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Hebrews 10:25 - ”Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”“The church is full of hypocrites.” The church is too old-fashioned!” “The church has no influence in the world today!” “The church is frowned upon by most of the important people!” Is this true? If they are, we shouldn't be a part of any church but should go on alone with the Lord. So, we ask, “How important is a good church to the new Christian's life?” Shouldn't it be a part of our new lives?
Some churches do contain hypocrites, some are old-fashioned and some have cause the church, as a whole, to lose most of it's influence in the world. This does not mean we should shun or separate from the church but, we should seek to find and attend a church where the Lord is truly working and the church is moving ahead. This church will be shepherd by a pastor who knows Christ as his Savior and is teaching the Word of God in it's fullness, as Paul states in Acts 20:27, ”For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” His main interest will be teaching the Word of God to his congregation. The Word of God will also be taught in all the classes of the church school or Sunday school and throughout the entire ministry and programs of the church as well. The church will also have a concern for the unsaved and a real missionary vision, supporting and even sending out missionaries.
Let's define what the church is and it's purposes. The church has been ordained of God for His children and is a local assembly of believers who meet together to receive instruction, guidance, spiritual food and fellowship with other believers. It is a vital part of every Christian's life and once saved, one should seek out this kind of church. There will also, perhaps be some unsaved within a local church, for this reason the Gospel should always be presented in every phase of the ministry of the church so that these people will have the opportunity to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. However, the main ministry of the church is to the believers.
God has given pastors to the church and their job is to provide the instruction, guidance and spiritual food we need (Ephesians 4:11, 12). In addition to this, the fellowship that is provided is important and should be cherished (Hebrews 10:25). If we have accepted Christ, we are members of God's family and as such should fellowship together. A natural or earthly family spends time together, particularly when the children are young. So it is important for the Christian family to spend time together, particularly when the Christians are younger in faith. They need the nurturing and encouragement that a Christian family, “the church”, can provide.
Another important feature to look for in a church is whether or not they are heeding Paul's admonition to Timothy to ”rightly handle the Word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)> This is called dispensation teaching. “Dispensation” is a Scriptural word meaning “house management” and has to do with the way God manages His household during different eras (1 Corinthians 9:12: Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25).
A fish out of water soon dies, and Christians who do not attend a church where they are fed spiritual food will soon die in their spiritual life. They stop growing and become stagnant and an ineffective Christian. Therefore, be sure to attend a sound, Bible believing, Holy Spirit filled church wherever you are.
Attend church services faithfully, listen attentively and enter into the worship, praising God wholeheartedly. Seek and expect a blessing from God and you will surely find it. Don't stop at the Sunday morning service but also attend evening services, mid-week Bible studies and prayer meetings and any other special meetings throughout the year as well.
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