Joining a Joining a ChurchChurch

How does the How does the Lord want us to Lord want us to go about deciding go about deciding which Church to which Church to join?join?

Question #1Question #1

Why does God Why does God want us to want us to

join a church?join a church?

Hebrews 10:24-25

John 8:31

Key Point #1

Revelation 22:18-19

Romans 16:17

2 Corinthians 11:3

Ephesians 3:16-19

Key Point #2Key Point #3

encourage one another as we worship and pray together

work together to spread

God’s Word in the world

because false teaching ruins more and more of God’s Word

adds to or subtracts from

the Bible

teaches only what the Bible teaches

so the devil can’t harm our faith with poisoned

“food”

Mark 16:15

study the Bible together, young and old,

growing in God’s Word

Key Point #4

to warn people in these churches

about the poison they are “eating

Hebrews 10:24-25Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider how we And let us consider how we may spur one another on may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and encourage one another--and all the more as you see the all the more as you see the Day approaching. Day approaching.

John 8:31John 8:31

To the Jews who had To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to said, "If you hold to my teaching, you my teaching, you are really my are really my disciples. disciples.

James 5:16James 5:16

Therefore confess your Therefore confess your sins to each other and sins to each other and pray for each other so pray for each other so that you may be healed. that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and man is powerful and effective.effective.

Revelation 22:18-Revelation 22:18-1919

I warn everyone who hears the words I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. described in this book.

Romans 16:17Romans 16:17

I urge you, brothers, to I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who watch out for those who cause divisions and put cause divisions and put obstacles in your way obstacles in your way that are contrary to the that are contrary to the teaching you have teaching you have learned. Keep away from learned. Keep away from them. them.

Ephesians 3:16-19Ephesians 3:16-19

I pray that out of his glorious riches he I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. the measure of all the fullness of God.

But I am afraid that just But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, the serpent's cunning, your minds may your minds may somehow be led astray somehow be led astray from your sincere and from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.pure devotion to Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:32 Corinthians 11:3

Mark 16:15Mark 16:15

He said to them, "Go He said to them, "Go into all the world into all the world and preach the and preach the good news to all good news to all creation. creation.

God wants us to join a God wants us to join a ______ so that we can ______ so that we can join _______ with others join _______ with others (________) in _______, (________) in _______, ______, _________, ______, _________, __________, and _______ __________, and _______ _____._____.

Key Point #1Key Point #1

churchchurchtogethertogetherfellowshipfellowship worshipworshipprayerprayer educationeducationevangelismevangelism missionmissionworkwork

Question #2Question #2

What is the most What is the most important test God important test God wants us to use in wants us to use in deciding which deciding which church to join.church to join.

The ____ God wants us to The ____ God wants us to use in _______ which use in _______ which ______ to join is whether ______ to join is whether that church holds that church holds _________ to his _____._________ to his _____.

Key Point #2Key Point #2

testtestdecidingdeciding

churchchurch

completelycompletely WordWord

Question #3Question #3

What does God tell us What does God tell us to do if we find that a to do if we find that a church is adding church is adding something to or something to or subtracting something subtracting something from God’s Word?from God’s Word?

1 Thessalonians 5:21-1 Thessalonians 5:21-2222

Test everything. Test everything. Hold on to the Hold on to the good. Avoid good. Avoid every kind of every kind of evil. evil.

1 John 4:11 John 4:1

Dear friends, do not Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see test the spirits to see whether they are from whether they are from God, because many God, because many false prophets have false prophets have gone out into the world.gone out into the world.

Key Point #3Key Point #3

God tells us to keep ____ God tells us to keep ____ from, to ________ from, to ________ ourselves from, and not ourselves from, and not to _______ or have to _______ or have ________ to do with such ________ to do with such a ______.a ______.

awayawayseparateseparate

welcomewelcome anythinganythingchurchchurch

Question #4Question #4

Why does God tell us to Why does God tell us to keep ourselves separate keep ourselves separate from any church that from any church that adds anything to or adds anything to or subtracts anything from subtracts anything from his Word?his Word?

Key Point #4Key Point #4

God tells us to keep God tells us to keep ourselves _______ in order ourselves _______ in order to keep our _____ from to keep our _____ from being ______ and to ____ being ______ and to ____ members of that ______ of members of that ______ of the ______ to their _____.the ______ to their _____.

separateseparatesoulssouls harmedharmed

warnwarnchurchchurch dangerdanger

soulssouls

What I’ve LearnedWhat I’ve Learned

God wants me to make God wants me to make the decision about the decision about which church to join by which church to join by testing whether it testing whether it teaches the pure word teaches the pure word of God.of God.

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