What to Look for in a Church

This is a 7-message series by Stuart Briscoe on the characteristics, commitment, and care necessary for a Christ-centered church.

Jesus said “worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth” (or, spirit-inspired and real –John 4:24). For the early church that included being “together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God, and enjoying the favor of all the people.”
In the Jerusalem church “everyone was filled with awe” because of what God was doing. This produced a deep sense of community and a “wonderful sense of generosity” (4:33 Phillips).
Healthy relationships require clear communication. In Scripture God speaks to us; in prayer we speak to Him. The health of all churches is directly related to the commitment to teaching and prayer.
The Jerusalem church was made up of people from a variety of ethnic groups. But despite that, they came together and “devoted themselves to the fellowship.”
In the Jerusalem church the new believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching….” Today’s church must ensure that those who respond to the gospel in repentance, faith, and baptism are carefully grounded and nourished in the truth.
The expectations that people bring to church may or may not be valid. But what should we expect the church to be? Perhaps the best answers will be found in the church when it first began.

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