Have you walked away from the church? If so, why?
Many have walked out the doors of the church never to come back again because of what they find within. Such sentiment as “They’re a bunch of hypocrites” is often spoken. In this, those who walk away are actually judging God based upon what they saw in the church.
What if we started turning this around? What if we judged the church based on who God is?
God is… holy, the way, the truth, the life, everlasting, unchanging, unable to lie, love, prince of peace, healer, shepherd, faithful, rock, refuge, etc.
Are our churches places of: Refuge? Healing? Life? Truth? Shepherding? Love? Peace?
Many people have made the mistake of trusting in the church, rather than trusting in God. And when the church proves less than holy they walk away thinking God is a lie. People will let you down. That’s just the way it is, but God will never let you down.
We see the church and think it represents who God is, and it should, yet God has also given us some pretty strong warnings within His scriptures that those going to His churches, claiming His name, and teaching His people might not always be like Him.
Mat 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
Mat 24:10-13 “…many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another…And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
Mat 24:11 “…many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”
Rom 16:17-18 “Now I urge you…note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”
1Ti 4:1-2 “…in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…”
2Pe 2:1-15 “…there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies…And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words.…They have forsaken the right way and gone astray.”
Challenge: Know that even if you have been wounded by the church. God is still faithful. God is still fighting for you. God is still waiting to love on you. God is still ready to accept you. Don’t give up on Him.
When the rocks speak 
Being hurt by the people in the church is sadly, a common occurrence. Unfortunately, we Christians still live in the flesh and don’t always live by the Spirit. That being so, we hurt others and we get hurt by others. Sometimes, we can work it out. Other times, for our own sakes, we must move on to prevent being hurt over and over again. Leaving a congregation should never mean leaving the church. You are right on when you say people blame God for the church’s actions, and so they leave the church and God behind. I have seen this happen many times. Even to well seasoned Christians. And I have seen people get hurt by the church, yet they are able to separate the church from God, and they are able to move on while continuing to grow in their relationship with the Lord. Those that try to do it on their own because they no longer trust people, almost always fail, and end up backsliding. We must always maintain relationships with other Christians or we are lone sheep in the pasture just waiting for the lion to come and devour us.
There is a saying that says the church is the only army that shoots it wounded. This may not be true that it is the “only” army that does so, but it is true that it does shoot its wounded. It is sad that we are this way. Our wounded are our most vulnerable to the enemy. May the Lord lay it on our hearts to heal the wounded through his love, rather than toss them aside as lion bait. Let us be those that God uses to fulfill the goals who are willing to take up the challenge you put forth at the end of this blog.
Amen! Thanks for taking the time to post this, Joel.
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