The DeGRAFF FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH
State Route 235/ 100 East Miami Street
DeGraff, Ohio 43318
Phone: (937) 585-4463
Pastor James Roby
"Is One Church Just As Good As Another?"
by Pastor James Roby
To hear most folks talk, you would think that one church is just as good as another. 'It doesn't matter where a man attends, just so he goes somewhere.' Or how about the ever popular, 'Attend the church of your choice.' 'One church is just as good as another. We don't believe alike, but we're all trying to get to the same place.' Statements like these reflect the thinking of a vast majority of church members when it comes to choosing a church to attend. Very often, location or the fact that Aunt Bessie used to go there, matters more than what is believed or preached from the pulpit. We ought to do some serious thinking before accepting this popular religious line. Play out this reasoning in other areas and see if it makes any sense to you. One car is just as good as another. One fabric is equal to any other...they are all the same quality. Pick the restaurant of your choice...they all serve equally good food. One surgeon is just as good as any other. It is obvious how MINDLESS AND RIDICULOUS THESE STATEMENTS ARE! Everyone knows that a Cadillac is better than a 71 Pinto! A T-Bone steak smothered in onions is far better than a baloney sandwich...some auto mechanics are better than others! And if we are honest, we'll have to admit that not all churches are equal.
1. A CHURCH THAT PREACHES THE TRUTH IS BETTER THAN ONE THAT PREACHES ERROR. There are varieties of things being taught in the churches today. Some deny that the Bible is inerrant, others deny the virgin birth of Christ, others deny His bodily resurrection from the dead, etc. Can a church that teaches contrary to what the Bible says be as good as a church that stands for the truth? No, in no way! A good church preaches what the Bible says! (2 Timothy 2:15, 4:2-4; Jude 3).
2.) A CHURCH THAT PREACHES ALL THE TRUTH IS BETTER THAN ONE THAT ONLY PREACHES PART OF THE TRUTH. There are churches that teach some true things, but they leave out or change other Bible doctrines. It should be obvious that a church that stands for part of the Bible is not as good as one that stands for the whole Bible.(Acts 20:27).
3.) A CHURCH THAT GIVES SINNERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO JESUS CHRIST AND BE SAVED IS BETTER THAN A CHURCH THAT DOES NOT. Many churches do not preach salvation, do not invite sinners to come to Jesus, do not give altar calls, and do not have a burden to win the lost. That kind of church is definitely inferior to one that proclaims a clear salvation message, and then invites people to be saved. (Joshua 24:15).
4.) A CHURCH THAT IMMERSES BELIEVERS IS BETTER THAN ONE THAT SPRINKLES BABIES. (Acts 8:35-38). It is error to teach that water baptism has anything to do with receiving salvation. That is precisely where the error of infant sprinkling came from. John Wesley, Martin Luther, and the Roman Catholics all taught than if an unsprinkled baby died it would go to Hell. This is just not true. Baptism merely shows outwardly what has already happened to the believer inwardly. It is better to go to a church that is Biblically correct on baptism! (Matthew 3:7-8).
5.) A CHURCH WHERE JESUS CHRIST IS THE HEAD IS BETTER THAN A CHURCH THAT IS RUN BY SOME DENOMINATION, CONFERENCE, BOARD, OR BISHOP. It is far better to have the Lord Jesus Christ run and control the church than it is to have fallible men and women run it. God intends for His church to be totally independent and free from all entangling alliances. (Ephesians 1:22; Matthew 16:17-18).
6.) A CHURCH THAT IS LIKE THE ONE JESUS FOUNDED IS BETTER THAN A CHURCH FOUNDED UPON THE IDEAS OF MEN. (Acts 1-28).
7.) A CHURCH THAT IS ZEALOUS FOR THE THINGS OF GOD IS BETTER THAN ONE THAT IS DRY AND DEAD. (Revelation 3:1, 15-16). It is also a bad thing when churches are zealous about the wrong things. (Galations 4:17-18).
I could go on and on with examples to prove that all churches are not alike. Some churches are indeed better than other ones. It is important for every child of God to attend a Christ-exalting, Bible-believing church that practices the truth! Don't waste your valuable time on any other kind!
