How do you rate churches?
After talking to people about church I have become interested in this question.
What makes a good church?
Money, Music, Prayer, Great Speakers, Mass, Numbers, Architecture, etc.
It seems that there can be a number of factors in rating a church. But what is the most important factor?
I would think that it is 'love'.
Love for God, love for Jesus and love for people.
A few of the conversation i have had over the past week have highlighted the factor of love. Love for God and Jesus is seen in love for others. I agree with this conclusion. In the letter 2 John, John points out that love for others is out of obedience to God. This love seems to be in contrast to the many deceivers in the world. John is clear in his teaching on love. Love for God is love for others. 1 John 4:20 - If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
Does your church love?
By judging on this factor how does your church rate?
Posts
church are people, not a house. church cant be determined in loving because it depends on the people who are part of it.
ReplyDeletei hope you could comment also in my site http://www.aceampong.blogspot.com
Thanks Ace. You make an excellent observation. Church is a group of people meeting in the name of Jesus Christ. Signs of the real the universal church (the body of Christ) are the works of the spirit of Christ.
ReplyDeleteGalatians 5:22-26.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
The fruit of the spirit should be seen in the local church (the group of Christians meeting together).
So I am asking is the church fruitful. And i am raising the question for people to ask this of their church.
If a plant is not fruitful what do you do with it? You prune it or get rid of it.
Therefore I believe that if a group of Christians meeting together is not loving then their church is not fruitful. If it is not fruitful then it is not doing what it is called to do.
This is how I would rate a local church.
Please comment again. Maybe provide some background as to your experience so i can understand where you are coming from. It is hard to know if there is something in particular you are trying to say.
"If a plant is not fruitful what do you do with it? You prune it or get rid of it."
ReplyDeleteJust a thought... do we not also give the plant fertilizer to give it strength so it can produce succulent fruit, not just small, withered fruit?
Therefore to tie in with your wonderful analogy, isn't that what we need in a church... spiritual fertilizer? Scriptural based teaching, living and loving? ...
From, Allysia :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks nick/ i mean ally.
ReplyDeletedefinitely fertilizer comes into play. My analogy came from Jesus' teaching in John 15.
But what you are saying sounds like Paul. maybe 1 Corinthians 3?! It is. I like your words. Spiritual growth is provided by God. the best fertilizer is the spirit working through the word of God (as revealed in the Bible).
Churches need to be fertilized through sound teaching of the Bible. Through this the Spirit works and changes people's hearts and minds. This will lead to the fruits of the Spirit.
Great words. Thanks Ally