

6. A member is a ! An attender is just a !

D. Make sure the church helps you fulfill your in life

1. The moment you became a Christian, you were given a in life!

a. Matthew 28:18-20 (NAS) ¹⁸“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

b. “ are you bringing to with you?”

2. There are two things you cannot do in heaven:

a.

b. Tell – about Jesus

3. One of the best ways to fulfill your mission is to be an !

III. Four Things to Check Out Before You Join Any Church

A. Do they believe and teach the ?

1. II Timothy 3:16-17 (NAS) ¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

B. What is their style of ?

1. John 4:23a (NAS) “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth.”

2. “Does this worship help me God’s presence?”

C. What is their approach to ?

1. Ephesians 4:11-12 (NAS) ¹¹And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.

D. What is their like?

1. I Corinthians 14:40 (NAS) But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner.

2. “Will this type of structure allow me to get involved in a ?”

3. “Does it have where I can find friends and learn to relate to people?”

IV. Why Do I Need to Join a Local Church?

A. To build my

1. Character is built through !

2. The real reason some people don’t want to join a church is that deep down they are saying, “I don’t want to be .”

B. To deepen my

1. I Peter 3:8 (NAS) To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit.

2. You can’t have a relationship to any degree without !

C. To be like

1. Ephesians 5:25 (NAS) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.

2. Matthew 16:18 (NAS) “I will build my church.”

3. I want to be in on what is doing in the world!

4. If you decide VCNP is going to be your church family, you can take our Class, either online anytime, or in person the weekend of July 16-17.

V. Conclusion