Is it time to visit another church?
It's reasonable for people to visit different churches. God would expect His children to discern what a local-church believes BEFORE they commit to faithfully attending with their family.
Visiting different local churches also allows a believer to see IF and HOW the church puts into practice what they SAY they believe.
However, a problem arises when someone's motive for visiting churches becomes self-willed, rather than God-willed.
A few examples to consider:
If a sermon exposes someone's sin, God's will is for that person to get right.
- Self-will says: "It's time for me to visit another church!"
When someone is "rubbed" the wrong way at church, God's will is to work through it.
- Self-will says: "It's time for me to visit another church!"
When the preacher sets forth a biblical truth that someone has already decided they are not going to believe, God's will is for that person to be like the Berean's and receive and search the word.
- Self-will says: "It's time from me to visit another church!"
In the 3 examples above, it's clear that God's will was right and self-will was wrong.
When visiting churches, consider asking yourself these 4 tough questions:
- Is this God's will or my will?
- If this God's will or my spouse's will?
- Is this God's will or my children's will?
- Am I honestly looking for biblical-truth, or just fun and games to entertain my family?
- Am I ready and willing to hear preaching against sin and for holiness?
It's amazing the great lengths that people will go through to cater to and please themselves, their spouse, and their children. But, where is GOD in all of this?
The bottom line is: our aim in life should be to please our heavenly Father and follow His leading when looking for a local-church to faithfully attend.