Principles for New Believers (or really anyone) to Thrive in a Local Congregation

God is doing a wonderful thing in the earth today and despite all the enemy’s tactics to keep this from happening, many are entering the doors of local churches or congregations – some for the very first time.

If you are one of those, you probably have lots of questions and a mix of emotions. God’s will and intention for you is that you would find a church family that would become a great source of encouragement and support as you learn to get engaged and stay engaged. I offer the following principles to aid you in that process.

1.        Jesus, not any man, is the Head of the Church. Jesus Himself made this very clear as is recorded in Matthew 16:18, “….I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The apostle Paul also stated this, “He is also head of the body, the church;….” Colossians 1:18.  Now He has called men to lead His church, but He alone remains its head. And He expects all men (and women) to honor and submit to His headship. Only the church that Jesus is building and remains the Head of can be assured that the gates of hell will not overpower it.

2.        Jesus uses men (and women) to lead and minister to His church, but they are merely servants operating with spiritual gifts that Jesus Himself gave them. Paul made this clear to the church in Corinth, who had a fleshly tendency to elevate men/leaders way beyond what they should have (see I Corinthians 1:11-13). As great as the apostle Paul was, he exhorted, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” I Corinthians 4:1.   As to the spiritual gifts and anointings that enable men (and women) to lead and minister in the church – sometimes with great power – they come from the Head. They are not earned. They are gifts of grace, not of merit. Paul spoke to this in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and then Peter spoke to it in I Peter 4. For instance, the apostle Paul stated in Ephesians 4:7, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” And then a few verses down in vs. 11, speaking of Jesus Paul wrote, “And He gave some as apostles and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,”. So no human leader ever has any reason to boast, and every follower of these leaders should always keep this in mind. Leaders that Christ the Head is pleased with will always point men to Christ, not to him or herself.

3.        If Jesus welcomes you to His church (and He does) then you are very welcome regardless of how any person treats you or looks at you. I’ve had people tell me things like, “Pastor if I walked into your church building lightning would probably strike it.” They assume all of us that typically or regularly attend worship services or prayer meetings, etc., have it all together and never lived like they lived or sinned like they sinned. Oh that such people would take the time and sit down with any of us and hear our stories. None of us were born with Bibles in our hands. Most of us in my generation (55-85 years old) did not grow up with parents who truly knew the Lord, though some of them might have attended a church here and there. Many of us did not seek the Lord in our earlier years, and we have battle scars as a result. Jesus was very clear when He said, “….It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31,32   All of us were sick in one way or another when we came to Jesus and His church. Thankfully He allowed us – even invited us in.

I have more I want to say along these lines, but this will have to do for now. God bless each of you and give you the joy of being meaningfully engaged in His church for His glory, Amen.