Leaving the Church

[aprodigal1]

I am so tired of the hypocrisy that goes on inside the church I really believe I am on my way to just calling it quits!! I'm not saying I'm leaving the Lord, just the organized church as we know it. I have so many issues; going into detail would eat up so much wasted time. Please understand, I'm not in any unrepentant sin or under church discipline. I can honestly say I've seen just too many insincere, ungrateful, greedy and prideful Christian people hurt and shame the name of Christ as well as other people under the banner of Christ. I'm just saddened over the whole thing and am very bitter. Most importantly I realize I'm not perfect and never claimed to be. I'm not expecting other Christians to be perfect just God pleasers rather then man pleasers starting with the leadership. I've been on staff at a church, I've been a leader at a church and I have left the this particular church for the same reasons I'm writing about today. I've seen the ugly, behind the scene hypocrisy that goes on and I believe no church or leadership is immune or exempt. In fact I've visited 2 different churches in the past year and they both are just as mean, insincere and man pleasing as the one I left that I attended for 10 years. May God help the Church of today. I truly believe we are either the Ephesian church or the Laodicean church in Revelation chapter 2 and 3.


FYI: I've prayed ceaselessly for myself and the Church and it's leaders as a whole. I have sought counsel from Elders and leaders and it is all the same thing. They all believe that God may have sent me to that particular church to help and be faithful in pointing these things out and It has always been said that I have an open door to tell them these hard things. But once I do, I become a the second class christian with a major log in my eye and It has been said that I can't impose my own convictions on other people but just pray for them. Would adultery be right just because I don't have a conviction about committing it? Or is gossip, pride and hurtful speech excused just because the offender is not convicted by it?

 

[whiteknite]

I know how you feel. I've been frustrated with a church more than once. Just pleasse remember to keep the Lord in your heart/mind as much as possible. God Bless you

 

[pickles]

All will be in my prayers.
God bless, pickles

 

[songster]

I understand your frustration. You never said what type of church you're attending, but I will assume it is a loving, bible teaching church rooted in the fundementals of salvation through Christ, and sound Christian doctrine.

For me, the most significant point I gathered, from your statement, was that you seem to be surrounded by insincere and hypocritical people, posing as devoted christians, and this, you are privy to, because of your behind the scenes involvement in your church.

I don't know the extent of the hypocrisy, but if it extends to church leadership, and behavior issues are not being addressed, I sincerely believe you should seek out another body of believers with whom you can have fellowship, and from whom, you can receive teaching. Trust is key when forming solid relationships in the church. If we were talking about a believer mentoring another believer in the congregation, shortcomings could be easily overlooked, if proper counseling and support was made available, but, if your apparent level of disgust extends to the leadership of the church, it is difficult for you to be fruitful within that church, especially if those around you are not receptive to sound counsel.

Keeping in mind, why we go to church, it is necessary to establish a strong bond with the leadership of your church, for your own spiritual growth. There are many who have been convinced to adopt a 'savior' or 'hero' mentality, where their church is concerned. I have personally seen very close friends of mine, remaining in a distrusting, strife filled, traditional, programmatic setting, for years, simply because someone once said to them, God may be using them to change their church.

We are not bigger than Jesus, our righteousness does not exceed His. No one is ever sent to 'save' or change a body of believers single handedly. The Lord knows how to care for those who belong to Him. If this is affecting your life, your perception of the church, your relationships with the leadership of your church, or your own personal growth in the Lord, I encourage you to pray about finding another place of worship. I say this, as a person who attends a very loving church who has often gone out of their way, and even inconvenienced themselves, to show me the love of Christ Jesus, through their efforts.

Hebrews 10:25

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as we see the Day approaching.

 

[igh]

Praise the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I honestly and earnestly Pray for our Church over this whole earth that is seeks the will of God, and does it. Lord bring persecution to the Church so it purges the man pleasers, only those who seek you will give there lives for you Amen.

 

[iamblessed12]

I know that sometimes it is difficult to understand man's ways but remember our ways are not his ways. We can't always change people, we can try to lead them to the one who can change them who is Jesus Christ. There are always going to be people who we can't completely change or who we can't always depend on, trust me I know this personally. You just have to believe that the Lord has a greater plan for you and your life. Never give up on him or his amazing love. I have been dealing with a trial for a few months and today I received the greatest news that I have been healed from my sickness. The Lord has promised he would never leave us or forsake us but he will go with us all the way even unto the end. Just keep the faith and live your life for God, everything else will fall into place. God Bless!

 

[dee133]

I hear ya aprodigal1. Our family spent 12 years at a church when we first moved to this state in 1984. We worked, gave, and loved on people as much as we could. My husband sat on the board and was in leadership position. We always felt like outsiders because, although my husband sat on the board, nothing was ever disclosed to him. One evening he received a call from the pastor requesting that we put a mortgage on our home or else the church property could be facing foreclosure. During these years, our youngest son was born. Nobody from the church called or came by the hospital to see us. My mother also went there and she endured colon cancer and heart stints with three weeks in the hospital. There were only two people that came by during all that time, including the pastor, but I had heard him say before that he did hospital duty only for those in the congregation because it was expected of him. Needless to say, we did not mortgage our home and we left that church, only to go to another one where the pastor was found to have used offering money to fund his cocaine addiction. We haven't had a church to go to in about 6 years. I'm also weary of it all, and quite frankly afraid to go look for another church. I have also experienced so much hypocrisy in my extended family. They've always been in church and everything centers around the Bible, but they don't live it. I'm struggling with it right now. I haven't lost my faith in God, but I have in people. Everyone argues over doctrine and wants to have their way. Lately, I've been thinking about the scripture that says, "You will know they are my disciples by the love they show one to another," and I wonder where are God's disciples? I know a few, but they are very few. I'm joining you in pray over this one, my friend. It's my heartache as well.

 

[MaNoah]

can i recommend 'For Zion's Sake' ? i'm jewish so dont necessarily subscribe to the cannabalistic christian extremist "eat me/drink me" concept nor agree to loving soft approach, but these folks meet everyone in between, and give a fine family environment too.the worst they can say is no, you are wierd. ( )
or go away. best is a brand new open faith in the Lord you never dreamed possible with 5800 years of religion behind it. Luck.

 

[Cako53]

I do get your frustruation, but we are still called to meet with fellow christians, don't forget that. I have seen my own family fall far from God by not going to church and simply saying that "Being a christian isn't about going to church, it is about having a relationship with God." Which yes this is true, BUT you also need proper structured teaching in your relationship with God. I pray that whatever decsision you make that it would be God's will and not yours. God bless you.

 

[timjim]

There are a lot of people who go to church who are not true Christians. How are you ever going to reach out to them by just staying at home.

 

[giantone]

I know what your going through and likely it wasn't as bad as what I went through, I had to leave my church we had a seducing spirit everyone allowed in. We went to many Churches looking for the right one and we found a Hispanic church we really liked and went there for half a year They sang mostly in Spanish and interpreted the sermons for us. The pastor stepped out of his bounds and did something he shouldn't have done we weren't offended and it was sad leaving but we couldn't be under that kind of control or manipulation. At that time my previous pastor who is now an evangelist was preaching at a small Assembly of God, he invited us to come we went I saw the minister of that church speak, I was not impressed in the least and was leaving when the service was done and my former pastor recommended this pastor, I greatly respect my former pastor so I went back to that church the next week and have been there since.

The church I go to is 25 miles from me and it is worth the drive. Your not going to find a church without hiprocracy, it is everywhere but if God is there that’s where you need to be. Also my mom got diagnosed with cancer just as we found this last church, she had a covering and people were there praying for her healing she had the worst kind of cancer small cell lung cancer she should have been dead years ago, she's been free of cancer six months now and that almost never happens with this kind of cancer the doctor said she's a miracle. I know she wouldn't be alive if she didn't have that covering , I'm certain of it.

If you absolutly have to then have church at home with other christians but only if it's the only choice. If your not getting anything out of your church leave. But don't not have Church with other believers in the flesh.