Wonderful churches that worship Jesus as Lord are everywhere. America is blessed with many incredible groups that worship Jesus in spirit and in truth. But that abundance of options can also lead to some challenges. For example, just because an organization calls themselves a “church”, are they true to what Jesus expects of his gathered disciples? Is it possible that some churches have strayed from the standards that Jesus requires?
To help you evaluate and decide from your many options, I’d like to provide some guidance. Fortunately, Jesus tells us the criteria by which we should worship him collectively as a local church.
True Worshipers Will…
Jesus was having a conversation with a Samaritan woman in John chapter 4. She was pointing out to Jesus that the Samaritans had their own path to God and their own worship practices. They had a holy mountain, and it had a sacred temple.
They had their version of scripture which they followed. They had centuries of worship tradition and ancient patriarchs as their founder. Her question to Jesus was essentially, wasn’t all of this good enough to prove that they were worshipping God correctly? Here is Jesus’ reply to her:
“You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming — indeed it’s here now — when true worshipers will worship the Father in the spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.24 For God is Spirit so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
-John 4:23-24
Friends, we must be very careful when choosing our church home. Impressive physical buildings, multiple campuses, centuries of tradition and a set of “holy” doctrines do not ensure that an organization is meeting Jesus’ standards as we see here in John 4.
Jesus chose to go far out of his way to meet this woman in Samaria. Her spiritual nature was seeking truth, but she had not yet found God’s truth in Jesus Christ. Jesus wanted to show her his love, and to rescue her from the false worship and beliefs in which she participated.
…Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth
What did Jesus mean by the statement that true worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth? First, to worship in spirit means that it must originate from within – from the heart. Worship must be sincere and motivated only by a profound love of our Savior. Worship is not to be an empty ritual or just a habit.
And worship in spirit means that the Holy Spirit in us awakens us to the truth of who Jesus is. The Spirit stirs us to celebrate him and give thanks. The Holy Spirit should be the one who leads us in corporate worship and praise of God.
To worship in truth means we must conform to the revelation of Jesus in the holy scriptures, the bible. In the bible, we are told that the risen Jesus is the only Savior, who is fully God and rules over the universe. Jesus himself is the Truth we must worship.
No one can add to or subtract from the scriptural definition of Jesus as Lord. Worship that comes from outside the revelation of scripture is idolatry.
Worship of Jesus is Access to His Throne of Glory
Gathering to celebrate the risen Savior as a local congregation is nothing less than access to the Creator of the Universe on his throne. Our God is the living God who says our worship brings us into his presence in Spirit. Jesus was clear that going through the motions of what appears to be worship may not be worship at all. Born-again disciples of Jesus must be diligent to ensure that any congregation they join meets his requirements.
What are the BIBLICAL CRITERIA for a Healthy, God Honoring Church?
Jesus clearly states that biblical criteria are superior to our personal preferences. Often personal preferences are elevated above scripture, which is an error. For example, personal preferences may include: a convenient location, the style of music, the personality/likability of the lead pastor, and comfortable facilities.
The bible must be our guide for these types of decisions, not our own criteria. Here are some of the most important biblical criteria to identify an authentic church of the Lord Jesus:
The Bible Should be Revered as the Authoritative Word of God
The bible is the literal and inspired word of God and it should be taught in its entirety, excluding nothing from our obedience. Uncomfortable or inconvenient commands of our Lord must not be ignored. We cannot choose which part of the scriptures we want to obey.
Also, we cannot add anything to the holy scriptures, such as additional revelations from God that supposedly equal the bible in holiness, directives claiming to be from God by church leaders, or prophecies from men who claim to be prophets of God.
Be careful, because many organizations claim to be “churches” but have their own version of scripture, or have doctrinal beliefs not found in scripture. The Samaritan woman was part of a church like this, and her worship was not honored by God.
Jesus is the Sole Savior of Mankind
The evidence of Jesus’ authority comes from his death, burial and resurrection to new life. He alone is to be loved, worshiped and obeyed as our personal Lord and Savior.1 The bible is clear that there is no other name given to man under heaven by which we must be saved.2 Christianity is not a philosophy, a set or moral beliefs or a system of behaviors. It is oneness with our Creator.3
All people are born sinners and apart from the saving grace of Jesus are destined to spend eternity apart from him in Hell.4 All of our joy and worship is focused on the miraculous and supernatural grace of God in us who gives us life.5
Any teaching that salvation and entry into heaven is available through any other means but faith alone in the risen Lord Jesus is heresy.
Jesus’ Disciples are Called for Eternal Purposes
Jesus commands us to reach our neighbors with the good news, the gospel of Jesus. We are to love our neighbors and serve them, especially those in need: orphans, widows, the homeless, those in prison, and the destitute to name a few.6
The church is not a “holy huddle” where we stay comfortable. It is a place where we are filled with love and joy so that we are empowered to then share ourselves with a fallen and destitute world who needs to be in a relationship with him.7 In other words, true disciples are very active outside of the church in ministry to others.
Look for a church that teaches personal growth toward spiritual maturity through service and evangelism. Growing as a disciple of Jesus is a challenging, but an eternally rewarding process. Look for a church that will actively lead and compel you to achieve the purpose for which God created you.8
1 Luke 10:27
2 Acts 4:12
3 Philippians 3:8-9
4 Romans 3:23
5 Romans 5:21
6 Matthew 25:34-40
7 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
8 Ephesians 2:10