The Perfect Church

I'm not condemning in this post, merely trying to set a few things straight. There are many people out there that when adversity strikes, either they go church hopping or become disillusioned with a particular church and make a vain attempt to find the perfect church. This is silly, there is no such thing. No church is ever going to be perfect, so don't go looking for that. Also, every church is going to have adversity, so get ready for it. Instead in this post I want to answer these two questions: 1. How do I find the right church to attend? and 2. Should I stick with a church when other people aren't?

The first question's answer is relatively simple. You do have to understand though that not all churches were created equal. I might just be a nitpicker, but I have to first ask what is a church?

There are so many buildings that have the word church or assembly somewhere in their name that you think finding a definition of what a church is would be simple. Not so. First of all, a church is not defined by the name, it is defined by what goes on inside the building. I've seen "churches" that could more accurately be described as concert halls, theaters, social centers, centers of commerce, or a myriad of other things. The thing is that whatever these organizations are, one thing's for sure, churches they ain't.

A church is about worshiping and praising God. A church is about saving souls. A church is not about its social activities, or education programs. Those things are nice, but those things are what a club does, and a church is not a club. Just some things to think about when determining whether the church you attend is a church. Ask yourself, when was the last time Jesus was mentioned? Did you not know that Bibles make a unique sound when many of them are opened at the same time? Are the Bibles dusty? I'm adding a bit of levity to make a point, but seriously, ask yourself these and other probing questions and find out if the church you're attending is a church at all.

It grieves me to say that some "churches" are merely out there as a way to make money. Some have loftier goals, but still the main focus of any church that is in Biblical order is to spread the Gospel. If you were to say "spread the Gospel" in your church and the response you got was "who the what now?", you need to reconsider where you attend. If Jesus isn't the main focus of your church, you don't attend a church. It's all about Jesus.

So how do you find the right church? I had someone ask me this recently because he wanted to know how to answer someone who asked him the same question. I prayed about it and a simple answer came to me. If you're looking for a church just to place a checkmark in a box, go to the church nearest to you. If you're not, go to the church nearest to Christ.

Does God move in your church? Do you feel His Spirit? What about other people, remember if you're in a church where people worship God and you don't, it may not be the church that has a problem. If everyone in your church is praying and worshiping and singing, and you're not, search your heart. If however, you find that no one really worships, it is probably time to consider moving on.

Finally, and in my opinion most important, I believe that God will place you in the church that you are supposed to be in. I don't think I can adequately explain how it is that God works, I'm not up to that challenge. Still, I know that He does and He will place you in the church He wants you in if you'll let Him. Pray about it and let God work in you life.

The second part of the question of "Where should I go to church?" is "when shouldn't I go there any more." This is by far the more difficult question to answer. When do I move on is a very touchy subject, and the only way that I can approach it is to creep up behind it and discuss when it's not right to leave a church.

My church has problems. I don't like the music. I have a problem with the leadership. Someone hurt my feelings. Nobody loves me there. I have personal issues with someone in the church. The pews are too hard. I don't agree with every doctrine that is taught. I don't like the way something was done. So many other people are leaving. The list goes on and on. I've heard many different reasons that someone started looking for another church, and in the vast majority of the cases the people presenting their reasons weren't being completely honest with themselves. In many cases the people leaving were just looking for an excuse to leave, and in those rare cases where that honestly was not the case, few people were completely honest with themselves about why they were really leaving.

None of the reasons I listed in my opinion are adequate enough to leave a church. Most of these issues are things to be worked though, not deal-breakers. Pardon the oversimplification, but if a banana has a small bad spot, you cut away what's bad and what you're left with is a banana. Problems at church does not equate to nothing right at church. If you go to a good church, stick with that church. The benefits of sticking out a rough situation are worth it. The song sang by the Crabbe family Though the Fire says "He never offered our victory without fighting" and good things are worth fighting for.

There's a reason for us to gather, and it's not an option for Christians who are in order. Hebrews challenges us to hold fast the profession of our faith together (Heb 10:23-25). This isn't a suggestion, we need to find ourselves a good church.

I will say that there are some exceptions to every rule. There are extreme cases in which it really is time to move on. I guess the real question to answer is "Can the problem be fixed?" It's my belief that unless the answer is a firm no, you stick with a church. Also before making a move like leaving a church, you need to consult with people who love you who are willing to not take you a face value and make sure you are being honest with yourself. Self deception is something we all deal with on one level or another. It would also be helpful to consult with someone in spiritual authority outside of the situation just to make sure you are covering all of your options.

If you've done all of this, and still find yourself needing to move on, and you've prayed about it and you feel God moving you out, then it's time to go. If not, please go the extra distance and make sure that you're making the right decision.