{"id":21485,"date":"2026-03-09T01:30:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T01:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=21485"},"modified":"2026-03-09T01:30:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T01:30:05","slug":"12-essentials-of-an-authentic-new-testament-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=21485","title":{"rendered":"12 Essentials of an Authentic New Testament Church"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Reading Time:<\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In a few weeks, we will commemorate a major event. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID\u201319 a pandemic! 118,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,291 registered deaths. Six years ago \u2013 remember? During the watershed event in world history, some leaders and prophetic voices predicted major changes with the wakeup call.\n<\/p>\n

Post a prayer for your state!<\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

3 Predictions<\/h2>\n

1. Deconstruction<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

We need to deconstruct our prevalent gospel presentation to highlight repentance, Lordship, and the Kingdom of God, as they are so evident in the Bible. There is simply no biblical basis for a \u201cJesus as Savior only\u201d message. The content of our message determines the quality of our converts.\n<\/p>\n

2. Distribution<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

God\u2018s blueprint in Ephesians 4:11-16\u00a0reveals the Church is not a building but a body, and Christianity is not an auditorium-centered, spectator sport with leaders given only for educating or entertaining, but for the equipping of the saints for the work of service. \u201cThe five gifts ministries are essential, not optional, so that \u2018every part effectively does its work and grows building itself up in love.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

3. Decentralization<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

The Church must be decentralized to express the biblical model that Christianity is not merely an \u201cIn-N-Out Burger\u201d service to attend, but a life to be shared, impacting local communities. The church is not built primarily on Sunday services but relationships (Acts2:42\u201347) with Christians interacting with each other from \u201chouse to house\u201d and in corporate gatherings.\n<\/p>\n

12 Essentials of a New Testament Church<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Is Jesus Christ exalted as the Son of God, risen from the dead, and humankind\u2019s only path for forgiveness and redemption (Acts 2:22-24)?<\/li>\n
  2. Is the Bible honored and taught with authority as God\u2019s inerrant and authoritative will for humanity (2 Timothy 3:16)?<\/li>\n
  3. Is there authenticity, sincerity, and vitality in the praise and worship (Psalm 150), contrasted with lifeless liturgy or man-centered performance?<\/li>\n
  4. Is there genuine love practically expressed by the people (John 13:34-35)?<\/li>\n
  5. Do the people build interpersonal relationships among themselves that go beyond merely attending services (Acts 2:42-47; 5:42)?<\/li>\n
  6. Do the leaders emphasize pastoral care that embraces a person\u2019s legitimate needs, and do they exercise appropriate church discipline when needed (1 Peter 5:2; Hebrews 13:17)?<\/li>\n
  7. Is there an emphasis on commitment rather than mere convenience in the life of the church (Acts 2:42-47)?<\/li>\n
  8. Is there leadership present that exemplifies Christian virtue (integrity, loyalty, humility) and not merely charismatic speaking ability divorced from character (1 Timothy 3:1-13)?<\/li>\n
  9. Is there acknowledgment of and input from the five gift ministries set in the church for our maturity (apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers) (Ephesians 4:11-15), plus encouragement to function in our individual gift ministries?<\/li>\n
  10. Is there an evangelistic thrust to intentionally reach others with the gospel and connect with the wider body of Christ in our locality to fulfill the Great Commission (Mathew 28:19-20)?<\/li>\n
  11. Is there a sense of reality and relevancy as opposed to religious ritual (2 Timothy 3:5)?<\/li>\n
  12. Are people\u2019s lives being genuinely transformed through their involvement and opportunities for service (Romans 12:1-8)?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Here\u2019s the deal: As the waters recede and we transition into the post-pandemic era, will we rise to the challenge? May we cast down any idols, including those of religion, tradition, and fear of man. \u201cAs Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it\u201d (Ephesians 5:25), may we do likewise as the bride who \u201cmade herself ready\u201d (Revelation 19:7).\n<\/p>\n

    Share your prayers for America\u2019s churches below.<\/h4>\n

    Larry Tomczak is a bestselling author of 10 books, a cultural commentator of 50 years, Intercessors for America board member, and a public policy adviser with Liberty Counsel. Go to www.larrytomczak.com to watch 30 amazing, free, on-demand, brief videos done by some of America\u2019s top leaders to confidently address today\u2019s tough issues. Photo Credit: rdegrie\/Getty Images via Canva Teams.<\/em>
    \n \n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Reading Time: 3 minutes In a few weeks, we will commemorate a major event. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID\u201319 a pandemic! 118,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,291 registered deaths. Six years ago \u2013 remember? During the watershed event in world history, some leaders and prophetic voices predicted<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21486,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[3180,82,7083,1211],"class_list":["post-21485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-prayer","tag-authentic","tag-church","tag-essentials","tag-testament"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}