Attend The Church of Whose Choice?

Which local church will I join myself to and commit my time, influence and resources? Answering this question and making this decision should be taken very seriously. However it is amazing the basis upon which some people make this choice and the reasoning used in reaching their conclusion. Apparently the thinking of many is……

Attend the church of your choice is the most popular mantra and one that has been around for as long as I can remember. It implies that it really makes no difference which church one chooses and that one church is just as good as another. It says that as long as I like it and am satisfied, nothing else matters. It seems that if “Church of Christ” is on the sign that’s all that matters. And as long as “Doctor” is on the shingle it must mean that the person so designated has to be competent and professional to dispense medical advice and treatment. Right.

Attend the church of convenience’s choice. One that is close to our residence and whose assembly times are more in line with our schedule; not too early so as to interfere with sleep and not so late that, in the fall, it interferes with football games’ kick-off, and certainly one that will get us to the cafeteria before the crowd gets there.

Attend the church of the children’s choice. “Let’s make sure a church has a good, active ‘youth group’” seems to be the litmus test for many. But is our concern more with entertainment than with edification; with the social rather than the spiritual?

Attend the church of social status’ choice. We certainly don’t want one that is very small, in a bad part of town, and that assembles in a building whose architecture is unappealing. Why, what would our friends think? We wouldn’t dream of inviting people to such a location; how embarrassing! We need to be a part of a group of people which assemble in a facility that will impress our friends and that might even offer some contacts that will help me in our career.

Attend the church of good singings’ and good speakers’ choice. Above all, let’s get our ears tickled (2 Timothy 4:3). The song leader and singing must be of at least semi-professional quality and the acoustics in the building just right. And the speaker must be one who, in a short period of time, can hold our attention with stories more than with scripture.

Can I suggest another approach? What about this………

Attend the church of the scripture’s choice. That is, find out from the New Testament what local churches are authorized to do and what God expects them to do. Then, find a church that is trying to do exactly that. It may not be in the most convenient location, with convenient assembly times; it may not be one that the children like because there are few, if any others, in their age range; it may meet in a small, nondescript building in a bad part of town, with a song leader and preacher that are lacking a bit in some singing and speaking skills. But if they are striving to do God’s will and seeking to shun any unauthorized practices, why shouldn’t this be our choice?

The choice boils down to this: will I seek out a group that is truly a church of Christ or one that simply wears the name but bears little resemblance to churches in the New Testament? Will I use very subjective, selfish criteria in making my decision or will I use the scriptures? We have just about lost the concept of reading, learning and judging things from the scriptures. Let’s use our New Testaments for more than just coffee table ornamentation and use them as they were intended to be used: the standard by which we determine what God’s will is. What do the scriptures say, not the children. What is God’s will, not that of social status. What does the New Testament dictate, not convenience. What does God want, not what do I want. Any attitude less than this means we will consistently make improper spiritual choices and fail to have the approval of God.

David Smitherman