How do you find a church as an adult?

More than once, church members of St. John have longingly shared with me, “I miss my mother so much. It would be nice just to talk with her and see what she thinks.” I understand. It has been four years now since my mom passed away. But, yes, it would be nice to talk with her and see what she thinks.

Do you know that The Church is sometimes referred to as our “spiritual mother?” Think of the similarities. A mother gives birth to a child; God works through His church to give the new birth of faith in Jesus through God’s word, and through water and the Spirit. (John 3:5, 1 Peter 1:23).

A mother feeds and nurtures a child to maturity; in God’s church people are fed and nourished for faith in Jesus Christ, leading to maturity. (Hebrews 5:12, 2 Peter 3:18). Parents, in love, correct their children to keep them from harmful dangers in life; in God’s Church, children of God are corrected so they might live healthy and fruitful lives. (2 Timothy 3:14-17, Hebrews 12:5-9).

There are more similarities, but you get the picture. In many ways, the church is our spiritual mother.

It is difficult to lose one’s mother or a parent. So, what happens to young people when they leave home and their spiritual mother – the church where they were raised – is no longer there?

I have often heard college students tell me, “I can’t find a church that is like our church at home?” Yet, when a person loses their mother, they find a way to continue in life, remembering the love and teachings of their mother.

When a Christian leaves their spiritual home, they still need to continue. They still need to find a church where they can be fed and loved by God and his people, and also find ways to serve our Lord.

So, last week was Confirmation Sunday. While the class was still meeting, I taught about the topic, “How do you find a church as an adult?” I believe this is important enough to share with you.

My instructions to our young people were based on three principles. If you have left home and need to find a place to worship and serve God, look for a church where:

· Scripture is taught and believed to be the word of God;

· The congregation, even though made of sinful humans, sincerely seeks to live out what God teaches in Scripture; and

· The good news of God’s grace in Jesus is seen as the central teaching of Scripture. A church should teach that God forgives us and saves us as we believe in Jesus, because Jesus died and rose for us.

Someone might wonder about such a strong emphasis on the Bible. But, I instructed the eighth-grade class to consider the attitude of Jesus himself toward the Scriptures. Please consider what Jesus said.

In John 10:35, when the religious leaders of the day were challenging what Jesus said about himself, Jesus quoted a verse from the Old Testament and then told the people, “and the Scripture cannot be broken.” That is not a pastor saying this, but Jesus himself.

In Matthew 22:29, when Jesus was challenged by the Sadducees on the teaching of the resurrection of the dead, Jesus quoted a verse from Exodus 3, and told those opposing him, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”

Please remember, these are not just the words of an enthusiastic believer. These are the words of Jesus himself!

Later in that same chapter, Jesus teaches about himself as the Messiah by quoting from Psalm 110. He points to the truth of the verse by asking the question in Matthew 22:43 “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’?” In other words, David may have been used by God to write those words. But it was the Spirit, it was God himself, who was speaking through David.

And, when Jesus prays for his disciples and the church on the night of his last Passover, he asks his Father, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” Our Lord himself tells us that God’s word is truth!

If this is how our Lord felt and taught about God’s word, then the word of God is the primary guide and strength for people today. So, when looking for a church, it is important that a person finds a church that teaches and lives according to the Scriptures, and that a person finds a church that understands the main teaching of the Bible, Jesus.

Perhaps a good summary of all of this is what Jesus told people gathered to hear him teach: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:28)

Someday, today’s eighth-grade students will leave their parents’ home and live on their own. At that time, we hope they will not forget their faith, but will continue to grow in faith and bear fruit.

So, hopefully, our eighth-grade students heard the messages in this lesson. As they were confirmed last Sunday, I thought it was important to share this with you as well.