When a Person Walks into a Church for the First Time  

“I have attended a few church services in times past,” the lady said. “But I can’t say that I felt any the better for having done so.” There could be a variety of ways to interpret such a comment. A Holy Spirit-anointed preaching of God’s word may have brought a powerful but unmistakable Holy Spirit-conviction to her that she needed to put herself right with God. If that’s the case then one certainly will not feel any the better until one acts on the conviction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23. It is one thing to hear a Scripture such as that and not be moved but it is quite another thing to hear it and be Holy Spirit-moved.

Another way to interpret the lady’s comment: the sense of guilt, shame, despair and hopelessness she walked in with, she walked out with. Why might that be? The gospel of Jesus Christ was not preached, therefore there was no Holy Spirit-conviction for her to experience and get released from. In fact, there was no Holy Spirit presence full stop! There was the presence of a religious spirit, one that seeks to emulate the Holy Spirit but it’s effect on her added to her woes. Yet another way to interpret the lady’s comment: once the church services were over she observed the speech and behavior of most as being not a lot different than her own, which in herself, she no longer liked. Not knowing this might be the Holy Spirit working in her in any case, she didn’t hang around. 

One final interpretation for this post: the lady knew the reason for her experiencing a sense of guilt, shame, despair etc. but from the pulpit she was told, “God loves you just as you are.” In other words, there’s no need to be disturbed by your inner feelings, no need for repentance, no need for internal change, no need for the forsaking of sin, no need to separate from the world’s sordid systems and practices, “Just accept who you are, you are made in God’s image.” She was not told that it was sin that marred that image, or that Jesus Christ is the One and Only who can restore her again in God’s image. Certainly she believed none of the “no need” implications but she terminated her search for God, plus her search for life’s meaning after those few attendances.

So what should people like the lady expect from a church when attending a service for the first time? They should expect male-only leadership. A pastor/elder must be a one-woman man, not a one-man woman! The apostle Paul speaks for God when he says, And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man…. 1 Timothy 2:12. Men and women in the church openly defy God when they violate His word on this matter. More: A bishop (elder, overseer) then must be blameless, the husband of one wife…… one who rules his own house well…… (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?…… 1 Timothy 3:1-7. No matter how Christians seek to convolute or reinterpret these Scriptures they attack not only the Scriptures, but God who gave them.

I understand today’s cultural, feminist, theological and other arguments against this, plus the abuses, put-downs and insults they spew out upon those of us taking this stand but they mean nothing; it’s water off a duck’s back. As for Seminary “scholarship” that delights to tell us the plain-sense meanings of Scripture don’t mean what they say, I affirm a comment of the late Leonard Ravenhill, “They have bloody hands, swelled heads and shrunken hearts.” In addition they are not blessed of God. It was pride that got Lucifer thrown from his high godly position in heaven and it is pride that puts this lot in danger of being thrown from God’s presence too if they don’t humble themselves and embrace His word in all its fullness. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise Proverbs 12:15.

To the charge, “You have no love,” it is a false charge. It would only be correct if I omitted to mention this. The attributes of God’s mercy and love can never be fully appreciated until we fully appreciate what we have been spared from, the wrath and judgment of God. A partial gospel presentation is a “no gospel” presentation. All the facts must be brought out into the open otherwise it’s watered-down preaching; they tell us what they want us to hear, and what we want to hear, but not what God wants us to hear. As is mentioned elsewhere on this blog, such preachers are men-pleasers, not God-pleasers. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men (people)? For if I still pleased men I would not be a servant of Christ Galatians 1:10. 

When a person walks into a church for the first time there should be evidence the Holy Spirit is within and upon the leader/s plus the majority of the people. The first-timer may not express such in those terms but that should be the reality. There should be no evidence of religious bondage in those people. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty 2 Corinthians 3:17. If there’s no spiritual liberty expressed from the top, there will be none flowing down. Yes, where the Spirit of the Lord is there will be conviction of sin too, because God hates it. That’s why He came into the world as a Man to deal with it on our behalf. The Holy Spirit brings the conviction, He offers mercy and forgiveness for it and those who respond repent, turn from it and receive miraculous release, resulting in spiritual liberty.

When a person walks into a church for the first time there must be unmistakable evidence the key people are people of God, dead unto self, alive unto God – servants of God, servants of His people, not lords and masters over them. There must be no evidence of intimidation or manipulation in that church for that will be evidence of domination. Such is the practice of the devil’s people and when God’s people practice it they are outside the leading of the Holy Spirit. Sad it is that visitors often pick up on this where the regulars have fallen asleep to it. If Jesus Christ offers anything to those who serve Him as Lord, it is that they are made secure in Him emotionally and spiritually; we know who we are in Him and who He is in us. Evidence of intimidation, manipulation and domination is evidence of emotional and spiritual insecurity.

When a person walks into a church for the first time he or she must be left in no doubt as to what they hear from the pulpit. They may not like what they hear but they must understand what they hear. That means the preaching must be exact, allowing no room for ambiguity or ambivalence or any other game too many preachers are playing fast and loose with in churches these days. It is not intellectual and academic cleverness that sets people free, it is the truth! And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…….. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed John 8:32, 36. Embracing the truth of God is the only effective and lasting antidote to all guilt, shame, despair and hopelessness that grips people of all ages, high and low, educated and non-educated.

When a person walks into a church for the first time they must feel they are made welcome in that place even if the word doesn’t get expressed. People can sense whether they are or not even when the word does get expressed! If you find them “sitting in my seat” go to another seat; the same applies to “my space” in the car park. Two young sisters visited a church one time, they “sat in our seats” and were glared at so often during the service they never went back. But all praise to God, I know one of them turned back to Christ at the age of 90, just a few days before she died. Special message for all who can identify with that situation: God welcomes you! He would also have you know that even He is not welcome in many of those places bearing His name.

When a person walks into a church for the first time they should sense no “holier than thou” atmosphere. God Almighty Himself despises the religious Pharisaic attitude that says, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ These are a smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all the day Isaiah 65:5. In spite of all appearances however, it can be almost guaranteed such people have no relationship with Jesus Christ; they don’t know Him. They are to be pitied; their concepts of Christ are those of religiosity, not reality. All forms of hypocrisy harm the reputation of God, but the “holier than thou” crowd do the greatest harm in my opinion. They turn people off from considering Christianity the ultimate solution for them spiritually, mentally, morally, materially, physically and socially.

When a person walks into a church for the first time they should not expect to encounter perfect Christian leaders and people. Christians are not clones of Jesus Christ. We are not all at the same spiritual level, but we are on the same spiritual path. Some of us are ahead, some of us are behind, but only God knows where each of us is on the path. In addition, each one is fully aware if it were not for the Lord and what He did and continues to do, we would still be on the devil’s path, the one He snatched us from. There will one day be perfect leaders and people, but not until this current age ends and the new age begins – the millennial reign of Christ on the earth restored. Ultimately, that’s what Christianity is all about. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for those who love Him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.