I’m looking for a new church. What should I be looking for? Your checklist should include these 9 marks:
ANSWER:
1. Expositional preaching.
The pulpit is the rudder of the Church (2 Tim. 4:1-5). As goes the pulpit so goes the ministry (Col. 1:28). Does the pastor preach God’s Word, or his own ideas? Does he allow Scripture to set his preaching agenda, or does he pick topics by some other criteria? (2 Tim. 2:15, 4:2-2) Does he preach the full counsel of God or does he pick and choose which passages are important/relevant? Is the preaching text-driven, God-centered and reflect the intended meaning of the passage?
2. Biblical theology.
"Does the church openly confess key biblical doctrines? Do the leaders consistently teach sound doctrine? (Tit. 1:9-11) Do they have a robust statement of faith or a small one?
3. A biblical understanding of the gospel.
Does the church clearly proclaim the good news about what Jesus Christ accomplished for sinners in his death and resurrection? Consistently? (1 Cor. 15:1-4)
4. A biblical understanding of conversion.
Does the church teach that people must be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:1-8)? Does the church teach that in order to become a Christian, a person must repent of sin and trust in Christ, both of which are ultimately gifts of God? (Acts 11:18, 20:21)
5. A biblical understanding of evangelism.
Does the church preach the gospel to non-Christians and encourage its members to do the same? Does it understand that it’s our responsibility to preach the message of salvation yet God is the only one who can do the saving? (Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 2:1-10)
