When You Must Find a New Church

 May 7, 2024

Tuesday

People come and go from a church. That must be expected. They change jobs, move to new locations and are too far away to effectively be a part of their present church. They join new churches and get involved in them. That should be applauded. They are following Christ. This is what they should do.

What bothers me is when they have made such progress in their faith and turn away from the truth to follow those who will tell them exciting new things that will cause them to follow a new preacher rather than the Lord. Most often, they didn't intend to follow heresy. They just didn't see it coming.

The Apostle Paul addresses this in 2 Corinthians 11: 13-15:

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 (NASB 2020) ¹³ For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

These false prophets have the same characteristics:

1. They use the Bible. Many people think that anyone who uses the Bible must be preaching the truth. That would be true if they let the Bible be the basis for the message but they tell only a part of the story. They are like the people who report today's news. The best way to tell a lie is to tell only part of the truth. The part of the truth can be verified. The whole story can't. Context would destroy the messages that false prophets preach. They depend on a biblically illiterate congregation. They either don't want them to carry their Bibles or they don't want their congregations to read the scriptures surrounding the ones they read.

2. They appeal to the ways of the world. Each of the people in their congregations must live in the world. Every day they are bombarded with the ways of the world. They are tempted with images, desires for wealth and fame in the world. These values are accepted from Monday through Saturday. They have been climatized to the world's environment. Therefore, appealing to the ways of the world is an extension of what they are experiencing outside the church. They have nothing to fight against. They have no personal sin in seeking these things. They feel lifted up when the preacher tells them that they are all okay and things will get better by indulging in the ways of the world.

3. They carefully disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Feelings rather than truth are their means of convincing people they are righteous. Feelings are incredibly deceptive. David's son Amnon thought he had feelings of love for Tamar. It was just feelings of lust. That is why he did the wrong thing when he raped her. Feelings will often make you think that what you are doing is right even though the truth will reveal that it is wrong. "Does it feel right?" is not the question that should be asked before making a decision or accepting a belief. Truth will dispel feelings. 

4. They are servants of Satan. Satan has always questioned God's word. He seeks to bend it so that he can tell a blatant lie. He wants people to hurt God's people. He does not want them in fellowship with the Lord. He wants them to feel superior just as he wants to feel superior. Servants of Satan have the characteristic of Satan. They want people to follow them as the ultimate authority. They claim powers that will enable them to give their followers the desires of their hearts. 

5. They are well known. They have gotten themselves placed in the public eye. They are considered legitimate by many other Christians. They have cult-like personalities. They are likely to be seen when people are searching. How can a crowd be wrong? That seems to be the reason that normally solid Christians initially listen to them. Their appeal is a new teaching with a new power given to those who will follow their teaching.

6. The back door to their churches are almost as wide as their front doors. Many of those who once attended the church, no longer do because they have found it to be a sham. They are disillusioned and don't go to church anywhere. They feel that if one church will dupe them another has just as good a chance. These false prophets do not care. They just have to keep their front doors wider than their back doors. The crowd is their best advertisement.

So, you must be very careful in finding a new church. It may not have a crowd nor a preacher who has written best selling books. It may not be as exciting nor the in vogue church in town. Yet, it will keep the Bible in context with the truth at all times. It will include people who know they have sinned and ask for forgiveness rather than claim righteousness as their own. These churches have members who know that their righteousness is a gift from Jesus.

When you find this church, serve through it. Question when you are confused on some teaching. Pray for God to work in you through this church. Rejoice in the change that the Holy Spirit brings rather than the preacher.

God bless all who seek a godly church.