A man I respect said there were not enough established churches doing the work of the Lord, and I could not agree more. The subject of my last post was built around the premise is the last thing we need is more churches which are not doing the work of the Lord.
What are the indications of a true, living church? Juan Carlos Ortiz, in his groundbreaking book "Disciple" said that God uses a stethoscope, not a multiple-choice test. If He hears the heartbeat of His Son, He has found a child. The same can be said of congregations. Is the fruit of the Spirit there? (Not just externally, but in the heart.) Is God glorified, or man? These are the indications of a true, living church.
But, you may well ask, what of Right Doctrine? Is it not important? Yes, it is vitally important! It is an INDICATOR of a living church (NOT a fourth member of the Godhead). A church which loves Christ above all will diligently search God's Word like the Bereans, seeking the truth so that they can serve God with greater perfection. Growth happens when God's children sit and search the Word together, using their differing views as bridge toward a more perfect understanding.
