1. God is to be glorified in all we do. We should be able to practically answer how this is lived out with our big and small choices. We will never do this perfectly until we are in heaven, but by God’s grace, we will seek to bring Him glory in all we do. Do you ask yourself if your decisions are the best for God’s glory?

 

Please consider 1 Corinthians 10:31, Matthew 5:16, 1 John 3:9-10, 1 Corinthians 6:20, and Colossians 3:17.

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2. Followers of Christ should be connected to a group of believers who meet as the church. This group of Christians should be seen as a close spiritual family. As the church, we must love and help our brothers and sisters in Christ minister as effectively as possible. God calls all Christians ministers of reconciliation; therefore, we should encourage all Christians to minister as they are gifted and as best as possible. Professing Christians who don’t actively minister should feel out of place in a gathering and be convicted of ministering to others. Do you see your church as your truest family? Do most people in your gathering seek to minister to others? 

 

Please consider Galatians 6:10, Hebrews 10:25, 2 Corinthians 5, and 1 Peter 2. 

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3. Making disciples and training saints are to be a regular part of Christian living. God ordained the church to train the saints. We are thankful for Christians who teach truth outside of church gatherings, but we are compelled by scripture to follow God’s ways for Christians to grow as a church. As a church, we are to teach each other and help one another understand the Bible better and live it out more fully. This is God’s clear plan and does not need to be improved on by man. Unfortunately, many Christians believe they have no other options than seminary to be properly trained. Does your church train Christians so they can serve as a shepherd or in other ways as they are gifted?   

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Please consider Ephesians 4, Colossians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 14, and 1 Timothy 3. 

 

4. Sending others when they are ready. Making disciples and seeing the church come together around them is how to grow the church. When someone believes they are prepared to go minister somewhere else, it should be confirmed by the church, and then they should be sent and supported by the sending church. Does your church send people to areas that need the gospel?

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Please consider Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4, Titus 1:5, and Acts 12:24. 

 

5. The one anothers of scripture are commands and are best lived out in smaller gatherings where everyone can use their gifts. We believe that smaller gatherings of believers best fit the scriptural commands for the Church. This works well with the idea that all believers are royal priests of God, 1 Peter 2:9, and ambassadors 2 Corinthians 5:20. All followers of Christ are expected to serve God and follow the great commission. As we seek to live out the one another’s of scripture, we strive to build up and equip God’s people. Consider the following commands of scripture bear one another’s burdens Galatians 6:1 and 2, confess your sins to one another James 5:16, and submit to one another Ephesians 5:21. They show the intimacy and the connection that a church is supposed to have. Believers in a church gathering should know each other well. Do you know the people in your gathering well? Do you spend time with them? 

 

Google “one another’s” of scripture, and you will see the list.

 

6. Biblical shepherds are servant leaders who follow the example of Christ. They protect the sheep from false teaching and guide them in truth. They should never seek titles or elevated positions for themselves. Instead, they should seek to empower others to use their gifts so that the local church functions in a more God-honoring way. A Church should seek to have elders/shepherds in their gathering in God’s time as God equips them. A church is truly a church regardless if they have known leaders, but they should pray for God to raise leaders from within their gathering. The Bible shows more than one leader in a church and does not give them authority over one another. So, having more than one leader who works together as a plurality of leaders should be normal.

How does your gathering look at leadership?

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Please consider Hebrews 13:17, Colossians 3:16, Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5.

 

7. The church should faithfully observe the Lord’s Supper. It is to be done with great reverence and respect for the atoning work of Christ on our behalf. It was a meal, and much reflection was done during this time. It is to be done in remembrance of our salvation in Christ, past, present, and future. Therefore, it is a time of reflection, not a quick ritual, Matthew 26:26-29 and 1 Corinthians 11. Do you partake in the Lord’s Supper ritualistically, or is it a time of reflection and fellowship surrounded by the amazing love of Christ?

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Please consider 1 Corinthians 11, Luke 22, and Mark 14. 

 

8. Man’s rules are to be avoided. Man’s rules are anything added to scripture that either gives more requirements than scripture does or is an unscriptural requirement. Jesus spoke against the religious leaders adding to scripture or missing the biblical point; Mark 7:6, 7, and 13 are good examples. God’s Word gives us everything we need to live a life honoring to Him, 2 Timothy 3:16. When we follow God’s ways; then we can always trust the results of ministry. May we fear following the traditions of men, Mark 7:8. How do traditions affect your gathering?

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9. Christ is the foundation, and we must always avoid building ourselves and our gatherings on a person or denomination. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 shows us that we must build our lives and churches on the foundation of Christ. Almost all churches say they do this, but we must biblically assess this based on scripture. All of the previous 9 points are meant to help test if a church is building on the foundation of Christ.