There are many people today who are searching for “a church.” They go “from church to church” trying to find one they like and one that meets the felt-needs of their life. For most of these searchers, the standards they are using to find “the right church” are very subjective and may change significantly the longer they search.
Try to imagine if Jesus were to come among us again today “looking for a church.” Do you think the Son of God would be satisfied with just any ole church? You know He wouldn’t! If Jesus came “looking for a church,” you know that He would be looking for a very specific church, no doubt using very objective standards to find it.
The church that Jesus would be looking for would be the one for which He died. The majority of the “churches” that a searching man will find today are ones that have been founded by men. Yet, Jesus came to this earth nearly 2,000 years ago for a very specific purpose of fulfilling God’s eternal purpose (cf. Eph. 3:9-11) of building His church (Matt. 16:18), giving Himself up for His church (Eph. 5:25) and purchasing His church with His own blood (Acts 20:28), so that man might be saved by being in His church (Eph. 5:23; Acts 2:47). If Jesus were to come among us today, there is only one church for which He would search—His church that He bought and established Himself. Is that the one you are looking for?
The church that Jesus would be looking for would be the one that has been here since the first century and will be here until the end. Most of the “churches” that a searching man will find today are ones that have been founded in recent decades and centuries. Yet, the church that Jesus purchased with His blood was established on the first Pentecost after His resurrection (in Acts 2). It is His church of which Jesus promised, “…the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18), i.e., it “shall never be destroyed…it shall stand forever” (Dan. 2:44). If Jesus were to come among us today, the church for which He would look would be the one that was established almost 2,000 years ago—it has endured the centuries and will endure until the end. Is that the one you are looking for?
If it were not for Jesus, there would no church for us to find. Let us use His standard for finding His church!