“When a church changes its values to match the current culture, it is no longer following the Bible, but instead is following the lost.”

Is your church following the Word of God or the culture?

1. If a church is more concerned with gaining numbers and money than it is in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, then it is probably time to look for a new church.

2. “We preach Christ crucified!” The cross is the heart of the gospel message. Christ came to offer his life as a ransom to pay the price for our sins. A church that will remove Christ’s sacrificial death and the cross, is a church that has fallen away from the Word of God.

3. If a church says that trials and hardships come into a person’s life because they do not have enough faith, something is wrong. Certainly Christ faced trials and hardship; are we to conclude then, that Christ did not have enough faith?

4. Does the church preach that we are all sinful and unclean? Does it preach that Christ died and rose to pay the price for our sin? Does it preach that we are saved by God’s grace through faith? Does the church preach the “Triune God?” If not, you may need to look for a different church.

5. Is the pastoral leadership more important than the Word of God? Do we come to hear the pastor, or to hear the Word of God? Is the pastor more concerned about making fans for himself or for God?

6. Does the pastor talk about the reality of sin and that we are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God?

7. Does the church stress entertainment over the proclamation of the gospel? Are you coming to see a different show every week?

8. Does your church preach from the Bible? Is the Word of God the guiding principle of the sermons and the teaching of the church?

9. Does your church proclaim the importance of repentance? Does your church offer forgiveness without requiring the confession sin? Does your church offer salvation without repentance? Does your church offer eternal life without commitment?

10. Does your church proclaim that Christ was physically raised from the dead on Easter and that all who believe will also be physically raised to new life?

If your church is more concerned with matching its values to the culture, you may want to look for a different church.

Veritas, Curt