How to Find a Good Church

Whenever those who are believers in Jesus Christ move to a new location, the first thing they want to do is to find a good church. Frequently there are many churches available, but they are not all alike. Just as there are differences among doctors, there are also differences among churches, and you need some consumer protection in this matter. How, then, can one recognize a good church? You must become an informed Christian. You must become informed of the characteristics of a true, biblical church and learn to recognize those that are not. A true church will show certain signs of authenticity, and you must look diligently until you find a church exhibiting these signs.

Signs of A Good Church: Truth

The first mark of a good church is truth. In the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 17:17 we read, “‘Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.’” When you visit a church, ask this question: Does this church believe in the Holy Scriptures as the infallible word of God? A true Christian must not join a church that refuses to believe in the absolute authority of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament.

The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. It is ever guided by the apostolic teaching, which is the Bible. We are told in Acts 2:42 that the early Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. And as we just read in John 17, Jesus prayed that the church should be sanctified by the truth, which is God’s word.

So we need to recognize a good church by looking for truth. Why is this so serious? If a church does not preach the truth, it will destroy you. Therefore, when you visit a church, you must ask the pastor whether he believes in the Bible. Check to see if he is a graduate of a Bible-believing seminary. Ask if he believes in the virgin birth and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, you cannot ask such questions unless you yourself have some understanding of Christian doctrines. But if you do have such understanding, ask the pastor whether he really believes in these biblical doctrines.

Signs of A Good Church: Unity

The second sign of a good church is unity. Look at John 17:21-23. “‘My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’” If a church is suffering from ongoing divisions and fights, one should not join that church. A true church is characterized by unity among its members.

Now, it is very important to point out that a church cannot manufacture its own unity. However, such unity will be present in a true church of Jesus Christ. Why? Unity is brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit. A true church is one whose members are born of the Holy Spirit and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. It has one Lord as its head and worships one God the Father. The job of church members is not to create unity but to maintain it as it is established in the church by the Spirit of God.

A true church, therefore, will transcend all racial, sexual, class, and color distinctions. It will have only one will, one purpose, and one authority, and in Ephesians 4 we find the reasons for this unity. So if you visit a church and discover it is fraught with divisions and fights, you should not join that church.

Signs of A Good Church: Holiness

The third sign of a good church is holiness. In John 17:14 Jesus says, “‘I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.’” Elsewhere the Bible says, “Be ye holy because I am holy.” Christ’s church was brought into existence by the Holy Spirit and is indwelt by him. Therefore, if a church is a true church, holiness will be manifested in it as an outcome of the work of the Holy Spirit.

A church must practice holiness. Every true Christian is already a saint in principle, separated from the world for the purpose of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Thus, there must be holiness in a true church. In fact, the Scripture clearly tells us that “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

What do we mean by holiness? Holiness does not mean the practice of legalism or asceticism. It means the practice of righteousness, the doing of good works in obedience to the Lord of the church. Therefore, members of a true church will say “No” to ungodliness and “Yes” to every commandment of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the church.

Signs of A Good Church: Joy

The fourth sign of a good church is joy. In John 17:13 Jesus prayed to God the Father for his disciples, “‘I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.’” If we have been liberated from the slavery of Satan and redeemed by Jesus Christ, we must rejoice always.

If you do not see the true joy of salvation in the lives of the members of a church, you should think very carefully before joining that church. There should be sunshine in our souls, in our families, and in our church if we are Christians. Why? Christianity means good news of great joy for all times. What is this good news? Christ is risen! Death and hell have been conquered! Sin is defeated! We have been saved forever! So Jesus told his disciples, “Rejoice! I have overcome the world.” Therefore, a true church must be characterized by joy.

Signs of A Good Church: Missions

In John 17:18-19 Jesus prayed, “‘As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.’” If the members of a church truly enjoy salvation in Christ, that church will also have a sense of mission to declare this salvation to people of all nations. All are sinners and under God’s wrath, the Bible proclaims, and the only way of escape is through the only Savior, Jesus Christ. So we must declare to all people, “Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”

Of course, there are many religions in the world, but salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. So Jesus commanded his disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19, 20).

In Romans 10 the apostle Paul spoke about missions: “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Rom. 10:12-15).

Through missions the church looks outward to the world, and therefore, missions are an important sign of a good church.

Signs of A Good Church: Observance of the Sacraments

Another sign of a good church is the observance of sacraments. There are two sacraments, or ordinances, instituted by Jesus Christ and they must be practiced in the life of a good church.

The first sacrament is baptism, which the church must administer in a valid way. If a church teaches that baptism will regenerate and save people, you should not belong to that church. Why? That is false doctrine. According to the Bible, baptism never saves anyone. It is not God’s way of salvation. (PGM) And yet millions and millions of people believe falsely that if they are baptized, whether by sprinkling or immersion in a church, they will be saved. That is pure nonsense! The church must baptize people, but only those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and have trusted in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.

The other sacrament is the Lord’s Supper, which was instituted by Jesus Christ the night before his death on the cross. A church should celebrate the Lord’s Supper regularly, administering it to those who walk a Christian walk worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ. But as with baptism, we must be very aware that the Lord’s Supper will not save a person. It should be given to those who have already been saved through the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Signs of A Good Church: Government and Discipline

A good church must also exercise biblical government and discipline. Hebrews 13:17 tells us, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them, so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” A church must have authority exercised in it by the elders of the church.

The Bible clearly teaches about the authority in a Christian home. The father is the head of the house, and children are to obey their parents. It also speaks of the authority of the state, and we are to submit to that authority as long as it is not violating the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the same way, the Bible also speaks of authority and government in the church, and so the leaders of the church must see to it that every member of that church walks in a way that is worthy of the head of the church, Jesus Christ. If a person does not live a Christian life and refuses to pay attention to the exhortations of the church authorities, that person must be excommunicated in the hope that he or she may repent and return to the church.

We read about church discipline in 1 Corinthians 5 as well as in 2 Thessalonians 3. In the latter passage we see an example of how the New Testament church practiced discipline. In the Thessalonian church there were certain people who did not want to work; they wanted to live as leeches instead. We find that problem even today, don’t we? But here we are told what a church should do about such people: “We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed” (2 Thess. 2:11-14).

In 1 Timothy 1:19-20 we see how the apostle Paul dealt with certain members of the ancient church who did not hold on to faith and a good conscience: “Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.” And in Titus 3:10 we read, “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”

A church should not be a place where anybody and everybody can be a member forever. The church is the church of Jesus Christ, and as such, it must practice the Scriptures and exercise discipline. Now, we know that in modern times many churches, like families, do not really practice discipline. Why? Because no one likes to be told that he or she should shape up and live a holy life. But the Scriptures teach that a good church must exercise discipline and you must look for a church that is doing so.

Signs of A Good Church: Worship

What is another sign of a good church? Worship. God the Father is seeking people who will worship him in spirit and in truth. He wants his church to pray, sing, and preach the word of God. He wants his church to bless his people.

True worship—worship of God in spirit and in truth—is one of the functions of the church as it exists in the world. A true church worships the true God whenever it comes together, and you should look diligently for such a church.

Signs of A Good Church: Family

A good church is a family and you must look for this aspect when you visit a church. The church is called the household of faith, which means it is not just a club which one can join or resign from whenever one wants. No, God’s church is a family, and God is the Father. Remember the prayer Jesus taught us to pray? It begins, ” Our Father…” God the Father is the Father of the family of God’s people, the church that exists throughout the world.

In Galatians 6:10 the apostle Paul writes, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” The church is a family! And in Ephesians 2:19 we read, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.” God is the Father, and you and I are brothers and sisters in this family.

What is the main characteristic of a family? Love. Within the church we must love one another, care for one another, sacrifice ourselves for one another, and even die for one another. If a church does not practice this type of caring love, if a church is not interested in individual members, then you should not be a member of that church. A church is not a place of discrimination; rather, it is a place of loving, giving, and helping one another.

Conclusion

Finally, we must realize one important point: No church is perfect. If you are looking for the perfect church, you will not find it. If you do discover a perfect church and join it, one problem will occur: you yourself will mess it up! But it is the will of God that Christians become members of a local church, and these are some of the signs to look for as you visit churches.

And any time you move, be sure to talk to your local pastor to get references for churches in your new location. If your pastor is a man of God, you should ask him, “Can you find me a church in this new city? I am going there,” and he, being an expert in these things, will be able to help you locate a church. As we said in the beginning, we need such consumer protection, especially at this time when there are so many churches available.

May God help you to look for these signs as you visit churches! And may he help you, as an informed Christian, to find a Bible-believing church where love prevails, so you can join that church and grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Amen.